To Neuter or To Not Neuter??

[Mariam+Theo]

Are you sure? No other practices near me are registering new customers or their pets but this practice is and they told me that they will register my bunny when I have him. All I have to do is call and they’ll let me know if it’s safe to come into store to chat to the staff downstairs about food. She said that as long as I don’t take my bunny anywhere apart from around the house that they will be ok. Will my bunny be ok when I collect him? I’m getting paranoid now. I plan to vaccinate as soon as spring hits.

I just did some research and it says that the Myxomatosis vaccine should be given at least once a year and that it’s recommended that it be administered in early spring to protect in the summer when the biting flies are around. The lady told me there’s only one vaccine now combined of all vaccinations if that makes sense. This is the info I’ve just found and I’ll also attach an image of the pet care plan I am going with from the vet.

I would wait for the Myxomatosis vaccine in the spring, but go ahead and get the RHD vaccine. I highly suggest looking at the list of vets @Diane R sent and choose the one nearest to you. Those vets are very experienced with rabbits and will know what to do.

 

[Jennyrobson]

If you want your rabbit to live a very miserable 3 years (instead of 10-12 years) and then die because it is malnourished you would feed them this. I would be very scared to see the condition of your rabbits.

First off, the pellet is Alfafa based. Only baby rabbits should have Alfalfa hay. Adult rabbits should have Timothy-based pellets. The pellets are also HUGE! I would be scared of my rabbit choking on them. A high-quality rabbit pellet should have at least 18% fiber and at most 12% protein. That Pets At Home food has 12% protein, but only 17% fiber. The rabbit would get gi-stasis after eating that because rabbits need lots of fiber in their diet in order to keep their digestive tract moving.

Second, that hay is trash. I don't even know how the rabbit could eat that! It is so brown and gross. It isn't even strands of hay anymore, it is just dust. Rabbits should eat super green, fresh, long-stranded, not dusty hay (see picture below of high quality hay).

My friend feeds this hay and I will be getting these pellets (if the vet recommends them)

 

[Jennyrobson]

I would wait for the Myxomatosis vaccine in the spring, but go ahead and get the RHD vaccine. I highly suggest looking at the list of vets @Diane R sent and choose the one nearest to you. Those vets are very experienced with rabbits and will know what to do.

The myxomatosis vaccine and the RHD vaccine here are combined so one injection protects against both...

 

[Mariam+Theo]

My friend feeds this hay and I will be getting these pellets (if the vet recommends them)

Amazing choice of hay and pellets!

The myxomatosis vaccine and the RHD vaccine here are combined so one injection protects against both...

I would actually go ahead and get the combined shot. I just read that it takes three weeks for immunity to build up and the immunity will last for a year, so the rabbit would be fine no matter when you get the shot.
Vets4Pets: "As a general rule, your rabbit can be vaccinated from seven weeks old with the combined Myxomatosis RHD Plus vaccine and immunity takes three weeks to develop."

 

[Jennyrobson]

We have sanctuary buns. All spayed/neutered. Elders, special needs, and house buns. While some sites suggest rabbits needs 2-4 cups of fresh greens & veggies ea/day, our companions get less than that. I just finished conversing with an adopter who's boy has bladder and kidney stones. SubQ treatment is being administered and one stone did flush out successfully. I compliment you for thinking ahead and preparing yourself for 10-12+ years of bun guardianship.

Our crew gets less than two cups of fresh greens/veggies each day and our oldest buns typically live 13 1/2 years. I wish longer, however disabilities, bone cancer, an enlarged liver tumor, general QOL (quality of life due to age) etc. have required a gentle PTS decison based on each companion's medical ailment. The youngsters born in our home rec'd Oxbow Essentials (alfalfa-base) for young rabbits.

I applaud Blue Eyes for giving links to her excellent website and mentioning why rescues & shelters get overloaded with unwanted buns or oops pregnancies when humans are clueless about puberty onset.
- I commend you for helping out a friend who took in an abandoned rabbit when she was pregnant. At one time we had 3 captured buns (off the street) and 16 new babies to get altered/find forever homes for. Someone dumped those 3 adults also, and the females weren't spayed. In shelter and rescue chapters, this happens more than you want to think about!!

I hope your friend will screen carefully so all babes find forever-homes, and hopefully get altered to prevent any further pregnancies.

Greens, pellets, hay: All our buns have rec'd Oxbow pellets throughout their lifetime. Getting the fruit-loop junk food stuff is not beneficial to longevity. I hope you can find reasonable hay bales or hay companies based on your postal code. A variety and selection of hay is helpful especially when you have a sick bun who's acting off, and fiber intake is important for keeping their incisors trim and optimal GI function.

Happy to learn you already are contacting Rabbit-savvy DVMs in your area!

I am hoping that’s petsathome will be good for us as I will definitely get the food from there, I want the best for the rabbit and I will do everything to ensure they are in good health. My friend has had checks done on all people interested in the babies and she’s still screening now. She will be viewing all hutches etc and making sure that they are adequate. She is also providing a contact upon the babies going to their new homes that states, once of the appropriate age, the rabbits will be spayed/neutered. She has also said that should they ever be unable to care for the rabbit for whatever reason that they are to return the rabbit to her. We both want the best for the little buns.

 

[KingBunny]

If you want your rabbit to live a very miserable 3 years (instead of 10-12 years) and then die because it is malnourished you would feed them this. I would be very scared to see the condition of your rabbits.

First off, the pellet is Alfafa based. Only baby rabbits should have Alfalfa hay. Adult rabbits should have Timothy-based pellets. The pellets are also HUGE! I would be scared of my rabbit choking on them. A high-quality rabbit pellet should have at least 18% fiber and at most 12% protein. That Pets At Home food has 12% protein, but only 17% fiber. The rabbit would get gi-stasis after eating that because rabbits need lots of fiber in their diet in order to keep their digestive tract moving.

Second, that hay is trash. I don't even know how the rabbit could eat that! It is so brown and gross. It isn't even strands of hay anymore, it is just dust. Rabbits should eat super green, fresh, long-stranded, not dusty hay (see picture below of high quality hay).

Listen ok. I didn't say I feed my rabbits that stuff and I definitely do not. The reason I showed that feed is that it sounded like the thread starter shopped at petsathome therefore meaning she would need to buy some feed.
I agree it is not the best but it's also definitely not the worst and any rabbit fed on that stuff would live a very happy life.

This forum definitely seems a bit hostile. Very strange atmosphere.

 

[Blue eyes]

Just wanted to clarify something concerning greens/veggies. If you are getting a young rabbit, find out what the rabbit has been eating. If he has not been fed greens, then do not offer any greens for several weeks -- regardless of whether you are told otherwise. Unless you know for sure that nursing momma was being fed greens and the babies were given greens, then you'll need to wait until bunny is at least 12 weeks of age to introduce greens.

If momma was being fed greens, then the babies will have the enzymes needed to break down those greens. If not, then eating greens can literally kill them. Once they are older, then their tummies can adjust when those greens are slowly introduced.

 

[Jennyrobson]

Amazing choice of hay and pellets!

I would actually go ahead and get the combined shot. I just read that it takes three weeks for immunity to build up and the immunity will last for a year, so the rabbit would be fine no matter when you get the shot.
Vets4Pets: "As a general rule, your rabbit can be vaccinated from seven weeks old with the combined Myxomatosis RHD Plus vaccine and immunity takes three weeks to develop."

Thanks so much for the approval!

vets4pets is the vet I contacted this morning so I am glad that they gave me the right advice. I’ve calmed down a little now... the rspca website said that kale, cabbage, broccoli, parsley and mint will be good for them daily... is this true? I don’t think that I will feed them fruit but I will obviously feed the same hay, those pellets and then those greens if appropriate. I am going to try and look for the adult version of the pellets

 

[Jennyrobson]

Listen ok. I didn't say I feed my rabbits that stuff and I definitely do not. The reason I showed that feed is that it sounded like the thread starter shopped at petsathome therefore meaning she would need to buy some feed.
I agree it is not the best but it's also definitely not the worst and any rabbit fed on that stuff would live a very happy life.

This forum definitely seems a bit hostile. Very strange atmosphere.

I’ve shopped there for dog food in the past or for fish food... nothing to do with rabbits... Petsathome is just easier for me due to the vets4pets being integrated into petsathome... I don’t want any feed recommended to me that would harm my bunny in any slight way at all. I want the best of the best. Not the one that’s “not the worst” but “not the best”. I don’t think that anybody is being hostile, I think that people just love their rabbits. Please don’t recommend things that aren’t very good for my rabbit. Thanks.

 

[KingBunny]

I’ve shopped there for dog food in the past or for fish food... nothing to do with rabbits... Petsathome is just easier for me due to the vets4pets being integrated into petsathome... I don’t want any feed recommended to me that would harm my bunny in any slight way at all. I want the best of the best. Not the one that’s “not the worst” but “not the best”. I don’t think that anybody is being hostile, I think that people just love their rabbits. Please don’t recommend things that aren’t very good for my rabbit. Thanks.

Ok im sorry.
We all have different views on the subject.
It really depends what you want out of your rabbits.
The rabbits on my profile were fed petsathome feed and I personally think they are show quality.
Totally up to you though.

 

[Jennyrobson]

Just wanted to clarify something concerning greens/veggies. If you are getting a young rabbit, find out what the rabbit has been eating. If he has not been fed greens, then do not offer any greens for several weeks -- regardless of whether you are told otherwise. Unless you know for sure that nursing momma was being fed greens and the babies were given greens, then you'll need to wait until bunny is at least 12 weeks of age to introduce greens.

If momma was being fed greens, then the babies will have the enzymes needed to break down those greens. If not, then eating greens can literally kill them. Once they are older, then their tummies can adjust when those greens are slowly introduced.

My friend said that she is doing the basics with the rabbits so it’s easier for people when they have them. So she will be feeding hay and pellets to them but no greens as far as I am aware. Should I still ask if the mother ate greens whilst pregnant? I’d be happy to wait 12 weeks regardless as I just want them to be safe

 

[Jennyrobson]

Ok im sorry.
We all have different views on the subject.
It really depends what you want out of your rabbits.
The rabbits on my profile were fed petsathome feed and I personally think they are show quality.
Totally up to you though.

I don’t “want anything” out of my rabbits other than a loving, happy and healthy pet. If it’s not something that you would feed your rabbits, how could you recommend that someone feed it to their 8 week old bunny? Something doesn’t seem right there to me.

 

[Blue eyes]

The following chart is a great resource for comparing different pellet feeds. Note that there are two charts -- one for juvenile rabbit feed and one for adult rabbits.

Rabbit Food Comparision - Brand, Type, Nutritional Analysis

The Pets at Home brand for juveniles is actually pretty good, but the adult version is not.

As for the greens, momma rabbit would have to have been fed greens not only when pregnant but also while nursing and then those greens available to the babies as they started to nibble on food. If this is not the case, then definitely hold off on greens until 12 weeks of age.

When it comes time to introduce them, it should be done safely. The following page on my website explains how to do this:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/greens--veggies.html

 

[KingBunny]

I don’t “want anything” out of my rabbits other than a loving, happy and healthy pet. If it’s not something that you would feed your rabbits, how could you recommend that someone feed it to their 8 week old bunny? Something doesn’t seem right there to me.

Sorry I'm not looking for an argument

 

[Jennyrobson]

The following chart is a great resource for comparing different pellet feeds. Note that there are two charts -- one for juvenile rabbit feed and one for adult rabbits.

Rabbit Food Comparision - Brand, Type, Nutritional Analysis

The Pets at Home brand for juveniles is actually pretty good, but the adult version is not.

As for the greens, momma rabbit would have to have been fed greens not only when pregnant but also while nursing and then those greens available to the babies as they started to nibble on food. If this is not the case, then definitely hold off on greens until 12 weeks of age.

When it comes time to introduce them, it should be done safely. The following page on my website explains how to do this:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/greens--veggies.html

Thanks for that info, definitely enlightening. From personal experience, if I was to feed the bunny greens from 12 weeks, what greens do you suggest I start with? Are some easier on babies or...? Sorry I’m just new to the whole diet thing with babies. Also, what Burgess Excel pellets do you recommend for adults? What age do I transfer them to the adult food?

 

[Jennyrobson]

Thanks for that info, definitely enlightening. From personal experience, if I was to feed the bunny greens from 12 weeks, what greens do you suggest I start with? Are some easier on babies or...? Sorry I’m just new to the whole diet thing with babies. Also, what Burgess Excel pellets do you recommend for adults? What age do I transfer them to the adult food?

Does this adult food look good?
Nutritional info is attached

 

[Blue eyes]

When introducing greens, anything on the "daily" list (at the link) is fine. Just be sure to follow the recommendations on that link for how to introduce -- small amount to start and only one type.

Rabbits are considered adults at 6-7 months of age, so that is the time to begin transitioning their pellets. You'll be mixing the juvenile pellets with the adult pellets when the time comes to switch them over.

Check the chart for options. The ones with green highlights are the better options. Just see what's available in your area and then check it on the chart.

 

[Blue eyes]

Does this adult food look good?
Nutritional info is attached

The protein level is rather low for a young rabbit (though fine for an adult rabbit). Young rabbits need more protein since they are growing. 16% is recommended but those pellets have 12.6%. The rest of the analysis looks good though. If alfalfa hay is mixed in with her timothy hay, then that would up the protein.

If you want the "best," find a food, that is green all the way across the chart.
http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp?diet=young&sortby=FoodBrand#chart
CORRECTION: I just saw on the ingredients list that you attached, that it differs from what the chart has. The chart may not be fully updated, or Burgess may have changed their formula. The ingredients you showed has wheat listed before grass. The grasses should ideally be listed first (meaning there is more of that because ingredients are listed in order of most to least ingredients). So that would be a 'negative.'

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I haven’t read the thread all the way, just mostly. I feed my rabbit Science Selective Grain Free, but Burgess Excel is also a good brand. I personally buy my hay in bulk from haybox.club - as it’s a lot cheaper than buying it in bags and more sustainable as well, also better quality than the pets at home hay. But the burgess excel and science selective hays are good too. Just make sure that it’s green

 

[Jennyrobson]

The protein level is rather low for a young rabbit (though fine for an adult rabbit). Young rabbits need more protein since they are growing. 16% is recommended but those pellets have 12.6%. The rest of the analysis looks good though. If alfalfa hay is mixed in with her timothy hay, then that would up the protein.

If you want the "best," find a food, that is green all the way across the chart.
http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp?diet=young&sortby=FoodBrand#chart
CORRECTION: I just saw on the ingredients list that you attached, that it differs from what the chart has. The chart may not be fully updated, or Burgess may have changed their formula. The ingredients you showed has wheat listed before grass. The grasses should ideally be listed first (meaning there is more of that because ingredients are listed in order of most to least ingredients). So that would be a 'negative.'

This is the hay that my friend uses and is the pellets I plan to use for a young rabbit, along with the nutritional information for the pellets.
I will try to find an adult food that has grass first.