Happy bunny life

[Bluemush]

It takes time to train your bunnies. If you are going with harness and leash I would recommend you to first teach your bunny to accept being picked up. Because when you walk outdoors in harness you need your bunny to trust you being close and that you might pick them up if needed.

My bunny Toste took over a year to bond and allow me to pick him up. When I leash train my bunnies I do it indoors with treats, later I will do it outdoors in a place where I know the area and have good spots to look around. I always have treats on me which are often just their normal pellets and one high value treat. I use this to make sure they have focus on me when I call their name and I can easily pick them up. I often pick my bunnies up if I spot a dog, loud cars etc. As to make sure they are safe and calm. It can be easier to set up a x-pen outdoors and use a travel cage as a way to pick up if your bunny isn’t an escape artist.

Toste in his pen:
View attachment 60246

Thanks for your suggestions, that’s true he has to be ok with being picked up which he hates and everytime I need to do it let’s say for trimming his nails , brushing his fur or checking something, if I’m not holding onto him firmly he makes sure he gets out of my hands (I’ve had a few close calls so I quickly move to my bed so he can jump on that).
Responding to his name has also be challenging, he comes when he hears his fav snacks the moment I shake the jar so I’m currently training him to learn his name by association with the snacks. I haven’t been able to find a harness that fits yet so thats another story. Toste is adorable
He just likes his freedom, wiggled out of the first two harnesses I tried and he hated it.

 

[Hermelin]

Thanks for your suggestions, that’s true he has to be ok with being picked up which he hates and everytime I need to do it let’s say for trimming his nails , brushing his fur or checking something, if I’m not holding onto him firmly he makes sure he gets out of my hands (I’ve had a few close calls so I quickly move to my bed so he can jump on that).
Responding to his name has also be challenging, he comes when he hears his fav snacks the moment I shake the jar so I’m currently training him to learn his name by association with the snacks. I haven’t been able to find a harness that fits yet so thats another story. Toste is adorable
He just likes his freedom, wiggled out of the first two harnesses I tried and he hated it.

Some bunnies take time to train and others will never learn. I only take 2 bunnies out in a harness and I’m going to start training my 3 month old bunny Fenris because she have no problem being picked up and handled as long I have treats. So I have focused a lot on what she tolerates and reward her a lot. Maybe you can find a person who makes rabbit harnesses, in my country there are a few who custom make harness after order.

 

[Hermelin]

Not a happy day, I have decided to rehome Toste because I can’t afford to truly fix his ears. It would cost me over 10000+ $ and insurance only cover 2000. So he would need to get regular flushing of his ears until they could be fixed which I can’t economical support for a long period.

So I have asked a rehoming/shelter for help and to see if they would take him in. Of course he will be fully vaccinated and flushed his ears before he move to the foster home which I will stand for. Because all bunnies being rehomed must be moved to a foster home and not stay with their owners while looking for a new place. At least I hope they will let him stay with me until his fully treated for his ear inflammation and not cause more stress for him. Even though only a temporary treatment which will last only a few months. He will get his ears flushed and vaccinated next week. While he will get ear cleaning every day until they are flushed.

 

[Hermelin]

I’m trying to find cheaper vets but I heard from another owner that had to pay nearly 20 000$ to fix their bunnies ears. Which would be something I could never cover, that’s at least 5 years of me working and saving up.

While on another rabbit forum I’m getting jumped for not affording his vet care because by law I have to provide him the care he needs

If the shelter won’t take him, I’m also trying to look for vets all over the country and getting different prices and hear other rabbits owners experience. Many let their bunnies be put down because of the expensive price and the measly insurance do not cover a lot. As to not let their bunnies suffer more. While I had another person recommend me to take a loan but it’s not something I will do because I don’t have the stable payment to pay it back.

I truly hope I will find a solution for my boy.

 

[BunLover]

I'm sorry, That must be really hard giving up your rabbit, Best wishes.

 

[JBun]

Remind me again what his ear problems are?

 

[Hermelin]

Remind me again what his ear problems are?

Toste have ear inflammation in the middle ear on both his ears. So he will need to go through 2 operations of total ear canel ablation to fix his problems. It’s because his ears canals are too narrow. I can only afford the temporary treatment of flushing his ears and anti-inflammatory. They have done bacteria culture test to see if it was caused by an infection but there wasn’t any strange or even indicated on an ear inflammation. He have gone through CT- scan for his ears also.

 

[Hermelin]

I’ve found good news of a vet that do it for a price I can afford. I will do the flushing of his ears to buy him time and save up my money as good as I can. Then I will book time, find a place to live and take a vacation until my boy can recover until we can go back home. It’s in another town 7 hrs from me by car or 5 hrs by train.

I will have to do it twice but I will split it up by fixing his serious ear first and later do the other ear during the next insurance period

 

[PeanutsPlace]

what if you set up a gofundme?

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

Good luck! I hope all goes well. He truly has an incredible owner.

 

[Hermelin]

what if you set up a gofundme?

There are other people who will need donation more than us. Specially when I have found a vet that will do it 10 times more cheaper and also experience with doing the operation on bunnies. I’ve talked with other bunny owners and their experience and how their bunnies are now

I just need a few months to save money until I can do the first operation. So toward autumn or winter I will have the money for my boy to go through his first operation but it means that Fenris will have to wait for her spay until Toste have been operated on both his ears. She will have to wait until she’s a little over a year old. As to not put myself in a financial trouble and still have money on the side for emergency vets. It just means I will have to work harder and not go out that often.

I might be able to wish for christmas present from the family to pay for Fenris spay instead. As long they give me 10$ each, that will cover it and a really cheap christmas present to me but something I will need

 

[Cef81]

I’m trying to find cheaper vets but I heard from another owner that had to pay nearly 20 000$ to fix their bunnies ears. Which would be something I could never cover, that’s at least 5 years of me working and saving up.

While on another rabbit forum I’m getting jumped for not affording his vet care because by law I have to provide him the care he needs

If the shelter won’t take him, I’m also trying to look for vets all over the country and getting different prices and hear other rabbits owners experience. Many let their bunnies be put down because of the expensive price and the measly insurance do not cover a lot. As to not let their bunnies suffer more. While I had another person recommend me to take a loan but it’s not something I will do because I don’t have the stable payment to pay it back.

I truly hope I will find a solution for my boy.

I’m sorry you are having to deal with this i of course now know the challenges of vet bills . I’m sorry another forum gave you a hard time at least I see you making a effort where as I’ve worked at a vets office and animal sanctuary and petstore so I’ve seen ALOT of people who DO NOT TRY and it’s really just the ignorance of not researching before anyone buys ANY pet feathers fins or fur . As I just months ago took in cadbury given to me for free his toenails were curled under they were so long and he had a slight sneeze so I took him thinking quick vet trip then he will be better wrong . I now have been to two vets one board certified and almost 4/5 mths later I’m a little over $1,000 and he still isn’t better I have to give him injections daily so he hates me now he’s been on orbax , durapen, and some other injection that is like $10 a shot . I’d say try a go fund me page for your bun but mine hasn’t yielded any help at all for my bun so he and I are on are own . Best wishes to you and your bun stuff happens and if the pet companies making the meds wouldn’t squeeze the vets in cost then in turn they wouldn’t have to squeeze the owners in vet cost and all that does is hurt a lot of pets cause people can’t afford them , at least your not the person to go and just dump your pet out somewhere I’ve seen a lot of stuff .Good luck

 

[Hermelin]

I’m sorry you are having to deal with this i of course now know the challenges of vet bills . I’m sorry another forum gave you a hard time at least I see you making a effort where as I’ve worked at a vets office and animal sanctuary and petstore so I’ve seen ALOT of people who DO NOT TRY and it’s really just the ignorance of not researching before anyone buys ANY pet feathers fins or fur . As I just months ago took in cadbury given to me for free his toenails were curled under they were so long and he had a slight sneeze so I took him thinking quick vet trip then he will be better wrong . I now have been to two vets one board certified and almost 4/5 mths later I’m a little over $1,000 and he still isn’t better I have to give him injections daily so he hates me now he’s been on orbax , durapen, and some other injection that is like $10 a shot . I’d say try a go fund me page for your bun but mine hasn’t yielded any help at all for my bun so he and I are on are own . Best wishes to you and your bun stuff happens and if the pet companies making the meds wouldn’t squeeze the vets in cost then in turn they wouldn’t have to squeeze the owners in vet cost and all that does is hurt a lot of pets cause people can’t afford them , at least your not the person to go and just dump your pet out somewhere I’ve seen a lot of stuff .Good luck

I’m going for paying the vet costs alone and I truly hope it will help him even though he will be completely deaf. He only hear from one ear but he have perked up being on a higher dosage metacam. So it’s helping him to be more active and back to normal.

At least I think it’s worth trying every posibility to help my boy when there exist a solution to make him better. He will be my last lop rabbit because I want to avoid all the vet costs I’ve had to go through with him. Except if I suddenly get an abounded or aggressive bunny drop on me who need a home.

Vet cost can be truly expensive if you are unlucky while others won’t even need to spend as much money on their bunnies for them to become old but it’s all down to genetics. My boy don’t have the best genetics. At least I know now there a vet I can afford and not needing to rehome him. It will just mean that I plan ahead and make sure everything go together.

 

[JBun]

That's great news! I'm really glad you were able to find a more affordable vet. Just curious if your current vet explored the possibility of the inflammation being caused by allergies and tried trialing an allergy med like Piriton or diphenhydramine to see if it helped reduce the inflammation? I know I will get some inner ear inflammation in reaction to some food and chemical sensitivities that I have.

 

[Hermelin]

@JBun my vet didn’t explore if it was cause by allergies. They just went after what they could see on the ct scans and when they first flushed his ears.

 

[JBun]

Might be worth asking your vet about, and doing a trial of Piriton(chlorphenamine) to see if it makes any difference. If it is allergies causing the inflammation, a surgery won't completely clear up the problem.

 

[Hermelin]

@JBun Thanks for the tips and I’ll have a talk with my vet.

 

[Hermelin]

Today Toste and Fenris have been outdoors enjoying the nice weather. It was the first time Fenris had a harness and leash. She didn’t like having the leash following her but she got used to it.

 

[Hermelin]

Odin have been put on a hay diet because his stomach have not been good but it’s slowly improving. He have been eating a little too much greens.

Embla haven’t gone out because she don’t own a harness but I’m planning to get one for her. So she can also explore outdoors which she enjoys. Pictures of Embla will come later, I haven’t taken any new of her. I will also check out an air cleaner which I might be able to buy for my planned bunny room

 

[Hermelin]

Rebonding have finally started and we are occupying my partners bathroom. The litter boxes are Fenris & Toste and I cleaned them good but nothing have their smells in the area. I didn’t have a clean blanket, so I got the one Fenris & Toste use as to make one area of the bathroom none slippery.

They have smelled each other and later went to their own litter boxes to eat. So far it’s going good and I truly hope it will keep on going that way. So that they will be bonded at the end of the week.

I know you should start in a neutral area 100% but I think Toste & Fenris have nothing to do with them.