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Rabbit dilemia......

Meg and Jas

Young Bun
A few months ago I was determined that I wanted to get a house bunny and was researching websites and reading info etc to find out more and I know a couple of you on here were helping me out by pm'ing me with info and answering my questions :D

When I started my new job at Easter which was back to being full time again the idea kind of fell by the wayside with everything else that was going on :(

Anyways today I just wandered into Pets at Home looking for some bits for the cats and they have a couple of pens which are part of their animal adoption scheme and they had the most beautiful rabbit who I thought looked like quite a youngster and really caught my eye :D

It just so happened a member of staff walked past and I asked about him as there was no info on his pen at all and basically the story is that he's not so much a rescue but one that they bought in at 8 weeks old to be sold but that he'd developed snuffles and had to be quarantined and have vet treatment (so I'm not really sure if he's classed as a rescue or not?!)

He's now about 12 weeks and the vet has cleared him to look for a home but he can't go with other buns as the virus can be passed on. He's had to have daily injections but as a result has been handled lots by humans and is v. friendly. She asked if I'd like a cuddle and to meet him so of course I did and of course I'm now in love :D

She thought he'd be an ideal house bun as he needs to be kept as a single rabbit due to the virus - which I think he might carry for the rest of his life but I need to research?! We went and spoke to the Companion Care vet to ask if it could be transmitted to cats and basically she's going to find out more as she said although she's never come across it in theory it could be?

He was just so lovely and I literally held him for 10 mins in a busy store and he just snuggled away and didn't try to wriggle or escape so he just seemed lovely :love:

To be honest I reckon he'll be snapped up as he's so friendly and I couldn't make a decision on the spot as Chris is away this weekend (and I think he'll take some persuading) and I wanted to go away and research snuffles and the implications health wise and find out more about cage sizes etc. Rather bizarrely you can't seem to reserve their rescues but have to take them there and then (which I thought a bit odd as surely you won't have the right equipment or have done your research!!!) so I'm sure he'll be gone before I make a decision but my questions are:

a) does anyone know anything about snuffles and if I should be worried about it?
b) am I completely insane find that my journey for cat food has turned into one of potential rabbit ownership!!!!!
c) how can I persuade the other half?

:thumb:

PS He's a dwarf lop so I think he'll get to about double the size he was today but I'm not really sure about rabbit sizes so again need to research
 
Snuffles isn't always passed on to their partners. Mischa had snuffles, Mini didn't get it. Nutmeg has snuffles but neither Smudge nor Mini have got it. It is an ongoing and possibly expensive disease though. It tends to flare up again and again and can sometimes also lead on to infections elsewhere or abscesses. I don't want to scare you but it's something to be aware of.
 
Hi there =D

I think there are other more experienced people on here who can give you better medical advice, but as I have a snuffles bun and experience with P@H I will give you my humble perspective ;) I am not intending on starting p@h or single bunny arguments :lol: ;)

First off- I would never get a bunny from P@H again, even the adoption section. My sister wanted bunnies for her bday, and I was in p@h with my parents when we fell in love with these two bunnies and got them just because we felt like it was love at first sight! Kinda ashamed about that :oops: They were meant to be girls, but they were boys, they started fighting and one got injured (which we had to buy treatment for), they both developed snuffles, we took them to the p@h vets for the free check up and they told us lots of bunnies get a 'cold' when they are moved to a new place :roll:. One of my bunnies then died on the operating table whilst being castrated at a p@h vets because of the snuffles and the fact that neither of the buns were particularly healthy anyway when they were younger. When we were going back in to take them to the vets, we saw other buns in the 'adoption' section who had previously been for sale... it was like they stopped being cute so they got dumped in the corner for adoption as that sounds better than 'old stock'. :sad:

Then we took the remaining bunny to our old vets who said that most bunnies who are from 'colonies' such as pet shops carry the pasteurella virus and can develop snuffles because of it- being more likely to develop the snuffles illness if they are from bad breeders and have poor health/are stressed anyway. We also got another opinion when we were treating Foxie and that vet said the same. Basically, most bunnies from pet shops and even rescues and breeders can carry the virus because they are around other buns that have it. That doesn't mean they will develop the snuffles symptoms.

For this reason when I was talking to several rescues about getting my bun Foxie a friend they said that the fact he had snuffles has no effect on whether or not they will rehome a bunny to be his friend. Most bunnies have the virus, and the actual snuffles symptoms aren't contagious as such. For this reason I think it's rather strange that whilst this bunny is still a baby they are saying he has to be kept as a single bun for his whole life when it is almost always beneficial for a bunny to have a friend :(.

Lastly, the cost of it. Foxie has been on 4 courses of antibiotics, and we are now thinking of trying a different treatment that is more expensive (which is why we tried the different antibiotics first). His case is only mild so he has a very good quality of life and is all loved up with his wife-bun Bella so there is no huge rush atm, but it could get worse at any time and then we'd have to fork out more in vets bills. We also run the risk that it might get much worse and we'll lose him early, which would be heart-breaking. He is definitely worth all the trouble! I love him so so so much! :love: But if before I knew him I'd have known how things would've gone I would've insisted we didn't get the buns from P@H and went to get a nice, healthy bonded pair from a rescue.

As for hutch sizes, p@h doesn't even sell appropriate sized accommodation for bunnies- for outdoor 6',2',2' hutch and 6' by 4' attached run, and similar floor space for indoors as MINIMUM, so plan for waiting times for ordering accommodation from online. If he's going to be an indoor bun then it seems much better to bunny-proof a room so he has a whole room to himself, or buy a few puppy pens. I had an indoor bunny when I was a child for about 6 months as we were waiting for our bunny to be done so we could get her a friend and we didn't want to leave her alone. We bunny proved one whole floor of our house. Foxie was an indoor/outdoor bunny when he was younger, and we just gave him free run of the kitchen and garden, and he had a indoor cage as a base inside, and a hutch as a base outside. This sticky is great for indoor housing advice http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304613-Indoor-Housing

Good luck with your choice though! If you get him we will want lots of photos :D He does sound lovely, and if you did get him you'd still be giving a deserving bunny a happy home which is something to be proud of :D
 
Hi there.

I run a small rescue and have recently taken on a pair of ex Pets at Home bunnies. The owner had only had them three months. Bought as a pair of girls but clearly incorrect advice given as they are in no way related or same age and owner hadn't spayed - high risk of falling out. They were bought as babies from Pets at Home but I'm not even convinced that they were old enough to have been sold.

Anyway, reason for my posting is that one is a dutch and the other is a mini lop. Both were ill upon arrival here. Neither has thrived and are tiny Both have had symptoms which would suggest a snuffly condition. And the mini lop continues to need treatment. She is underweight and intermittently snotty.

Her new owner who is a friend who helps me here decided to adopt her from me anyway and has spent lots of time at the vets. The vet and I have discussed her health at length and we firmly believe that it's because of the sort of breeding system she has come from and will always be runty. I do not suggest that all Pets at Home bunnies are unwell, but believe me I hear of many who don't last very long and seem to die from the sorts of issues that could be related to how they are supplied/bred. And the problem is the new owner often won't know until they take the rabbits away and they don't develop well.

My advice is not to adopt that rabbit unless you realise you will never be able to insure her for that condition and also that she won't necessarily be accepted at boarding establishments either. Plus I imagine you will have repeated vets trips throughout the lifetime of the bunny even if there are good spells and not such good spells. when the bunny is at it's worst it may require antibiotics and sometimes that may need to be injectible. Plus sometimes nebulising is necessary. It of course will depend entirely on why this bunny is actually snuffly.

It's lovely to want to take on a bunny that is so poorly but so long as you realise she may never be fully well. There are so many bunnies stuck in rescues proper who will have something that prevents other from adopting them (behaviour/colour/age) but if you go and find a reputable rescue atleast you will get an honest run down on health prognosis and suggestions for future requirements.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
 
Perdy was a snuffles bunny and the cost of vets treatment can be huge. When she was poorly it was just awful to see and the antibiotics were about £30 a week. The infection led to complications with her heart too.

Iggy his friend never had snuffles. Apparently its an infection they can get from their mother. For most of her life perdy was really healthy with bouts of snuffles but she got an infection in her older age which weakened her heart. So bunnies can have long and healthy and happy lives.

My house bunnies free range in the lounge. Its surprising how easy bunnies adapt to indoor living. Bunny proofing is a major issue though. I now have a 9 month old baby bunny and he is learning to eat rabbit proofing that my other bunnies have been unable to fathom:roll:

Good luck in your decision :)
 
Does your P@H have a vet practice in store? Will they cover the cost of treatment (as they should!) for the rest of his life?
 
Thanks for all the replies - I can see there's a lot to think about :shock: The pets at home branch does have a Companion Care branch in store as it's the one I'm registered at for our cats as it happens. The assistant was pretty helpful and came and spoke to the vet receptionist with me (who then went and spoke to the vet) and the vet said she'd ring me with more info which was good of them. I definitely didn't get the impression that Pets at Home would be covering future vet bills but I guess I could clarify with them. I honestly would never plan to get a pet from Pets at Home really as all the animals I've ever had are from rescues, I literally just went in today for a look at the equipment etc that's needed and saw this little man :love:

I must admit I'm kind of torn really - I think my other half (who is away this weekend so I can't discuss with him) will think that we should go for a healthy bun but I think the fact that this little one is poorly maybe drew me to him as I know I'll do my research and make sure he's looked after and I'm worried about who's going to adopt him and if he'll be properly looked after (which might sound daft!) :(
 
Thanks for all the replies - I can see there's a lot to think about :shock: The pets at home branch does have a Companion Care branch in store as it's the one I'm registered at for our cats as it happens. The assistant was pretty helpful and came and spoke to the vet receptionist with me (who then went and spoke to the vet) and the vet said she'd ring me with more info which was good of them. I definitely didn't get the impression that Pets at Home would be covering future vet bills but I guess I could clarify with them. I honestly would never plan to get a pet from Pets at Home really as all the animals I've ever had are from rescues, I literally just went in today for a look at the equipment etc that's needed and saw this little man :love:

I must admit I'm kind of torn really - I think my other half (who is away this weekend so I can't discuss with him) will think that we should go for a healthy bun but I think the fact that this little one is poorly maybe drew me to him as I know I'll do my research and make sure he's looked after and I'm worried about who's going to adopt him and if he'll be properly looked after (which might sound daft!) :(

It doesn't sound daft as you clearly want to help that particular rabbit. This is often why I end up with the poorly bunnies here as I pick from the waiting list of rabbits waiting to come in and I have to prioritise the at risk and in need first. But, it's different for private individuals as it can just be heartbreaking and if it's your only rabbit very worrying too. Problem is we can't help all the rabbits so you have to 'pick your battles' because there is always another just as deserving the next day and the next..........so even if you help this bunny, tomorrow another unwanted for sale bunny from PatH will just fill it's place.
 
Just went to Pets at Home again and he's still there - must admit I thought he'd get snapped up over the weekend as it's so busy in there :(

They had lots of young bunnies to buy yesterday in their general section and only had 3 left today :shock:
 
Just went to Pets at Home again and he's still there - must admit I thought he'd get snapped up over the weekend as it's so busy in there :(

They had lots of young bunnies to buy yesterday in their general section and only had 3 left today :shock:

What have you decided to do? :)
 
Sorry not to update before - busy week :) Well he's still there (I popped in today after work) but I definitely have decided not to adopt him unfortunately :(

I had a chat with the vet and they said that snuffles can potentially be a very expensive illness to treat and it is likely to keep recurring through bunnies lifetime. She said they're currently treating a number of the other Pets at Home bunnies for it too :shock: I also clarified with Pets at Home and they won't cover the cost of any future treatment and as it would be excluded from pet insurance due to being pre-existing that's another consideration.

The vet said it also could potentially transmit to the cats the pasturella virus is not specific to rabbits so that's another thing to worry about.

If we do adopt a rescue bun it will be a pair from a rabbit rescue :)
 
Interestingly, I recently adopted a 3 year old bunny from the PAH adoption section and she got snuffly during bonding, which was about 3-4 weeks after we got her. She'd been in there for 10 months and was apparently 'aggressive', but although she is nervous of things, she is extremely friendly and even when I have had to pick her up and she has been to the vets (first time she was so terrified she didn't move a muscle :( ) she has never growled at me or shown any sign of biting or anything like it. I love her to bits and it is so nice to see her with lots of space, free ranging in the garden and having a companion after being stuck in a tiny pen in PAH for all those months, I am glad I gave her a home, but at the same time with hindsight, I shouldn't have got her.

I popped into PAH last week and there is another 'special needs' bunny where she had been. :cry: ( I didn't buy anything)

I got her a companion from my local rabbit rescue, but when I went there it occurred to me that had I not have taken her, I could have actually offered a home to a pair or trio of bunnies from the rescue and I would be freeing up space for bunnies from their waiting list and supporting them financially by doing so. (although obviously adopting one bunny did that too)

I'm going to avoid PAH in future.
 
I had a snuffle bunny, she manage to pass it onto her boyfriend, but he never suffered that badly from it, just the odd runny nose that easily cleared up.

She went in for treatment pretty often in the beginning, but then it eased off until old age where it turned into pneumonia - I actually thought I was going to lose her but aggressive treatment kept her going for another year when she did give up.

I think it depends on the bunny, as hers was reoccurring and they only gave me baytril each time until I decided not to treat it unless it got worse than a slightly runny nose. Thankfully I moved to a better rabbit savvie vets when her pneumonia hit. THAT was expensive. Luckily I was insured.
 
Sorry not to update before - busy week :) Well he's still there (I popped in today after work) but I definitely have decided not to adopt him unfortunately :(

I had a chat with the vet and they said that snuffles can potentially be a very expensive illness to treat and it is likely to keep recurring through bunnies lifetime. She said they're currently treating a number of the other Pets at Home bunnies for it too :shock: I also clarified with Pets at Home and they won't cover the cost of any future treatment and as it would be excluded from pet insurance due to being pre-existing that's another consideration.

The vet said it also could potentially transmit to the cats the pasturella virus is not specific to rabbits so that's another thing to worry about.

If we do adopt a rescue bun it will be a pair from a rabbit rescue :)

This sadly doesn't surprise me at all. I hear this often from people who got their bunnies Pets at Risk - and end up with vet trips for things like snuffles.

I am sorry you don't get to have the bunny that pulled at your heart strings, but I really do think you will fall in love with somebuns at a rescue - they all want to be taken home in just the same way and often deserve their second or third or fourth chance at a great new life with someone who cares as much as you obviously do.
 
You've shown how much you care by doing all the research you have. Hopefully this bunny will find a new home soon, and you'll get the chance to save bunnies just as deserving from a rescue.

Good luck in your search! :D
 
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