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Stressed bunny

glitterdust

glitterdust

Warren Scout
Can someone please give me some advice on how to make the vets visit as stress free as possible for Jimmy. They are getting there rhvd2 vaccinations and the vets we have to go to Is a 30 -45 minute ride away in the car. I think I have mentioned before about how Jimmy gets so stressed and effected by anything out of his normal routine and vets visits seem to make him so stressed it effects his eating. I will take them both in the same carrier so Norah can get to keep him calm. I remember when he kept Norah company when she had her spay and I ended up having to give him the Critical care instead of her[emoji16].I laugh now but it wasnt funny at the time, I was worried sick. I love him so much but I wish he wasn't so sensitive.

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oh dear poor Jimmy. I hope Norah is able to help him.
I have a similar issue, but not quite as bad as you've described. I do a few things that you might want to try if you don't do it already:
Use a pet carrier that's familiar, so has been in their pen / hutch before so it smells familiar (and they can chin it).
Fill the carrier with hay and tasty treats - I use herbs. Cover the carrier with a towel or similar to keep it dark in there (but bear in mind you don't want bun too overheat).
Start the engine before taking the buns out to the car (so that there isn't the sudden noise of the engine being switched on). I've also put a used litter tray in the car so that it smells more familiar.
Once at the vets I leave the carrier in the car so that the buns exposure to the surgery (with dogs etc.) is limited. My vet has a separate quiet section for cats which I could use but even when sat in there it's still possible to hear unfamiliar noises and smell unfamiliar smells.
I also tried Pet Rescue once, putting drops on the car seats, but I'm not sure if it had any calming effect.

I hope it goes ok - let us know how you get on x
 
Sarahbun said:
oh dear poor Jimmy. I hope Norah is able to help him.
I have a similar issue, but not quite as bad as you've described. I do a few things that you might want to try if you don't do it already:
Use a pet carrier that's familiar, so has been in their pen / hutch before so it smells familiar (and they can chin it).
Fill the carrier with hay and tasty treats - I use herbs. Cover the carrier with a towel or similar to keep it dark in there (but bear in mind you don't want bun too overheat).
Start the engine before taking the buns out to the car (so that there isn't the sudden noise of the engine being switched on). I've also put a used litter tray in the car so that it smells more familiar.
Once at the vets I leave the carrier in the car so that the buns exposure to the surgery (with dogs etc.) is limited. My vet has a separate quiet section for cats which I could use but even when sat in there it's still possible to hear unfamiliar noises and smell unfamiliar smells.
I also tried Pet Rescue once, putting drops on the car seats, but I'm not sure if it had any calming effect.

I hope it goes ok - let us know how you get on x
Click to expand...
Thank you that is very helpful advice. The carrier Is Norah's sleeping place In the shed anyway so she will just think she is still in the shed [emoji3]. I will do everything you have suggested and hopefully it will ease his stress levels a little bit. He went off his food one day last week because of the gale force winds .i was so worried about him,i had to hand feed him and coax him to eat. He is so confident in other ways but In other ways he is such a sensitive boy. I just wish we were home. Thank you






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glitterdust said:
Thank you that is very helpful advice. The carrier Is Norah's sleeping place In the shed anyway so she will just think she is still in the shed [emoji3]. I will do everything you have suggested and hopefully it will ease his stress levels a little bit. He went off his food one day last week because of the gale force winds .i was so worried about him,i had to hand feed him and coax him to eat. He is so confident in other ways but In other ways he is such a sensitive boy. I just wish we were home. Thank you






Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Back from vets and Jimmy once again is stressed out and won't eat. I will leave them quiet for an hour and then see how he is.she was a fantastic vet though a boy to far to go in the rush hour with a stressed rabbit.. She gave them both a full health check.norah needs to gain a little weight which I kinda knew. Jimmy has scars all over his inside ears and he has a little knobbly bit on the end of his nose which the vet said looked like he had been bitten pretty bad at some point and it was scar tissue. [emoji24]my poor boy would not hurt a fly. This is the problem with rescues you don't know there history. Norah's runny eye is fine, I am doing a good job keeping it clean. So now they are vaccininated for rhvd2 just need my little boy to forgive me.[emoji173]


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glitterdust said:
Back from vets and Jimmy once again is stressed out and won't eat. I will leave them quiet for an hour and then see how he is.she was a fantastic vet though a boy to far to go in the rush hour with a stressed rabbit.. She gave them both a full health check.norah needs to gain a little weight which I kinda knew. Jimmy has scars all over his inside ears and he has a little knobbly bit on the end of his nose which the vet said looked like he had been bitten pretty bad at some point and it was scar tissue. [emoji24]my poor boy would not hurt a fly. This is the problem with rescues you don't know there history. Norah's runny eye is fine, I am doing a good job keeping it clean. So now they are vaccininated for rhvd2 just need my little boy to forgive me.[emoji173]


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Click to expand...

I hope that by now Jimmy has recovered from the ordeal of a car journey. My late Inspector Morse was just the same, the only thing that ever phased him was car travel. I am glad that both Norah and Jimmy have now had their RHD2 vaccine, that must be a relief for you xx
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I hope that by now Jimmy has recovered from the ordeal of a car journey. My late Inspector Morse was just the same, the only thing that ever phased him was car travel. I am glad that both Norah and Jimmy have now had their RHD2 vaccine, that must be a relief for you xx
Click to expand...
This morning he won't eat his pellets. I wish he wouldn't go to this extreme. I am on my way to work worrying again. I know he will pull himself together but he really gets to me. I feel guilty like it is my fault. Hopefully when home he is a bit better thank you

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glitterdust said:
Back from vets and Jimmy once again is stressed out and won't eat. I will leave them quiet for an hour and then see how he is.she was a fantastic vet though a boy to far to go in the rush hour with a stressed rabbit.. She gave them both a full health check.norah needs to gain a little weight which I kinda knew. Jimmy has scars all over his inside ears and he has a little knobbly bit on the end of his nose which the vet said looked like he had been bitten pretty bad at some point and it was scar tissue. [emoji24]my poor boy would not hurt a fly. This is the problem with rescues you don't know there history. Norah's runny eye is fine, I am doing a good job keeping it clean. So now they are vaccininated for rhvd2 just need my little boy to forgive me.[emoji173]


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Click to expand...


Oh glitter, I didn't see your post yesterday! How are things and how are you?

So glad you're keeping on top of Norah's runny eye. That's brilliant work :)

I am glad you've got them vaccinated. Bet you're relieved?
 
MightyMax said:
Oh glitter, I didn't see your post yesterday! How are things and how are you?

So glad you're keeping on top of Norah's runny eye. That's brilliant work :)

I am glad you've got them vaccinated. Bet you're relieved?
Click to expand...
Yes I am so relieved, I just wish Jimmy would cope with things better. Do some rabbits get really stressed to the point they make themselves Ill, Anything out of jimmys routine seems to knock him off his food, he even peeed in the corner of the shed instead of using the litter tray which isn't him at all. He worries me. I'm worried about bonfire night now, if I bring him inside he stresses and Goes off his food, if I leave him outside the noise will prob bother him, Norah on the other hand is deaf so she doesn't get stressed about anything ever.

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My rabbits have always got themselves into a stressed state after car journey and vets. They will not eat for a couple of hours after returning home, but always come round themselves without any intervention from me. They usually have a large cardboard box that they will use to "recover" in. It doesn't help to take two rabbits to reassure each other. I am then just left with two stressed rabbits instead of one, so I don't take the other rabbit to the vet any more. I am confident that their bond will not be broken though from the separation, which is another consideration.

However, apart from that I have found that nothing else will stress them to the same extent. It appears that as long as they are in their own home with familiar things they are fine. So things like fireworks, aircraft, noisy machinery are accepted with no problems.

I hope that Jimmy starts to eat properly again soon.
 
glitterdust said:
Yes I am so relieved, I just wish Jimmy would cope with things better. Do some rabbits get really stressed to the point they make themselves Ill, Anything out of jimmys routine seems to knock him off his food, he even peeed in the corner of the shed instead of using the litter tray which isn't him at all. He worries me. I'm worried about bonfire night now, if I bring him inside he stresses and Goes off his food, if I leave him outside the noise will prob bother him, Norah on the other hand is deaf so she doesn't get stressed about anything ever.

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Click to expand...


Yes, sometimes it's awful to watch a little stressy and not be able to help them :(

I too have a deaf bun, and nothing phases him .. There are advantages to these disabilities!

Can you put a radio in the shed with him - get him used to it and then leave it on a bit louder over bonfire night? For my little one who was blind I used to leave Classic FM on to soothe her. In fact we have now named that Radio Station after her :D
 
MightyMax said:
Yes, sometimes it's awful to watch a little stressy and not be able to help them :(

I too have a deaf bun, and nothing phases him .. There are advantages to these disabilities!

Can you put a radio in the shed with him - get him used to it and then leave it on a bit louder over bonfire night? For my little one who was blind I used to leave Classic FM on to soothe her. In fact we have now named that Radio Station after her :D
Click to expand...
What a fab idea. Although Knowing Jimmy he will be scared of the music. I have been worrying at work all morning so I am on my way home now to see him. Hope he's better thanks xxx

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glitterdust said:
What a fab idea. Although Knowing Jimmy he will be scared of the music. I have been worrying at work all morning so I am on my way home now to see him. Hope he's better thanks xxx

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
When I walked in the shed there is poo everywhere, the blackberry ones squashed all over the place that stink and wee in the corner of the shed.im thinking maybe it's a reaction to the injection. He seems a little brighter though but he smells a bit poopy, probably Been walking in the poop and spreading it around. Norah is hiding in the carrier, she probably can't stand the smell and is staying out the waydont blame her to be honest. It smells awful [emoji45] poor Jimmy x

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glitterdust said:
When I walked in the shed there is poo everywhere, the blackberry ones squashed all over the place that stink and wee in the corner of the shed.im thinking maybe it's a reaction to the injection. He seems a little brighter though but he smells a bit poopy, probably Been walking in the poop and spreading it around. Norah is hiding in the carrier, she probably can't stand the smell and is staying out the waydont blame her to be honest. It smells awful [emoji45] poor Jimmy x

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Click to expand...


Yes it could be the injection as well as the stress. Poor little lad :(

I guess Norah is picking up on J's stress .. x
 
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