Hello, I have just got a new lionlop bunny and he's only 7 weeks old. The mother died and he was hand reared so he's really tame. The owner said he'd had his vaccine for VHD but I don't know about the myxi vaccine. I'm keen to get him vaccinated against this but I'm wondering if it would be harmful if the vaccine he had was actually the combined one. Would it be a good idea so that I'm sure he is protected or is it too risky, especially with him being so young? Maybe I should wait until he's older. Also, I have already spoken to the vet about neutering when he's bigger but they seemed to think it's not worth doing it unless he's mixing with other rabbits, although they said they will. I'm also worried about the anaesthetic and the vet said they can become hypothermic really quickly. Is it a bad idea? Lastly, I was concerned he had ear mites but the vet didn't find anything. They give me xeno mini for him and I was wondering if I should be using this monthly, the way you do with cats/dogs or is it harmful to do that? I don't want him getting mites or fleas, and hay is bound to have some mites in it.
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New Bunny healthcare
- Thread starter ripply
- Start date
Mackers
Wise Old Thumper
Hi, welcome to the forum. You should still be able to get the single myxi vaccine, although it's not as effective as the new combined one. However, I'm not a vet so I would suggest you discuss this with him/her. Personally, I would still neuter your boy because once he becomes a stroppy teenager, he WILL start to spray urine to mark his territory and he could become a bit aggressive with you. It will also mean that you can find him a neutered wife to give him some proper bunny company, which he will love you for. Any vet who says it's not worth doing is probably not a particularly bunny-savvy vet so I would investigate finding a different vet nearby. If you let us know which area you are in, someone on here will probably be able to recommend a good one.
As for mites, if he's already had a treatment of Xeno then he should be fine. I don't routinely treat for mites as I don't like to keep putting all those chemicals on them. If you SEE mites, then by all means treat them with Xeno (don't use Xenex - it has been known to cause nasty reactions). In all my 20+ years of rabbit keeping, none of mine has ever caught mites from hay so I think it's unlikely (although not impossible).
As for mites, if he's already had a treatment of Xeno then he should be fine. I don't routinely treat for mites as I don't like to keep putting all those chemicals on them. If you SEE mites, then by all means treat them with Xeno (don't use Xenex - it has been known to cause nasty reactions). In all my 20+ years of rabbit keeping, none of mine has ever caught mites from hay so I think it's unlikely (although not impossible).
I'm in Northern Ireland, if anyone knows of good rabbit vets. The vet I spoke to said they've done lots of neutering operations on rabbits and they don't lose many, which didn't put my mind at rest! Could I also ask which feed is best? He's currently on the usual pet shop muesli mix but I'm going to gradually change him over to burgess excell junior and dwarf. I haven't done it yet as I don't want to risk upsetting his tummy after moving to a new home. Is this food any good or can anyone recommend what is their favourite? It has a protein level of 16% which I believe is best for baby dwarf breeds. Any help choosing his name would also be appreciated. I've become stuck between Gizmo and Whisper. He's white with ginger ears/nose and some on his back and looks like a ball of fluff!
