Worried about taking my bunny to vet

[buttercup86]

Hello! I just adopted my bunny from the humane society a week ago. I am taking him to the vet on Friday as the shelter recommended, however he is a very scared and shy bunny. I have made so much progress with him in the last week, he lets me pet him on the floor now and he loves running around my entire apartment and binkies like crazy! I am scared it is too soon to take him to the vet as it will stress him out and he will regress back to the very scared, shy, timid rabbit he was the first couple days he was here.

Should I take him to the vet this soon or wait a couple more weeks?

Any advice would be appreciated this is my first bunny!

[Monkeybun]

I would take him in, he may be grumpy for a bit after, but he’ll be fine.

[kinggoblin]

I would take him, I had to take mine not long after getting him because he had ear mites and he was fine after. A piece of fruit made him forgive me

[LittlePuffyTail]

Agreed. My bun Olivia gets super stressed when we go to the vet but after a few hours at home, she gets over it.

[RabbitPam]

Everything is strange and not routine for him yet, so he will handle this with no more stress than he’s had so far. Vets are very used to handling bunnies as well, so the vet will be able to examine him thoroughly and reassure you both. And if he needs some treatment, it’s important to know asap.

Sometimes a bunny who is skittish around their human suddenly becomes clingy to their mama when at the vet. You may find it helps your bond a little, rather than make it worse. And yes, a treat when you are home will go a long way to make him forget the whole thing.

[tanlover14]

I definitely agree with RabbitPam. When I took my first baby boy to the vet — he clung to me like there was NO tomorrow when the vet finished with him. He snuggled next to me for the first time ever when that happened. When you take him, he may see you as the only normal, comfortable thing there and quickly cling.

And definitely treat time for his good behavior (or bad!). It’s all new to him. And you may be surprised at how happy he will be to be home after the whole process is over. Put some hay in there for the ride to and from the vet! Even if he doesn’t eat it. And maybe a towel or a favorite stuffed animal (if he has one) to cuddle with! Maybe you could get him used to one before the ride also so he has something else that is familiar around him?

[tanlover14]

Also, my other baby boy bun was so pissed after they checked him over that he dug into his towel for a good hour… I couldn’t help laughing hysterically at the anger radiating from his little body. How DARE a measly hooman touch me like that.. How Dare They…

[Elrohwen]

I’m sure he’ll be fine! If he’s settled in and become less timid in only a week, he honestly isn’t a very shy bunny. Really shy bunnies take months and months to come out of their shells, so he’s probably pretty normal and will bounce back quickly after the vet.

Going to the vet will always be stressful, so waiting a few weeks won’t make it any easier for him.

[buttercup86]

Thank you everyone for the replies! They made me feel much better! I never thought of it that way that it may help our bond and I won’t be the bad guy the vet will be lol.

[buttercup86]

So we just got back from the vet…he is very upset and not very active. I feel terrible everything was fine with his health but now I think he is emotionally scarred lol

[LittlePuffyTail]

Did he forgive you yet? No bunny likes going to the vet. Bindi has to go this morning and he will probably spend most of the rest of the day hiding in his house, mad at Momma.

[buttercup86]

Well he was doing better last night but he is not eating…I’m very worried about him.he ate his treat last night but wants nothing to do with hay or pellets

[CinnabunMom]

Never underestimate the power of a raisin.

Just leave him be for awhile. He’ll forgive you, just let him readjust to being back home. If he hasn’t eaten anything by late this morning, then you can worry. But I remember after my first vet visit with Cinnabun, she moped for several hours.

[buttercup86]

He still isn’t eating… I might call the vet…

[CinnabunMom]

How long has it been since he ate? Will he eat anything? Veggies?

[CinnabunMom]

Can you tell if he’s uncomfortable? Has he used the litter box?
You might want to go ahead and call, just to be safe. Keep us updated now!

[buttercup86]

He finally ate a couple pieces of parsley. Last night I noticed him going poo outside his litter box but I thought nothing of it because he was pretty upset about the vet. I think he just regressed a little bit…he is acting the exact same as when I first brought him home a week ago. I’m just panicking because he is my first bunny and I don’t know a lot. He is still pooping and very active…thank you for the advice! I’m going to wait a couple more hours before calling the vet and see if he finishes his usual amount of veggies.

[CinnabunMom]

Since he’s your first bun here are some things you may want to have on hand in case of emergencies. I find that bun get sick most on the weekends when our vets aren’t open. 😉

Critical Care (you can buy it from your vet)
Simethicone (infant strength, can be bought over the counter at any drug store)
An eye dropper if the Simethicone doesn’t come with one, though most do.

[RabbitPam]

How is he now? If he’s very young, you don’t want to try out new foods on him. You need him to ajust to a simple diet of greens (green leaf or romaine are easy, but never iceberg), some pellets, and unlimited hay. Don’t try any new food for him for at least a week or two. He can have treats, such as raisins or a 1/4″ slice of banana, but he will lose his appetite with just a few treats and ignore his good food. Watch for poops now, watch for pee, and see if he eats his greens.
If he still isn’t eating some by now, call your vet and let her know.

Rabbits can be moody, but a rabbit sitting like a meat loaf, grinding his teeth, is a rabbit who is ill, not upset. Always rule out a physical cause before assuming an emotion like we have. A rabbit will not hold a grudge over a day or two. And that’s rare once treats have been offered.

[buttercup86]

He is about a year and a half…he ate his greens…no poop today…just gave him pellets at his usual time and now interest. He just stays in his cage. My gut is saying something isn’t right…its just weird that all of this has happened after taking him to the vet. I’m going to see if the vet is open and call them.

[buttercup86]

Sorry I meant to say he has no interest in his pellets.

[buttercup86]

Oh may have panicked too soon…he is eating his pellets! We will see how many he eats tonight…I’m taking it very easy on him barely looking or touching him I just hope he recovers from whatever he may be going through because the vet is closed. And trust me he barely has treats…no matter what I offer in terms of treats he wants none of them! I actually have another thread on that. Thank you everyone for your replies its nice to have people to talk to who know about bunnies when I panic.

[lmais]

We all panic when we are first starting out with them! If they don’t poop for a little while that’s okay depending on the rabbit, Ruby won’t poop for a few hours during the day because she is resting/sleeping (when they don’t move a lot their little bodies don’t produce any stool). But then after her nap she’ll go and leave a big pile in her litter box (Before her I never thought I would be so happy to see poop). I usually call my vet if I haven’t seen her eat/poop in 10+ hours and she’ll give me advice on a few things to do to try to get her to do one or both, and gets me to call her back after an hour if there’s no change. She’s always given me the pointers that fixed it (or she would go to her litter box right after I get off the phone – little rascal). If you found a good and caring vet they likely won’t mind doing the same for you.

Like the others said, once he’s more used to his surroundings (it will happen) he’ll get more comfortable and adventurous… and he’ll make sure that you know when it’s time for a treat! Have you tried him with a slice of apple yet? Ruby goes NUTS.

[buttercup86]

Haha you are so right, he just pooped and I couldn’t be any happier to see poo lol. I didn’t even move when he went in his litter box. He is FINALLY out and about and acting like he did before…still hasn’t eaten much but I am feeling better about it now that he pooped. I did try apple…not interested. Honestly the only reason I want him to like a treat is to train him to go in his cage at bed time. Anyways, thank you everyone, I will continue to keep a close eye on him but I think he will be ok. If things are still weird tomorrow I am going to call the vet when they open and not hesitate like I did today (and then before I knew it they were closed).

[lmais]

One other thing, for treats keep in mind you need to try it a few times before they’ll be willing to try it. Some of the treats Ruby has discovered she only tried because she got mad that I kept offering so she grabbed it out of my hand to throw it to the side – now she’s addicted!! Keep trying him with the same treat and eventually he’ll likely try it.

[CinnabunMom]

Oh yes. We are all familiar with the happy “my bunny, who I thought was sick, finally pooped” dance. I have done it many times as I am a very paranoid bun mom and constantly check her liter box like a crazy person. glad the little one is feeling ok!

[Author]

Messages