Traveling

[asiamkl]

I had posted a thread I think a day or two ago, about my bunny having maybe a little spell of stasis? I think i’ve got that covered, but I’m going to be traveling with her on Friday. She’s never traveled, and it’s only for about three hours. As of right now, I don’t have a carrier, but should I get one or can I use something else? Will traveling affect her if she is still a little sick?? I’m visiting family and while i’m there, we are taking her to a vet that takes rabbits, because nobody in my area sees them, she’s going to be getting spayed as well as some other things, first time at the vet! I’ll be there for about 10 days, and my family is already setting up my room so that my bun, Mia, will have a space with a pen and such. She’s most likely not able to free roam there, or at least not everyday. As it’s a new environment, what should I expect behavior wise? I cannot say that she will have many familiar things there to help her adjust for 10 days, but of course i’ll be bringing her toys. I’m expecting this to be a little hard, so any advice is appreciated.

Now, the big question that i’ve been meaning to ask Any person who’s got more knowledge than me. Harnesses. It’s my grandmothers house that i’m going to, and she’s the one who’s contacted multiple vets there to make this vet trip happen, and she wants to try a harness on Mia to bring her outside. I have read about harnesses, and how a lot of people are against them, and then I’ve read about how some people have no problems. Mia is not used to being handled, and so I know she will probably not enjoy a harness. She’s not trained, but I agree that she needs some sun one way or another. Harnessing seems like something you would only try if your rabbit is brave, trained, and used to being handled. Is it okay if I at least tried the harness? Of course i’m not going to force it on her. I will be there for 10 days, so is this is something that I can work towards everyday? This is probably unlikely to happen, but if she does not care that the harness is there, would it be safe to take her out? The grass has no pesticides or anything. I’m a first time rabbit owner and have only had her for maybe 4-5 months, constructive criticism is appreciated, advice, knowledge, links for traveling and harnesses? If this isn’t okay, please tell.

Last thing, there will also be a dog in the house. She’s a little chihuahua, pretty protective of her house, but I don’t think she will be a problem. I was thinking about letting them see each other through the pen, and see how it goes. Is this a good idea? They wont have any way to harm each other, and I know what body language to look for if either of them get uncomfortable. Or, should I let Mia adjust for a few days, before trying, or not try at all?

 

[Ruth]

I made my bunnies a harness! It worked out great until my sister's new cat decided that my bunny looked like a tasty treat. That was the last time I did that, because the harness scared him further when the harness pulled him he thought he got caught by the cat and screamed. It got tangled all around me and all in the bushes. Basically it was a mess. So as long as there isn't something outright chasing them, I think harnesses work great. If my sister didn't have that cat, I would still take my boy out on his harness.

As for car rides well it really depends on the bunny. I use a cat carrier. If you're not driving you might be able to hold them but have some kind of box (cardboard can work if you make it so they can breath and see through the sides) to put her in when you are tired or she needs to eat and go to the bathroom. I had a boy who was terrified of the car and another girl who fell asleep in our laps while we rubbed her, so it just depends.

 

[asiamkl]

I made my bunnies a harness! It worked out great until my sister's new cat decided that my bunny looked like a tasty treat. That was the last time I did that, because the harness scared him further when the harness pulled him he thought he got caught by the cat and screamed. It got tangled all around me and all in the bushes. Basically it was a mess. So as long as there isn't something outright chasing them, I think harnesses work great. If my sister didn't have that cat, I would still take my boy out on his harness.

As for car rides well it really depends on the bunny. I use a cat carrier. If you're not driving you might be able to hold them but have some kind of box (cardboard can work if you make it so they can breath and see through the sides) to put her in when you are tired or she needs to eat and go to the bathroom. I had a boy who was terrified of the car and another girl who fell asleep in our laps while we rubbed her, so it just depends.

Thank you! I guess we will try the harness out, little steps at a time. As for the carrier, since we don’t have one and most likely don’t have money to buy one unless we find a used one, we do have a plastic tub. It’s what my mom brought her in when she brought her home, so hopefully that might work? It’s spacious, and she will be able to move and eat and such, plus it’s only for three hours so nothing too long. I appreciate the reply!

 

[JBun]

Car rides can definitely affect a rabbit with being stressed and so not eating well. Some rabbits will settle down after the initial nervousness of being in the car, some will be stressed the whole time. So it's good to feed your rabbit her usual veggies before you start so she's fed and hydrated in case she's too stressed to eat during the drive. Pellets too, but only if your rabbit drinks too before leaving, or gets enough fluids from the veggies. You just don't want to have your rabbit eat a bunch of dry food right before leaving, then be too stressed to drink anything during the trip, and so have a bunch of dry unhydrated food sitting in her digestive tract. So good hydration is essential before starting.

During trips, I offer lots of my rabbits usual greens and veg to help keep them hydrated and eating. And always good fresh grass hay available. Water is more difficult because it tends to slosh around with every stop and turn, and the bowl ends up mostly empty and spilled everywhere. That's why the veggies are helpful.

3 hours is short enough that you won't need to worry too much about the eating during the trip. But you'll need to make absolutely sure, that your rabbit settles in after the trip and starts eating well within a few hours, or you might need to intervene with encouraging or assisting feeding and hydrating.

One very important thing while traveling is ensuring the proper environmental temperature, particularly if it's warm when you're driving. Rabbits can overheat very easily, so keep temps in the 70's f, with AC and/or other cooling methods, and make sure where you have your bun is shaded and out of direct sunlight.

A small hard sided carrier is best, but if not an option, a bin or box with good ventilation could work. Though placed on the floor is probably safer than up on the seat in case of sharp stops or turns.

https://rabbit.org/care/traveling-with-a-rabbit-your-complete-guide/

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Traveling_with_a_rabbit

A portable pen would be better than a harness for outdoors. A rabbit that isn't used to a harness could freak out and risk serious injury. Even a rabbit used to one, this can still be a risk. I'd recommend the pen. If you don't have one, you could use something like pieces of cardboard taped together to make a pen. But keep in mind that a rabbit not used to being outdoors is likely not going to enjoy it but only be stressed the whole time. Add this on top of the stress of being in a new place. To much stress for too long, can cause serious health issues to develop. So if your rabbit is easily stressed, your focus needs to be providing as calm a situation as possible, and minimize or avoid things that overly stress your bun.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Walking_a_rabbit

Plus, if your rabbit isn't vaccinated for RHDV, just know taking a rabbit outdoors will carry a slight risk. You would need to check to make sure the area hasn't had any cases of RHDV in the past year. If there have been any, I would strongly recommend not taking your rabbit outside and taking the proper precautions to keep your rabbit safe if any cases have been reported nearby in the past year.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit_hemorrhagic_disease

If your rabbit doesn't settle and seem completely calm and happy soon after arriving, my recommendation would be not to add additional stress by going outside. Instead it would be better to just sit with your rabbit inside, and let your rabbit hop and explore indoors.

Making sure your rabbit settles in and is eating and drinking really well every day, is absolutely essential. If your rabbit stops eating and develops GI stasis, the surgery won't be able to happen, and instead you'll be going to the vet for GI stasis treatment.

So keeping a low stress environment and monitoring eating and drinking closely. If your rabbit is easily stressed by people, you're going to have to make sure she's given the space she needs to feel safe and comfortable. Limit the contact people have with her if you need to. Especially the first few days as you make sure she settles in ok and is eating and drinking well. Then if she's doing fine and is ok with people interacting with her, let people be around her, but make sure she isn't getting overwhelmed by too much attention.

If she isn't used to dogs, I'd keep the dog away, at least for the first several days until she's completely settled in. And be very very careful about proper safety measures. Dogs are predators and can very easily harm or kill a rabbit. Even a small dog. If the dog isn't an extremely well behaved calm dog, it wouldn't be worth the risk of any sort of introduction to me, especially since this is just a short term stay and the dog isn't going to be a regular part of your rabbits life.

So these would be my recommendations.

Here is some pre and post surgery info for rabbits, if I didn't already share the links.

https://rabbit.org/health/pre-surgical-care-for-rabbits/

https://rabbit.org/health/post-surgical-aftercare-for-rabbits/

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits