What vaccinations do my buns need + putting fur on poop?

Being new to owning rabbits, I feel totally ignorant about the medical care my rabbits need. Ham is five years old and Beatrice is four. Given that they've only just come into our care we have no idea of their medical history or what vaccinations they've received from the vet, if any. Apparently Ham was originally from PaH so I don't know if that means he would have been vaccinated years ago or not. As for Bea, I have no idea.

We want to get them neutered/spay asap so we can get them bonded and living together, ready to be cosy for winter! But are there any vaccinations they need prior to this? They will both be living outdoors.

Also, on an unrelated note, when I fed Beatrice this morning I noticed that her little poop pile in the corner had a significant amount of fur on top of it. It looked pulled out and put on top of there as opposed to actually being part of the poo. I've done a quick look online and I'm seeing a lot about phantom pregnancies, but none of those have poo involved...any ideas?

They will need vaccinating for Myxamatosis/VHD which is one vaccine, and a second vaccine which covers VHD2. These are annual vaccines and if you don't know if they have been done then I would assume they haven't. They need to be done I think 2 weeks apart.

Do you have a rabbit savvy vet lined up? Some vets are more dog/cat vets and rabbits are classed as exotics so it's good to have a decent vet from the beginning, they will be more experienced with spaying and neutering rabbits. If you don't have a vet you could post asking for 'rabbit savvy vet in your town'

Spaying/neutering will improve litter habits and behaviour, you will need to wait about 6 weeks after for hormones to subside before bonding.

I don't know about the hair on top of the poop, perhaps it's coincidence she put it there?

It's worth having a chat with your chosen rabbit-savvy vet. If the rabbits are from P@H, they may be microchipped and you may be able to trace some medical history. It's possible they may also be neutered - boys are pretty obvious, but girls have no external way of telling if they are neutered or not. An ultrasound may help to determine if a girl is neutered and may avoid a second op.

As they will be living outside, I might be inclined to sort out the neutering ASAP. They will need extra support / warmth for a few days after a general anaesthetic - so if they are done now, they will be fully fit and have time to develop their winter coats before the weather gets frosty, rather than waiting another month.

Rabbits are delicate creatures - the 2 annual vaccines (Myxomatosis & VHD1; VHD1&2) and neutering all need to be done separately so as not to stress their systems too much. So the timing of each procedure needs to be discussed with your vet. Normally, there is a gap of about a couple of weeks between each one. You may also need to check that they have both vaccines in stock.

While you are at the vet, ask if they can fully examine the bunnies' teeth - if there are any issues, they can be sorted while they are under anaesthetic for neutering. The back teeth can only really be properly examined when the rabbit is sedated / under GA - so worth asking about it. Then you have covered all the bases.

Beapig said:

Being new to owning rabbits, I feel totally ignorant about the medical care my rabbits need. Ham is five years old and Beatrice is four. Given that they've only just come into our care we have no idea of their medical history or what vaccinations they've received from the vet, if any. Apparently Ham was originally from PaH so I don't know if that means he would have been vaccinated years ago or not. As for Bea, I have no idea.

We want to get them neutered/spay asap so we can get them bonded and living together, ready to be cosy for winter! But are there any vaccinations they need prior to this? They will both be living outdoors.



Also, on an unrelated note, when I fed Beatrice this morning I noticed that her little poop pile in the corner had a significant amount of fur on top of it. It looked pulled out and put on top of there as opposed to actually being part of the poo. I've done a quick look online and I'm seeing a lot about phantom pregnancies, but none of those have poo involved...any ideas?

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She may have pulled out fur due to a pseudopregnancy and placed in her 'poo corner'.

Aswell as the advice that Zoobec and Shimmer have given you I suggest you take a look at the vast amount of Rabbit Health and Welfare information available on the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund website :

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Beapig said:

Being new to owning rabbits, I feel totally ignorant about the medical care my rabbits need. Ham is five years old and Beatrice is four. Given that they've only just come into our care we have no idea of their medical history or what vaccinations they've received from the vet, if any. Apparently Ham was originally from PaH so I don't know if that means he would have been vaccinated years ago or not. As for Bea, I have no idea.

We want to get them neutered/spay asap so we can get them bonded and living together, ready to be cosy for winter! But are there any vaccinations they need prior to this? They will both be living outdoors.

Also, on an unrelated note, when I fed Beatrice this morning I noticed that her little poop pile in the corner had a significant amount of fur on top of it. It looked pulled out and put on top of there as opposed to actually being part of the poo. I've done a quick look online and I'm seeing a lot about phantom pregnancies, but none of those have poo involved...any ideas?

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Hi there

Did they come to you through a Rescue Centre? (Sorry if you've already said this on another thread)

I would get the VHD2 vaccination done first, and then the novibac/myxo a couple of weeks later.

Some info about RHD2 here:

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/owners/frequently-asked-questions/FAQRHD


Info about neutering rabbits here:

http://rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering/

They are lucky to have found you

Just in case we are confusing you regarding the vaccines:

You need to vaccinate annually for:
Myxomatosis
Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease 1
Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease 2

RHD is the same as VHD (or even RVHD) - there are Strains 1 and 2. Strain 2 has only recently been confirmed in the UK.

The only vaccines commonly available in the UK both have VHD (or RHD)1 - so one does myxo and VHD1 and the other does VHD 1&2. They can't be given at the same time, hence the couple of weeks gap between vaccines. All are fatal diseases. Often the only 'symptom' of VHD is a sudden death. Sometimes, a local vet may recommend 6 monthly vaccination if there is a known outbreak of any of the diseases.

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I walked past a vet surgery today which is quite close to me so walked in to find out prices and check that they carry out all of these vaccinations, which they do. I was quite shocked that it's £125 to spay a doe. Does this sound standard to everyone here or overpriced? Obviously we'll pay what we have to pay at the end of the day but I want to check what the average is meant to be.

Also, Beatrice has been pulling out a lot more fur today and filling her bed with it. So I guess it's a phantom pregnancy What causes this and should I be worried/watch for anything or just let it pass? We're planning on getting her spayed by the end of the month so hopefully that will help.

Beapig said:

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I walked past a vet surgery today which is quite close to me so walked in to find out prices and check that they carry out all of these vaccinations, which they do. I was quite shocked that it's £125 to spay a doe. Does this sound standard to everyone here or overpriced? Obviously we'll pay what we have to pay at the end of the day but I want to check what the average is meant to be.

Also, Beatrice has been pulling out a lot more fur today and filling her bed with it. So I guess it's a phantom pregnancy What causes this and should I be worried/watch for anything or just let it pass? We're planning on getting her spayed by the end of the month so hopefully that will help.

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You're welcome

Yes that is a lot of money! Neuters are subsidised by vet surgeries as a 'loss leader' and to encourage neutering, and I would expect the most you would have to pay would be £85 for a spay, and that includes a free follow up appointment.


Regarding the phantom pregnancies, there's a bit of info here:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/Pseu_preg/pseudo_en.htm
(some graphic images)

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?392017-How-long-does-a-phantom-pregnancy-last

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?381557-Rabbit-false-pregnancy

Beapig said:

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I walked past a vet surgery today which is quite close to me so walked in to find out prices and check that they carry out all of these vaccinations, which they do. I was quite shocked that it's £125 to spay a doe. Does this sound standard to everyone here or overpriced? Obviously we'll pay what we have to pay at the end of the day but I want to check what the average is meant to be.

Also, Beatrice has been pulling out a lot more fur today and filling her bed with it. So I guess it's a phantom pregnancy What causes this and should I be worried/watch for anything or just let it pass? We're planning on getting her spayed by the end of the month so hopefully that will help.

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It will. But she will not be able to be spayed until her nesting behaviour resolves. This is because a pseudopregnancy causes the uterus to be engorged with more blood, thus increasing the risk of a spay.

As Rabbits are induced ovulators-ie they do not have 'seasons' but ovulate in response to the presence of a Buck (the smell/sight/behaviour of him, even if no direct contact is made) then I'd keep Ham well away from Bea. Otherwise more psudopregnancies are very likely to occur and this will complicate things re getting her spayed.

Depending what part of the country you are £125 is about average for a spay. Vet fees tend to be a lot higher in the London area than in the North of the UK.

Beapig, I have PM'd you :wave:

I paid £70 for a rabbit spay last week.

A vet that is nearby and has experience with rabbits is worth the extra. You could also ring a couple of others up to see what experience they have and what they charge for neutering and vaccination. Ask how many rabbits they neuter in a month. Some vets don't see many rabbits - which may be fine for vaccinations, but I would have less confidence if they don't regularly do surgery on rabbits. You may need to speak to the head nurse rather than the receptionist to get the right information. Avoid anywhere that tells you to starve a rabbit before an operation. They can't vomit and need to continuously eat to keep their guts working.

Shimmer said:

I paid £70 for a rabbit spay last week.

A vet that is nearby and has experience with rabbits is worth the extra. You could also ring a couple of others up to see what experience they have and what they charge for neutering and vaccination. Ask how many rabbits they neuter in a month. Some vets don't see many rabbits - which may be fine for vaccinations, but I would have less confidence if they don't regularly do surgery on rabbits. You may need to speak to the head nurse rather than the receptionist to get the right information. Avoid anywhere that tells you to starve a rabbit before an operation. They can't vomit and need to continuously eat to keep their guts working.

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Yes I thought £125 was high. London prices (and I have consulted several vets) are £85 as I said, as they are heavily subsidised. This was certainly the case when I had a doe spayed recently

And don't worry about the phantom pregnancies. They should stop once she is spayed and there will be no more problems