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Is my rabbit sick or in labour?

Pickle has been mounting Boris quite a lot recently. Today I have found Boris quite agitated and squeaks if I touch her. I'm wondering if Pickle has been incorrectly sexed and Boris is actually having babies?

What are the symptoms. Normally she is quite aggressive but today she is quiet and shy.

If not what could be the other problems. She won't let me near her to check her but her tail looked wet.

Thanks in advance
 
She's about four or five month's Pickle is a bit older. She's just bahaving very unusually. She is never normally so touchy or so vocal.

Not sure if she's made a nest because I don't really know what one looks like. There's plenty of hay in there anyway so I'm not sure. She's never cried like that before.
 
It could just be her hormones kicking in. Its probably best to take her to the vet tomorrow if you aren't sure if she is ill or not.
You may need to separate the two girls if one is bullying the other. They can be bonded again when they have been spayed.
 
Is she eating and pooping normally?
If she looks wet behind you really do need to check her for flystrike.
If she is not eating or pooping and appears distressed you need to contact your Vet TONIGHT.

Janex
 
She's eating like a horse and seems to be pooping ok.

I don't want to separate them if I don't have to because usually they're very happy together. The cuddle up together all the time and play out in the run together. It's only today she's been funny. And it's only the mounting that has made me worry but usually she just runs away. It's a big hutch and they have a massive run so they get plenty of exercise. I've checked out flystrike symptoms and there doesn't seem any similarity to her behaviour. In at the vets tomorrow.
 
Rabbits give birth very quickly. If that is what's happening and nothings appeared within half an hour then you need to go to an emergency vet as there is probably a stuck baby. She's need a c-section to save her live and if you catch it soon enough it may also mean some of the babies survive.

Have you turned Pickle over and looked for testicles? They are right at the base of the tail, pink, hairless and about 2" long each so reasonably obvious.

Tam
 
How do rabbits in labour behave? Does this sound familiar or is she either ill or in a strop? (She is quite a moody rabbit, just this is a new one)
 
When ive had pregnant does ,they do sometimes make that noise and not always at the last bit but directly after they know there pregnant. It like a leave me alone im pregnant. But it may still be a phantom. You rearly should take the other rabbit to be sexed again just to make sure. If she did give birth and the other rabbit is a boy they mate again after the birth and then youll have another litter. val
 
My does are very vocal when near the end of pregnancy. If there's been no plucking of hair chances are she's not pregnant as they do this up to a week - a few hours before birth. If she is in labour, I would say don't move her unless there appears to be a baby stuck and I would leave her alone. Most does give birth morning or evening when they think no one will be around. Give her plenty of bedding and see what she does with it. If she shows no signs of nest building, she may be early pregnancy or may be in pain and that's why she doesn't like being touched. A vet's trip will help answer your questions, they should be bale to feel for babies.
 
bunnymadhouse said:
maggie behaved realy strange like that when she first came to us ...and yes she was pregnant . :?

Same with the Free ad girlies.


& if she is, the other bun will need removing before she gives birth to stop babies being killed or Mother getting pregnant again immediately.
 
Any news yet?, i had a doe come in with a so called boy at the weekend and the does just had 5 babys :( , The male was done yesterday. Apart from the boy having testicals the doe was making the leave me alone nose whitch made me check the other so called girl. val
 
Took them both to the vet yesterday. Both are in good health but Pickle is definitely a boy :D

Boris is either in the very early stages of pregnancy or she's not yet but it's only a matter of time isn't it. Not going to separate them just yet I'm going to see what happens.

Good news all round though - I have two healthy rabbits. Yay!!!
 
That's good that they are both well.
So are you saying you are going to let them breed? Maybe I''m getting that wrong, but I would say that was a bad idea if you are!
 
I know it's heartbreaking to separate bonded buns, but please separate them NOW and get the male neutered as soon as possible. If you leave them together, your female will soon get pregnant which is not good for a young bun, from what you've said previously, if she's not old enough to spay, then she's not really old enough to be a mother.

Also, if she is pregnant and you leave them together, by the time you discover the babies, they will already have mated again, meaning that you will have another litter 4 weeks later. Obviously this woulld be very exhausting for any mother, let alone a young one who is still growing herself!

Sooner or later you will need to separate them and get them neutered, or the cycle will continue every 4 weeks until you have hundreds of bunnies needing separating themselves, and an extremely exhausted mother. Six weeks after neutering they can safely be re-introduced, but in the meantime can still live next door to each other so they can see and interact with each other.

I know it's tempting and it would be very cute, but please, there are over 33,000 buns taken to rescues every year - there are already too many buns without deliberately letting a youngster have one or more litters. If you want to get involved with litters, please contact a local rescue who I am sure would be more than happy to let you help out and see some of the accidental litters they are dealing with.
 
I am not having the male neutered, I will be having the female spayed eventually. I have been told she is old enough to do it. The vet advised me to do this as she is so aggressive

I was going to let them breed although I haven't quite decided yet. I would not just dump any babies on a rescue home - any I can't rehome I will keep.

I realise that there are risks involved but there are risks involved with any pet.

Thanks for your advice though and it was nice to have so many concerned people when I was really worried about her.
 
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