Shock after fox attack

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Preitler

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Hi,

today, at 11.00am, sitting in my living room I heard a terrible scream, ran out and on the steps leading to the garden where my rabbits are I almost stumbled over a fox. My buck had his garden time, and was nowhere to be seen. Startled fox ran away.

After 15 min. I found my buck, perched on a wire grate that was stored under the ceiling, no obvious injuries.
Older picture, but up there he hid. Bunnies like that spot, they know that even I cant reach them there. On the right are the steps where I met the fox:
Dachhase.JPG

But since putting him into his hutch he is completly apathic, lies there, on his side, doesn't even bother to look up. Doesn't eat or drink. Just lies there, when grooming him and checking for injuries he seems to have some pain in the neck/shoulder area, but no blood or torn fur.

What I've read it can be shock, and that can be a serious problem. Best thing to give him rest, keep anything that can desturb him away, and so on. And bringing him to the vet would mean terrible stress, even when healthy, not used to beeing handled or transported. Finding a vet here on sunday is another topic.
So I keep his hutch dark, put fresh water in front of him and leave him alone.

Or do you have other advise? It would be an awful loss to lose him, he is such a nice guy :cry:

So, time to dust off my coach gun and start building a trap... :twisted:

It really doesn't ever get boring.... :shock:

Preitler
 
Can you bring him inside? I ask because I had a bunny go into shock when a couple of stray dogs scared the bejeezous out of some in the open pen (killing 3). (I just went inside for a few minutes, but never again when they are in the play area).

I took her inside and kept talking to her, stroking her fur, and forcing water intake. It took all day to get her to move. Finally the graham cracker smell did the trick to get her to start nibbling.

She made a full recovery, but man, did she ever scare me with the "I'm just going to give up and die" lethargic rabbit thing.

I hope your rabbit does okay
 
Thanks, it's 5 hours now, and he doesn't do anything. Sometimes when I check he shifted position a little. It's exactly that lethargic rabbit thing he acts out...

I was just going to ask how long such a state can go on and when it's time to see the vet anyway....
I mean, they need to eat at some point, with that kind of digestion...

Hi is not used to be indoors, I put a blanket over his hutch, and force me to not look to often. Every hour checking and petting, but no change by now. It's much more quiet indoors though....

Preitler

-- Sun May 31, 2015 2:47 pm --

Point is mood, he just died :cry:

I will miss him, was a really nice rabbit. Yesterday the last litter he sired was born, two kits...
mishap-doe-maybe-bred-after-kindling-t24974.html

RIP, Dicker...
 

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Hi,

he was about 3.5 years, same as my Black Fury, bought him as a doe and he shared my kitchen with her for the first months (Myxo quarantine). Sex change fairy did her magic -> their first litter. Had to divide my kitchen then...

Now I'm sitting here, crying, him stiffening on my lap, and contemplating where to bury him. Guess I'll never dare to have a dog...
 

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I am so very sorry, Preitler! :cry:

It's probably possible for him to pass so quickly from stress-related shock, but I'm thinking he probably had internal injuries. Especially with the fact that he was so lethargic right off the bat, just not really moving at all. I don't know... I just would have expected him to become less and less active.

He was a beautiful bun. :(
 
Preitler, I'm so very sorry you lost Dicker. I agree with Miss M that he likely had internal injuries from the attack. What a handsome rabbit he was--I'm sure you'll miss him very much. :cry:

This time of year, when predators are raising their young, attacks of this kind seem to increase and animals that would not normally be hunting in the middle of the day are sometimes forced to it by necessity. A little extra vigilance is sometimes a good idea in late spring and also later in the summer when the youngsters are learning to hunt.
 
So sorry Preitler. :cry:

It always happens to our favorites, doesn't it? :( He was a handsome boy.
 
Yeah, he was just such a friendly, uncomplicated, confident buck, had just this one. I wasn't fully aware how attached I grew. :cry_baby:

So he completly missed the experience of being nuts, at least I can give him that - it's what he'll become, in time - nuts. :cry:
Dicker- Rest in peace.jpg

I'll keep his daughter with the same colours, it's her on the first pic in this thread, was going to keep her anyway, was just looking for an excuse for a 3rd doe...
 
I would be putting up traps for when that fox comes back. Sorry about your bunny!
 
No doubt, he must have been injured and it sounds like he may have even hurt himself badly in his escape attempt. :cry: So sorry for your loss.
 
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