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If you’ve had bloodwork done, the vet would have seen signs of an active infection. Difficulty breathing can be related to the heart, but your vet has problably checked that already.

Rex rabbits are prone to chunkiness, which is probably due to their genetics. A chonky rabbit can have difficulty moving about and cleaning itself downstairs, which…[Read more]

I agree that megacolon came to my mind as well. Often megacolon goes along with weight loss though, so if her muscle tone and weight are good, then it may not fit the megacolon symptoms. It would be good to weigh her regularly to know for sure if she is very fluffy.

The combo of urinary incontinence could indicate something else as well. Could…[Read more]

Can you give some details on what diet changes you have tried, in addition to what current diet is?

When I hear of rabbits with chronic GI/poop issues, megacolon is my first thought: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Megacolon#Symptoms
— There is a genetic component in many cases, so if your rabbit is an English spot with not that many spots, that can…[Read more]

What were the old pellets you were feeding and what pellets are you transitioning too?

If diarrhea is still occurring a few days into the new pellets, yes, I would stop giving them. Please note that true diarrhea in rabbits is considered a medical emergency: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit_poop#Diarrhea … Can you get a hold of some of the…[Read more]

Okay – I’ll make sure not to add anything new.

There has been some mutual grooming since the fight, and they seem to want to be close to each other still, so I think I’ll keep going unless they start seeming cranky with each other.

Thanks for all the help!!

I’d say since they are not consistent in their positive interactions (ex. Boxing), it’s not surprising that object/hideys may still trigger some territorial aggression. Depending on the severity of the fight, it might be good to take a one day break to let tensions die down. I would also remove some of those objects from the space and not add a…[Read more]

Oh and thanks Dana – just saw your most recent reply. They were together 7 hours yesterday and I’m going to go for 8 hours today. It does seem like it’s helping but these occasional fights are freaking me out.

So this morning – I brought them out at 9 to the same spot they were in yesterday – lots of space, piles of hay, their neutral toys…

There was about 10-15 min of mutual grooming right away – I was really encouraged.

Then about 20 min in, they both started hopping around, and both tried to go under a box lid I had leaned against the wall (I d…[Read more]

I’m sorry about the Syphilis, I hope he got over it okay. Sounds like you’re correct and the breeder just isn’t trustworthy. It’s easy to end up accidentally doing business with an unethical breeder even though you did your research. Don’t feel bad though, at least now you have two adorable buns that you got out of a bad situation. 🙂

I love your language around “curbing” chewing, rather than trying to eliminate it or reduce it– I like to view it as rabbits have 100% chew energy and we cannot decrease that 100%; only redirect it. Spaying/Neutering is likely the only thing that might decrease the overall “capacity”, but ultimately it’s still 100% and it needs to go towards…[Read more]

I agree with Wick that some more advanced imaging might be informative. I also wouldn’t rule out the possibility that his teeth were to blame, some bunnies are really sensitive to even tiny molar spurs. Although with regular critical care it is concerning that he’s still been losing weight.

If you have it available, you might also offer fresh…[Read more]

It’s very encouraging that you are starting to see grooming from both sides and relaxing near each other! It really sounds like they are getting there, and are just working out some final details of their relationship. Fighting in the beginning of sessions is more encouraging than at the end, because it usually indicates they are just getting a…[Read more]

Spaying should help some with this behavior, but it might not eliminate it completely. You might also notice it gets worse before it gets better after spaying, as some buns go through a “post spay craze” while their hormones settle.

For chewing and digging, you’ll have to experiment with a combo of blocking access to problem spots, and providing…[Read more]