Need Honest Opinion Quickly Please

[MsBinky]

Ok, first of all I don't know where to put this post

I just got an urgent e-mail from a friend working at the SPCA and they are completely overrun. If I had ever considered breeding, that thought is completely gone now :?Anyway, they have 53 rabbits with more coming in. 30 are at the SPCA, the others are in foster care.They have a bun that needs lots of treatments for ear mites. I'd take him in but I'm terrified of my gang catching them :?

The other situation that was mentionned to me was a pregnant doe. Well, now I agree that I am definitely not the most knowledgeable person in the bunny world but unfortunately, I'm one of the only available places right now where this bunny can go. All the other foster homes have been filled.

Now I need an honest opinion from you guys... Would I be a good candidate for this? I would alter the cage and put Ashton over Dahlia and I would use my large cage I had put Wiggles in for the doe and she would be alone in my bedroom as to not be stressed.

MrBinky isn't here so I can make the space.

So, what should I do? All these bunnies are in danger and I just can't bear the thought of her being at risk of being pts. :?

 

[undergunfire]

I would say....take her in, but when she has the babies...will you be fostering them too? They will need more cage space as they grown, then another cage once they need to be separated.

If the doe has birthing complications, will the SPCA be paying for all vet bills, even if they are "through-the-roof"?



I made a choice to take in a rescue rat and her 4 babies. I'll never regret it, as I saved them from death. It is just a happy feeling knowing you made a difference in such a little life.


I am all for taking in the pregant mommy. You will be saving MORE than just one life.

 

[MsBinky]

I already mentionned the cage issue about them growing. I told them I won't have the space to keep them beyond the weaning period. I'm basically hope they find someone with lots of space to do this :?

Good point about the vet bills... I don't think they do :?


Ps: I love the pic in your avatar Amy :biggrin2:

 

[XxMontanaxX]

I honestly think you should do this. It sounds that you are this bunny's best chance from not being put to sleep. I think you could provide her a good place to have her babies, and you have all of the people here to support you if you need any help or information. Since you have the space, why not?

 

[okiron]

If you can afford it, go for it

 

[MsBinky]

I have no experience with a doe actually giving birth :?Lol. I kinda hope someone else could take this on. I will be working and I will be stressed knowing she is home alone :?Lol. I hate these situations :grumpy:Let me get my hands on these people that dump bunnies like this :grumpy:

 

[undergunfire]

MsBinky wrote:

I have no experience with a doe actually giving birth :?

You have all of RO behind you . We will be here to guide you!

 

[TinysMom]

I'm gonna get lots of boos for this...but oh well.

I would NOT take her in - and I would take in the rabbit with ear mites.

First of all, ear mites are very easy to treat and get rid of. Keep the rabbit in another area of your apartment till it is free of them and use good sanitation habits which I'm sure you already know to do (wash your hands before moving on to the other rabbits, etc).

Here is my reasoning for this - besides the fact that ear mites are easy to deal with.

From what I remember - you're alone and you don't have transportation if you need to make an emergency trip to a vet. Let's say the doe goes into labor and has a stuck kit at 3 am...half of the forum is asleep - and while we could try to talk you through....the fact is - the doe may need oxytocin ASAP and maybe some antibiotics, etc. ~ and without the access to a vet right away- her life and the lives of her babies could be at risk.

Also - while many many many MANY times nothing goes wrong with delivery - you have a higher chance of having problems with a pregnant doe over a rabbit with ear mites.

Finally - there is less financial risk to you with a rabbit that has had treatment for ear mites - vs. a pregnant doe and her kits.

You've been through a lot lately and I know that the thought of maybe helping out a pregnant doe, etc. and getting to hold babies would be fun. It is fun! But I just think it would be better for you - since you don't currently have transportation all the time - to take the less risky rabbit - and that is the one with ear mites.

Peg

 

[okiron]

TinysMom wrote:

I'm gonna get lots of boos for this...but oh well.

I would NOT take her in - and I would take in the rabbit with ear mites.

First of all, ear mites are very easy to treat and get rid of. Keep the rabbit in another area of your apartment till it is free of them and use good sanitation habits which I'm sure you already know to do (wash your hands before moving on to the other rabbits, etc).

Here is my reasoning for this - besides the fact that ear mites are easy to deal with.

From what I remember - you're alone and you don't have transportation if you need to make an emergency trip to a vet. Let's say the doe goes into labor and has a stuck kit at 3 am...half of the forum is asleep - and while we could try to talk you through....the fact is - the doe may need oxytocin ASAP and maybe some antibiotics, etc. ~ and without the access to a vet right away- her life and the lives of her babies could be at risk.

Also - while many many many MANY times nothing goes wrong with delivery - you have a higher chance of having problems with a pregnant doe over a rabbit with ear mites.

Finally - there is less financial risk to you with a rabbit that has had treatment for ear mites - vs. a pregnant doe and her kits.

You've been through a lot lately and I know that the thought of maybe helping out a pregnant doe, etc. and getting to hold babies would be fun. It is fun! But I just think it would be better for you - since you don't currently have transportation all the time - to take the less risky rabbit - and that is the one with ear mites.

Peg

Peg you shouldn't get boos for giving a honest and well thought through opinion. You have good points

 

[MsBinky]

Peg, that's what an honest opinion is.

Ok good points.

Ok for the ear mites, that was a valid argument. However, I found out it's a flemish. Poor thing has the worst luck. (Watch me end up with a Flemish in my bathroom if this continues ) No seriously though, I don't have a safe enough space to house a Flemish and I know that fostering a Flemish would be for a looooooong time. I would have taken Fred in a long time ago if I could. Please pray it's not my Fred that has the mites :?

As for transport, if the vet hospital I just found does indeed take emergencies, I am ok as I can go by taxi.

The bills would be covered by the volunteers (not the SPCA) as the SPCA does nothing for the bunnies. You cannot imagine how bad the SPCA reputation is around here. I'd like to know where the money goes :grumpy:

And, this is going to sound terrible, and please understand that it hurts me to say this, but if this poor thing doesn't make it to a foster home and has trouble with the pregnancy, they wouldn't do anything

It's not 100% sure that she is preggy. But she was with 4 month old males which are her babies...

 

[MsBinky]

Bon, there's another bun that's really unwell and needs some extra attention. Yeah, get this, he's been DECLAWED. :nonono:Apparently he also has issues with his ears. He has a bump and they don't know what it is. He needs a vet but they have so many buns that he will be pts instead of being taken to the vet. :tears2:I can't save them all :cry1:

As for the Flemish, they are not letting him go to any family that has animals. Too risky they say.

 

[okiron]

MsBinky wrote:

Bon, there's another bun that's really unwell and needs some extra attention. Yeah, get this, he's been DECLAWED. :nonono:

You can declaw bunnies?!?!?!?! Why would you!??!?!1 What the heck!?!?!?! *brain explodes*

 

[MsBinky]

I would love to find out which :soapboxvet did it! No bunny should be declawed!!!

 

[Flashy]

Bless your heart.

You are right, you can not save them all.

This is how I would look at it. Put your buns first, so don't take in anything that could potentially have a very contagious problem (I'm not talking mites as such, this is just how I would look at it), remember that it will need strict quaratine proceedures, such as different clothing, etc, after each handling.

Think about your stress level and health. From your postsI gather things are not great for you,so try not to take on a high stress, high maintenance case.

If you take one on, learn as much as you can about whatever problems it has (such as for the pregnant doe read the stickies at the top of the rabbitry forum, if it's ear mites research about their life cycle, measures that need to be taken to eradicate them, etc) so that you know as much as you can about their identified problems before you make the decision.

That's a very harsh way to look at it, but if you got iller, or were so stressed you couldn't cope, that wouldn't be good for you, your buns or any bun you fostered. And if anything contagious got to your buns that would be incredibly expensive for you, with potentially tragic circumstances (depending on what the problem was).

You can't save them all, you can only do the best with the resources you have, and that's all anyone can ask. So try to think rationally, not with your heart, and I'm sure you'll make the right outcome for you and them

 

[MsBinky]

You are right about me not taking chances with my buns. I love my buns way too much to risk getting them ill. I think I am more interested in the doe for that reason.

As for my health and stress and all that, that is very true. However, the bunnies are what keep me happy and I prefer focussing on them when times get tough because nothing makes me happier than a bunny kiss, binky, etc.

I will try to find people who can take some in. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone interested in bunnies except my sister but she is allergic I so hate these situations...

 

[naturestee]

Okiron, yes you can declaw rabbits. It's just like declawing a dog or ferret, which some people also do. It's horribly painful, even worse than declawing a cat. My local shelter has gotten declawed rabbits and ferrets before, and they think they know which vet is doing it. We've been warning people away from that vet. The rabbits and ferrets are listed as "special needs" and the adopters are made aware of their potential ongoing foot problems. Fortunately there haven't been too many.

 

[okiron]

naturestee wrote:

Okiron, yes you can declaw rabbits. It's just like declawing a dog or ferret, which some people also do. It's horribly painful, even worse than declawing a cat. My local shelter has gotten declawed rabbits and ferrets before, and they think they know which vet is doing it. We've been warning people away from that vet. The rabbits and ferrets are listed as "special needs" and the adopters are made aware of their potential ongoing foot problems. Fortunately there haven't been too many.

O.O You can declaw dogs??? *brain explodes* I've only heard of declawing cats, and only for the silly reason of not wanting scratched furniture. I see no point declawing anything. Don't want scratched furniture? Then either train your animal or don't get one.