Help- Trio/quad, group owners, how to do vet visits? U/d p21.

So, having bonded my 2 pairs into a quad last October I have now got to come up with a solution for vet visits. Apricot and Ginger are due their booster shortly and Dandy and Beano are due in the summer.

I think the ideal situation is to take all 4 in the same carrier each time so as not to leave 2 at home claiming the territory? I'm looking at the Ferplast Pet Carrier Atlas Car Mini -
http://t.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_cages_carriers/crates/small_dog_crates/169763,
or the Atlas 80 Dog Car Crate http://t.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_cages_carriers/crates/large_dog_crates/353588

as I imagine it will be easier to get one rabbit out at a time from that kind of crate given Dandy and Beano are especially nervous. I think the mini would be large enough as they are all small rabbits, but with the atlas 80 you can buy a divider and split it in half, the divider is fairly solid but I think I could get my hubby to make one that was mesh to slot into the middle, so they can still smell and touch each other, wondered if that was an idea so I was less likely to have escapees? :lol:

I really don't know what's best :lol: lots of the large carriers seem to be either front opening or top opening only, I think front opening only would be fine for enticing them in but then I'd be trying to scrape them out of the back of it at the vets :shock: top opening only would be hard as they all hate being picked up and each time I try to add one more rabbit to the crate the others would try to jump out :lol: front and top opening combined would probably be ok but I'd still have to go in from above them to lift them out, and they'd hate that.

Oh gosh it's such a worry, last year I got myself into such a stressed state about how on earth I was going to get Dandy and Beano to the vets and get them vaccinated, as at the time I'd not had them long and they were even wilder :shock::lol: in the end I had them done at home (in the hutch :lol by the farm vet when she came to visit my poorly goat.

Help RU :lol:

Hi zoobec

With my quad, sadly now a trio, for vet runs I just took one bun st a time and nevery had any territory issues as they are only away for a short time. When Rosie was sick before Christmas she was admitted to the vets for 9 days with a blockage and on her return their was no territory issues but I guess u know ur buns and whether or not there would be problems.

I use a "normal" sized carrier. I bought it from P@H, and is only just big enough for my three. It does actually come apart, so the whole top lifts off, but I don't use that because the catches are so difficult to get back on. I dislike having to drag them out of the front, but tbh, it isn't that difficult to do. My buns would never try to come out of the carrier on their own, so I have no trouble with any of them escaping. :lol: I was a bit of a tight budget, and decided to just keep the carrier I had bought for Xena and Fiver, because when all 3 were in, they surprisingly had plenty of room, even with Shadowfax big bum. :lol: :shock: My three all still manage to cram themselves at the back, so they only use half the carrier anyway. :roll:

I like the carriers in your link, they seem to be very accessible. :thumb: I wouldn't mind one of those!

Tbh, if I had a quad, I'd probably take them in pairs..of course then you risk the bond breaking. I think as long as their bond is strong, and they are only going to the vets for vacs, they will be fine.

Have you seen the Atlas 80? It's absolutely huge, I'm not sure you would be able to get it into the vets. It's one that stays in the boot (with dog) rather than a carrier I think. But please ignore me if you've already seen it and think I'm talking rubbish (happens all the time, LOL!).
I now have an Atlas 50 and even that is difficult to lift in and out with heavy animals in it (the giants are each more than 8 kilos now but I haven't had to do it with them yet). It would fit 4 normal size buns in though. I'm sure there is another similar to the Atlas 50 which is much cheaper - am at work at the mo so don't have time to search but if you look back on threads for large carriers on here it's mentioned a couple of times.

a couple of hours apart is not going to wreck a bond. I have a trio and there is no way I could carry their carrier with all 3 in. yes they would fit but my back isn't up to it!

Sam and Truffs said:

Have you seen the Atlas 80? It's absolutely huge, I'm not sure you would be able to get it into the vets. It's one that stays in the boot (with dog) rather than a carrier I think. But please ignore me if you've already seen it and think I'm talking rubbish (happens all the time, LOL!).
I now have an Atlas 50 and even that is difficult to lift in and out with heavy animals in it (the giants are each more than 8 kilos now but I haven't had to do it with them yet). It would fit 4 normal size buns in though. I'm sure there is another similar to the Atlas 50 which is much cheaper - am at work at the mo so don't have time to search but if you look back on threads for large carriers on here it's mentioned a couple of times.

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No I've not actually seen any of them :lol: yes I think the atlas 80 would probably be too large to be practical :lol: I was thinking of that one as you can put a divider in but I don't think it's necessary so I'm sure the atlas car mini would be more than big enough :lol:

Thanks for everyone's replies, I'm such a neurotic bunny mummy :lol: their bond is good and I just want to do everything possible to keep it that way :thumb: I've already got 2 carriers so could probably just take them in those anyway :lol:

Zoobec said:

No I've not actually seen any of them :lol: yes I think the atlas 80 would probably be too large to be practical :lol: I was thinking of that one as you can put a divider in but I don't think it's necessary so I'm sure the atlas car mini would be more than big enough :lol:

Thanks for everyone's replies, I'm such a neurotic bunny mummy :lol: their bond is good and I just want to do everything possible to keep it that way :thumb: I've already got 2 carriers so could probably just take them in those anyway :lol:

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That would be fine. Just push the carriers together, so they can see and smell each other. :thumb: I always take all 3 of mine to the vets, mainly because it means I end up with one of them alone, and they really do not like that.

I have a quad and arthritis and can't physically carry four bunnies so if one of the quad needs to go to the vet I just take one other with him or her. This has never upset their bond. Don't think I could fit a big enough carrier for four in my car either - it only has two seats.

Vegan_Bunny said:

That would be fine. Just push the carriers together, so they can see and smell each other. :thumb: I always take all 3 of mine to the vets, mainly because it means I end up with one of them alone, and they really do not like that.

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Thanks for that :thumb: we've just saved me some money :thumb: now to make the appointment and hopefully keep some of my fingernails in the run up to it :lol:

Vaccs are at the same time so I used to take 2 and 2 (sadly only a trio now), but for illness I only took the affected bun. I know it can upset the bond, but its not something I've experienced, and I'm happy to rebond if necessary.

I use a top opening carrier and always get complimented on it at the vets! In the 7 months I've been using it every day I think Daisy has attempted to jump out twice. Both times she didn't manage it. I wouldn't let that put you off one

So I've booked the girls in for the 13th February, going to take all 4 in my 2 carriers (I think) unless I decide to buy one big carrier in the mean time :lol: it's one of the boys (Dandy ) who is top bun, so I think the boys better come too!

i used to have a trio. I got a "large dog carrier" when the pet shop had them on sale. It was very handy (if heavy) when the 3 of them needed to to to vet. I still use it for my 2 now, but they have a bit more room

When I had large groups - I just took bun that needed vet plus a dominant one from the group. Rebonding wasn't really an issue then

Angie65 said:

When I had large groups - I just took bun that needed vet plus a dominant one from the group. Rebonding wasn't really an issue then

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Thanks for that, very useful :thumb: I'll definately take them all then as the girls (Apricot and Ginger) are the 2 that need vaccinating now, but Dandy (one of the boys) is the dominant top bun, so he will have to come along and that just leaves Beano so he'll be coming too obviously.

I'll look into getting a bigger carrier I think, then they can all travel together I can always get my daughter to come along to help carry it :lol:

These were the carriers that are modelled on Ferplast Atlas but much cheaper http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=5847&pf_id=61944

I would only take the rabbit that needs to see the vet but then again I've gradually got mine used to spending time apart should anything happen where they need to be apart for a while. I had Naami (female) out of my trio (two other males) for a good few weeks whilst she healed from her spay and they went back together fine. I imagine it would be more risky with more unstable bonds but then again the stress of travelling to the vets could also cause a bond to break so the best thing you can do is get them used to stresses very gradually and try wait until a bond is really stable before you try move any of them about.

I imagine it'd be really difficult trying to get the right rabbits out of the carrier too, it's hard enough to try get one out without them all hiding behind each other :lol: You could get a big wooden carry box made, very sturdy and easily accessible but they are very heavy

Sam and Truffs said:

These were the carriers that are modelled on Ferplast Atlas but much cheaper http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=5847&pf_id=61944

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Ooh they look great, thanks :thumb:

DemiS said:

I would only take the rabbit that needs to see the vet but then again I've gradually got mine used to spending time apart should anything happen where they need to be apart for a while. I had Naami (female) out of my trio (two other males) for a good few weeks whilst she healed from her spay and they went back together fine. I imagine it would be more risky with more unstable bonds but then again the stress of travelling to the vets could also cause a bond to break so the best thing you can do is get them used to stresses very gradually and try wait until a bond is really stable before you try move any of them about.

I imagine it'd be really difficult trying to get the right rabbits out of the carrier too, it's hard enough to try get one out without them all hiding behind each other :lol: You could get a big wooden carry box made, very sturdy and easily accessible but they are very heavy

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I think their bond seems stable, but it's the two middle rabbits in the hierarchy that are due their vacs, so I don't want to leave the top and bottom buns apart.... And they've only been bonded since October....

Yes I'm wondering how easy it would be to get the right rabbit out :lol: the wooden box idea is good, that's what I was thinking of when I found the atlas car mini. Hmm, decisions decisions

I am going through the same thing. Have decided to take two in each carrier and get a lift (I dont drive). Even just two of them are really heavy but four :shock: