What do i do with my bunnies when im gone for a week?

[Cocoa]

I will be gone all week for spring break. My older brother is pet sitting but is allergic to bunnies. He can take care of them he just cant touch them. Everyone else i called is out of town. A week before i leave they are being spayed. What should i do? We aren’t able to cancel the trip.

[Nutmeg]

Just a few thoughts –

1. Can you re-schedule their Spay with the vet? I’m only worried about the recovery period after. A spay is way more invasive than a neuter.

2. Can you brother at least feed / top up the water / top up the hay and check on them daily? – My mom is highly allergic, but when I was gone for a long weekend she came over to do the above and to let her out of her cage for excersize – she would just go watch tv or something while she was playing for a few hours.

[Deleted User]

I agree with Nutmeg. You’ll want to reschedule your spay. Spays are a very invasive procedure and the girls will need to be checked daily for at least two weeks for infections and to keep an eye on their GI tract. A lot of bunnies can go into GI stasis following a spay or neuter, so those first 2 weeks are very crucial.

Could you get the breeder to watch them? I know my breeder and several breeders in my area will watch bunnies for $15 a day. Since they know bunny care, they’d be able to make sure they get their exercise and get the proper nutrition, and even keep an eye on them post spay.

[Cocoa]

The breeder lives an hour away and they hate car rides. My brother can feed water and give them hay. The cage has legs built onto it so he cant just open the door and let them loose. They are outdoor bunnies so it has to be raised up to keep them safe. We can try to reschedule but that was the only available time for a while. That is the best rabbit vet we could find and the prices are affordable. Because of where i live there isn’t many people who have bunnies.

[Deleted User]

The big thing after a spay is medicine. Some bunnies are on medicines for 2-3 weeks following a spay/neuter. Will your brother be able to give the medicines and check the spay sights at least twice a day? I really can’t stress how important those things are for your brother to do if he’s the one watching them. I know he’s allergic, but those will have to be done. Not having them out for exercise during the first week after spaying is fine because they will need to be careful of their surgical sites to not open, but after that they really will need to be let out to exercise again to stretch their legs and for their mental health.

[sarahthegemini]

If they recover quickly from being spayed, you could leave them but of course if complications occur then you can’t. You won’t know what their recovery will be like til you have it done so I’d reschedule tbh.

You really need to sort their housing out – if your brother can’t touch them, and the cage is raised, how are they going to get free time out of their cage? This is crucial. They can’t go a week w/o being out. Could you make an enclosed ramp that they could use to get out of the cage and surround it with a large secure pen?

[Cocoa]

That’s what ive tried to tell my parents, i know they cant be in their cage for a week. Im worried about the bunnies digging under the pen and getting lose if i do that. We also have hawks sometimes. The bunnies are separated until they are spayed so we would have to work out two housing situations. There is now a chance i can stay home. I could take care of them and if there are any issues my brother can drive me to the vet. Would that work? i may not be able to stay but there is a chance

[Deleted User]

Assuming they let you stay, yes that would be the ideal situation.

[Cocoa]

okay thanks

[sarahthegemini]

That would work but I’d still advise altering their housing to make things easier for you and them in the future

[Cocoa]

I have to go on the trip. My oldest brother will take care of them.

[Cocoa]

We are moving in 1 month so the housing for them will be adjusted then

[Sirius&Luna]

Perhaps you can start involving your brother in their care now, so he learns what is normal for them before you go

[Deleted User]

Like I said before, be absolutely sure he will check the spay sites at least twice a day, give any medicine if needed, and let them out for at least 2 hours each to exercise. You should make up a bunny care sheet for him, as the first two weeks after a spay can be rough for the buns. You should definitely list out the warning signs of GI stasis, so that he can get them to a vet asap if needed.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Cocoa on 2/28/2018 10:24 AM

We are moving in 1 month so the housing for them will be adjusted then

Okay that’s good Definitely make sure you write everything down for your brother. Even things that might seem obvious to us bunny people. And be very specific!

[Cocoa]

He is coming over first before i leave so he can meet them and they can get used to him. I will leave instructions for him as well. I will also make baggies of food and veggies for each day. I will leave a phone number for a nearby vet just incase.

[Cocoa]

Is there any other suggestions for what i should tell him? Is there any extra info he needs?

[sarahthegemini]

Erm, I would leave details on what is normal behaviour for them, what sort of times they are usually active, what their poops look like normally, how much water on average they drink, how much hay they usually get through per day, how enthusiastic they are about pellets etc.

[Deleted User]

Agree with Sarah. You should write down the routine you have for them, and modify it for him if time is an issue. You’ll want to also write down how much pellets, greens, hay, and water they get a day. Write down how much exercise, their typical behaviors, sleep time, play time. Write down normal appetite levels, normal amounts of poop and pee. Write essential stuff that your vet gives you for post-op care, and write down the warning signs of potential stasis. Also, write down your vet’s name, number, and address in case of an emergency. Basically be super detailed.

Complete side note: but make sure your vet gives you pain meds for after the spay. Some vets don’t do it, but it will help your girls so much to have those. So ask if they don’t give.

[Cocoa]

Okay The spay will be rescheduled for when i am home. What are some of the warning signs of stasis? I don’t know what the warning signs are but i know the normal behavior for my bunnies.

[Deleted User]

Lethargy, not enthusiastic about food, not eating or pooping for more than 12 hours, tiny poops

[Cocoa]

Okay thanks!

[Author]

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