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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Paranoid

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    • Kbana
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        Hi all,

        I have developed a case of paranoia. LOL. I am waiting for the other shoe to drop really.  My bun is about 5 months old and he is doing so well.  He adapted to the regular car rides and both his environments with flying colors and he is just the sweetest thing. I really feel so lucky! We were just meant to be.   (I think he is just like my late dog, a once in a lifetime furbaby) Try as I might, I am having a hard time not fearing the worst.  He gets neutered soon but I haven’t made an apt yet since his behavior is angelic.   I am terrified that he is going to have complications from his neuter or will die suddenly etc.  There are so many horror stories out there about buns dying unexpectedly it just makes me so nervous.  He shows zero signs that anything is wrong. This post is just my hope that I can find some peace of mind.  I have a tendency to be a bit of a pessimist but I don’t want my negative/worried thoughts going out into the universe.  I know there are many things outside of my control but any insight you all have to offer would be much appreciated!  He is my first bun so all of this is new territory.  I feel I am providing great care and I have learned so much in the short month I’ve had him. I just really worry over things beyond my control. (which I know is pointless) If I could just relax I could enjoy him so much more! 

        Thanks for your support!!! xo


      • Rufus
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          I know exactly how you feel! I feel like I’ve been more worried in the eight months I’ve had Rufus than the rest of my life together. Lately, it’s been quite hot here and everyday I catch the bus home from work thainking about whether he’s going to be ok when I get home. I think I might have even stopped going out as much so I can spend more time keeping an eye on him.

          My tip is to make sure you have a vet that you feel really comfortable with and confess your nerves to them! The day I had Rufus neutered I felt sick all day at work. Finally my colleague made me call them and they said “We were just about to call you because we knew you were nervous.” He hadn’t woken up fully at that point so then they called me back half an hour later when they first got him to eat to reassure me. Having them be so understanding really helped me out.

          It’s difficult because you know logically that statistically he’s very likely to be fine but you can’t control your feelings about it! I feel like being neutered has made Rufus much more relaxed so I’m definitely glad that I did it. He just seems happier and that’s the most important thing!


        • manic_muncher
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            I too know exactly how you feel. As Rufus pointed out, even though statistics are well in your favor, it’s still hard to not be concerned. I just had my Bumpy neutered a week ago. I worked for several years at a veterinary hospital and could see right away that this vet I took him to was rabbit savvy and extremely comfortable with them. But even knowing how safe he probably would be, I still couldn’t help but worry. All the what ifs pop in your mind, and then you torment yourself with all the negative things you can possibly think of if any of those things were to happen.

            I won’t even bother to say don’t worry (as if THAT would even help!)… but I will say, you are doing the best you can to provide him with the best life you can give him, and that’s all that matters. I hope that you find all your worries were for nothing when the big day comes!


          • NewBunnyOwner123
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              I’m the same way always looking for sickness because they are so well at hiding it. Actually when I came home from work today I noticed their litterbox had no poop in it and I asked my husband “what time did you change their litterbox?” When he responded to the time I was like, “you mean the last time either one pooped is AT LEAST 5 hours?!?!?” And then Sally hopped in the litter box like as soon as I said that and laid a nice pile of poops to ease my mind. I just pictured her going “*sigh* moms freaking out again, better get up and produce some poops before she starts flipping out on me” Harley was soon to follow suit too :p

              But seriously, The first thing I do when I get home is inspect their litterbox for poop! Haha! And hay… I’m big on the hay. I text my husband while I’m away every 3 hours to remind him to check the hay and to give them more if it’s getting low because I got tired of coming home to them having no hay!


            • manic_muncher
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                lol NBO! Yes, the general conversations between my husband and I, after 19 yrs of marriage, are now primarily about rabbit intake and output. LOL


              • Rufus
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                  Haha! My weakness is texting my housemates on their days off and asking them to check for poop! I don’t think they’re massively impressed by that.

                  We can’t be that crazy if it’s all of us, right?


                • Kbana
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                    ha! I am always checking for poops, hay and water consumption etc. It cracks me up because I originally got AL so I could have an animal with a longer life span since a hamster’s lifespan is just way too short and I knew I couldn’t go through that again. Now I’m crazier than ever! I never worried about my hamster or dog like this. Ha! Even aside from the neuter, I’m terrified he’ll just suddenly pass for no noticeable reason. I am constantly assessing his behavior to see if he is acting normally. Goodness! If I didn’t have gray hairs before this fella I sure do now!


                  • bpash89
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                      I think we all understand those feelings. I have no regrets about getting my little girl spayed but it was hands down the most stressed I’d pretty much ever been. It was a very long week. It helped me that my vet was very good about keeping up communication throughout the whole process. He texted me when she was going into surgery and again as soon as she woke up. He also never complained about me texting him at all hours of the night for every little thing that might be a sign of a problem. It really did help put my mind somewhat at ease to know that my vet was always available and would (and did) deal with my bunny-stress induced breakdowns, regardless of the time.

                      I think it’s just natural bunny parenting to constantly check their boxes for poos and hay. If my bunny doesn’t come out to greet me within like 10 minutes of getting home I will usually go hunt her down and make sure she’s okay. And if I give her food and she doesn’t rush over… omg. You have exactly 7 minutes to get your fuzzy little tush over here or we are going to the emergency vet because you are obviously broken… Anything that is slightly out of the ordinary sends me into code red mode.


                    • Bam
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                        Bunnies are the best pets for people who worry a lot, it’s like giving alcohol to an alcoholic…I sometimes think. There’s almost always sth to worry about. Does he drink too much? Too little? Is he apathetic or just a little mid-day sleepy? Is he running around because he’s happy or because he’s hurting and trying to distract himself from the pain? Do I give him enough to eat or too little? Yadyadyada, my head keeps nagging me all day long. Anything could be wrong with a bunny that looks perfectly fine =/

                        But I’m really trying not to get myself worked up into a frenzy. If vets weren’t so expensive I would’ve been there like 50 times since I got my bunnies – and for nothing, I know now, in hindsight, when all scares have proved to be nothing but scares.

                        So, my conclusion is, it gets better as you grow more used to being a bunny-mum. You get to know your bunny and his/hers idiosyncrasies (they all have some eccentricities, it seems). Managing scares also helps, it makes you feel more capable, less helpless.

                        Most male bunnies cope well with the neutering-procedure, but if you want to reassure yourself you could feed him critical care one-two days BEFORE the surgery so his stomach is in the best possible shape when he goes under the knife. And if you’re in a cold country you could get a hot water-bottle he can have in his cage when he gets home (but make sure there’s enough space for him to move away from the heat if that’s what he want.) because they can get cold after surgery. My bunny Bam snuggled up against his hot w-b when he came home from the vet. Also give him water in an open bowl and fresh greens and some of his favourite food so he starts to eat asap.


                      • CheriB603
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                          Here’s a thought – if he stays an Angel, has no behaviours you find disagreeable, no spraying, agressiveness, humping, etc., you don’t HAVE to get him neutered. Now before y’all start angrily typing… I’m just saying that although having him neutered IS probably the way to go, if he has no bad behaviours, and will , of course, stay an only rabbit, then why put yourself and him through it? Understand that I personally believe neutering will help your bun relieve the stress of sexual frustration, so it ends up being good for him, I just wanted to throw that option out there. I have 2 boy buns who will DEFINITELY be neutered – even though my last baby passed away from complications after her spay – because there are two of them and I would hate to see hormonal behaviours start fights. But I was just wondering if not neutering might be an option for you. Of course , you never know when hormones might turn Angel-bunny into Devil-bunny!


                        • Kbana
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                            Ha Cheri, you make a good point. All something to talk about with my vet. I have been thinking this too but am so torn as I agree, it is better for them to be neutered in the long run probably. Does anyone have experience with sudden death not related to neuter or spay? (See, I told you, outside of my control LOL)


                          • Kbana
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                              Bam, you are right, I’m sure the more I have experience with being his momma I will settle down. I too have called the vet about numerous times already. Thank God she is so patient with me!!


                            • tanlover14
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                                Don’t feel bad…. I’m pretty sure my vet thinks of me like those pediatricians think of the parents who call them up at 3am every day because their baby sniffled. First baby parent problems?? Except I’m on my fifth rabbit and I’m STILL paranoid about everything!


                              • Bam
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                                  Tanlover, I’m sure the paranoia never goes away completely =/

                                  Kbana, if you really want to delve into the subject of sudden deaths of rabbits, you could visit the Rainbow Bridge-section. But it’s kind of morbid and I’m not sure it’s good to indulge in one’s lust for the morbid. Some young, apparently healthy rabbits die unexpectedly and suddenly just like some dogs and some people, of congenital heart-disorders that noone could have foreseen because the individual never has shown any symptoms. I’d advice you to try and not worry about that, because that’s sth you absolutely can’t control. It’s actually very good for a person to try to let go of those types of fear. It takes lots of practice, though. And I mean LOTS. You’ll have to look at it as an excercise. That way your bunny could actually teach you sth very valuable, the ability to, you know, the serenity-prayer and all that.


                                • hannaroo
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                                    As long as you spend enough time with your bun to pick up any unusual behaviour and give him a great diet and care there’s no reason to worry you hear about sudden deaths on here a lot because it’s unusual and there’s usually an explanation somewhere so keep looking after him well and he’ll be just fine I take mine for checks with a vet nurse about 3-4 times a year because it’s free and encouraged for young rabbits and first time pet owners so take advantage of a free service like that and they can answer any questions you have and pick up something you may have missed of course they can’t diagnose problems because they’re not fully trained vets but they have a lot of experience working with vets and pick up on unusual behaviour and can recognise common problems


                                  • Kbana
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                                      Thanks for chiming in all. I really appreciate your support and thoughts. I am so thankful for this forum.


                                    • hannaroo
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                                        This forum has taught me more about my rabbits than any book or pet guide! My vet was impressed with the knowledge on the site! A lot of people still get rabbits needs wrong but they’re much more popular as pets now and forums like this help make people aware of how to care for their bunnies and what to look out for if they get sick! And everyone’s friendly!


                                      • Bam
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                                          Hannaroo, you are of course absolutely right: When a rabbit dies suddenly, the caring owner tend to look for answers on the Internet, f ex here. That’s why some people think there’s sth genuinely wrong with pets nowadays and that in the olden days, pets must’ve been so so much healthier and less affected by these weird modern ailments today’s pets seem to be suffering from. I joined this forum when I had bunny-trouble, it wouldn’t have occured to me to join just to show cute pics of my bun – although I’ve come to love all those adorable introduction-postings with photos of rabbits from all over the world.

                                          Kbana, if you do your best and read up on proper care f ex here on BB and feed your bunny good bunny-appr food and have a yearly check-up and deal with problems as they emerge, then your rabbit will be fine and if he’s not, it’s nobody’s fault, it’s just life. No person can control every aspect of anyone’s life, not even a tiny rabbit’s. It’s not in our power.


                                        • rayray
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                                            My bun is just about 2 yr old. He hasn’t been neutered yet as I haven’t had any problems with him. He moves around a lot, but I’m not sure if that’s just his personality or because he’s intacted. Hmmm…
                                            So I’m in the same boat as you. I just don’t know if it’s worth the money & pain of having it done.

                                            Side note; anyone looking for an inexpensive options should call their local Humane Society. Mine costs half of what it would at a vet’s office ($75 verus $160). Since they do all the rabbits that come into their care, I trust they use a good vet.


                                          • Beka27
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                                              I was also going to say that neutering isn’t 100% necessary for a male rabbit… IF he will always be a single bunny (and I would even go as far to say ONLY PET of any species), you will never bring another bunny in the house (even to just pet-sit), and you’re prepared for things to take a sudden change for the worse behavior-wise.

                                              As far as sudden deaths… yes, that definitely happens. In rabbits, dogs, cats, people, goldfish. That’s just an unfortunate fact of life. That wouldn’t stop me from neutering a pet. If there is some type of health issue, that issue will manifest itself at some point and can be dealt with, or it won’t and the bun will just pass suddenly. Try not to get too caught up on the what-ifs! Enjoy him!


                                            • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                I completely agree with bam – especially the “bunnies are the best pets for people who worry a lot” part lol. And that it gets better. For me it actually got to the point where my vet had to sit down with me (after one episode of GI stasis and two scares) and tell me that “although he didn’t mind taking my money,” the next time I came in with a scare we were going to have to scrap Merida’s diet and start fresh.
                                                Since then I’ve been a lot better with not worrying too much, since Merida has been 110% healthy at every visit to the vet (minus the actual GI stasis). Though I still sit in her pen with her occasionally and just watch while she eats, sits, drinks, poo’s, breathes, etc…. so I have a constant baseline and she’s used to me *watching* her hahaha.


                                              • Kbana
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                                                  DS, Oh that cracks me up because I am always in Al’s pen. I made it so big so that I could lay in it and hang out. Ha! He is probably like “lady leave me alone all ready!” My husband is jealous of all the time I spend with Al. It is like I’m cheating on him. LOL I can’t help it. No offense to my cutie of a husband but not much competes with the cuteness of a bunny!


                                                • Lady Cardinal
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                                                    I think paranoia is a good thing when it comes to these little guys. I just bought my first rabbit three weeks ago and I’m always paranoid. Actually I’m going to be taking my bun down to the vet tomorrow to get a more thorough check up as I have noticed that her nose is a bit moist. I lost a guinea pig to ammonia aftet having him for a week so I’m proactive if I see anything out of the ordinary. Plus I’m jumpy since shes my first bunny.

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                                                Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Paranoid