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Heat is the key

E

emmaclaire

Warren Scout
Hi all as some of you will know my nethie Alan is struggling with arthritis. Over the last 3 weeks he has had some bad days falling over a lot and not being able to get up. His little body is really stiff and a little twisted. But the last 2 days have been really mild and he is a lot better he hasn't fallen over for 36hrs which believe me is brilliant and his whole posture seems better now what do I do he lives in the extension which is part of the house but gets very cold, the double doors in it are rubbish it does get chilly, I am thinking about moving him into the main house in the warm but he lives with maisey who is banned from the house as she has done a soooo much damage, I think if I still have Alan after this winter it will be a miracle so my question is shall I bring Alan in for his remaining time and bond maisey with Brian my single male or should I leave Alan as he is ,he has a heat pad but doesn't really go on it, he lives in a xl dog crate with maisey with carpet in and a low rise litter tray.....I wouldn't normally think of separating them but I can't have maisey in the house she is the naughtiest rabbit in the world and the improvement in Alan is very surprising thanks for reading sorry it's a bit long xxx
 
Sjh she is so sneaky I've never had such a naughty bunny my house is really small at least in the extension there door is not shut so they have more room and access to the garden x
 
That's a shame. Neither of the options open to you seem that positive but, i have to say, I think it is more important to bring your boy in if it is going to enable him to live pain-free :)
 
Have you thought about a plug in heat pad like the non-chew ones from Petnap? My elderly lady (10.5) had terrible arthritis and would always fall over and not be able to get back up. She love, love, loved her heat pad and would be sat on it almost 24/7. It was the aluminium one from Petnap with a metal cover around the cord. Might be worth a shot as then you wouldn't have to separate him from his partner.
 
emmaclaire said:
Hi all as some of you will know my nethie Alan is struggling with arthritis. Over the last 3 weeks he has had some bad days falling over a lot and not being able to get up. His little body is really stiff and a little twisted. But the last 2 days have been really mild and he is a lot better he hasn't fallen over for 36hrs which believe me is brilliant and his whole posture seems better now what do I do he lives in the extension which is part of the house but gets very cold, the double doors in it are rubbish it does get chilly, I am thinking about moving him into the main house in the warm but he lives with maisey who is banned from the house as she has done a soooo much damage, I think if I still have Alan after this winter it will be a miracle so my question is shall I bring Alan in for his remaining time and bond maisey with Brian my single male or should I leave Alan as he is ,he has a heat pad but doesn't really go on it, he lives in a xl dog crate with maisey with carpet in and a low rise litter tray.....I wouldn't normally think of separating them but I can't have maisey in the house she is the naughtiest rabbit in the world and the improvement in Alan is very surprising thanks for reading sorry it's a bit long xxx
Click to expand...


I love the title of your thread :) I think heat works wonders for our arthritic buns. I have a 24/7 heated bed (soft) for elderly bones and it's truly loved :)
 
Mackers said:
Have you thought about a plug in heat pad like the non-chew ones from Petnap? My elderly lady (10.5) had terrible arthritis and would always fall over and not be able to get back up. She love, love, loved her heat pad and would be sat on it almost 24/7. It was the aluminium one from Petnap with a metal cover around the cord. Might be worth a shot as then you wouldn't have to separate him from his partner.
Click to expand...

Macker's suggestion may help. But you would still need to remain super vigilant that Alan does not get stuck laying down on it and unable to get up and move away from the direct source of heat (you have previously mentioned this happening on a few occasions) Should that happen on a heat pad he could overheat and become very poorly.

Personally I would prefer to have a Rabbit in Alan's situation as an Indoor Rabbit x
 
Mackers said:
Have you thought about a plug in heat pad like the non-chew ones from Petnap? My elderly lady (10.5) had terrible arthritis and would always fall over and not be able to get back up. She love, love, loved her heat pad and would be sat on it almost 24/7. It was the aluminium one from Petnap with a metal cover around the cord. Might be worth a shot as then you wouldn't have to separate him from his partner.
Click to expand...


This is the sort of thing I meant :D

They are used in vet surgeries and are totally safe (well the one I use is) for an animals to lay on 24/7 if they so wish. I have checked this with my vet and she is more than happy for mine to lay on it. The wattage is very low and is enhanced by the pressure of the animal on the heat pad x
 
I will look into them but as I said he has a heat pad but he sits everywhere but on it.....I have rearranged the room and put there cage the other end near the radiator which we don't have on much il see how he goes when we have more frost x
 
emmaclaire said:
I will look into them but as I said he has a heat pad but he sits everywhere but on it.....I have rearranged the room and put there cage the other end near the radiator which we don't have on much il see how he goes when we have more frost x
Click to expand...

I hope that helps, it would be a real shame to separate Alan from Maisey. If you do buy an electric heat pad then I am sure you will read the safety precautions which always state :

'' When used for immobilised animals, frequent checks must be made to ensure heat does not become excessive.''

An example here:

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/pet-s...nj7wBHFHRXO7W516wPMdTPxuMumLXkqh6FxoC_zzw_wcB
 
emmaclaire said:
I will look into them but as I said he has a heat pad but he sits everywhere but on it.....I have rearranged the room and put there cage the other end near the radiator which we don't have on much il see how he goes when we have more frost x
Click to expand...

I am sure you will use your best judgement when and if the time comes for heated mats etc. In the meantime it seems like a good idea to put them near to warmth.

I found that my rabbits didn't like the hardness of some heat pads. My vet recommended the one I use for 24/7 use so I am totally happy with that :)
 
MightyMax said:
I am sure you will use your best judgement when and if the time comes for heated mats etc. In the meantime it seems like a good idea to put them near to warmth.

I found that my rabbits didn't like the hardness of some heat pads. My vet recommended the one I use for 24/7 use so I am totally happy with that :)
Click to expand...

I could do with one for me :lol:
 
Are they free range in the space they have now? Is there no way to just move their setup to a bedroom or something?

I'd not like to separate them but he is clearly not coping with the cold.
What heat pad does he have atm?
 
Totally agree about heat being the key! Daisy is miles better today as it is so much milder :) it is unbelievable how much the cold affects them. My heating bills are going to be huge, as I now have the heating set to come on if it drops below 15 degrees!!
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Macker's suggestion may help. But you would still need to remain super vigilant that Alan does not get stuck laying down on it and unable to get up and move away from the direct source of heat (you have previously mentioned this happening on a few occasions) Should that happen on a heat pad he could overheat and become very poorly.

Personally I would prefer to have a Rabbit in Alan's situation as an Indoor Rabbit x
Click to expand...

I had mine outdoors Jane (in a shed/run) and it was a very mild heat outside, compared to how warm it would feel indoors. I certainly never worried about Flora getting stuck on it and overheating.
 
Last edited:
emmaclaire said:
I will look into them but as I said he has a heat pad but he sits everywhere but on it.....I have rearranged the room and put there cage the other end near the radiator which we don't have on much il see how he goes when we have more frost x
Click to expand...

If it helps, mine always hated the snugglesafe microwave heatpads and steadfastly ignored them. But the very low but large fleecy covered electric heatpad was most definitely a firm favourite. The microwave ones are very hot when first heated but the plug in ones give off a very low level ambient heat.
 
Mackers said:
If it helps, mine always hated the snugglesafe microwave heatpads and steadfastly ignored them. But the very low but large fleecy covered electric heatpad was most definitely a firm favourite. The microwave ones are very hot when first heated but the plug in ones give off a very low level ambient heat.
Click to expand...

Agree :thumb:
 
Mackers said:
I had mine outdoors Jane (in a shed/run) and it was a very mild heat outside, compared to how warm it would feel indoors. I certainly never worried about Flora getting stuck on it and overheating.
Click to expand...

But was Flora as disabled as Alan ? ie prone to falling and getting stuck on her back and unable to get up? Personally I would only use it if I were able to adhere to the Heat-Pad Safety advice given with the product :D
 
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