How to tell if my bunnies are injured? Accidental fight

[bashfulbunny]

Sorry if this is long, but there are literally no words to describe how much guilt and anger I am feeling, I could cry I feel so awful…

When I tried bonding my bunnies a few weeks ago, it didn’t go well at all and they fought until it got to the point where I absolutely had to seperate them… I decided to wait a little longer incase her hormones were still a problem, so they’re still in seperate cages

It was my nephews birthday today and in a hurry, I fed them their dinner and left… But when I came home hours later, I found my room covered in chunks of bunny fur and the room a tip, the bunnies in seperate corners of my room, and their cage doors both wide open

I really do not understand how this happened because I let Binky out for a few hours, then come dinner time I place Binky’s dinner in her cage and shut her in, and place Bashful’s outside her cage and let him out for a few hours… And I would never ever place his dinner outside of her cage had it been open? But there’s no other way for it to have happened, I’m shaking and feel sick with guilt

Bashfuls cage was the messiest, which makes me assume the fighting happened most in there, whereas Binky’s cage was practically the same as when I left

I’ve tidied the whole room and cages, so that there is no trace of the other bunny in either cage, I’ve even gone as far as swapping out the rug for a brand new one as the old was just covered in their fur

There’s no blood, thankfully, and they both seem settled and calm, though their fur a little messy… I don’t think either of them are harmed and after the fiasco with Bashfuls eye the past few months, me losing my job, and my parents paying off bills, I won’t be able to afford a visit to the vets this month, especially for two bunnies…

Bashful seems a little scared but I’ve watched him hop around his cage and he seems okay, he’s eaten a treat but he’s not eaten his hay or drank water since I’ve been home, hopefully by tomorrow he will feel a little safer, as it was mainly his cage that was intruded… and Binky has eaten her treat and her hay and seems happy enough, she jumped out of her cage when I let her out a minute ago, but instead of hopping around my room, she’s walking? I don’t know if that’s because I’ve put down a new rug that she isn’t used to hopping on, or if it’s because her leg is injured? Would she walk like that if her leg was in pain? Or is it her way of getting used to the new rug, or making sure her surroundings are safe and Bashful free???

[bashfulbunny]

I’m hoping that as it was a large area, rather than the bath tub like last time, that they only fought for a short period of time before distancing themselves and hiding in their safe places… I have never been so annoyed at myself and thinking they kept their distance is the only thing that’s making me feel slightly less sick

[bashfulbunny]

*Update: Both bunnies are now eating hay and drinking as normal

[Niamian]

I’m not an expert and my bunny and I know each other for little bit more than 7 months now but…
Considering walking, Redford does that every time when I change anything in house really or we had some guests. He usually does that for a half an hour and then we are back in normal.
Also it’s great sign if they are resuming their usual behaviour and there are no signs of scratches or anything.
Think that now is most important to calm as much as you can and just monitor them.
But I have faith that everything will be fine. Best wishes for you and your bunnies!

[vanessa]

It sounds ok. My Guinevere also walks when something is new. No blood is good. But examine them closely. I had a nasty fight between Guin and Lancelot. No blood, but 4 pea-sized holes in his skin. I could see the membrane over the muscle. The blood is in the muscle, so it takes a serious gash for them to bleed. Tub the skin does tear easily, and that opens them up to infection. So pet them from head to “toe”, watch for areas that cause flinching, and rub their fur upwards to see the skin. Check for wounds. I put neosporine on mine. The kind without the painkiller. It sounds like they need to get to know eachother. I read your bonding gone wrong post. Sounds tough. After I watched Guin attack Lancelot, I was quite frightened myself. Have you tried the bunny smoosh? If they are fighting like that, I wouldn’t give them freedom to move on their own. I would try the bunny smoosh – have them between your knees, with someone helping, and pet them both. Do this for 15 minutes daily, then put them back. I kept Guin in a Smoosh and kept my hand on her head for a week ro two before letting her move around on her own, untll I could trust that she wasn’t going to attack Lancelot. And honestly – after seeing them fight, I woudl never put a pair of bunnies in a small space without making sure I can trust them not to attack. Maybe I just got “lucky enough” to have the pair that I do. But after seeing that, I would never put 2 bunnies together like that – even though I read it on all the bonding info websites. I will always let them get to know eachother for at least 4 weeks, then do bunny smooshes for a week or 2, then keep my hand on the head of the aggressive one until I can trust that bunny. I’m sorry it was so stressful for you.

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