RE: Moving rabbits outdoors

[vanessa]

Not trying to criticize you in any way…These are just things I didn’t fully understand untill I experienced them.

I want to add something about flystrike – since I’ve seen it more than once. Checking your bunnies for flystrike – means feeling them all over every single day for lumps. You can’t afford to skip a day. Once you find the lump and see the breathig hold in it, get the bunny to the vet ASAP. Also checking their fur very closely for pinholes, which are tell-tale signs of maggots that have eaten their way into the skin through the fur. Keeping their litter boxes and butts clean is important, but even clean bunnies can get flystrike, because the flies are attracted to the rabbit itself – not necessarily the poop. Although poop/pee will most definitely alert the flies to the bunnie’s presence. They know they are there regardless. They can lay eggs on or in the vicinity of rabbits. The maggots look for the rabbits, crawl their way over, and eat into their flesh. It is a painful condition as the growing maggot feeds off the bunny untill it is fully grown, almost an inch long, and it lays eggs inside the rabbit. The eggs hatch, and the maggots continue their life. It is disgusting and painful. It is considered an emergency condition. Rabbits can go into shock and die quickly. The wound site typically gets infected, so the rabbit would need antibiotics. I thought I could just keep an eye out for it. I checked my rabbits a few times a week, (not enough), used all sorts of natural flie repellants, used Beaphar, but once you have experienced it – you won’t want to just watch out for it. You’t want it to never happen again. There is no way to prevent it with outdoor bunnies. Only luck if your rabbits don’t get it, and then treating it if your rabbits do get it.

No criticism. Just things I wish I had understood myself. I also don’t think it is neccesarily cruel to keep rabbits outdoors. My rabbits had their hutches, and the entire front yard to run around in. They weren’t cramped or dirty, and they ran and binkied. So they were happy. But I couldn’t keep them healthy and safe outside. So I think it is dangerous to keep rabbits outside. Not trying to get a debate going here either – just my 2 cents, having been on both sides. You obviousely care about your rabbits, or you wouldn’t have asked about the best temp to move them outside.