sick bunny

[kayleearianna]

I just came back from a near week long trip and i came to see my two bunnies and at first they seemed fine. I was carrying one of them around like i usually do and he started to seem upset. my grandma was talking care of them and would let them run around at seperate times since they are both boys and neither are fixed. One of them was already acting weird when i came home but I thought i was just over thinking so I put one in the pen and let the other one run on my bed. Usually just one of them would hump on the other but now they both do it and they start fighting, which doesn’t happen often. I picked up one of them and his genitals were slightly bleeding. I carried him to my bed and he bit me quite hard, and he never bites me. They are having diarrhoea and it’s quite big, and gross. It sounded like one of
them was trying to vomit, but it could have just been him coughing. My grandma said she was just giving them hay, their food, water and kale leaves. She got them a different kind of food but i don’t see why that would do this, because I usually give them a mix of foods. I don’t know if they are just mad at me for leaving or if they are sick. Mars, who I honestly spent more time with seems far more upset than Jupiter, who seemed pretty excited to see me. I just want to know if i should see a vet, or just wait it off.

 

[John Wick]

If there is diarrhea and coughing, you should absolutely go to a rabbit-experienced vet as soon as possible. Also because there is genital bleeding, which can be infected if not treated properly.

How old are your rabbits? It sounds like they are being hormonal and this is causing tension, which is understandable in two not-neutered male rabbits. If you had them when they were babies, know that baby rabbits often get along better, but as they become older, it is harder to rabbits to cohabit peacefully without them being fixed and going through a bonding process. You can read about the "false" bond here: Bonding Bunnies

 

[kayleearianna]

If there is diarrhea and coughing, you should absolutely go to a rabbit-experienced vet as soon as possible. Also because there is genital bleeding, which can be infected if not treated properly.

How old are your rabbits? It sounds like they are being hormonal and this is causing tension, which is understandable in two not-neutered male rabbits. If you had them when they were babies, know that baby rabbits often get along better, but as they become older, it is harder to rabbits to cohabit peacefully without them being fixed and going through a bonding process. You can read about the "false" bond here: Bonding Bunnies

I got them together in December. They were born October 2020, we are trying to get them fixed but we can’t find any vets that neuter rabbits near us. I keep them separate at all times but when I came back they have been more eager to get to eachother than ever, such as following eachother around and not looking away. I’m going to look for a vet to try and see if there is something seriously wrong, and then work on getting them neutered. These are my first rabbits and I’m still working on knowing what is right for them.
Could you also tell me/link ways to treat or stop the bleeding until we can get him to a vet? It looks raw almost, like the skin has been tore off. He is lifting his tail and behind as he walks and I would like to know if there is any other way of treating it. Thank you.

 

[John Wick]

It does sound like it is dangerous to allow them to be together. Wanting to "get to each other" can very much be for attacking, rather than pleasant intentions. I recommend keeping them separated until they are neutered.

I do not have experience with treating wounds unfortunately, but I have read rinsing with saline can help clean a wound, and smaller wounds can be soothed with plain neosporin cream (not the type with the painkiller included). That being said, there may be specific precautions since this is in the genital area. It does sound like it's a big wound, based on your description, so I'm sorry I cannot be of more help.

I'd make sure his environment is clean to reduce the likelihood of infection. Perhaps also restrict his space to only flat terrain so his jumping does not further irritate the injury.

When contacting a rabbit-vet (needs to be an exotic, rabbit vet; not a traditional dog/cat vet), I would categorize this as an emergency. Many vet places have emergency slots reserved or try to squeeze emergency cases in.

 

[JBun]

You just need to find a rabbit vet to get them to immediately. Diarrhea, what appears to look like vomiting/coughing, bleeding genitals, and if either has stopped eating as well, are all an emergency. They both need to be seen by an experienced rabbit vet right away.

https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
And DO NOT let them be together anymore. Two unfixed male rabbits can cause serious injuries to one another and should not EVER be put together. They can even kill each other. It is not safe to let them be together any more, so please, make sure to keep them completely separate at all times, and get them both seen by a vet.