Bringing home a baby bunny + diet + rhdv2

Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS. SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED. We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best.

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 3 months, 2 weeks ago by mia.

Viewing 4 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 09/09/2024 at 2:29 PM
  Inaya
  Participant
  19 posts
  Hi!
  
  I’m bringing home a baby bun on Friday, a purebred holland lop baby.
  
  I asked the breeder for the pellets he eats and the hay, she is great and will supply it for me for a bit, but she recommended switching to Timothy hay right away from alfalfa since it’ll be easy to transition. But the bun is only 9 weeks, so is it a good idea? She said it’s too much calcium for him. I’ve heard you should wait until at least 5 months. I also will be feeding orchard grass afterwards.
  
  Also about the pellets, I’ve heard some people say to give a baby bun unlimited alfalfa, and others are saying moderated amounts. I feel like unlimited is wrong, What are your opinions how much should I give him?
  
  And I should introduce veggies in a few months right?
  
  Also, I live in Ontario, Canada. I want to get my bun vaccinated for rhdv, but I’ve heard it’s unesscary due to the fact that there hasn’t been an outbreak in a few years. I want to be safe just in case, but that’s also extra money and extra stress for the bun.
  
  I’m so sorry but I have one more question!
  
  should I take my bun for a checkup right away?
  
  Thank you so much!
- 09/10/2024 at 10:31 AM
  mia
  Participant
  552 posts
  I would continue what bun was already eating and take your bun in to the vet asap. During the visit, ask them about their recommendation for bun’s diet. That way you are feeding what bun specifically needs based on how bun is growing.
  
  I would go ahead and get bun vaccinated. The stress is just a day and bun has to see vet anyways.
- 09/10/2024 at 1:08 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5814 posts
  Vaccinating for RHDV2, in my opinion, is a must. Regardless of how unlikely it is for a rabbit to get it wherever they are located, the reality is once the rabbit gets it, the rabbit will pass and there is no action to prevent. Additionally, that rabbit, for a brief time, is also then a hazard for other rabbits it may come in contact with, making a very contagious and robust virus even more risky to other rabbits. Cases of RHDV2 are only growing, and geographically, it is naturally going to continue spreading in the US (it is almost in all states now), so I would not wait.
  
  RE: the timothy and alfalfa, as long as the rabbit has alfalfa-based pellets, it can be fine to be on a non-alfalfa hay at the same time.
  RE: the idea of “unlimited” pellets, when people say unlimited, they typically don’t actually mean that. You do not want a rabbit gorging with no limitations on yummy pellets. It’s more so you want to ensure there are plenty of pellets to match this period of rapid growth and development. For both sanitation and diet reasons, you do not want to leave a huge bowl of pellets out, but often people may provide 1-2cups in the morning and offer more in the evening, as an example.
  RE: veggies– yes, you need to wait a few months. A young rabbit’s GI system is not prepared to break down complex veggie structure yet.
  
  Yes, you should take your rabbit for a check-up soon. It is important to establish a relationship at a vet and for the vet to get an idea of the rabbit’s baseline and overall health.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 09/10/2024 at 5:53 PM
  Inaya
  Participant
  19 posts
  Hi! thank you both so so much this has helped a lot!
  
  I will take him to the vet and get him vaccinated ASAP. I’m also going to monitor how he is with the alfalfa hay and if it seems like too much calcium, I can start mixing in some orchard grass, but I’ll check with my vet!
  
  Thanks so much for everything!
  
  How often should I take my bun for checkup after?
  
  Thank you!
- 09/10/2024 at 6:20 PM
  mia
  Participant
  552 posts
  Typically healthy buns just go in for yearly wellness exams. Here, the vaccine is yearly too so I just schedule both at same time. If a heath issue comes up beforehand, obviously take them in before their yearly. They usually get an smaller overall check during issue exam versus a more comprehensive exam during wellness exams.
Author

Messages

Viewing 4 reply threads

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.