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Letters, Oh we
get letters;
We get your letters everyday.
Mailman! "ding-dong" Mail Today!
--From the Gary Burbank
Radio Show (WLW, Cincinnati)
This new area will
be where we post your queries and, if we have one, our answer.
See information at the bottom of the page for contact
information.
Chuck M.
writes:
I have never
had a bunny and have an orphan now. It eats the food
pellets for bunny's sold at the feed store. I hold it
several times a day and clean it's cage everyday with
fresh water and pellets. I have it in a cage on my desk
so when I write on my laptop it can see me and I pay some
attention to it also while working. I would never have any
animal in a cage and just go out and see it once in
awhile. My dog stays in our house except to to its numbers
in the back yard. I want the bunny to be as much a part
of the family as possible as well.
I was wondering when I am holding it does it like to be
stroked where? Across the side of the face? behind the
ears like a dog? Put two or three fingers across it's
back and kind of wipe it across the back to it's tail?
I have looked at lots of bunny sites and really would like
to know how it likes to be held and how to pet it in a way
that it would like.
Sincerely,
Chuck
As long as the cage is large
enough for the bun to stand and long enough to lay fully out,
your bun should be happy spending a good deal of time in his
cage. Make sure he has constant access to lots of hay.
Also, never leave him alone with a dog as the dog's natural
instincts may cause him to chase, or worse, the bun.
Hold a rabbit gently, yet
firmly, much as you would a small dog. As for petting,
they love to have their cheeks rubbed. If you do it right,
many buns will grind their rear molars and it sounds like they
are purring. They love to have their ears gently rubbed. All
buns love to be brushed with a slicker brush as well. Be sure
to experiment as each individual loves different strokes.
I hope this helps!
Keith
I
have recently acquired a lovely 6 week old Angora rabbit,
his name is "Bun Bun" (Bertie), and he is adorable.
I found out a week ago, Bun Bun had a fungal type appearance
on his front foot. I immediately took him to the vet as it
looked a bit sore. The vet said it was not serious and gave
me some medication, one for orally and one to soak his paw
in.
His foot seems a little better (not a great deal though) and
now he is losing fur on his leg and chest... (he seems to of
been gnawing himself)... is he in need of more affection? He
seems happy when I cuddle him but I cannot do this all day
long (as much as I wish I could!) I give him loads of
attention but he seems to want more.
Could my baby rabbit be ill? I really love him and donīt
want a vet here in Spain to mis-diagnose.
Could he have sore hocks? There does not seem to be anything
wrong with his eyes or ears or anything, he seems happy
apart from his foot (maybe the medication is irritating his
skin as it heals it? )
All these are questions... I will take him to the vet
tomorrow but were wondering if sore hocks is treatable.?..
his hutch is cleaned everyday.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much, I would really value your advice...
Bun-Bun needs help.
Yours,
JoeJoe, I am
forwarding this along to a veterinarian friend of mine for
her diagnosis as well. The cause could be fungal or it
could be fur mites or fleas. Angoras require almost daily
brushing and grooming to avoid fur and skin porblems. I
will forward this and get back to you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, brush him thoroughly...make sure his skin
stays dry (matted fur keeps the skin moist and gives fungus
a ripe place to grow...and keep him comfortable.
Keith
Dear Keith,
Thank you ever so much for your reply, you have no idea
how grateful I am and your help is very much appreciated.
I have brushed Bun Bun gently and have taken on board your
advice.
I saw Bun Bun in a pet shop in a cage with 2 gerbils who
were harassing him so we "rescued" him and although we had
no knowledge of rabbits, I immediately researched on the
internet about care, bedding, food etc etc.
We acquired a friend for Bun Bun but this was a mistake as
the girl in the shop sold us a female (we had been told
Bun Bun was a female when we got "her")... soon as we put
the new rabbit in with Bun Bun, the obvious happened
immediately and we had to separate them. The girl in the
shop was adamant Bun Bun was a female but he is not (we
now donīt know whether to get 2 more so Milly and Bun Bun
have a friend each... is this a good idea?) We need to get
Bun Bun healthy first, of course.
I realize rabbits are not "low maintenance" pets and that
they can live for many years if looked after properly...
Bun Bun is the sweetest rabbit ever and he has really
stolen our hearts (he is so happy and loves attention...
he gently grinds his teeth when cuddled which, from what I
have read, means he is content, itīs really nice... he is
fantastic). It is a shame to see him gnawing himself. The
hay we have for him is the greener type... it seems to
have flies in it (small roundish ones...) I have a feeling
they are the problem as I have been bitten and I am sure
itīs the flies.
I read that green hay is more nutritious but if the flies
are causing a problem, I will need to stop using it
altogether (I start with the best of intentions and look
what happens...) the other Rabbit is called Milly and she
seems fine... it is confusing... they both have toys to
play with and they are spoilt with all healthy foods... my
partner and I really want to look after them the best we
can, hence my email to a professional rabbit lover... š
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for your
advice, you are very kind indeed.
Joe.
Flies can cause a number of
problems so you may want to change hays. Do you have a
shaver that can take the hair off the irritated parts?
That, plus a cortisone cream may stop the irritation and
biting. It will also let you see if the flies have bitten
him or left any "warbles."
As for buddies...some buns
like to be paired off...some like to only interact with
people. You know your little buddy's personality well
enough to make that call. Regardless of whether you get
them friends or not you should have them spayed/neutered as
it increases life span, reduces some bad behaviors, and
makes the buns happier overall.
Keith
The vet's
response:
Hey-they need to do a complete dermatological workup. It
could be mites which giving it some ivermectin won't hurt in
case it is something else. They need to do fungal cultures,
skin scrapings, and possibly biopsies. In the meantime the
ivermectin might be all the bun needs.
Hello,
I live in Germany and I own a Netherland Dwarf. He is
golden-brown and 13 months old. About three days ago as I was
shutting the balcony door his right paw was caught between the
door and the frame. Luckily, I always close the door slowly in
case something happened. Well, to get to the point I was
wondering what I could do! Maybe I should send you some pictures
of the bunny/wound. Any help would be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Manuel S.
P.S.: Your
website provides great help!
Manuel,
If the skin is torn, your big concern is infection. Keep it
clean and dry (soap and water is your friend.) A rabbit
generally will not tolerate bandages so your next concern is to
make sure the bun's cage and litter box are spotless during the
healing process.
If you see signs of infection,
use hydrogen peroxide to debride the wound. Then get a vet to
prescribe a topical ointment that will not harm the bun's
fur/skin. They may want to use an injectable or oral antibiotic
as well, but only if there is significant infection.
If the bun refuses to put
weight on it you will need to have the paw x-rayed to check for
bone damage.
Best of luck. Feel free to
stay in contact if you think I can be of assistance. Thanks for
the compliment.
Keith
To contact us at
bunniwerks:
email:
docsophist@yahoo.com
snail mail:
bunniwerks, c/o Keith Murphy, 1509 Kingston Rd. Perry, GA
31069
Images on this page are from old Gold Key Little-Big books.
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