my bb bit me!

[vaneza]

ok, I’m not mad, just surprised…

He was sick almost all week, he’s getting so much better now, and I’m so happy about that, he was going to get neutered on wed. but since he wasn’t feeling well, I decided to do it this week instead…

but this whole weekend, he was aggressive! loving most of the time, and all of a sudden, he would chase my hand like it was prey! specially while i was picking up poop he was leaving on the floor (i’m still working on litter training, almost there) at first I thought he was being possesive of his droppings, and since I’ve had him for a while with no incidents, I thought maybe he just wants to smell it, so I got it close to him and he took a really big bite!! now when i’m on the couch, he’ll jump on me and "dig" on my arm or take a small bite and run…

what do I do????

[MooBunnay]

Hi!

Well, conerning the pickin up his poops, my bunnies do the exact same thing when I start moving their poops around and back into their box.  I am not sure exactly WHY they do that, but my BF’s bunnies are the same as well.  My little boy Raymond always give me a grunt and lunge when I pick up his poops to put them in his box.  The best way to deal with this is just pet your bun on the head when you are picking up stuff around him.  That way he is distracted by the petting, and your hand is on his head so he won’t lunge!

Also, the digging at your arm, and little nips I think are actually a sign of affection…correct me if I’m wrong someone…but my little boy does this to his girlfriend all the time when they are snuggling, and especially if he wants to play with her.  He will give a little dig and her side, and then give a little nip, and then they will usually play chase around the cage, and then stop after a couple minutes and he will give her kisses, and then they fall asleep next to each other, so I think this is not agression, but him trying to give you a little groom!

[Gravehearted]

da da da… welcome to bunny puberty!

How old is your bun? well – if he’s recently hit bunny teenage puberty, that could certainly be part of why you’re seeing aggression and biting. Bunnies can get very territorial at puberty, which it sounds like what you’re seeing. Intact male buns can be aggressive toward people if they feel their territory is too crowded.

Also, if he was sick last week was he poked and prodded a lot? Did you have to give him meds and pick him up a bunch? It could be that’s he’s defensive or angry about that too.

Sorry about the bite – ouchies! Once he’s neutered he should calm down alot.

[poopy]

Yes, and often when you are putting your hands down, they hope you are offering food. Medusa will give me a nip if I’m not fast enough. She stops though once she realizes its my hand and there’s no food.

[vaneza]

well, I hope he stops it, i don’t think it’s the food thing, he had done that before, this time, it’s pure agression. I agree with gravehearted though, it’s probably puberty, I made arrangements to have him neutered tomorrow…

but isn’t that a little cruel?? I mean, before, i use to think that they all should get neutered, now i’m concerned about how much it’s going to hurt, or if he’s going to get depressed…

[vaneza]

he’s about 4 months old btw, born 01/19/07

[Deleted User]

Neuturing or spaying your bunnies is not cruel … may seem so but really its better to get them done if you intend to keep your bunny inside. It will calm him down and make him a much nicer bunny … he will be healthier and live longer than unspayed bunnies. If you decide to get your bun fixed he may be uncomfortable for a few days and in some cases the vet will give your meds/pain relief to administer to your bun.

I’ve also read that they make better companions and are less prone to destructive (chewing, digging) and aggressive (biting, lunging, circling, growling) behavior after their surgery.

Unspayed male rabbits can spray, and both males and females are much easier to litter train, and much more reliably trained, after they have been fixed. But in my case with Sprinkles (she has been spayed)I have had such difficulties with littertraining her but she has shown no signs of aggressiveness during the time I have had her. All bunnies have different behaviours of course and some are much easier to train than others.

[poopy]

Yes, just get him neutered! San Diego residents are eligble for a neuter rebate by the way

[vaneza]

hey, thanks for the rebate tip,

I actually just dropped him off at the neuter scooter, wich is a program that lets you neuter your pet for a less money… I found it at rabbit.org, he was looking at me, almost begging me to take him home

I have to pick him up today at 1:30, I’m a little scared for him, this morning, he was following me everywhere, he waited patiantly next to the shower til i got out, chases me around when i’m brushing my teeth, changing, all that stuff…

such a good bunny, I love him so much

[Gravehearted]

Hi Vaneza,

Go you, being proactive and getting him in so quickly! I will second what Dawn said – neutering bunnies is not cruel. He will be happier, healtheir and less aggressive. Sending good thoughts and please let us know how his neuter goes.

Here are some tips for post neuter care:

A neuter will make your bunny sore for a day or two. Keep your rabbit quiet for a few days after surgery and it’s a good idea to let him rest in his house. I’d add a few soft towels to help him be comfy.

Be sure to gently check the sutures for a day or two after surgery to be sure the bunny isn’t chewing them, and to check for unusual redness, swelling or signs of infection. If you see any sign of problems, the bunny should be taken back to the vet immediately.

If your bunny is reluctant to eat after surgery, offer a favorite treat. He will recover more quickly if the GI tract gets back up and running as soon as possible after a surgery. Fragrant herbs, such as basil, parsley, dill and mint seem to appeal to a bunny recovering from surgery. Offer your rabbit a bowl of water, even if a water bottle is usually used, since keeping hydrated is very important with recovery. If your rabbit hasn’t eaten ANYTHING within 24 hours of surgery, call your vet.

[BinkyBunny]

Hi Vaneza, I was just coming by the board to post well wishes as I know you said in another post you were going to have him neutered sometime this week. 

I know you feel in way that surgery can be cruel. (and I commend you for going ahead with it anyway!) Domestic bunnies don’t need those territorial hormones since they live in a safe loving home.  The hormones can drive him to do things that may frustrate him and make his life chaotic. His wild cousins need those hormones to survive, to defend, to mate, to flee, to fight.  But without those threats, he is basically just shadow boxing.   He will become a happier more calm bunny when he no longer feels the threats and the need to mate.   So, if anything, in my opinion, neutering can create a happier healthier life for a domestic bunny.

The fact he is following you around already is actually surprising!  Males usually do heal faster than females, but wow!  Make sure to keep him from jumping and running too much for the first week.

FYI: t may take up to 6 weeks for his hormones to die down.

You’ve gotten great advice and check out the link about post surgery.  Everything will be fine, just be sure he is eating and pooping.

I am sending speedy healing vibes your his way!

 

 

[vaneza]

well, first off, he was following me this morning, right before he was neutered…

thank you everyone for your thoughts, but there’s a twist…

I picked him up, I was so nervous and wondering if everything was fine, I drove home, dropped him off, gave him kisses…

I got back to work and now that I’m looking at the paper work, it says, “to the brown, grey and black female” WHAT!!!!!????? I don’t know if it’s a typo, or what, but I might’ve had a girl as a roommie this whole time!!!!

[vaneza]

I can’t get in touch with them, (neuter scooter) but I’ll keep trying to see if he/she is a he or she

[Gravehearted]

you know, it’s very common for young bunnies to be improperly sexed. it happens quite often that people are surprised to discover their little boy is a lil girl. it’s actually especially important for girl bunnies to be spayed, since there’s a frighteningly high rate of uterine cancer in unspayed females. keep us updated on your bun 🙂

[vaneza]

Ok, I couldn’t get a hold of the people from the neuter scooter… and since they’re volunteers, I’m guessing it won’t be the same people next Tuesday…

anyway, my baby has two purpley incisions on the lower abdomen, does anyone know if it’s a spay or neuter?

[Hedi]

So you still ended up not finding out what sex your bun is?

How old is your bun, do you know?

I have a male and his "who-who-dilly" is out quite a bit so its very obvious he is a boy. If  you do have a boy his surgery will be in the scrotal area. But will still have small sutures.

My girls both had incisions from mid belly all the way down with sutures. They had shaved bellies and huge incision lines. A boy wont have those.

 Either way do you have a bunny savvy vet yet for your bun? You should find one from the rabbit.org site and schedule a follow up appt in the next 7-10 days. Just to make sure your bun is healing properly. But if you have problems, like not eating, tooth grinding from pain, then you will need to go in immediately for treatment. They can give pain meds for pain. But when you take your bun to your vet you can find out from then (if you dont find out sooner) what sex your bun is.

Does that help?

[Gravehearted]

well two small incisions that are by the genitalia indicates neuter. spays are usually one larger incision as  Hedi mentioned.  most vets charge a lot more for spay, since it’s a much more invasive procedure. i would think since you went to the neuter scooter though, the prices may be the same?

ps what’s your bun’s name?

how’s his recovery going?

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Hedi on 05/23/2007 8:08 PM

I have a male and his "who-who-dilly" is out quite a bit so its very obvious he is a boy. If  you do have a boy his surgery will be in the scrotal area. But will still have small sutures.

 

"His who-who-dilly"? HAHAHAHA!  LOL.  Now that’s a new one!

[Hedi]

lol

Well, "who-who-dilly" sounds better than it looks on paper.

I am almost 30yo and have been a nurse for several years but i still cant say that word! I think its from working on an orthopedic unit straight out of nursing school and all of these old men wanting to show off what they had-permenantly scarred me for life! lol

BUT…you knew what I meant so it does work!

 

[vaneza]

well, i guess it was just a typo! it’s a boy!!!

that was cool though, his name is Cortes, he is adorable and I love him

yesterday, he seemed to be a little upset at me, i heard a thump or two when I got close to him, but then he got close to me looking for treats, by the end of the night, he was giving me kisses on my nose and cheek…

thanks everyone for your help

[Gravehearted]

ya for Cortes not having to change his name to Cortessa, he he
glad he seems to be revcovering well and getting over being upset with you. it’s sad to admit but there’s nothing like treat bribery to melt a bun’s heart.

[vaneza]

he seems to feel better now…

Thank you everyone, I am so happy i found this site!! thanks gravehearted, dawn, heidi, binkybunny, poopy and Moobunnay!!

152462075671.jpg

[Hedi]

Cortes is adorable! You are very welcome. Trust me, no matter how much you research there is still so much to learn! And you will be amazed at what your bun teaches YOU.

[Gravehearted]

what a cutie! so glad he’s feeling better…

[Author]

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