# Bailey (A 2nd chance at life) - 2009



## sharper (Feb 17, 2009)

[align=center]:brownbunny:*Hailey & Bailey*:brownbunny:[/align]
Hailey & Bailey were part of a SPCA 185-animal seizure from an awful breeding facility in a rural area just outside of Dallas, TX. There were so many different species there just meant to breed for sale at flea markets.

news articles:
http://www.spca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rescue_vanzandt0109#custody
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/012709dnmetanimals.46c695e.html 

Here they are in their rusty bottom cage outside at the time of rescue.






I saw the story on the news and the images broke my heart. After a couple weeks with the SPCA, they were spayed and I came to see them. These 2 little Rex girls were bonded. I was only wanting to save one, but my boyfriend talked me into going ahead and getting both of them. I really couldn't stand to split them up anyway.

So even this blog is about these girls, it's also about my new experiences of being bunny mom. I had little experience with rabbits in the past and here I have two! I did tons of research, but nothing compares to the hands on experience. Their behaviors and the communication has just baffled me in the week and a half of having them here.

Their 1st day in the play area (baby gated kitchen):




Bailey - still skittish on this day 





But then she found some hay, so everything was cool





Hailey started out being the sweet, calm and affectionate one. But when I saw that she had ear mites, I tried to give her some ivermectin and some ear drops, and she put up a struggle. She then was upset for the next 2 days with me and here she is sulking in the litter box.


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## sharper (Feb 17, 2009)

A few days later, the girls started getting pretty used to us. Their personalities started to come out. And they started being completely different than when I first brought them home. It was complete role reversal when Hailey became the skittish one and Bailey became the affectionate one.

I worked closely with them every evening when I got home from work. I would set up the kitchen for play time every day. I would have to carry the big cage into the play area, open the door and let Hailey come out on her own. Because she started to refuse me putting her hands under her to pick her up. The good thing about Hailey? She picked up litter box training easily! She just started using it with no problems, in the cage and in the play area.

Bailey became addicted to ear and head rubs. When I sat down on the floor, she would immediately come to me and demand head rubs. She still hasn't got down the litter box thing down yet. She uses it sometimes, but it's a little everywhere. Both had come to "binky" a couple of times and I was so excited. I can't believe how far they have come from just being at a horrible breeding facility not so long ago.

Every now and then when we were watching TV in the living room, we would let the rabbits chill with us.





Hailey's ears are getting so much better! Yay!





Hailey's better side lol

While Hailey was sitting beside me on the couch, Bailey was chilling in her daddy's lap while he watched tv













And then they snuggled together on the couch:


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## Ninchen (Feb 17, 2009)

They are soooo beautiful!!!

They are really lucky to get a real home!


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## Bo B Bunny (Feb 17, 2009)

The quickest way to a mini-rex heart is through the tummy! LOL! Give them hay and they are like "COOL! Let's be friends!"
Those girls are just lovely. I'm so happy for you and for them!


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## lilbitsmom (Feb 17, 2009)

They are absolutely beautiful! It is so hard to gain the trust of a rabbit, especially one that has come from deplorable conditions. It looks like you guys are doing a wonderful job, especially if they are coming to you for rubs!

I have a rex that looks like your Bailey. She is my heart bunny! She will lick your face if you scratch "the spot" on her bottom. It is the funniest thing! She loves to have her butt scratched. ahahahahah

Have fun with your girls! They are beautiful!


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## missyscove (Feb 17, 2009)

I agree, they're beautiful. Rex fur always looks so soft!


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## sharper (Feb 17, 2009)

Bo B Bunny wrote:


> The quickest way to a mini-rex heart is through the tummy! LOL! Give them hay and they are like "COOL! Let's be friends!"
> Those girls are just lovely. I'm so happy for you and for them!



lol! I think this is the first thing I've figured out. They love food! When I get up in the morning, they are at the corner of the cage closest to me waiting for breakfast. When I grab their bowl and head to the kitchen to fix breakfast, I look over and they are pacing back and forth like dogs. lol

I open the door and they are grabbing veggies before I can set the bowl down lol I feel like I must be starving them! lol


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## sharper (Feb 17, 2009)

[align=center]*Bailey's Bad Day*[/align]

My boyfriend had the day off today, so he put the girls in the play area (baby gated kitchen). The past 3-4 days have been the same, Bailey had been humping Hailey to show some dominance. It never got violent. Hailey would let it happen for a little bit, and then turn around and nip at Bailey. Bailey would try again in a few minutes. After awhile, they always end up laying together in a snuggle pile. 

I was told to let it continue and let them work it out and eventually it will minimize. As long as it wasn't getting violent, it wasn't a big deal.

Today was different. I came home for lunch and sat in the livingroom while the rabbits did their thing in the kitchen. I heard them play with a few cardboard toys I had for them and I could hear some hops every now and then. I would check on them every now and then and Bailey was doing her usual humping. No big deal, just another day.

I sat back down in the living room and heard the soundest highest pitch squeal. I honestly didn't think it came from a rabbit, until I walked in to check on them. Hailey still had a huge ball of fur stuck to her chin. I walked over to check on it and it looked worse than I thought. It had a piece of skin on it. So I immediately ran to Bailey who was turned around looking at her butt.

I couldn't find anything at first, then I checked her anus/vagina area and there was a little bit of blood. OMG, I always joked that if Bailey was to hump Hailey's head one more time, she could rip off her vagina. I really didn't think that would happen!

I dab a paper towel on it and try to figure out what I'm looking at. Remember, I'm a new rabbit owner and I have no idea what all is going on down there. There is a little bit of blood, but it's not gushing. She squirms when you touch it, but when you put her down, she didn't seem like it was a big deal.

I had to get back to work, so I put her back in the cage with my boyfriend to keep an eye on her. Hailey stayed in the play area by herself.

During my day, i check in. My boyfriend said she was acting fine and everything was great. I get home, pick her up and check on her. OMG, it swelled up and the wound is still open. It wasn't bleeding, but it was still wet and raw. She got down and walked around like normal, ate hay, demanding head rubs and was pooping just fine. Her poops even came out normal. I kept wondering if I was just overreacting since she isn't showing signs of pain. 

We took some pics of it for a rabbit forum for advice. I don't want to post the photos here in their blog.  But let me just say they are gross. 

Now here I am, new paranoid mom in a panic, wondering if I need to take my girl to the vet to stitch up her vagina. We are still waiting to see if she pees.

I dunno what to do from here but I think a vet visit in the morning will be happening.


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## Malexis (Feb 18, 2009)

Im so sorry this happened  Hopefully you can get them to the vet and everything will be okay, keep us updated!


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## sharper (Feb 18, 2009)

-UPDATE- 

Well the vet that was really close by, just happens to be there every single day of the week, but Wednesdays. My luck. The emergency clinic that was a little further away usually does see rabbits, but when I called they currently had no one on staff for rabbits at that time. Great. The next closest place was about 40 mins away, and in morning traffic wasn't awesome. And the vet wasn't getting in until 9, so I ran up to work early this morning, finished whatever had a really hot deadline and then left. We got her there okay. 

You know it's complicated when the vet looks at the wound and says, "Hmmm this is interesting." The assistant wanted to take her temperature and couldn't figure out where to put the thermometer, so I pleaded with her to skip this step, so we did. I really didn't want her in too much pain. The doc pulled the wound open to have a look and told me she really has a badly wounded vagina. It was pretty swollen. But since this is a delicate procedure and the wound was very complicated, he said she probably needed stitches, but he didn't really know where or what to stitch. He didn't want to mess something up since there was vital elements here. But she is peeing, so that's good and nothing needed to be reconstructed or any surgery. Whew! 

He gave her an injection of something for pain. They did an extensive hydrotherapy wash of the wound. And sent me home with pain meds and antibiotics to give her. I'm already at work, and didn't bring the sheet with me, so I couldn't tell you the names of the medications, but Ill update when I get home for lunch later. We have to keep the rabbits separated until she's completely healed, so we needed to figure out the cage issue when we got home. Got it worked out nicely, but I think my 2 rats who were living in a huge mansion were pissed to be put into a smaller cage. lol -musical cages time!-

As I was working with the cage issue, my boyfriend was holding Bailey and she fell asleep in his arms. So I'm pretty sure the pain meds took effect and she was feeling better already. 

Oh and now I have to figure out how to give Bailey meds with a syringe. One of them is honey flavored, so she might not mind. The vet was going to demonstrate how to give her meds and he couldn't even get her mouth open. She was very squirmy and barking at him. So this will be fun!

I also was told to keep some vaseline on it to keep the area moist. He said that swollen tissue tends to dry up and we don't want that.

She's soundly sleeping in a cage by herself with warm blankies while I'm at work. Will update when I see her again.


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## sharper (Feb 18, 2009)

I'm checking on Bailey during my lunch break. She's very calm now with pain meds. She is sleepy and huddled in her "hospital cage." She accepts ear rubs as payment, though.





I see normal looking poops. But she hasn't peed yet - so its been at least 5 hours since last pee. 

sleepy head: 




And I think little blue cars on her blankies really makes a difference. 

Oh and looking at her invoice, 
injection - Buprenex 
oral meds - metacam & bactrim/sulfatrimeth


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## Elf Mommy (Feb 18, 2009)

I've alerted our infirmary mods to come read and contribute, but it sounds like you're doing everything you can for this incredibly adorable bunny! They are beautiful! I'm glad you're here with us.


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## tonyshuman (Feb 18, 2009)

Thanks to ElfMommy for the notice!

Temperature is usually taken with a rectal thermometer, and considering she's pretty unhappy in that area, it's probably best not to do that. You can monitor temperature (large changes in temp can indicate infection or shock) by checking her ears. If they feel very "off," take her in to the vet. I don't know if there's another way to take a rabbit's temperature.

The pain meds they gave you are pretty strong. Buprenex is an opiate narcotic, so it should definitely take care of the pain. Be sure to keep an eye on her fecal output as all opiates can cause GI slowdown, although it's not as bad as other opiod drugs. Also stress and possible pain passing poos can cause GI slowdown. She will act pretty sedated while she's on it.

I'm a bit concerned about giving both metacam and buprenex at the same time--kind of like taking ibuprofen and morphine at the same time. Also, metacam can cause kidney damage and the rabbit needs to be very well hydrated when on it, which may be difficult if she's zonked out all the time from the buprenex. I'm not sure though, so I hope someone else chimes in.

I'm not 100% sure, but the antibiotics might not be necessary and the ones they gave you are definitely not very helpful. Those are sulfa drugs, which haven't been proven to be very effective in rabbits. I know Randy doesn't like them, but I'm not sure you neccessarily need an antibiotic. Granted, the area is one that contains a lot of bacteria and you definitely don't want an abscess there, but rabbits tend to keep that area very clean with all the cecotrope eating and such, so I'm not sure it's needed. The wash was very good. I'm hesitant to recommend washing it again before you get stitches, but if you do decide to, a good antibacterial wash that is safe in deliacate areas is betadine (povidone iodine). We used this when Benjamin got bit on the penis.

For cleaning, checking on it, and giving meds, you may want to bunny-burrito her or attempt to trance her. Lay her on her back if you can, either in your lap or in your arm like a baby, and let her kind of zonk out. Not all bunnies do this, called trancing, but it's a good way to do all sorts of stuff, like nails, scent glands, teeth checks, etc. You could also squirt the medicine into her mouth while she's like this--she'll most likely lick it and swallow it safely. You can also put her right side up on a towel and fold it around her like a baby. This bunny burrito can then be held in your arms like a baby and the meds squirted into her mouth this way.

If the vet reccomended stitches, you will need to get that done soon by a rabbit-savvy vet, or a dog/cat vet that is comfortable doing stitches (since the emergency one wasn't). Obviously a rabbit-savvy vet is best. They should probably use stitches that will dissolve over time, depending on the severity and location of the wound.

I hope you can get to a rabbit vet tomorrow to get all of this sorted out. For now, you may consider a soft e-collar (made from a rolled up tube sock placed around the neck--I'll go looking for an example) to keep her away from that area, a warm rice sock for pain, and syringing her food and water if she's not eating in addition to her meds.

So sorry you have to go through this!! I've never heard of this, although at least 2 bunnies I know have gotten bit on the penis while showing dominance. Good luck!!


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## tonyshuman (Feb 18, 2009)

Soft e-collars:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=39376&forum_id=16&highlight=soft+collar
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=37816&forum_id=16&highlight=soft-e+collar

but only if she's messing with the area 

edit: if there's swelling you could also ice it with an ice pack wrapped in a towell--10 min or so at a time.


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## ra7751 (Feb 18, 2009)

She looks like she is on what I call a "Magic Carpet Ride".....buprenex is a good thing. It is OK to use buprenex and Metacam together. The Metacam will help with the swelling. It's rough on the liver and kidneys so proper hydration is essential. I havesome suggestions. First watch her gut carefully. Buprenex tends to slow the gut down. Keep her hydrated and offer lots of hay. And sulfanomides are very rough on the beneficial bacteria in the gut. There have been some links made to a very serious GI imbalance known as Tyzzer's Disease. I don't particularly care forsulfa drugs. But sulfanomides are also very effective at treating skin infections. Watch very closely for any sign of GI upset and if you start seeing a mucus with a greenish tint....that needs to be addressed by a vet immediately. That usually indicates an overgrowth of a pathenogenic bacteria known as Clostridium....bad stuff. My other suggestion is to add a probiotic to help support the gut. The absolute best product to use is called Bene-Bac. It comes in a paste and a powder. I prefer the powder since it can be sprinkled on pellets and/or greens. An attractive alternative to oral sulfa is Convenia should the gut experience problems. It is a cephalosporin so it's safe only as an injectable. It appears from myexperience with this drug is that it should be injected every 3 days. And you might ask your vet about using something other than Vaseline....and there are several reasons for this. I tend to prefer SSD (Silver Sulfadiazine)cream. It is used for severe burn patients. It is very soothing to the skin and has good antibiotic qualities. I use it a lot. And I am not much on e-collars for rabbits....they tend to be very stressful. Good luck.

Randy


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## aurora369 (Feb 18, 2009)

Hey there,

You should check out this thread:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=31545&forum_id=16

I had the same thing happen to one of my male rabbits just over a year ago.

I saw a wonderful vet who was able to stitch him all up. He had nearly 100 stitches because the wound was so complicated. He was stitched up the next day after the incident. The vets gave him a pain medication injection, and did the surgery first thing in the morning the next day.

He was on pain medications for two weeks, I believe. And he was originally on an oral antibiotic, however on about the third day he decided he hated the taste and after trying to trick him for a few days I had the vet give me injectable antibiotics. The injections where so much easier.

For the first two weeks he was also getting a steriod cream applied to the wound to reduce the swelling. Then after that it was some antibiotic cream and once his collar was off, we used betadine to keep the area clean.

He had to wear a collar, and that was the part that frustrated him the most. He couldn't eat his cecal pellets or get his food very well. I would hand feed him a lot of his food, because he wanted to eat, but the collar would get in his way. Thinking back on it, I should have tried to fashion some sort of soft collar, so that he couldn't lick or bite his genitals, but one that allowed him to eat better.

I encourage you to start a thread in the Infirmary. We have many members that have lots of bunny medical knowledge, but they really only monitor the Infirmary.

--Dawn


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## sharper (Feb 18, 2009)

Oh wow! Thanks everyone for the advice! 
Here are the pics I took of her wound last night. I'm just going to post the links to look at them just incase there are some that would get grossed out:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/Jayson_Gold1980/DSC_0214.jpg?t=1234920630
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/Jayson_Gold1980/DSC_0216.jpg?t=1234920676
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/Jayson_Gold1980/DSC_0215.jpg?t=1234920751

user=7267]tonyshuman[/user] wrote:


> Thanks to ElfMommy for the notice!
> 
> Temperature is usually taken with a rectal thermometer, and considering she's pretty unhappy in that area, it's probably best not to do that.Â  You can monitor temperature (large changes in temp can indicate infection or shock) by checking her ears.Â  If they feel very "off," take her in to the vet.Â  I don't know if there's another way to take a rabbit's temperature.
> 
> ...



Her ears seem to be a normal temp. I'll keep that in mind and test her ears often.

Luckily, she hasn't messed with it much. She has just licked at it a couple of times, but hasn't spent much time on it. Whew!

As far as the injection goes, the vet did tell me to wait till later this evening before giving her the meds. I haven't given them to her yet. So far from the injection, she's been pooping just fine. Some of them have looked smaller than the normal ones, but they appear to be okay. She is eating her pellets, hay and veggies just fine. But I haven't seen any pee spots on the blankets at all today. I'm kind of worried that she's holding it in. But she did pee last night and this morning before the vet visit, I know that for sure at least.

He is a rabbit specialist, but he said it would be best to just try to keep it clean, get the swelling down and see if it will heal okay. Look at the pics to see the wound.

Now I haven't been able to get her in that "trance" at all since we got her. She won't really go on her back very well. Maybe it's because she's not completely comfortable with her new home yet. But I definitely will try the burrito thing. The vet showed me how to do it.

Oh a warm rice sock would do lovely! I think I'll do that.


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## sharper (Feb 18, 2009)

ra7751 wrote:


> She looks like she is on what I call a "Magic Carpet Ride".....buprenex is a good thing.Â  It is OK to use buprenex and Metacam together.Â  The Metacam will help with the swelling.Â  It's rough on the liver and kidneys so proper hydration is essential.Â  I haveÂ some suggestions.Â  First watch her gut carefully.Â  Buprenex tends to slow the gut down.Â  Keep her hydrated and offer lots of hay.Â  And sulfanomides are very rough on the beneficial bacteria in the gut.Â  There have been some links made to a very serious GI imbalance known as Tyzzer's Disease.Â  I don't particularly care forÂ sulfa drugs.Â  But sulfanomides are also very effective at treating skin infections.Â  Watch very closely for any sign of GI upset and if you start seeing a mucus with a greenish tint....that needs to be addressed by a vet immediately.Â  That usually indicates an overgrowth of a pathenogenic bacteria known as Clostridium....bad stuff.Â  My other suggestion is to add a probiotic to help support the gut.Â  The absolute best product to use is called Bene-Bac.Â  It comes in a paste and a powder.Â  I prefer the powder since it can be sprinkled on pellets and/or greens.Â  An attractive alternative to oral sulfa is Convenia should the gut experience problems.Â  It is a cephalosporin so it's safe only as an injectable.Â  It appears from myÂ experience with this drug is that it should be injected every 3 days.Â  And you might ask your vet about using something other than Vaseline....and there are several reasons for this.Â  I tend to prefer SSD (Silver Sulfadiazine)Â cream.Â  It is used for severe burn patients.Â  It is very soothing to the skin and has good antibiotic qualities.Â  I use it a lot.Â  And I am not much on e-collars for rabbits....they tend to be very stressful.Â  Good luck.
> 
> Randy



Thanks! Her poops seem to be coming out normal, but I don't think it's as often as it should be. It's kind of hard to tell what's normal since I've only had these girls for 1.5 weeks! lol 

Oh yeah - thanks for reminding me about the Bene-Bac! He did tell me to get some for her. I completely forgot! 

He also said that if I didn't have any vaseline, I could use something that had "silver" in it, so I guess it was what you mentioned. I'll go check that out.


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## sharper (Feb 18, 2009)

aurora369 wrote:


> Hey there,
> 
> You should check out this thread:
> http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=31545&forum_id=16
> ...



100 stitches? wow! I can't imagine! I'm actually kind of glad she didn't get stitches. I think it might have made things more complicated. Since she's not bleeding, the swelling has gone down, and even though she's holding her urine longer than usual, the pee is coming out normal - so i'm thinking maybe stitches aren't necessary. Or I think stitches on such a complicated area where so much is going on would maybe make things worse. However, I'm keeping a close eye on her and the wound, and if I feel I need to take her to a different vet, i will.

Yeah, I'll copy my original post about the problem and paste it in the Infirmary. Thanks for the advice!

Oh! And about your boy, after he was healed and you put the two back together again, did he hump the other again or do you think he learned from the incident and he stopped?

I'll have my girls separated until she's healed, but I'm worried about the day I put them together. They are a bonded pair, but still worried about it.


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## sharper (Feb 19, 2009)

i didn't have any apple juice last night, but I did have some apple sauce on hand. I put a little bit of that in the water and mixed it up and she still wouldn't touch it. Then I dumped it out and just gave her straight apple sauce, she wouldn't touch that either. But she would eat her veggies and hay with no probs. I knew I couldn't give her anything with banana, because I already found out she doesn't like banana either. But I knew she likes apple, so it was weird to see her turn down apple sauce.

I marked the water level on the water bottle last night to see if it had gone down when I got up this morning. The water level hadn't moved, but she had peed two more times throughout the night. So as I was changing her blankets this morning, I started to wonder if maybe she just doesn't like this water bottle. I mean, all of my water bottles are the same exact size and brand, same color and everything. But the one she used to drink out of was currently in Hailey's cage. It was just a weird idea and I was sure that wasn't the case, but I switched water bottles anyway. And you know what?? She started drinking from it like she was dying of thirst! She just kept drinking water for a long while. I was so excited! I felt so much better. I can't believe that was the problem! She just didn't like this particular water bottle! LOL weird!

There was a ton more poopies this morning also, and they all looked normal - yay!

Oh and what made me feel even better, right as soon as she was done drinking, she did a little binky. It wasn't a jump or anything, but she got up on her hind legs and did it - twice. I was thrilled!

Too bad I had to ruin the moment with stupid medicine time. I had to give her the yummy honey flavor stuff. At first, I tried to give it to her as a treat. I had a little bit coming out of the syringe and I held it up to her. She smelled it and turned her head the other way. So I was sure we were going to do this the hard way. I grabbed the towel and wrapped her up....this is really hard to do on my own since she was squirming. Her little arms wouldn't stay in it, so we had to rewrap a couple of times to get it right. I guess she remembers this from last night, because she immediately ducked her head under the towel like a turtle ducking into it's shell. I lower the towel a little more under her chin, held her tight and tried to do all this one handed while slipping the syringe to the side of her mouth. 1/10 CC at a time, and she would shake her head back and forth, duck, squirm, whatever she can do to avoid it. I was having so many problems! It took me 15 minutes to give her 1.13 CC's of medicine. I was running late for work, so I had to wake up the boyfriend to come hold her while I did the medicine. She was even a big struggle for him. It was just not a good experience for any of us. I really hope she gets the hang of it, but I don't think so. She's going to be a feisty, stubborn thing when it comes to medicine.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 19, 2009)

I am glad she is doing better. By the way your bunny's are gorgeous. I will have to add them to my bunny napping list! That was great that you rescued them and gave them a nice loving home.

I only have one mini rex in my herd and she is a fiesty little girl. None of my rabbits ever like the medicine bit. One time I had to give one of my flemish bucks some medicine and he bit the tip off! Thats one way to not have to take it.


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## tonyshuman (Feb 19, 2009)

That looks pretty painful. I'm glad she's eating, drinking, pooping and being feisty. Will you be able to get her to a rabbit vet for stitches soon?


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## sharper (Feb 19, 2009)

tonyshuman wrote:


> That looks pretty painful. I'm glad she's eating, drinking, pooping and being feisty. Will you be able to get her to a rabbit vet for stitches soon?



The vet she went to was a rabbit vet, not an emergency vet. He saw that stitches would only complicate things more and it should heal fine as long as she doesn't mess with it and is given her antibiotics. Since she was urinating, there was nothing obstructed or anything needing reconstruction.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 19, 2009)

*sharper wrote: *


> tonyshuman wrote:
> 
> 
> > That looks pretty painful. I'm glad she's eating, drinking, pooping and being feisty. Will you be able to get her to a rabbit vet for stitches soon?
> ...


:woohooThats great!


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## tonyshuman (Feb 19, 2009)

oh that's good to hear!


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## myheart (Feb 19, 2009)

I just wanted to say how beautiful your bunners are!!! I have never had a rex, so I don't know much about their personalities. I bet your two girls are ever so grateful to be in a warm home with lot's of room to binky. 

Such a brave bunny-mom to have taken two in without much hesitation. Good thing your guy was there to twist your arm. 

Best of luck getting every-bun feeling well again!

myheart


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## sharper (Feb 20, 2009)

I tried the other way of putting her down on the floor, between my legs to hold her. This did free up my arms, but she was just as squirmy and freaked out as the first way. She still huffs and puffs at me, shakes her head back and forth or ducks it underneath her chest. And I don't know if rabbits can do this but she seems to tighten her lips to where it's hard to lift them to show her teeth.

And I think with each session, she hates me a little more. My boyfriend just stands by to giver her a yoggie afterwards as a treat. So I'm the mean medicine lady, and he's the one that rescues her and gives her treats. boo. 

I just think she just wants to be the hardest rabbit to ever give medicine to. She'd rather it all over her chin than in her mouth.


I put some more vaseline on her wound and it started to bleed a little bit. Maybe I put it on too rough or moved it a wrong way. It wasn't a bad bleed, but just bled a little bit. But she's eating, drinking and chewing on all her toys as usual. Poops still look normal and I think her urinating is a little more often now.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 20, 2009)

Why don't you give the treats after you give the medicine. Then taking her meds might be ok since you give a treat afterwards!


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## lilbitsmom (Feb 20, 2009)

Hi There! You sound like you're trying so hard. These girls are so lucky to have you! I know it seems daunting, but you're doing a great job.

You should really see if you can get some of thecream (Silvadene). It is a magic cream and will work wonders on her sore spot. The vaseline is probably not working that great and if you apply it and you see blood, I would stop immediately.

Does anyone know where she can buy Silvadene? Maybe at the local petstore or maybe through the vet that you went to see the other day?

I would get some right away though!! Good luck with her and keep up the good work!


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## sharper (Feb 20, 2009)

Wabbitdad12 wrote:


> Why don't you give the treats after you give the medicine.Â  Then taking her meds might be ok since you give a treat afterwards!



Oh she does get a treat everytime. She gets yoggies


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## sharper (Feb 20, 2009)

lilbitsmom wrote:


> Hi There!Â  You sound like you're trying so hard.Â  These girls are so lucky to have you!Â  I know it seems daunting, but you're doing a great job.
> 
> You should really see if you can get some of theÂ cream (Silvadene).Â  It is a magic cream and will work wonders on her sore spot.Â  The vaseline is probably not working that great and if you apply it and you see blood, I would stop immediately.
> 
> ...



Well thank you!! Well for someone that doesn't have much rabbit experience, I'm definitely piling it all in the first 2 weeks! lol

Um there was this cream that was recommended that is silver something. ****, I keep forgetting the name. But when I went looking for it, I found out it was a human prescription, which I don't have a prescription for, so I couldn't get any. Maybe it's the same thing?


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## sharper (Feb 20, 2009)

[align=center]*When Bonding with Hailey is like a Rollar Coaster*[/align]

*Yikes! I almost got my fingers chomped off!*
I thought Hailey wasn't getting enough attention since Bailey was getting babied and spoiled because of her injury. So during my lunch break, after I ate, I thought I would get Hailey for some lap sitting and ear rubbing on the couch while I watched TV. I sat her in my lap, and she cuddled with her head hiding under my arm. She got tons of lovins. She didn't really show any reaction of affection, just laid there and didn't move. I haven't quite figured her out yet, so Im not sure if she was loving it or not, but she was calm and nibbled on my arm sleeve every now and then.

I know 1 thing that she doesn't like, and that's being put on her back. So as soon as you hold her up vertically and start to even 1 degree angle backwards, she freaks out. 

It was time for me to go back to work, so I started to pick her up, and I must have angled her backwards a little or something, I'm not sure, because her hand legs were still in my lap, so it wasn't like she was up in the air. But her mouth opened and CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP! she's starts biting in the air, trying to get to my hands that were on her around her. OMG it scared me because I could hear her teeth clamping together. (and well I know what her teeth can do by looking at what she did to Bailey) She was seriously ticked off. I was scared, so I held her away from me as I quickly walked to the cage. *shudder*

I really hope I don't grow to be scared of her because she really is calm most of the time. I'm just having a hard time predicting when she's upset --- well before teeth chomping time.


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## lilbitsmom (Feb 20, 2009)

I know it is hard to deal with all of this in the first couple weeks of your induction into the bunny slave world, but just keep in mind what terrible conditions you rescued these two girls from.
I'm sure they are loving it being in a family environment, but they will have to get use to it and grow to trust you, which for some rabbits takes quite a while. 

I've rescued rabbits that had bad histories and believe me it is a wonderful thing when you finally feel like they are relaxing in your home and they are happy. I have one guy that took him almost 1 whole year before he asked for head rubs at feeding time instead of stomping his feet and running away from me.

Now don't get me wrong, he likes me when I'm feeding, but that seems to be the only time! hahahha I'll take whatever I can get with him. He is old and grumpy and he's been through a lot, so I am just happy that he likes me when I feed him each day.

He's bit me a number of times and that is just the way he is so I've learned to adapt! You will too!

I bet once the girls have had some more time, they will relax even more in your home and you won't have anymore of those types of behaviors from her. Just give her time!

That cream we are talking about is something that I will look into for you. I think your vet would be able to get it for you! We use it at the shelter but I don't know where we get it from. I thought it was the vet. I'll check!


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 20, 2009)

*sharper wrote: *


> Wabbitdad12 wrote:
> 
> 
> > Why don't you give the treats after you give the medicine. Then taking her meds might be ok since you give a treat afterwards!
> ...


But if you gave theat to her instead of your boyfriend...she would associate taking the med fromyou and you giving her the treat.


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## lilbitsmom (Feb 20, 2009)

*Wabbitdad12 wrote: *


> *sharper wrote: *
> 
> 
> > Wabbitdad12 wrote:
> ...



I have to agree with Wabbitdad12. Maybe you should try giving her the treats instead of him. Might improve her attitude a little bit!

Another way to give the meds I've found is helpful is have someone (boyfriend) hold her upright on his chest - lets say looking over his shoulder.

Then you come up from behind him and give her the syringe while she is upright. She may still try to get away so you might have to put your hand over her head (covering her eyes) and holding her still, but that might be less traumatic for her. There is a space behind their front teeth that you can usually stick a smaller syringe into and squirt in the meds. That is how I do it at home because mine don't like the bunny burrito!!! 

Try it and let me know how it goes!!! Good luck! Laura


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## sharper (Feb 20, 2009)

lilbitsmom - Thanks, yes I try to keep it in my mind where they came from. It's hard not to take it personal or get frustrated. If a day goes bad with the girls, I know tomorrow will just start anew and I can try again. But yeah, i have to keep reminding myself of this over and over. I'm seeing changes in them each time, so there have been some rewarding moments....some lol


Wabbitdad12 -- oh! I see! Yeah, I'll have to snatch the bag of yoggies from him and give her the treat instead. I'll try to do that.


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## sharper (Feb 20, 2009)

I took some updated day 3 photos of Bailey's wound. It looked great yesterday, but I'm afraid it's getting infected today. I posted the photos in the thread in the Infirmary.


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## sharper (Feb 21, 2009)

[align=center]*Bailey Chillaxin'*[/align]

Through the crisis and all, it's good that Bailey still has happy moments. It was her first time in the play area today since the "incident." The past couple of days have been resting days. Hailey & Bailey had to alternate their time in there today because they are separated at the moment. She walked around, sniffed everything, tossed a little toy, chewed on some cardboard, did a couple mini binkies, and then that was about all she could do today. She plopped down and its the first time I saw her frog legs. Yay!


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## Elf Mommy (Feb 21, 2009)

that is definitely one happy beautiful bunny!


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## Numbat (Feb 21, 2009)

They are very beautiful buns! I love their shiny fur! Hope Bailey's okay! He certainly looks relaxed


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## sharper (Feb 21, 2009)

[align=center]*Happy Bunny Day - Hailey says so!*[/align]

Hailey was in a great mood when she went to play today. She immediately went into binkies and happy hops.














Then it was time to play Hide-In-Seek












"HERE I AM!"

And she loves this cardboard thing that my blender came in when I bought it. She goes in and out of this several times










Then it was time to rub on everything so it's her's









Then it was time to wonder when mom was going to put down the blinky thing and rub her head:





"No, seriously, rub my head"






Well I obviously had to put down the camera when I see a face like that and cuddle for a minute. Then it was time for a bath.





Oh and did I tell you, she loves this thing?


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## myheart (Feb 22, 2009)

Such awesome pictures!!! Hailey is so photogenic!!! 

You are so lucky to get the binky shots. I'm never fast enough with the camera, and the bunners don't binky all of the time. So it becomes such a hit or miss on whether or not the stars will ever align for me to get just one binky pic that turns out.

The pics are all so good, that it is difficult to pick just one favorite. I do like the pic of her ears sticking out from the basket. It reminds me of a pic I was taking ofthe dog I had some ten years ago. When the pic was developed (real film) I really took a look at it to see bunny ears that belonged to my Maggie poking out from behind the dog. It made me chuckle a bit....

Keep the great pics coming!!!

myheart


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 22, 2009)

I hope she gets better! She looks so sweet.


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## lilbitsmom (Feb 24, 2009)

How are the girls today? Especially Bailey? Is the area getting infected like you thought?

I have asked someone about the silvadene cream and she says you have to get a prescription from a vet for that. She thinks it is fairly inexpensive though. Maybe your rabbit savvy vet can get some for you or give your a prescription?!?!?!?!

I would hope he could help you out. That cream is magic!!!!!

Looking forward to hearing how she is doing in her recovery! The latest pictures are wonderful! Great job!

Laura


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## tonyshuman (Feb 24, 2009)

So adorable! Your bunnies are just gorgeous and plush!


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## sharper (Feb 24, 2009)

Bailey is doing really well! The betadine really seems to help keep it clean. It really looks to be clearing up and the swelling is completely gone. It's getting a little crusty or dried in parts, which I think is good. 

Both girls have been good. They get separate play times, which is sad. But it's the best for them. Their cages are still side by side, so they get to see each other. They lay down on the side that is next to each other lol so cute! Even when one goes to eat some hay, the other one has to eat some of their hay. So they still get to do everything together.


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## sharper (Feb 25, 2009)

[align=center]*Oh yeah, she's spoiled already*[/align]

I tell you Bailey has been milking this injury as much as she can. And you know what? I don't mind! She loves to cuddle in my lap on the couch while I watch tv.










And yeah, one side of that blanket is exactly the same color as Bailey. She can camouflage on top of that thing! lol


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## lilbitsmom (Feb 25, 2009)

I'm so glad to hear that it is going better and things have seemed to calm down for you. What a rough start, but you all survived!!! Yahoo!!!

I can't tell you how much Bailey looks like my Sophie! I just love Sophie so much, she is so good and sweet!!

Enjoy those beautiful girls of yours! Love the pictures too!! Have a great Wednesday!

Laura


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## Becca (Feb 25, 2009)

This blog has been mentioned in Today on Ro


x


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 25, 2009)

I am really happy she is doing so well. I don't think she looks spoiled at all either!


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## NZminilops (Feb 25, 2009)

Stunning girls, wow, I wish we had rabbits like Hailey and Bailey around here. I'd buy them all!

What do you call Haileys colour? Orange? Red? She's stunning.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 25, 2009)

Hmm...I just checked my bunny napping list and these two aren't on it...(adding to list)ah now they are!


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## sharper (Feb 26, 2009)

NZminilops wrote:


> Stunning girls, wow, I wish we had rabbits like Hailey and Bailey around here. I'd buy them all!
> 
> What do you call Haileys colour? Orange? Red? She's stunning.



I don't know much about official rabbit breed names, but after looking up the official colors, I believe Hailey is a red mini-rex and Bailey is either a castor or chocolate mini-rex (I'm not really sure which one she is)


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## AngelnSnuffy (Feb 26, 2009)

*sharper wrote: *


> NZminilops wrote:
> 
> 
> > Stunning girls, wow, I wish we had rabbits like Hailey and Bailey around here. I'd buy them all!
> ...


My favorite breed and color! :inlove:I want! They are just gorgeous. I have them on my background now, the snuggle pic, so cute and adorable! Please share more of them little cuties!


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## MissBunnyLover (Feb 27, 2009)

Sharper - Your bunnies are sooooooo cute and cudly! I cant wait to blog about Bilo, my mini rex and post pics - my camera is broke so I am getting another one...



I think blogging about rabbits is a great idea!


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## sharper (Mar 1, 2009)

[align=center]*Yesterday was moving day*[/align]
Hailey & Bailey didn't like it one bit. Bailey calmed down when I gave her some fresh hay. She concentrated on eating more than all the furniture going in the new place. Hailey was freaking out. Food didn't distract her. I couldn't calm her down with my voice or head rubs. She ran from corner to corner of the cage thumping and thrashing around. But a blanket over the cage seemed to calm her down a bit. Later that evening after everything was moved in and we had some quiet time, she came back around.

This morning, she's playing with her toys and is back to her old self. I think she's upset that we don't have the playpen set up yet. With the move, this is 2 days of no time out of the cage. I'm about to set up the playpen and looking forward to seeing a gazillion binkies from her. Yoggies have sweetened the deal.

I'll have to unpack the camera to take more pics


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## lilbitsmom (Mar 3, 2009)

Hi Sharper,

Hoping that you are settling into your new place. How is Bailey's recovery progressing? I've been thinking of her often.

Laura


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## sharper (Mar 10, 2009)

*First Day of Play*

We have been at our new place for a little over a week now and we love it here. Hailey & Bailey especially love it. Over the week, I've been trying to bunny proof the first floor and still have some cords to keep an eye on. Each got separate play time everyday in the baby gated kitchen. Then I got a little brave and let them run around in the livingroom, just as long as I kept them away from the entertainment center. Hailey loves the livingroom the best. I've never seen such high and crazy binkies out of her. Bailey does some too, but she mostly stays by me for snuggling and luvins.

Bailey's wound has been completely healed for a few days. I can't believe how fast it healed! A couple days ago, I let them run around in the livingroom together. They were just so excited with the big room that they really didn't pay any attention to each other. So it was peaceful.

Yesterday, I baby gated the kitchen and sat down on the floor with them in a smaller space. They smelled each other, walk around each other, run around, and there was no humping from Bailey - I was thrilled about that.

But then Hailey would do weird things like try to bite Bailey's rump or side. It didn't seem violent or mean. I couldn't really tell if it was a playful thing or maybe it really was a bad thing. But I had a spray bottle with me and gave her a spray each time. Bailey would just jump away from her nips and it didn't seem like she was upset. There were a few little binkies and before I knew it, they laid down together side-by-side. A few groomings here and there too. I was soooooo excited! :biggrin2:

Of course, my luck, the batteries in my flash went out last weekend, and I forgot to get some more. So no pics today. 

They are still in separate cages because I don't think they are ready. But these supervised play times are very positive!


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## lilbitsmom (Mar 10, 2009)

Hi there! I'm so glad to hear that the move went well and your girls seem to be feeling comfortable.

That is weird the little nipping thing, but I think your attitude about them taking it slow is a good one. 

I've once heard someone tell me that often times when two females are removed from an environment that they've lived in for a long time, when they go to the new place they unbond because they don't understand their relationship to each other anymore. It's like they are starting over and they are fighting for dominance.

Maybe that is what is happening with these two girls! IDK

I'm wishing you the best of luck with them and hope that in time they can find their way back to a loving relationship!

LilBitsMom


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## tonyshuman (Mar 11, 2009)

I'm SO glad Bailey's wound has healed. Poor girl!

Lilbits mom may be right in that the move has changed the dominance heirarchy and may be really helpful for getting them to bond. I hope it works out!

The nipping is a pretty common way for bunnies to show dominance and put another bun "in its place". They often nip on the rump to do this--part of why bunnies prefer to be approached/petted from the nose-side. Keep an eye on it, it's not usually playful. You can squirt her with a water bottle to reinforce that it's not ok/distract her from whatever was making her feel like nipping.


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## sharper (Mar 12, 2009)

*Round 2 - Bailey goes for midnight emergency surgery*

Let me start off with I think I'm a horrible rabbit mom. I feel horrible for letting this happen. I feel just freaking awful. So any responding comments relating to that, I don't want to hear. I'm just going to let yal know how our wonderful night went.

Bailey's wound had been completely healed for a little over a week now. It's fully healed skin, just without fur in that spot. My vet gave me the go-ahead on getting them to bond during supervised playtimes. I started this last weekend. I posted about the success and that I was so excited how well it was going. The first day, Hailey did a couple of light nips at Bailey's back/rump area. A couple squirts of the water bottle at her and it completely went away. No humping, no biting every day after that. In fact, Bailey hadn't done her humping at all since the last injury of getting a bad bite to her genitals. They have been completely supervised, and still caged separately. All I saw had been grooming by both, they would lay side by side, legs to one side, play with their toys near each other, binkies, eat treats together -- It was like good buddies catching up on the times. 

Last night was just like the previous nights. They played around in the kitchen, but were a little quiet which I think was related to the rain storm outside. They ate some yoggies and plopped down side by side. It was a little after 11pm, and it was about bed time. Time to clean up, get the rabbits to bed and call it a night. I was standing right there, turned around to dump out the litter box. My eyes were off of them for 1 second. 

*squeeel!!*.....Are you freaking kidding me?

I turn around as Bailey is running as far away to the other side of the room. There is a clump of fur on the floor, but no skin this time. I thought maybe just some fur came out and Bailey was startled by it. I calmly said, "Okay guys, play time is over." I go to comfort Bailey and start to feel around her back and rump for any injuries - none. I pick her up to examine her belly - Oh My God.....her side was split on her underside. It was split down and to her inner thigh, kind of like the shape of a wishbone or a "Y". The skin was open, but there was no blood. Actually, her under epidermis was still intact. I didn't even know they had a 2nd skin underneath till last night. It was transparent, so I could still see her muscle and everything, but that thin layer was just holding everything in - no blood. But Bailey is in super pain. Her breathing was crazy and she didn't look good. Maybe if it was way smaller of a cut, I'd wait till morning. But no way, not something this big.

And just like the last injury - this happened on a Wednesday night - the perfect time. Because for some reason the emergency clinic that specializes in rabbits nearby only specializes in rabbits every day of the week except Wednesdays. It was about 11:30 when I got in touch with the Emergency Animal Clinic in Southlake/Grapevine, which is about 40-45 mins away. This E-vet is HIGHLY specialized in rabbits, but just so far. The lady says that the office visit is $97, but after midnight, it goes up to $150. So here we are speeding our way there in the pouring rain.

We get there with 5 mins to spare. But she doesn't get looked at till about 12:30. They immediately take her into surgery. She went under for about 45 mins. They shaved her, clipped the wound, cleaned her out, sewed her up, and put her in an e-collar. I maxed out my credit card to pay for it. They wanted to send me home with Metacam, but I still had plenty from the last injury, so I was able to take that off of the cost. 

We got home about 3am. I layed down towels in a clean plastic bottom cage. I set up her litterbox, water bottle and even though I didn't think she would eat, I set up a bowl of veggies, pellets and put a nice pile of hay in the corner. She was really groggy last night from the surgery. I wiped the sleepy watery discharge from her eyes and the saliva under her chin. She just laid there and fell asleep immediately.

And last night, my boyfriend and I had the same discussion that we had after the first injury....maybe Hailey should go back to the SPCA. I had contacted them after the last injury about my rabbits that were supposedly this bonded pair, were not getting along. They told me that if it's not working out, that maybe Hailey is just a one-rabbit gal. So she might need to come back to the shelter to find a new home. Well, we didn't take her back. We thought we'd try this bonding thing again after Bailey healed up. That was last time. And now here I am trying to make this decision again.

When I wanted to adopt a rabbit, it was just one. One cage, one litter box, one little bitty rabbit. Then SPCA told me they are a bonded pair, so I'd still have one cage, one litter box, and twice the love. Now I'm faced with having 2 cages, 2 litterboxes, 2 separate scheduled playtimes (which as been a pain), twice the drama and a maxed out credit card. This is not what I wanted. I'm already a petting zoo with a dog, cat, 2 rats, and 2 rabbits in a small rented town home. One less cage would make it seem like less of a zoo. So I feel so freaking awful thinking about it, but if an animal isn't working out, I think I might take her back. We are going to think about it for a little while and decide. It's just so upsetting because Hailey is such a great rabbit. She's affectionate, she loves to play, does the crazy binkies, so happy, has a great personality....she just snaps so unpredictable at Bailey. I'd hate to take her back, and it makes me feel really awful. I feel like this is all my fault and I did something wrong in taking care of them and dealing with their behavior. I just don't know what to do. But I look at Bailey and I don't want this for her. How did I let this happen to her. I'm kicking myself for it....a lot.

Update on her this morning:

I couldn't believe it, but when I went to see her, her bowl of salad was all gone. Perfect poopies were all over her cage. I guess she can't get into the litter box, but that's okay. And there was a pee spot in the corner. She seemed alert this morning, walking around, eating her breakfast. She has a little bit of trouble eating with the cone in her way. The cone pretty much just pushes her veggies out of the bowl. But once she gets a piece of romaine, she lays in her cone and eats off of it like a plate. She's figuring it out. I just keep picking up her veggies and putting them back into her bowl. She had sleepy stuff around her eyes, so I cleaned it up, but she wouldn't let me get under her chin this morning. So I tried to slide a paper towel between her chin and the cone and let it set there for a couple seconds - that's as much as she'll let me do.

I'll try to get pics later this evening. For right now, I'm just trying to get through a day of work with no sleep.


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## lilbitsmom (Mar 12, 2009)

Hi Sharper,

You poor thing! I am so sorry to hear that you are going through all of this right now with these two beautiful girls.

My first inclination is to tell you that Hailey is definitely a single bunny girl and she should go back to the shelter to find a home. How long will they keep her at the shelter? Do they euthanize animals when they've been there too long? That might change my decision, but if you have to keep the girls separate then that will be more work for you!

I have a houseful of rabbits that don't like each other. In fact, we have so many that I had to make up a schedule so we can ensure that every bunny gets the equal amount of run time each week and no one is forgotten. That sounds terrible, but with 2 cats, 3 dogs, 11 bunnies, 2 kids, a husband and a full time job, not to mention working at the bunny shelter, I have to use a schedule or I'm going to lose my mind!:nerves1

I also wanted to mention to you that you should be really careful with the plastic collar that they have put on Bailey. We had a bunny at the shelter that actually had all of the fur worn away around her neck in that spot and then the collar actually began to cut into her skin. It caused an infection and then she had to deal with all of that and taking medicine. Just be very careful!!!

I wish you the best of luck making a terribly hard decision! You're not a terrible bunny mom, by the way! I think you're awesome and you're just having some very bad luck with these two beauties! I wouldn't let them back together now at all though. 

Take care of yourself and please let us know how you and Bailey are doing!

Laura


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## Wabbitdad12 (Mar 12, 2009)

I am glad things are getting better! Moving is definitely a stressfull event.


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## sharper (Mar 12, 2009)

lilbitsmom wrote:


> Hi Sharper,
> 
> You poor thing!Â  I am so sorry to hear that you are going through all of this right now with these two beautiful girls.
> 
> ...



Well this is the Texas SPCA and I signed papers saying that I will only return her to the SPCA and no one else. I left a message with them to have a rep call me back to discuss the situation. I'm hoping that maybe they will let a rabbit rescue find the right home for her, rather than her going back into the shelter. And maybe discuss other things like if they euthanize her or perhaps they may not even claim she's adoptable because she seriously injured another animal twice. All of these things I want to seriously discuss with them to make my decision. If I find out she could get euthanized after so many days, or listed as a dangerous animal - I will hope they will let a rabbit rescue take her. But if no options look good for her, I might just have to make the 2 cages work. I realize that 2 cages is nothing because many people on this board have a ton of cages and a ton of rabbits. But that's just not what I signed up for or wanted. I'm inexperienced as far as owning rabbits and I wanted something simple to start with at least. It hasn't been that simple at all. yikes.

The vet told us she seemed really docile and may not need the collar, but that it's a great precaution, which I agree. He did say if we have her in our laps, we can remove the collar. I did this during my lunch break. I sat her in my lap without the collar and just rubbed around her ears and neck to comfort her. I wouldn't want that thing on me either. Luckily, this one has gauze around the plastic that meets her neck, so I'm hoping it's a little more comfortable than just a harsh edge of plastic. I tied it on too loose when I put her in the cage, because she immediately pulled it off and we had to redo it.


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## myheart (Mar 12, 2009)

I was so saddened to see a thread about little Bailey again in the Infirmary. Poor little girl with another emergency visit. This injury sound horrible!!!

I am sorry you need to decide about giving Hailey up. I think Naturestee was right when she said that you are probably bonded more to Bailey because of her injuries and the extra care she needs from you. I find that has happened with my Luna and myself. I don't think anyone could ever try to take her from me without a fight because of all the extra time we have had together and our bond.

Hugs to you and Bailey for these hard times. You are both becoming stronger together and will make it.I am sure Hailey will find a wonderful home, hopefully with a new friend she likes.

ray:

myheart


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## sharper (Mar 12, 2009)

*Bailey's first afternoon with Da Cone*

I got home from work to see that Bailey used her collar as a shovel in the litter box. There was poo all over the bottom of it. Poor thing. I told her it was okay if she didn't want to use the litter box for a while and I'll just work extra hard at keeping her cage clean with changing out blankets and everything.

After getting it off, cleaned up, and back on her, i set her down in the play area with her favorite cardboard boxes. Just incase she wanted to stretch her legs a little.

At first, I got some sad faces: 








(the area around her eyes feels like they put vaseline over them or put something in her eyes while she was in surgery. I didn't know they did that, but I'm having trouble wiping it off. I dunno what it is)

then she really broke my heart with these:









then she started feeling a bit better about being out of the cage





started creeping closer to check out some cardboard









"hmm...can I reach it?"





"I think I'm stuck..."





then a couple of mini-binkies were a big surprise to me





"mom, i want this off"





i can't tell if this is a sweet beg look or a stink eye look.





But the best part for her was all of the luvins she got





Or was it the cool piece of cardboard that she found?







(I know the way to her heart is through cardboard, and nothing else. lol)


And now I get to see her stitches for the first time since the craziness last night. I think last night I just imagined it so big and made it out bigger than what it was. I really thought it went up her belly or her side. But really it's her inner thigh area, but still in the shape of a "Y" pretty close to her last injury that is now healed. I'm sure my freaking out last night really put an image in my brain that she was all sliced up head to toe. I'm glad to see now it's smaller than what I thought. And it seems like the vet did a great job.








Have to take pictures of what costed me $300, right?


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## myheart (Mar 13, 2009)

Poor little Bailey... That has to be about a dozen stitches keeping that wound closed up. Oh my gosh... I would have freaked if I had seen that!! That was no little nip Hailey handed out. It looks like she may have held on a bit too much as Bailey tried to get away, and the skin ripped. 

Poor you having to go through all of this trauma with Bailey. I love all of the new pics you posted. Bailey is so pretty. Best of luck with everything....

myheart


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## lilbitsmom (Mar 13, 2009)

Hi there! Just looked at the pictures and am glad to see that her wound is not as big as you had originally thought. The surgical area looks nice and clean! Is she taking any pain meds?

I'm so sorry that you have to deal with the bunnies not getting along! That is so hard and so stressful! You could list her here on this website for adoption or we could list her on petfinder too! That reaches a bigger audience and if I were you I would definitely contact your local rescues to see if you can get her a spot.

If the SPCA says you have to bring her back to them and then they also tell you they can only keep her for a while, I would just say you're going to keep her and then work on your own to rehome her! 

If you have the patience for it, you can find another good home for her! I would be happy to help with the petfinder profile and see if you can get some interest in her!

She's a beautiful rabbit but I think she just needs to be a single girl or with a male bunny to really be happy! I'm sure Bailey will be much happier without her around and then you can continue to bond with Bailey and not have to worry about her getting beat up again!

Take it easy and let me know if you need help with petfinder! It really is a great tool for rehoming!

Laura


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## sharper (Mar 14, 2009)

For pain, she takes 3 drops of metacam once a day till her stitches come out

Since I haven't been able to really get ahold of the SPCA through the phone and can't have anyone call me back, I'm just going to go up there tomorrow. I'd just like to talk to them to see what the options are. I'm really confident in their rabbit care. they had a whole room for rabbits in huge cages, and seemed like everyone is well taken care of. I'm sure she would do well there, but based on what she has done, they may say she's unadoptable or just too dangerous. If they think that, then I'll just go my own route of finding her a home, for sure.

There is the North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary here, but their website says they are currently at capacity and not taking any surrenders. But I went ahead and shot them an email anyway to tell them the situation and see what they say. Hopefully I'll get a response pretty soon.

And petfinder sounds like another great idea! I'll definitely keep that in mind!


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## tonyshuman (Mar 14, 2009)

Yikes! Will post more in the infirmary thread.


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## lilbitsmom (Mar 16, 2009)

*sharper wrote: *


> For pain, she takes 3 drops of metacam once a day till her stitches come out
> 
> Since I haven't been able to really get ahold of the SPCA through the phone and can't have anyone call me back, I'm just going to go up there tomorrow. I'd just like to talk to them to see what the options are. I'm really confident in their rabbit care. they had a whole room for rabbits in huge cages, and seemed like everyone is well taken care of. I'm sure she would do well there, but based on what she has done, they may say she's unadoptable or just too dangerous. If they think that, then I'll just go my own route of finding her a home, for sure.
> 
> ...



Hi there! Just thinking about you and wondering how it is going with the girls and talking with the SPCA? Any luck?

Laura


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## sharper (Mar 16, 2009)

Since Bailey can't jump into the litterbox without her collar hitting against the edge, she stopped using it altogether. I took it out and have been rotating receiving blankets over and over again throughout the day. She can really make that cage messy. It's been a never ending job. It never occurred to me until last night that I can just fill the whole cage up with litter since it's a plastic bottom one. Now I can just scoop up the mess in all the corners of the cage rather than washing blankets over and over again. Whew! Of course, it's getting scooped up into her collar, but there are holes around the neck that it comes back out of. It's still messy, but not as much work.

I got a response from the Rabbit Sanctuary here. They told me that the SPCA that I got them from is a no-kill shelter. So it wouldn't be a problem for Hailey to find a home. Plus, she said that I should take her back to the SPCA rather than to the Sanctuary because I signed a contract saying I would.

But now my boyfriend is going back on the idea of taking Hailey back. Apparently he's bonded too much and wants to keep both. Of course he wants to keep both, because I'm the one doing all the cleaning, feeding and care. He just gets to play with them - geez! So now we are at a stance on that. I think if he wants to keep Hailey, he can take over the cleaning of her cage, then. But something tells me, he'll let it get messy. And he'll forget to feed her, etc., etc. I mean, if he can't remember to scoop his cat's litter box everyday, then I have a right to come to those conclusions. And I'm thinking in the near future of when we leave on a vacation and all - trying to find a sitter that will deal with 2 cages/litterboxes and so on.

When I tried arguing with him about it, he wanted us to take Bailey back to the SPCA when she's healed up - just based on the fact that Hailey uses her litterbox way better in and out of the cage, and doesn't chew on the baseboards. I argue thats not fair to Bailey and no one is going to want a rabbit with surgery scars and half of a vagina. 

As far as photos for the blog - my lens was busted on Saturday night. It will be out for repair for a while


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## lilbitsmom (Mar 16, 2009)

Oh I'm so sorry that this is causing so much stress right now for you. When can Bailey have her cone taken off? She will probably use the litter box a lot better once that has been removed.

I would be hesitant to keep Hailey because of her anger issues with Bailey. I can understand that he doesn't want to take her back, but if the SPCA is a no-kill shelter, they will find another home for her!

Theno-kill shelter that I managetakes ourbunnies back and you don't judge the people you just take the bunny back and find a different home for her. Sometimes it just doesn't work out and you have honestly tried to make it work.

I don't blame you for not trusting his commitment to taking care of Hailey. My hubby doesn't do anything around the house and so when it comes to the animals I usually make all the decisions because he doesn't do the work anyways. I do a lot of fostering of bunnies and so if I think I can handle one more then I just do it. I don't usually worry to much about whether or not he'll be mad at me.

We've been together a long time (20+ years)though, so we're past worrying about that kind of stuff.

Do what you feel is right, but if you can agree on it with him beforehand, that would probably be best.

Good luck and I'll be thinking of you and the girls fondly!

Laura


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## sharper (Apr 1, 2009)

We waited until Bailey healed, got her stitches out and for our own stress about the situation to cool down.

Both cages had been on the livingroom floor, about 6 inches away from each other. Everything had been fine. They alternated free roam time, and when ever the free one went up to the other's cage, they didn't mind and carried on with their own business. I thought this arrangement could work for a while to figure out a better solution.

But then last night, Hailey was out. She ran up to Bailey's cage, got up on her hind legs and started growling, buzzing or whatever you call that sound they make. I sprayed her with the water bottle and she ran off. She went to play and everything carried on like normal. It was the first time she had ever done that to Bailey's cage. 10 minutes later had passed and she did it again and kept doing it until I got her back into her own cage.

As soon as I shut the cage, I turned around to look at my boyfriend and we both knew. That's the last straw. We can't have that stress between those two in such close quarters. We'll be bringing Hailey back to the SPCA this Saturday. Luckily I found out it's a no-kill shelter, so I feel better about it, somewhat. So I know she'll find a new home eventually. I just worry about if it's a good home or not.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Apr 4, 2009)

I am sure she will find a good home, you have certainly provided one. Too bad it didn't work out.


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## sharper (Apr 5, 2009)

We brought Hailey back today. It was really really sad. Hailey was stressed during the car ride. But once we got there, she wanted out to play. I told them all the great things about Hailey. When they pulled up my adoption papers, I forgot she didn't even have a name, she was a number. So we updated her file with her name and all the great things about her. Hailey LOVED one of her toys so much, she played with it for hours in her cage and in the play pen. So I couldn't keep it. I wanted her to have it. So I was so glad when they told me they would hang it up in her cage for me. She got to keep her blankie too. 

It was a sad day. I came back home and we have been spending all day with Bailey. I'm probably over-cuddling her today. But it makes me feel better to have her with me and take my mind off of Hailey. I really hope she finds a great home. I do look forward to our future with Bailey.


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## tonyshuman (Apr 6, 2009)

Although I know you're sad you had to give her up, it is good that she got to live in a home and you have added important info to her file. I know she'll get another great home where she doesn't have to worry about sharing her people with another bunny. There are lots of bunnies that we love and want to have for our own, but we can only take in the ones we can take in. Right now, there's a bunny at the shelter I love, but can't take home. It's nothing like having one in your home and having it be your bunny. [[hugs]]


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## sharper (Apr 20, 2009)

I've seen such a difference in Bailey within days after Hailey left our home. Her personality has come out and I've seen her play and have so much fun - something I haven't seen from her before. I'm just amazed at what a change!

We've been spending a lot of time together. Now I can lay on the floor and she will come straight to me for cuddles.

Here we are having a moment


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## myheart (Apr 21, 2009)

I am so glad to hear that Bailey is starting to blossom. My Luna took her sweet time letting her personality shine also. My heart skips a beat when she is at her silliest because I know that it is all her. 

When they do let you see their true personalities, itis then that you really get to let them into your heart because that is when you know you have a true heart-bond. 

myheart


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## Wabbitdad12 (Apr 25, 2009)

I am glad that Bailey is coming out of her shell. She is really a beautiful bunny.


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## sharper (May 1, 2009)

Bailey went bonkers for her new toy today. Here is my first video of Bailey. Listen for her crazy fun noises she makes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODiydwt7y3A


LOL She's crazy.


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## tonyshuman (May 1, 2009)

Removed double post, but video doesn't work!


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## sharper (May 1, 2009)

hmm, I don't know why it doesn't work. I guess I couldn't get the link right. 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODiydwt7y3A[/ame]

this one works


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## tonyshuman (May 2, 2009)

So cute! Frida makes noises like that if you get in "her" space, in particular a pet tent with doggy bed in the bottom that she is constantly remodeling. I'm glad she's coming in to her own assertive personality!


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## sharper (May 2, 2009)

she seems to just make that noise when she plays with her toys. lol I guess maybe she is dominating it or something.


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## sharper (May 8, 2009)

It seemed like it happened just over night. I didn't know really what to expect. It's the first time I've experienced this.
.....



Bailey has started her first shed.
I guess I thought since I had her since the beginning of February, she wasn't going to have one. i thought maybe just the normal brushings I was giving her was keeping any shedding problems away. But yesterday morning, I bent over to pet her and instantly, fur clinged to my face, my nose and somehow got into my mouth. The harder I tried to get the fur off of my face, the worse it got. I looked down at Bailey and there was a hand print where I pet her. "Oh My Gawd!" There was a cloud of fur in the air. Is Bailey shedding or is she just dying starting with her fur? I ran to get the brush and here is just round 1 of brushing....we did several rounds of emptying the brush over and over. I bet I could have made Bailey a furry rabbit friend with all the fur that came off of her.

Bailey's First Shed: Round 1 of brushing






It's so weird that I have a chocolate brown rabbit, yet all her fur is gray when it's brushed up. When I look closely, she has all gray fur, but just the tips are brown. what a weird rabbit. lol

Well....Now I know what everyone was complaining about when shedding time came!


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## Wabbitdad12 (May 8, 2009)

Imagine 15 bunny'sdoing it around the same time!

I have a french lop Rudy, whom I brush and brush and I will fill up a small bag with it. When I go into the bunny room, fur is on top of the cages, on the walls, drapes etc.


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## sharper (May 8, 2009)

Wabbitdad12 wrote:


> Imagine 15 bunny'sÂ doing it around the same time!
> 
> I have a french lop Rudy, whom I brush and brush and I will fill up a smallÂ  bag with it.Â  When I go into the bunny room, fur is on top of the cages, on the walls, drapes etc.



*shudder*....I'm so glad I just have 1 rex and I hear rex's are the least shedding rabbits. lol but it's just so fine and small, that it just goes airborn and sticks to my face, in my nose and everything...yuck. I'll just stick with the 1 rabbit, then lol


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## sharper (May 8, 2009)

I took Bailey out on the back porch to do a brushing session outside. Of course, no matter which way I faced, the fur still flew into me and not the other way. lol Bailey seemed interested in exploring. This is her second time ever outside. So I grabbed the camera.

First, she went to say hi to Jaymie who was sunbathing.





Then she ran around in the dirt, sniffed a few plants but didn't nibble, and chewed on the mortar of the brick columns...she's so weird. lol


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## missyscove (May 8, 2009)

I'm glad to hear that Bailey is doing well.
Most rabbits shed 4 times a year alternating a heavy and a light molt.
I guess the fact that we have 2 golden retrievers is what makes the rabbit hair not seem like a big deal.


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## sharper (May 8, 2009)

Oh I hope this is a heavy molt... I'd hate to see that if this was a light one...yikes


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## Elf Mommy (May 8, 2009)

I love Baily, of course....BUT!!! Your Boston is ADORABLE!!! I may have to puppynap that one! hehe


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## Bo B Bunny (May 10, 2009)

Umm.... look out cause that might be a light molt LOL! Sorry! 
Be careful also that you don't brush too hard with the metal curry. They have such sensitive skin! 

I edited your photos so that it was easier to see them. Always put a space between img urls.

I love her! :hearts:


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