Phamtom Pregnancy???

[Alibear]

Hi guys,

I haven’t been around for a while, no internet access – believe it or not rats chewed through our phone line… I hope you and your bunnies are all well.

I am wondering, do rabbits have phantom pregnancies? My honey bunny has dug a hole in her hay and there is a huge bunch of fur in the hole. Do rabbits do this when nesting?

My girl can’t be pregnant, she has not been near any other rabbits since the day I got her, she should be about 5 mths old now.

What do I do? Is she ok?

 PS. Sorry not sure if this has any relevance but she has become really naughty. She charges at you and bites you and often makes funny noises. I have had her to the vet since this (not the nesting bit) and they say she is not sick or hurting? I thought she might be hard of seeing as it is worse at night when I go to her hutch.

[Sarita]

Sounds like hormones – it’s probably time for her to be spayed.

[Beka27]

Meadow was about 5-6 months when she became very hormonal, with nipping and charging and such.  she never nested tho.  she was spayed 3 days ago and she is already immensely calmer…

[Scarlet_Rose]

I agree with the others, definately hormones.  Bunnies have a hard time seeing at night and can or will over react if you come upon them.  They need a little light to be able to see well, just like us humans.  A night light may help a little, but seeing how she is nesting and hormonal she could be protecting her "nest" thence the charging and biting.  If you talk to her, does it help?  You might want to try placing your hand on top of her head and lowering it to the ground (softly) not just to prevent being bitten (you can use a glove for this) but to try and get her to calm down so she knows you aren’t there to muck with her.

[Alibear]

Oh guys thank you so much – you have made me feel so much better.

I will speak to my vet and see if he thinks it is a good idea to have her desexed now or wait a bit.

My partner is a dog trainer and he thinks on top of the hormone thing that she is being dominant over me. She used to be so sweet and innocent and now she has gone crazy, so thanks SR, I will try what you have said and lower her head etc.

I have scratches all over me from her chucking her nah nah’s and I have bite marks also so I think a glove is in order.

I feel really bad for that she thinks she is going to have babies but she really isn’t – will she be sad when she realises she won’t be?

[wendyzski]

Now you know firsthand why so many buns are dumped at shelters or outside when they hit puberty!  She’s going to be all crazy for a while (though the extreme phantom pregnancy symptoms will subside in a while,  They will happen again and again until she is spayed though.  The territorial behavior (charging, lunging, nipping) will also continue until she is spayed – she is trying to carve out a safe territory to have her babies in.

That’s what happened to my Pepper.  She was found by ACC in a park and her intake report described her as "very hormonal".  But once she was spayed she was apparently fine, and while she will never be a cuddle-bun, she is fairly calm, inquisitive, friendly, and very good with her litterbox.

[Spacehopper]

Hehehe Bean has been nesting this last week (her 2nd time), WHERE she’s picking all her fur out from i’ve no idea as shes still just a huge ball of fluffy stuff! No babies tho.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Ali you are welcome.  I hate to hear how miserable you are, especially with the scratches and bites.  Isn’t is funny how a dog trainer can telll about things with bunnies too? She could very well be starting a dominance thing too so the putting your hand on top of the head and gently pressing down should help with that. A spay would most definately help too.  It’s a sad thing when the bunny starts out very sweet and "goes hormonal" and turns into a nightmarish little fur demon. But with a little fixing from the vet, it generally tames them back down again and they’ll mellow out.  Let us know what the vet says! If you get the nod for a spay, be sure to post here for advice and any jitters you might have before hand and also afterwards for post-op care.  Lots of fabulous members here (Too many to count!) have been through it, especially recently so I am sure they would be more than happy to give you a few hints, tips and a shoulder to lean on.

[Alibear]

Thank you so much everyone. I do feel better that you seem to think it is her hormones.

I love her so much and just wish she loved me and wasn’t so ferrell.

I have contacted my vet and they said that she is old enough to desex and I have her booked in for this Friday. Now I’m a complete mess, what do I have to do for her? I’m worried she will chew out her stiches and hurt herself or make herself sick.

[Gravehearted]

hey Alibear,

Glad to hear you have her booked in for the spay on Friday. From the false pregnancy and bratty behavior she’s been showing, it sure sounds like it’s time. The good news is about a month or two post spay she should be a lot less aggressive. In my opinion, I think the hormones just kinda make them crazy and I think most bunnies are much happier after they’ve been fixed.

Now – with regards to aftercare…
Spays are invasive and it can take several days for a bunny to be feeling better and recovery can take up to a week. You’ll want her to lay low for a few days, which likely will mean keeping her in her cage or limited out time.

Most bunnies don’t pull their stitches, but of course you’ll want to keep an eye on her and check her incision.
She’s likely to be kind out of it the day you bring her home. You’ll want to clean her cage before she goes and it can be good to add something very soft to lay on like a faux sheepskin. I like to start with a clean litterbox so i can see if the bunny is going potty. If her house is multi-level you should likely block off from her jumping up for the first few days.

You may want to ask the vet about prescribing metacam or another pain med since seems to help bunnies with recovery. Since bunnies in pain don’t want to eat, the metacam often helps. Vets have different philosophies on pain management though, and some will give you meds, but others prefer to wait if there’s a problem. If she’s is reluctant to eat after surgery, offer a favorite treat. She will recover more quickly if the GI tract gets back up and running as soon as possible after a surgery. She might snub her pellets or hay – but scenty herbs like basil, parsley, dill or kale are likely to be appealing to her.

It’s pretty likely she’ll have no interest in eating the day of the surgery. Since you’re going in on a Friday, make sure to ask them what to do if she’s not eating 24 hours post surgery, since the vet is not likely to be open. They likely recommend a method of force feeding, but hopefully it won’t come to that – but they might be able to send you home with a large sized syringe for feeding just in case.

I really hope everything will go well with her surgery and recovery.

[Alibear]

Oh thank you so much for that repsonse. That is very very helpful.

I have not long picked Honey up, she is quiet but doing well. I have left her in her little carry container, I don’t want to pick her up and hurt her or anything tonight.

The vet did not give me any medication but she seems ok.

They said not to feed her tonight, just give her water. To watch she doesn’t chew her stiches. Its ok if there is some swelling but not to much and if she doesn’t eat tomorrow or gets depressed to call them, other then that to just take her back in 10 days to remove the stiches and to check her out.

I will make sure her hutch is clean and fresth hay etc in there before I put her back in there in the morning.

She looks so sad, I feel bad for her, but hopefully she is going to be ok, and be a better rabbit for it in the end.

Thank you to everyone for your advice, you are all very wonderful here and make novice rabbit owners feel much better when they are not feeling very confident – thank you.

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Not feed her??? Oh my goodness that is not right at all.  You want her to eat as soon as she can to get her GI tract moving.  I am so glad that she seems to be doing well overall though.

[MsBinky]

You could hold off on the pellets if you want but do not hold back on the hay. Watch for signs of pain because it can cause her to go into stasis. If she hides, grinds her teeth etc. she is in a lot of pain. You might want to keep her comfy and warm. Wiggles really enjoyed the heat.  I had a blanket fresh from the dryer.

[BinkyBunny]

I also am shocked by their advice to  "not feed her"    That is such a big no no. I sure hope they didn’t have you fast her prior to surgeyr. She SHOULD eat. Why did they say not to feed her? The only reason I can possibly think they would say that is they were afraid of her vomiting , which is normal reaction for cats and dogs, but with rabbits that won’t happen. Please see http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html#pre-post-care and scroll down to post care.

I usually would never advise against vet advice, (and ultimately you have to follow your own gut and do what you think is best) but from my experience and education regarding this, restricting food is dangerous for rabbits before and after surgery.   They have a digestive system that should be always moving, and the faster you get it going the better.

[Alibear]

Thanks guys.

I have given her some lettuce and celery and she is eating that fine. I haven’t given her a whole lot but she is eating. She isn’t moving around to much but she seems ok not to bad really. A bit slower and not so energetic but i THINK she is ok.

Thank you soooo much for all your help I really appreciate it.

[MooBunnay]

It is great that she has started to eat a little something. That is a good sign that she is on the road to recovery Also be on the lookout for poops in her litterbox because that will be the other sign that her GI tract is moving along normally. Has she eaten any hay or pellets yet? You can also try to offer her some more veggies, and make sure to keep a lot of water on them after you wash them because that will help get her rehydrated.

[BinkyBunny]

It’s normal that she is low key right now, and it’s a good sign that she’s eating. Keep us updated.

[Alibear]

Hi Guys,

Well I am pleased to say, even though it has only been 10 days since Honey’s surgery, she has come a LONG way!

She is much more comfortable with me already!!! I’m very pleased. I know there is quite a way to go yet but we are certainly on the right track.

She was GREAT with her stiches and didn’t pull at them at all (well as much as I could tell anyway) and I’m off to the vet tomorrow night to have her checked up post surgery!

Thank you to everyone here that made me feel so much better during this time. I was really scared for my girl and really worried the sweet little thing wouldnt’ come back, but now I’m really confident I will have her old self back really soon 🙂

Thanks again guys

Alison

[babybunsmum]

i’ve been reading this thread & i’m so glad your bun is doing so well!  i know how stressful your situation can be… glad you hung in there

[Gravehearted]

I am so glad to hear she’s making such a good recovery and has started to become more comfortable with you. It must be such a joy to see your sweetheart coming back.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Awww wonderful!!! Yeah!!!

[BinkyBunny]

Such good news! That’s great. Keep us updated with the progress.

[Alibear]

Well, I took her back to the vet to have the stiches out.

She just laid there perfectly still, didn’t carry on at all. The cut has healed very very well and she has been given the all ok!!!!

I am so happy for her, but… I did notice she was still nesting (not pulling out her fur but making like a burrow type hole in her hutch with the hay) I’m sure that will stop, but even if it doesn’t, its not bad is it?

I really need to get some new pics of her to show you how much she has grown! The vet doesn’t know for sure is a dwarf or not as she is quite big 🙂

[babybunsmum]

what a good girl!  great news that all is well.  not sure about the burrowing… maybe it takes a while to taper away?  hopefully some one will have some insight for you.  cheers!

[Scarlet_Rose]

That’s great news! What a sweetie-pie and a great patient! I’m so glad we could help be your support system and glad you found this site!

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