First Trip Outdoors for New Rabbit(pic heavy)

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
B

Bad Habit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2012
Messages
3,400
Reaction score
5
Location
Ontario
Soooo... Mr New Rabbit needed his litter box changed today, and I finally found my harness. Slapped the harness on him, and he sat calmly for much fussing and fiddling. I was so happy to be able to move my hands around his face without him jumping whenever my fingers touched him(he had been head shy since day one, but we've been working on that). Finally got the harness sitting how I liked it - tight enough that he couldn't squirm out, loose enough so that it wouldn't rub or pinch or scare him. Was surprised how much I had to let it out, it was last fitted for Dobby just after he finished growing. At least 2 inches. Carried him downstairs - he hung like a limp rag doll, so calm and easy, so different from the lionheads. Put him down to let him romp, and he set right to work eating grass. He was so calm, and so curious, checking out everything, eating grass and dandelions, coming over to get pets. I am constantly surprised with his friendliness, as the lionheads never seek out attention, but merely tolerate it.

Anyway, I'm sure everyone skipped that whole paragraph to get right to the pictures.

391501_10151104421232319_1528822000_n.jpg

309227_10151104421917319_1812324447_n.jpg

547350_10151104422697319_374399174_n.jpg

527007_10151104423347319_2057330619_n.jpg

547281_10151104424547319_1856561390_n.jpg

386799_10151104425287319_1581815301_n.jpg

562056_10151104427817319_637113770_n.jpg

418604_10151104428322319_1402421744_n.jpg

297510_10151104429347319_624513198_n.jpg



And my three personal favourites...
540403_10151104430267319_396674221_n.jpg

539229_10151104425982319_1132668611_n.jpg

531125_10151104428817319_827213891_n.jpg


He's a little greasy cuz I treated him with oil for ear mites, so please excuse that.
 
He is super cute! I love the floppy "excuse me, but I'm growing" ears! Good to see he has a fearsome guard dog to protect him while he is out in the wide world. :)
 
Is that all it is, is growing?? I've been in minor panic mode for about a week now as they keep getting floppier and floppier. Gave him oil down his ears last night cuz I thought it was ear mites, and am practically making him sick on VitA rich foods, because no one could tell me what, exactly, was going on. He was NOT IMPRESSED last night. Though he was very impressed this morning with a whole peach and 2 carrots to munch on. From these pics, does it look to just be growing causing the flop?

The dog loves him, and I'm excited for the two to become good friends. Chuck definitely takes it upon himself to protect his rabbits. Instantly submits as well. The last pic's blurry, but my favourite.

I forgot to mention, and didn't get to video, but he was bouncing for the first time since I got him. He was so alert, and it was wonderful to see him both reacting to his surroundings and feeling happy. I was kind of worried he'd just focus on getting his food on, and I'd have to take him in after 10 minutes for fear of him eating himself sick.
 
Bad Habit":1afjic4b said:
Is that all it is, is growing?
Click to expand...

Vitamin A deficiency can cause floppy ears- but I think it is pretty normal in young rabbits as they are growing and the cartilage is strengthening to see them get droopy- whether from a lack of Vitamin A or calcium, or what have you. The link below has pics of a rabbit suffering from Vitamin A deficiency. Warning- there are very graphic photos of other diseased rabbits showing internal organs! Scroll all the way to the bottom and work your way up and I think you will be safe from the worst of them.

link-to-rabbit-diseases-with-autopsy-photos-t7538.html
 
I already looked at that link, on a topic I found while trying to find out more about Vit A deficiency after you mentioned it on a previous post. I did an find search for the topic, and found it without having to look at any oogy pictures... That's actually what got me super afraid about the whole thing. The whole paralysis then death kinda made my heart skip a beat.

I suppose I'm not hurting him any by offering him these foods, and I was intending to switch off the GV food for him anyway. Never had this problem with the lionheads, but it could just be because they have small ears. It's actually really funny to look at them after looking at the new guy, their ears look like they were left in the dryer too long.

I've not seen any improvement since giving the oil - in fact, his ears are all red and inflamed due to it, because he scratched the heck out of himself trying to clear them. I'm not going to do it again unless he starts getting a major build up of crud. Will continue with the Vit A foods, and see about maybe getting a fruity tums for calcium, if he'll eat that. Hopefully they perk back up, he's so much cuter with standy-uppy ears, lol. Like satalites on his head!
 
Thanks for sharing the new bunny (did you come up with a name for him yet?) and your dog. It's really good to see your dog with the bunny. Looks like they both had a fun time outside.

Karen
 
He is cute! I think the ears flopping over add some character. Looks like he and your dog are on their way to becoming fast friends.
 
I raised the dog with ferrets, so he knows that small animals in the house are his friends. He LOVES the rabbits, and he makes his rounds checking on them all a couple times a day. It's really quite cute, in my opinion, lol. I keep hoping the new guy gets nice and big... Like, as big as the dog. Dog's only 15lbs, so it's possible that he'll be close to that size.

He really seemed to enjoy being out. Am hoping to take him out again today, but I've gotta make a trip to a friend's house to sex her bunny for her, so might not have the time.

No name yet. Have tried a couple but they didn't fit quite right. Right now trying out Riddle, which is sitting kind of well, because I'm not sure what size he'll turn out, or what breeds he is, or even if he is a he, lol! Riddle seems to be fitting well so far, though. Once he gets a name, I'm gonna throw the poor guy a party!
 
MaggieJ":ge65bzkm said:
But... I would never give a rabbit a whole peach. Too much sugar and it also could give him poopy butt.
Click to expand...
Same with two carrots. Lots of sugar. They do much better on grasses and safe weeds, with only an occasional small bit of vegetable or fruit for a treat.
 
Adorable!
My bunnies ears are supposed to flop over, so I don't have anything to add to that conversation, except that sometime I have to massage and stretch them a little to get them to lay properly. I had one in my last litter who had both ears flopping to the same side. She actually seemed a little uncomfortable if she had one on each side of her face like it was supposed to be. I assume if you play with his ears alot, that it cause the muscles to stretch and weaken, which could cause them to be a little floppy.

The long, green grass is amazing! After the past 2 summers we've had, none of our grass is growing, and is actually "crunchy" if you walk on it. It rained today for the first time in 3 months. I would love to be able to post gorgeous pics like you did. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed them!
 
I really don't know what to say to the feeding comments. I'm feeling kind of insulted, if I'm to be honest. First time I've ever felt judged here.
 
Bad Habit":2cq8jjfe said:
I really don't know what to say to the feeding comments. I'm feeling kind of insulted, if I'm to be honest. First time I've ever felt judged here.
Click to expand...

I don't think so much judged as those just trying to be helpful. Fruits and carrots do have lots of sugar. And too much sugar can cause poopy butts in rabbits. But you know your rabbits and take very good care of them. Just take it as concern and appreciate the concerned comments.

Karen
 
Bad Habit":7ev03evx said:
I really don't know what to say to the feeding comments. I'm feeling kind of insulted, if I'm to be honest. First time I've ever felt judged here.
Click to expand...
Bad Habbit - it seems as if you have the best of intentions. Rabbits are a herbivore, not vegetarian, this seems to be the hang up some people have in understanding. Rabbits need fiber to be able to produce their probiotics. Apples and carrots have very little fiber, compared to the rabbit pellet or hay. For rabbits, apples and carrots (more than about teaspoon to tablespoon a day) "can" be junk food. Can cause poopy butt and if the rabbit does not eat hay, can block up the digestive system and kill the rabbit. Fur balls as well.
- Angora rabbit breeders, with the Angora's long hair, have a harder time than you do.
 
http://rabbittalk.com/what-s-going-on-with-his-ear-t9243.html

What I took away from that post - my rabbit has possible vitamin a deficiency. Feed more foods that are high in vitamin a.

http://rabbittalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7986&view=next

Another post regarding Vit A issues, which includes a list of foods rich in Vit A. Since he was already getting 3 of the greens on that list, and I have a hard time finding the other 3, I added other things from that list.

Now this post. I'd rather deal with him getting too much sugar for a short time while I discover if it's the Vit A problem that's causing the ear flop, rather than deal with bone deformities and neurological disturbances if it is Vit A deficiencies and I ignored the potential issues.

I am aware that rabbits are herbivores, not vegetarians. I am aware that their diet should be primarily greens and hay and a nutritionally complete pellet. I am also aware that my new rabbit put on 2lbs in 2 weeks, then sort of stopped growing, and his ears started flopping - both of which are signs of Vit A deficiencies.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top