Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

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.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

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.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Does my bunny have Bloat, or possible pregnancy? Please help

Viewing 3 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • Gabrielle
      Participant
      5 posts Send Private Message

        My family has always rescued rabbits. We had adopted lionheads and dwarfs from a local shelter for years but they were always very grumpy, except for our one dwarf who was so sweet and so beloved by our family. She passed recently at 9 years old, the last of our rescue rabbits. This time we made an educated decision to finally get a baby bunny instead of trying to tame rescues again (we loved them but now we have 5 children and want something easier to bond with). We chose a Flemish and went to a breeder who lived nearby. I didn’t like this breeder immediately. And it wasn’t just being judgmental. As a USDA licensed hedgehog breeder, I look for details. The things my inspectors would look for. First I didn’t like that she kept them all outdoors. I don’t usually mind outdoor hutches much if they are specious, safe, clean, in the shade, and there are measures taken in bad weather. But these cages were dirty and had holes and sharp edges. No igloos or bedding. I saw two cage doors left open and two rabbits with severe ear mites. I wanted to leave. But then she showed me the bunny she had saved for us and I was so in love that I got over it and handed the woman $20 and left with the Flemish, happy that she would have a better home with me than where she was even if I didn’t want to give this woman business. I couldn’t just leave her there. She was so sweet.
        I took her home and when I took her out of the travel carrier and held her against me, I realized that her stomach was hugely bloated, distended, rounded and hard. Not just a chubby bunny, a rounded portruding stomach. It wasn’t normal. My mother breeds English Bulldogs and this bunny had a stomach that looked exactly like the huge bloated tummies puppies have when they are just fed. I’ve never seen that before. I called the breeder (who I doubted knew anything at all about rabbits but I wondered if she noticed the tummy too and I wanted to know the bunny’s age to tell my vet). She said the bunny was 8-10 weeks old, (she “thinks”) and that she didn’t see the stomach. She said “who knows? Could be pregnant though, she was still in the hutch with her father and mother so who knows”. She then told me to just bring her back because she “didn’t want me to have to have vet bills and she wasn’t going to help pay any vet bills either”, so if we were calling to ask for vet help, “just bring her back because she won’t help with any bills and would rather just take it back”. I said of course we aren’t bringing her back, we love her. And I decided not to ask that woman anything anymore.
        I made a vet appointment but it isn’t until tomorrow evening, that was our vet’s first opening. I’m so worried about this being bloat. I read about it and it is so scary to me. Our kids are already in love with her and just lost a bunny so I am heartbroken about this baby being sick. I’m wondering if pregnancy is even possible when she is so young (though this breeder could be lying about age, so who knows). I have never bred rabbits, mine were all spayed. I always thought there were too many buns in shelters to ever make more. I do however breed multiple exotics, but I have never seen a pregnancy animal look this way. Do any of you have any information on when rabbits can conceive? Or what a pregnant bun will look like? And most importantly, what do you think this issue could be?

        Thank you so much just for reading this massive novel of a post. I’m a very nervous and very protective mommy to all my critters and this has me so upset. Any advice from rabbit experts would be so appreciated.


      • Bam
        Moderator
        16838 posts Send Private Message

          I can only say you need to take her to a vet, and you’re already doing that, which is wise. I’m assuming you described her problem when you made the appt, so if they’d considered it an emergency they’d have asked you to come in right away?

          We’re not experts here though, just “bunny-people” with varying degrees of bunny experience.

          A distended stomach may indicate some kind of intestinal parasite, but it’s not really possible to say without a proper examination. Is she eating, drinking, pooping and peeing? If you touch her tummy, does she show signs of pain? Bloat is extremely painful.


        • jerseygirl
          Moderator
          22338 posts Send Private Message

            If the bun is truly the age and breed the woman said she is, it’s likely not pregnancy. The larger breed rabbits sexually mature later then average size breeds. Also, pregnancy is not normally very visible. I hope your vet can sort out what’s going on and you’ll have a healthy rabbit soon. I wouldn’t have taken it back to that breeder either!

            Would you consider reporting her? The conditions you described sound appalling. Those rabbits with ear mites… If she’s not treating them, they’d be in a lot of pain.


          • Xxventanaxx
            Participant
            356 posts Send Private Message

              isnt that considered animal abuse with the ear mites and sharp edges and not really any home? Id report her and get those poor bunnies out of there.

          Viewing 3 reply threads
          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Does my bunny have Bloat, or possible pregnancy? Please help