Post op bonding problem?

[Bunnylove]

Hi,
My rabbit had a big op yesterday. She stayed in the vets overnight with her bonded partner who stayed in the same cage as her before and after her op and all the way home.

She has an open abscess on her face. They both live indoors and have free roam but I’ve restricted them to upstairs only. I could hear them running around so decided to get up and sleep on the floor next to her. About ten minutes later her bonded partner comes into the room and bowed his head next to hers then smelt her abscess. Next thing I knew they were running off at high speeds into the other room. I got a bit of a fright as i wasn’t sure if he tried to chase her or if they were playing. I’ve locked him in a room and I’m lying on the floor next to her. I have to work in the morning but scared of leaving them together. Does it sound like the bond may be broken? Or could it be playing? Sorry I’m so tired it’s a vague one it’s 4am! Appreciate any help. Thank you

[vanessa]

It doesn’t sound like a fight. What operation did she have? Oneof my bunnies had a open wound on her back from removing a huge warble. Her bonded pal was constantly licking the area. I was conerned that it would slow the healing, but I left them together because I was afraid of breaking their bond. It is a tough choice. You wan tto keep them together because of the bond, but youdon’t want the healthy bun to impede the healing of the other bun. This one mught be best ef tup to yoru judgement. How are they doing? Are they still looking cofortable with eachother in the morning? Bowing the head is a good sign.

[vanessa]

It doesn’t sound like a fight. What operation did she have? Oneof my bunnies had a open wound on her back from removing a huge warble. Her bonded pal was constantly licking the area. I was conerned that it would slow the healing, but I left them together because I was afraid of breaking their bond. It is a tough choice. You wan tto keep them together because of the bond, but youdon’t want the healthy bun to impede the healing of the other bun. This one mught be best ef tup to yoru judgement. How are they doing? Are they still looking cofortable with eachother in the morning? Bowing the head is a good sign.

[Mikey]

I think it could be that he kept licking it trying to make it better, but it could have been hurting her. Do you know what caused the abscess? Did the vet check it out?

[Bunnylove]

I took her to a specialist exotic as she had an abscess in her nasal cavity. It seems as though every time he goes near her a chase ensures. I think she might be starting it. Really not sure what to do. Her face is open bless her there’s a huge hole in her face

[Bunnylove]

I think she can’t be bothered with him being around her perhaps. She seems lethargic then as soon as he’s near her she chases him

[Bunnylove]

Any idea what to do please

[vanessa]

Perhaps keep her in a cage so she can sit still and heal for a few days, but keep the cage in the same room as him so they can still see eachother. She may be in some pain and doesn’t want to be bothered by him. Many buns just want to be left alone when they are I pain.

[vanessa]

Right now, I would honestly focus on her getting better, while letting him still see her but not access her. You don’t want their separation to be too separate – but she does need to heal. That sounds like a painful condition.

[Bunnylove]

He’s just attacked her had her fur in his teeth. They’re free roaming they have a room each but are allowed to go in each other’s room to play with different toys. Think I may have to keep him locked in one room. So upsetting as she’s been through so much

[vanessa]

Shucks. Do you have a cage or a set of NIC cubes? Or a pet fence? Is there anyway they could be in the same room but fenced off? You do want to keep her separated so she can heal, but the less they see each other, the more their bond will break.

[Mikey]

Since he is already attacking her, it sounds like the bond is already on its way to be broken. It would be helpful having them in the same room in different pens, but if thats not possible, rebonding them after she is fully healed is always a great possibility, and since theyve already been bonded, bonding them again should go faster and smoother

[Bunnylove]

Thank you everyone. I could put him in a pen I have but as she’s a giant she can knock things over very easily and would probably end up getting to him. Think it may be a case of total separation as it’s stressing her out when he’s in her sight

[Vienna Blue in France]

I would go for one in a big dog cage (that’s the set up I’ve got at the moment for a non-bonded couple, Henry’s just this week had his no’balls day).
The other bun has freeroam. You could swap them round so nobun gets jealous….

It may just be stressing her out as she knows he has access to her if he wishes

I put Zou in a dog cage after her spay to limit her movements so she could heal.

If you can buy a second hand one from gumtree or wherever, then do so, it may serve again in the future (and if it doesn’t then sell it on)… or see if you can beg, borrow or (not) steal one… Hire one? From a pet shop?… there must be someone with one in a garage or spareroom who could lend it to you for a month.

Ask around – put an ad somewhere – you’d be surprised. I’ve got 3 (different sizes, different uses! !! and would be happy to lend one out.

Although he had fur in his mouth he is maybe just retaliating after she snapped at him first… ?

[vanessa]

That sounds stressful. I remember a long time ago, Morgana went through a period of being stressed at Merlin’s presence. They had both been free roaming bunnies in a camp in my front yard, and I separated them prior to spay/neuter surgeries. Morgana was stressed about being suddely in a cage while Merlin was still free, and his presence next to her cage made her squeak in stress. So I put another fence around her so he couldn’t get that close. After a few weeks I took down the fence and she was fine with him. So her stressed over him was a secondary reaction to her first stress – the cage. Perhaps your girl is stressed about him, due to her stress over her health. It might help to keep them in the same room but separately caged as discussed here, but with somethign that prevents he from being able to see him. Or maybe in two separate rooms like you were talkign about. After a few weeks, you could try Vienna Blue’s suggestion of swapping them with one in a cage at a time, in the same room.

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