Bavarian Bunny
Wise Old Thumper
I am feeling bored today, bf has a big family get together and is gone most of the weekend, and it's raining, so I thought I'd ask something that has been on my mind for a while.
How much hygiene do you think is necessary for bunnies, and how far do you go to keep them clean and safe? It will be different for rescues, who have new bunnies coming in all the time and need some kind of quarantaine hutches etc.. But I am also asking the "normal" bunny owners among you.
Part of my biology degree included microbiology, so I am quite aware of how bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. spread and how difficult it is to get rid of them. If you look at hospitals, they are supposed to be very clean and hygienic, but even there you get those super bugs and other airborne germs. So when someone with a poor immune system goes to hospital, they can actually get sick there. I assume the same can happen to bunnies.
Do you think that too much hygiene is bad, too? Do you try and prevent certain problems by spraying the buns to keep flies away, regularly worming them, flea stuff and things like that? Or do you only intervene if there is a problem? How often do you clean the hutch properly with desinfectant?
Lots of questions, but I would like to hear your view on some of them. Personally, I don't exaggerate with hygiene, I change the litter boxes daily and check that the bunnies have clean bums. I wash the water bottles and food bowls daily. I use deinfectant for the litter boxes and the hutches about once or twice a month only. Do you think that is too little? I have always done it like that, with indoor and outdoor bunnies, and never had major health problems with them. But when I read about all the cases of pasteurella, EC and other diseases here, I get a bit paranoid and wonder if I need to do more. If one of your bunnies does get an infectious disease, how do you protect your other bunnies from getting it? I read this week that pasteurella can even be transmitted to humans by bites or licking, someone got an ear infection because his pet liked to lick his ear. Not sure if human "carriers" can then pass it back onto pets, but I know how "clever" germs are, they always find a way.
Sorry about the long blah blah, you don't have to answer everything, just add your views and what you think is important. Thanks!
How much hygiene do you think is necessary for bunnies, and how far do you go to keep them clean and safe? It will be different for rescues, who have new bunnies coming in all the time and need some kind of quarantaine hutches etc.. But I am also asking the "normal" bunny owners among you.
Part of my biology degree included microbiology, so I am quite aware of how bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. spread and how difficult it is to get rid of them. If you look at hospitals, they are supposed to be very clean and hygienic, but even there you get those super bugs and other airborne germs. So when someone with a poor immune system goes to hospital, they can actually get sick there. I assume the same can happen to bunnies.
Do you think that too much hygiene is bad, too? Do you try and prevent certain problems by spraying the buns to keep flies away, regularly worming them, flea stuff and things like that? Or do you only intervene if there is a problem? How often do you clean the hutch properly with desinfectant?
Lots of questions, but I would like to hear your view on some of them. Personally, I don't exaggerate with hygiene, I change the litter boxes daily and check that the bunnies have clean bums. I wash the water bottles and food bowls daily. I use deinfectant for the litter boxes and the hutches about once or twice a month only. Do you think that is too little? I have always done it like that, with indoor and outdoor bunnies, and never had major health problems with them. But when I read about all the cases of pasteurella, EC and other diseases here, I get a bit paranoid and wonder if I need to do more. If one of your bunnies does get an infectious disease, how do you protect your other bunnies from getting it? I read this week that pasteurella can even be transmitted to humans by bites or licking, someone got an ear infection because his pet liked to lick his ear. Not sure if human "carriers" can then pass it back onto pets, but I know how "clever" germs are, they always find a way.
Sorry about the long blah blah, you don't have to answer everything, just add your views and what you think is important. Thanks!