Lucky bit me in the face and just missed my eye

[Lord Trellis]

Lucky just bit me literally on my eye lid. That was a close call. That could have easily been my eye I don't know what I would have done if he got me in the eye. I'm not happy with him right now. It was a bit of a shock. He has been very grumpy lately. I'm going to have to be very careful with my rabbits now. The bite is starting to sting.

 

[Shimmer]

He's not a happy bunny. Has he got enough space? Sometimes rabbits defend their space when they feel threatened. He would probably be happier when all your rabbits are neutered and bonded. Having an entire rabbit in the same home will wind the others up. Sometimes the behaviour also becomes learned when neutering is left beyond the recommended 3-6 months.

Meanwhile, I would thoroughly wash your bite eg with saline. Then see how you can improve Lucky's life - maybe some fresh forage as a distraction today.

 

[Liz47]

Ouch! How was he near your eye? Agree with above, hope he settles down if all of the above have been checked. One of my rabbits has ripped the wallpaper recently and she's never been destructive before then I realised they haven't had so much enrichment recently so time for some new forage, apple stocks etc

 

[Lord Trellis]

I have been trying to make him happier over the past few days but alls he wants to do is dig in corners and sit in his create. He has lots of space to run about, he has the hallway and the kitchen to run about in. I did attempt to bond all three but Lucky ended up biting LampChop on his back and he now has a little lump where he bit him but its healing and I'll be checking each day just to make sure its fine. Lacey and LambChop are getting on very well together but Lacey and Lucky are not a good mix right now. He might bond better with the grey and white lop bunny once she has had her spay.

 

[Babsie]

Ouch! He is definitely not a happy bunny. Which of your rabbits still need to be neutered?

 

[Lord Trellis]

Ouch! How was he near your eye? Agree with above, hope he settles down if all of the above have been checked. One of my rabbits has ripped the wallpaper recently and she's never been destructive before then I realised they haven't had so much enrichment recently so time for some new forage, apple stocks etc

I was giving him a cuddle at the time. He wont eat his hay but he has eaten some pellets. He seems very unsettled and wants to dig and chuck stuff about.

 

[Lord Trellis]

Ouch! He is definitely not a happy bunny. Which of your rabbits still need to be neutered?

Its just the grey and white lop bunny and the black one I rescued from the woods.

 

[CarelessSquid07]

He may just not feel like being handled?

If he's always wondering when you'll pick him up he may be quite scared.

Do you cuddle him on his terms so on the floor where he can come to you?

Maybe put a treat or two or his nuggets in his hay and make it a nice big pile for him to dig in?

My diggy buns all very much enjoyed a big tub of soil/sand to play in.

He may also be frustrated with the failed bonding. Which method did you use?

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[Lord Trellis]

He never minded me cuddling him before, he would always come to me and he'd even stand up on his back feet to get a cuddle and he would sit with me for ages. He normally loves his hay and he always finishes his egg cup full of nuggets each morning within seconds but I noticed he hasn't been eating them all like he did and his not eating much hay he just seems to be very stressed even before the bonding attempt. He is not a happy bunny. I may give him a cardboard box or something to destroy. He needs more enrichment or something to brighten up his mood a bit. I gave him some leafy greens and he ate them like there was no tomorrow. He has lots of hay that he has been scattering about. He seems to be ok at the moment I think he just needs some time and he should be back to himself soon enough. He wants to be destructive as well.

 

[Omi]

Its just the grey and white lop bunny and the black one I rescued from the woods.

Has Lacey recently been spayed?

 

[Lord Trellis]

Has Lacey recently been spayed?

Yep... Lacey had been done recently and LambChop has been done and ready for bonding. They both get on very well they are eating together and grooming one another and laying together. They bonded pretty easily within a short time.

 

[Scrappy's Little Helper]

One thing that struck me is that you mentioned he isn't eating much hay and isn't as enthusiastic about his nuggets? Can you remember roughly when that started? The reduction in hay consumption and struggle with eating hard food is a strong indicator of teeth issues, possibly tooth spurs. If his mouth is feeling sore, that may be one factor explaining his aggression.

I would get a vet to have a look at his teeth. Please bear in mind that they cannot check the back teeth during a conscious examination (as they won't be able to comfortably open the jaw wide enough to see) so you may need to get a full dental done under a GA. I appreciate that seems a bit drastic but, if dental issues are brewing, it's better to nip it in the bud now while he's still able to eat for himself and in good enough health to undergo the procedure.

 

[Lord Trellis]

One thing that struck me is that you mentioned he isn't eating much hay and isn't as enthusiastic about his nuggets? Can you remember roughly when that started? The reduction in hay consumption and struggle with eating hard food is a strong indicator of teeth issues, possibly tooth spurs. If his mouth is feeling sore, that may be one factor explaining his aggression.

I would get a vet to have a look at his teeth. Please bear in mind that they cannot check the back teeth during a conscious examination (as they won't be able to comfortably open the jaw wide enough to see) so you may need to get a full dental done under a GA. I appreciate that seems a bit drastic but, if dental issues are brewing, it's better to nip it in the bud now while he's still able to eat for himself and in good enough health to undergo the procedure.

I can always check his front teeth myself but I wont handle him for a while until he gets settled. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get him seen to by a vet just encase. He has been chewing away on a willow tree log stripping of the bark quite happily.

 

[Shimmer]

He may also be reacting badly to the smell of the other 2 adolescent forest buns on you. He's had a lot of strange bunnies through the house in the last few months, so in his eyes, he's sharing his territory and you with loads of rabbits intermittently - while he's still on his own and frustrated.

Most rabbits don't really like being cuddled. They will generally put up with a certain amount of handling eg for grooming, but usually prefer not to interact that way. I've only had one rabbit that could be classed as a cuddly bunny.

 

[Orenoko]

I have been trying to make him happier over the past few days but alls he wants to do is dig in corners and sit in his create. He has lots of space to run about, he has the hallway and the kitchen to run about in. I did attempt to bond all three but Lucky ended up biting LampChop on his back and he now has a little lump where he bit him but its healing and I'll be checking each day just to make sure its fine. Lacey and LambChop are getting on very well together but Lacey and Lucky are not a good mix right now. He might bond better with the grey and white lop bunny once she has had her spay.

Rabbit bites can abscess, having a lump on the site of a bite could be indicative of a potential abscess (hopefully not but something to be aware of as rabbit abscesses can be tricky to treat).

 

[Lord Trellis]

Rabbit bites can abscess, having a lump on the site of a bite could be indicative of a potential abscess (hopefully not but something to be aware of as rabbit abscesses can be tricky to treat).

I've read about that before but in my experience they normally heal on there own after a few weeks. When I rescued LambChop he had quite a few of them and they went away. I'll keep an eye on it in the mean time.

 

[Lord Trellis]

Lucky seems a lot more settled today.

 

[Lord Trellis]

Just an update... I think I might need to get Lucky a full check up because he made a noise several times that concerned me like he was choking or something. He isn't doing it now tho.

 

[Lord Trellis]

Some photos of Lucky in the hallway

Lucky scratching an itch