some casual questions!

[dove]

Hey, didn’t feel like this fit anywhere else because it’s not a matter of urgency, more a discussion.

Firstly, do female rabbits who get spayed young get dewlaps? Since it’s related to SSC which they wouldn’t have the hormones for if they’re spayed before they have it?

I had an unspayed female as a kid, and she never ended up getting hers for some reason.

Next, what’s the very latest you should spay? We got Panini under the impression that there’s a vet in town who sees rabbits. There is. But when we called, she says she only does rabbit neuters. Now, I know it’s an entirely different process, but jeez, I’m not sure I’d trust someone who couldn’t spay a rabbit to neuter mine. Like I said, I know they’re very different, but if you can’t do one… maybe don’t do the other. Yikes. Anyways, we’re on the lookout for vets in other towns that are semi nearby who will spay.

What’s the best way to say no? To like, tell her to stop doing something? Usually I just say “no” in a calm but louder voice to get her attention so that she stops, but if there’s a better way, I’d like to hear it!

Lastly, this one is directed at Panini… when she moves, sometimes she’ll go SO fast. Not talking about binkies, but gosh! She’ll just zoom around the room. As I typed this, just watched her binky lol. But yeah, she just goes really fast, is this an excitement thing or a fear thing? I don’t think it’s fear. In fact, earlier when I came to open her enclosure, she met me at her door! Of course immediately sat where I was going to sit.

(also, she JUST let me pet her for a second! So hyped)

[Louiethebunny]

I’m not sure about the dew laps, however, you should stay as soon as possible. Female rabbits have an extremely high cancer risk if unspayed. Female rabbits might have false pregnancies if unspayed which might cause a dewlap, but I’m not sure. To tell my rabbits no, I say a loud NO, and try o redirect them to a different activity. She’s probably just excited, unless she is clearly running away from you or something else, it’s probably just her doing her zoomies.

[dove]

Well, now she’s pouting because I said she couldn’t eat carpet. How dare I!

[Louiethebunny]

I don’t have carpet, but my rabbits like to dig at certain corners of their xpen mats, so I just plop a ceramic tile and they stop digging AND get a cool spot to chill out on when it’s warm.

[HipHopBunny]

I second getting spayed as soon as possible, false pregnancies are NOT fun, I’ve been there and done that. 🙄 I think right now though, she is too young to be spayed, so you still have a while yet.

One way too show that behavior is undesirable is to give them a little spray from a squirt bottle, but since she’s young and so full of energy, I don’t think she would get that what she is doing is wrong.

Another way to get buns to stop digging or chewing is to put down lots of toys, so the carpet seems dull compared to the other fun options open to her. The spots where she likes chewing the most, you could put down cardboard boxes, or tiles to cover up the spot. You’re right, how dare you tell the queen of your house no! 😛 😆

Woo-hoo on petting her! You gave her a nice long one for me too, right? 😛

Wising calm energy your way! 😉

[dove]

Of course I did!! She did let me know when she was done lol. I also got her to eat pellets out of my hand!! What a good girl! I’m sooo happy with how good she’s doing. N we do have more toys on the way (:

[HipHopBunny]

Sounds like you’re making good progress. 🙂 I’m so happy for you! Of course, I would be happier is you’d post pictures… 😛

[DanaNM]

Regarding spaying, ideally under a year or a year and a half. The rates of cancer start getting really high when you get to about 3 years old. It’s actually pretty common to find vets that only neuter. The neuter surgery is WAY less invasive, whereas spaying is pretty invasive (having to open the abdominal cavity and remove the ovaries and uterus). That said, it’s important to find a vet who is very confident and comfortable with rabbits to do either procedure. Most vets like to spay between 4-6 months, depending on how big the rabbit is and what they prefer.

I’ve been hearing more and more that the dewlap in females is sometimes more related to being overweight than spay status, and it seems to vary a lot by breed.

Young rabbits love to zoom around! They have so much energy!

As for saying “no”, it’s best to redirect her towards something better (such as an appropriate toy), and block access to the problem spot. I will also occasionally use a light spritz of water if the bun is obsessing over something (like a corner of carpet), but this is more to distract them than a training method. A loud clap is also usually enough to distract them if you really need them to stop what they are doing immediately, like if they are in danger of some sort.

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LBJ10]

A dewlap can develop in spayed females, although they tend to be less pronounced.

I agree with Dana. You can say “no” and then redirect her. Rabbits can learn what it means… but that doesn’t mean they will always listen, particularly if they think you’re not serious (i.e. not attempting to move toward them). Redirection is a long process, but it teaches them what is acceptable to dig, chew, etc.

[dove]

@HipHopBunny i’d love to post pics but it won’t let me put them in replies unfortunately…. so many cute ones though! like when she hopped up into my lap or when she was doing a flop…

[HipHopBunny]

@dove

Hmm, you have posted pics of her before? Is this something that has popped up recently not allowing you to? Adding them in your profile, clicking add media, etc? Maybe you could contact a forum leader and ask? I’m not the savviest with pic posting, but I manage somehow. Hopefully, you figure it out, for that bunny is darn cute and I can’t get enough of all of those cute buns on here! 😛

Wishing you luck! 🙂

[dove]

Yeah, it’s recent! I’ll make sure to post them asap. She’s been so good! Trying to steal from salads, though….. rude lady! Definitely good with pets now though!

[Bam]

Please DM me if you cant add pics, I can post them for you if nothing else works.

Currently pics need to be added to your profile images. Once they are there, you can go to the forum post where you want them to show, edit your post and and insert the pics via Add Media. You can then remove them from your profile, if you want to. This works for mobile units (phones and tablets).

[dove]

oooh thank you!

[Author]

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