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How often do Rabbits get ill ?

F

flat

New Kit
I know it's a ' how long is a piece of string ' type question , but how often do rabbits get ill ?

I ask this because I'm looking at rescuing a couple of house rabbits within the year and i wanted to find out whether or not they are right for me.

I say the above because i am quite a ' worrier ' and i don't think i could deal with a seriously ill rabbit every 6 months

thanks,

flat
 
Honestly just depends. Like anything!

Some buns never get ill, some are ill all the time, some now and again.

No matter what pet you get you will worry.

You have found this forum now and there are so many knowledgeable and helpful people on here to give you advice and lessen any worries :)
 
I think it's impossible to say really...I've had Bugsy & Chloe for 5 years, no problems at all. Poppy hasn't had any illnesses in the 3 years I've had her (don't know how old she is). Pebbles had a huge abdominal tumor when I adopted him, but hasn't had any further tumors since it was removed nearly 3 years ago. However he does have malocclusion and doesn't eat much hay, so has needed regular dentals, although hasn't need one for about 8 months now. Pebbles has had episodes of stasis, but this has always been related to his dental issues, and has also not happened since I've adjusted his diet.
 
my personal advice to anyone thinking of starting with rabbits is 'don't'! they are very expensive and time-consuming to keep properly and are only suitable pets for middle-aged women with large disposable incomes and deeply generous personalities. pre-maternal women also make good rabbit keepers, but rabbits are the wrong commitment for that stage of life.
get a hamster instead.

of course, you don't have to listen to me...;) i'm the woman who made an emergency trip by taxi to asda to buy a hairdryer to dry a rabbit's bum on sunday. :roll::lol:
 
happybun said:
my personal advice to anyone thinking of starting with rabbits is 'don't'! they are very expensive and time-consuming to keep properly and are only suitable pets for middle-aged women with large disposable incomes and deeply generous personalities. pre-maternal women also make good rabbit keepers, but rabbits are the wrong commitment for that stage of life.
get a hamster instead.

of course, you don't have to listen to me...;) i'm the woman who made an emergency trip by taxi to asda to buy a hairdryer to dry a rabbit's bum on sunday. :roll::lol:
Click to expand...

:lol:

Money is no problem for me , i live alone and earn alot more than i can spend , so im ok on that front :D

I also have a lot of spare time so i'm sure rabbits will help fill that XD
 
Personally I think of rabbits as a very sensitive species where illness is concerned. I know there are probably a few on here who are fortunate enough to of had bunnies who were pretty robust but from personal experience they are nowhere near as hardy as my other pets. Somebun is always ill in my house, my vets threatened to get me my own seat in the waiting room. No-one really copes when their fur babies are ill, it its a huge strain and causes endless amounts of worry, but it is sensible to think about how you will manage practicality wise and expense wise when considering a pet.
 
happybun said:
my personal advice to anyone thinking of starting with rabbits is 'don't'! they are very expensive and time-consuming to keep properly :
Click to expand...

I agree with this...house rabbits keep you on your toes...when you think you have bunny proofed everything, they find something you have missed and chew it :lol:
 
I think maybe knowing the background of a rabbit may be an advantage, perhaps. I do wonder if some are more prone to being ill if they have had a poor start in life?? This doesnt rule out getting a rabbit from a rescue, I would say a rescue would know far more about a rabbit than say a pet shop etc.

Rescues have seen it all and have a bit of a 6th sense about certain things in bunnies. Many rescues have mums with babies so know their history.

Having said this Ive always had adult rescue buns with no history. Sadly one only lived 6 weeks but my other 4 have thrived. I lost one to old age and her back end going at 11yrs, one to pasturella at about 7yr. With my current 2, Ozzie is now three and never had anything, touch wood, Twinkle is about 6 or 7 and has had a breast tumour removed, possibly caused by being spayed very late.

Maybe its just luck of the draw. But good on you for thinking ahead. Would it put me off having rabbits......No but then I am a bit daft:lol: and like a challenge
 
Not that I would wish it on anybun but illness has been one of the best bonding experiences I've had with my bunnies, Bluebell was on daily meds and being nebulised daily for his last year and whilst I would always want him healthy I've also got memories I cherish so I agree it is not something that would put me off personally.
 
its very difficult. Sebastian is 3 and a half (actually its his 3rd gotcha day today :love:) he occasionally goes into stasis (stops eating and pooing) but is normally better within 5 days apart from that he's as fit as a fiddle. Mae was his first mate she had bloat, severe weight loss but rallied round and then died out of the blue one day less than 2 years after adopting her. Imogen is his second mate she's never been ill in the year and a bit I've owned her that is until recently and right now the bill is over £300 and counting but we have no idea what is wrong.


Rabbits tend to be healthy, but when they get sick they get pretty sick :(
 
I've had 8 year old buns who've never had a day's illness in their life. I've also had 2 buns ill this year in as many weeks.

If they're well-bred then they're generally more likely to be healthy and free of genetic faults such as dental problems but there are never any guarantees. Like humans, some are healthier than others. Equally, some give up when they're ill whereas others will put up a fight and do their best to survive.

It can be stressful, expensive and it is very time-consuming to care for ill buns, particularly when they require meds or feeding around the clock, day and night. It's not a decision to take lightly. Having said this, I wouldn't be without them - ever!
 
It's funny you know - certain people might say to me 'ooo- I was thinking about getting a rabbit' and I will give all the bad stuff - like the fact they need so much care, can be so expensive, can be such a worry....but to other people I say 'yes - do get a couple of bunnies - they are the best thing ever'.... it depends on the person and whether I think a bunny is suitable for them.

I think it depends on how much time and money you can afford to give...AND most importantly, can you stand the worry that inevitably comes from owing creatures who can come with a wide range of medical issues.

We have 4 little people - 2 of which have had GI Stasis - and we consider ourselves lucky that that is all we've had in the last year...

Just have a look at the Health thread on here - gives you good indication of what you might be letting yourself in for.

And also - there is a very high risk that once you've had a couple of buns - you will always want more...can you resist?
 
flat said:
:lol:

Money is no problem for me , i live alone and earn alot more than i can spend , so im ok on that front :D

I also have a lot of spare time so i'm sure rabbits will help fill that XD
Click to expand...

:lol: yes, they'll help you with that!
 
happybun said:
my personal advice to anyone thinking of starting with rabbits is 'don't'! they are very expensive and time-consuming to keep properly and are only suitable pets for middle-aged women with large disposable incomes and deeply generous personalities. pre-maternal women also make good rabbit keepers, but rabbits are the wrong commitment for that stage of life.
get a hamster instead.

of course, you don't have to listen to me...;) i'm the woman who made an emergency trip by taxi to asda to buy a hairdryer to dry a rabbit's bum on sunday. :roll::lol:
Click to expand...

Mine are insured. I rather spend £20 a month of their insurance and preventative care insurance than risk a massive vet bill.
With the right set up, they are not expensive animals to keep I think.
 
Depends on the bunnies. I do think some people worry more and it makes their bunnies ill. Mine are pretty much bombproof. I have 5, since getting the first 2 in 2010, none of the 5 have been ill. Only been to the vets for vaccinations and neuters/spays.
 
In our experience, when they do get ill it tends to be seriously ill and/or long term with lots of vet visits, time out of work during the day to administer meds and other chaos. We've found this is possible as we can split the disruption between us (although I do most of the vet visits). The time and worry commitment can be huge as well as the vet bills.

They're great and we don't regret having them, but there are times when we're really stretched due to their illnesses.

We've had 4 buns in total since 2007 - all rescues - so to give you an idea:
Dill (2007-2012) - regular dentals, then persistent chest infection that after a 6 month battle ended in PTS
Willow (2007 - now) - regular dentals, one episode of bloat, now has a chest infection
Brownie (2009 - 2011) - EC/Head tilt which became permanent (so diff accommodation required), then sudden onset pneumonia from which we could not save her
Goose (2012 - now) - bloat which required 3 days in the vet hospital, on going dodgy tummy/guts managed by diet

So we've learnt lots about rabbit diseases & administering meds, and my little toddler knows our vets by name & often plays "taking the toy to the bunny doctor"......:lol:
 
I've got 3 rabbits. One was ill when we got him but was quickly sorted out, one is bombproof and one has had a few episodes of refusing to eat (caught early so not a big deal)

Rabbits are really pot luck. Some are ill all the time, some are incredibly healthy. Insurance is reassuring on the bills front, but nothing will help with the worry.
The problem is with rabbits they tend to go downhill very fast and hide their problems well. You might go from an apparently healthy happy rabbit to a critically ill rabbit in hours. Where most other species can wait until the morning to see a vet rabbits usually can't.
The other issue is finding a vet who understands rabbits and knows how to treat them, without a good vet the worry will be 10x worse.

I wouldn't say don't get rabbits, because for the right person they make a fantastic pet, but I do wish I'd had more realistic expectations when I got mine and browsing the forum is an excellent way to do some research.
 
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