Abit of advice on handling thumper

hey all , thumper has never liked being picked up , he is fine with coming over to you for a cuddle when he wants one, but if you try to pick him up he trys to get away so i have to rap him up in a blanket so he cant kick out but he gets realy stressed with this and his heartbeat goes realy fast. When i took him to the vets last time we had to put him on his back to calm down and she said she couldnt do much as he was very stressed with her handling him. I have to take thumper back to the vets soon as he needs his nails clippin and he hasent had his injection yet my vet wanted to do them in the spring but can i get him neutred before his injection ?? or can they do it at the same time ??? i dont think i will go back to the vets i went to last time as i thought she spoke to me like a child if you all can remenber my post?? i have been tryin to pick thumper up but he just runs off now and wont have it, abit of advice pleaae tc luv becks x

I wouldn't advise getting the injection and neutering on the same day, the VHD and myxo are given on different days as its too much at once, and after his op you will want to get him eating as quickly as possible, and the injection may slow him down a bit, I doubt the vet would do it together anyway. :wink:

A lot of rabbits don't like being picked up, does he let you stroke him? What way do you pick him up? Do you scruff him at the back of the neck? Many vets still suggest scruffing rabbits, but it is actually very painful on the rabbit, always put one hand under the rabbit's body and the other supporting the bum so as they CANNOT kick out, if they kick out whilst being held they can really hurt themselves, and can even cause fractures to the spin. :wink: Also, if he senses you are nervous, he will get nervous too.

thanks for yr reply hun , yes he loves to be stroked and he loves sitin on my lap , ya i pick him up the way you said but he is such a whiggler, thank you on yr info about injections, would i be best geting his injection done first then waitin awhile and get him neuterd after or get him neuterd first then injection after ??

3 of my 4 hate being picked up too... The only way I can do it is to hand under belly and another under their bum and then hold them with their backs tight to me.

Oh and another tip.... make sure you have a thick long sleeved coat on!! :lol: Unlike me in the summer trying to pick them up whilst wearing only a vest top! :? I got scratched to bits!

My rabbits hate being picked up, but love being petted with their feet firmly on the floor.

My Bertie hates being picked up. I have to hold him under his tummy and bum with his back firmly against my stomach. Even then the little begger tries to bite me! Although he loves being stroked on the floor and loves to lick his mummys hand.... I do pick him up now and again tho and just hold him firmly so that I can handle him at the vets.

I had the same problem with Jacob, however I picked him up his back legs would go and I have scars on my arms that haven't faded after 6months! :roll: But - I can pick him up with minimal fuss like this (this is not easy to explain) - When he is facing me I put my arms down the length of his body so his nose is by my elbows, put both hands around his bum and close in on his lower body with my arms at the same time and kind of scoop him onto my chest he doesn't wriggle at all. He's fine once you have hold of him it's the picking up he doesn't like but if that made any sense at all might be worth a try.

As an aside your Thumper looks like a younger version of my Jacob - maybe it's a loppy boy thing :lol:

Asta struggles a lot less if I pick her up that way - I stroke down her sides to relax her, then sort of spread out my fingers and scoop her onto my chest by 'scopping' her rear end. It is hard to describe!