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Rabbit quarantine advice please!

MiniC

MiniC

Wise Old Thumper
This week Poppy has had to go to the vet after developing an ear abscess. It's her second in 12 months, so the vet opted to fit a stoma this time. I took Billy with me to collect her today but when I got there, the vet said I needed to keep them separate for a week and only let them have time together if I can fully supervise, to stop him from cleaning her wound.

They shared the carrier home (they calm each other in the car), and had 10 mins supervised together in their room, but it was quickly apparent that I just can't let them have any time together at all. He automatically goes right for the wound to start cleaning and it stresses them out to have me chasing him off her constantly.

My question is, should the rabbits be kept in separate rooms altogether, or should they have separate halves of the same room, separated by panels? Both options are fine with me, it's about what is less stressful for them (especially Poppy)
 
MiniC said:
This week Poppy has had to go to the vet after developing an ear abscess. It's her second in 12 months, so the vet opted to fit a stoma this time. I took Billy with me to collect her today but when I got there, the vet said I needed to keep them separate for a week and only let them have time together if I can fully supervise, to stop him from cleaning her wound.

They shared the carrier home (they calm each other in the car), and had 10 mins supervised together in their room, but it was quickly apparent that I just can't let them have any time together at all. He automatically goes right for the wound to start cleaning and it stresses them out to have me chasing him off her constantly.

My question is, should the rabbits be kept in separate rooms altogether, or should they have separate halves of the same room, separated by panels? Both options are fine with me, it's about what is less stressful for them (especially Poppy)
Click to expand...

Personally I’d try same room separated by panels first. I hope Poppy’s ear abscess will resolve, hate the damn things x
 
I don’t have any experience of this so I can’t advise specifically, but I agree, I think that same room separated by panels would be best. Sending lots of vibes for Poppy, I hope it clears up soon xx
 
InspectorMorse said:
Personally I’d try same room separated by panels first. I hope Poppy’s ear abscess will resolve, hate the damn things x
Click to expand...

I agree, hoping it will be a comfort they know the other is there even if they can't cuddle & groom. Move to option B if they don't settle. Poor Poppy - I hope she feels better soon
 
Poor Billy spent several days looking so sad without her, now he's investigating the panels for gaps and pulling at the bars to get through to her side. When he tires himself out, he'll go for a snooze and come back again 10 mins later or so.

I keep thinking the sound must be alarming for Poppy, then remembering she's probably completely deaf right now :(
 
They've been separate for 3 days (60 hours ish) with some short spells together. Billy, I think, is putting himself at risk to get to her and she's chewing the bars a lot.

Anyways, I just found him on her half of the room, as he'd somehow got a wedge under the panels and squeezed under.

Still not sure if it would be safer to separate fully, as we have 6 more days to get through.
 
Have you got a big dog crate at all? They might be happier if one is inside and the other can get to all sides of them. I had to restrict Freja for a while when she was injured, but Odin was happy to just sleep alongside her or eat around her, and I put food through the bars so they could both eat togethe as normal. Might be worth a try?
 
dollyanna said:
Have you got a big dog crate at all? They might be happier if one is inside and the other can get to all sides of them. I had to restrict Freja for a while when she was injured, but Odin was happy to just sleep alongside her or eat around her, and I put food through the bars so they could both eat togethe as normal. Might be worth a try?
Click to expand...

I think it might be a bit tougher for whoever is enclosed. Poppy is brightening up and looking to explore again, so it would be hard on her to be penned up. Billy would still be desperate to get out to express his spring fever if he were the one enclosed...
 
Billy got through 3 times last night. Every time, I removed or reinforced where he got through. Still woke up at 4am to find him following Poppy around trying to hump her, and her looking quite distressed about it. I think I'll have to separate properly because I don't know how to stop this otherwise.
 
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