Hi,
I’ve just joined and was looking for a bit of help/advice, if anyone would be so kind!
We adopted Monty about 5 months ago from a home who no longer had time to look after him. We were told that he had never been to the vets, so as soon as he was settled he was taken in for his jabs and a check over – all fine. He will be 2 next month, is an unneutered, medium-haired lop x lionhead (or… something like that. His ears are almost on the ground and he has a very fine mane…). Since moving in, we have taken him to the vets twice for what appear to be bouts of stasis. He is the first rabbit I’ve had as a house bunny, and the first I’ve had as an adult, so really, it’s all new to my partner and I. Having been fine the previous day, we’ll open his hutch door in the morning and a very lacklustre face will peep out, and promptly bury himself behind his hutch. Whilst ill he will be very reluctant to eat (won’t, really, until starting to feel better) and won’t go to the toilet.
Anyway, this morning he was utterly fine. Throwing himself around the house, clambering onto our bed (we have bought a stool for the purpose. Never say he’s spoilt!) and doing excited hops, munching hay from the bag while I cleaned out his house. Now, he is tucked behind his hutch, quite hunched and refusing kale/blueberries/anything and everything we are trying to offer.
I suppose, really, I am just looking for any advice in making him more comfortable/getting him better, and preventing this from happening! If he is still like this tomorrow, we will take him to the vet first thing but as it is Sunday… For a little bit of background information, we live in Shetland (a little bit of land that floats somewhere between Scotland and Norway!) and if you want anything to happen on a Sunday, you have to do it yourself. Our closest vet is a half hour drive away (and there is only one other practice on the island, which is over an hour from home). The vets have always been very kind, but I am tempted to say that they perhaps don’t know as much as they should. Unfortunately, they are our only option. Having worked as a receptionist in a vets before we moved up here, I know that there are plenty of vets who don’t specialise in bunnies, so am not hoping for miracles! But, if the vets aren’t going to be able to offer much advice, I know the best people who can are the ones who know bunnies and love them as much as we love our Monty!
Any advice or information will be very greatly appreciated!