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About Lee Meyer (Mr.)
Expertise
I have 5+ years of experience with House Rabbits, rescue groups, and working with shelter rabbits. I do educational talks about house rabbits. I advise potential adopters, supervise bunny 'dates', fundraising/educational rabbit events, and help rabbit owners with their rabbits. I will answer questions about: general behaviors, body language, housing, toys, bunny-proofing, diet, spaying/neutering issues, nail clips, preventative measures, diet, and health questions. I will not discuss: anything that deals with rabbits for fur, food, factory-style breeding, deliberate or casual breeding by pet owners, or experimentation.

My focus is solely on rabbits as loved pets. It's why I'm a House Rabbit Society member rather than an ARBA member. If you don't view your rabbit the same way you would a pet dog or cat, please ask another expert your question.

I am not a veterinarian and cannot conclusively diagnose your rabbit. My advice does not take the place of a good rabbit vet. IF YOU THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM, DON'T WAIT FOR A REPLY, GET TO A VET IMMEDIATELY!!! Sometimes what appears to be a small problem is life-threatening.

The House Rabbit Society has references on their site for vets they have researched. There are US and international links here for vets all over the world with rabbit experience: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

I recommend the following resources to all rabbit owners:

House Rabbit Society - online rabbit info (www.rabbit.org)
Book: Rabbit Health in the 21st Century 2nd Ed. by Kathy Smith
Book: House Rabbit Handbook 4th Ed. by Marinell Harriman

Experience
House Rabbit Member since 2004 Discover Your House Rabbit organizer - 2006 Rabbit Adopter since 2004 HAWS Board of Education member (rabbits) since 2005 HAWS Rabbit Volunteer since 2004

Organizations
National House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), Education Board Member for Rabbits, Friends of HAWS

Education/Credentials
BSEE, MSEE (Electrical/Computer Engineering), Marquette University

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Veterinary Medicine > Rabbits > rescued bunny

Rabbits - rescued bunny

Expert: Lee Meyer (Mr.) - 11/4/2009

Question
QUESTION: I found a lop ear, I took him to the vet, vet said he is a neutered male. Young. Not certain of age. Suspect moving owners left him behind. He humps me and he sprays, yet litter trained immediately. I have a cage, and a small run that I am borrowing from friend who had female rabbit who died of old age. He eats well and so forth, but it seems that his excitement causes him to stop eating and turn all attentions on me. How can I tell if he is a neutered male and what should I do? No one will want him this way, and he is a love. I love him!! Maybe won't find home for him, but I can't tolerate this spraying. Wanted to bring him in to my house with 2 yorkies and 9 lb cat. Cat could care less. She layed next to his cage and he sprawled out. What to do to get better behavior???? Do vets know bunnies?

ANSWER: UPDATE

Hi, they could be descended and you not know about it. Males can draw them back into their body if they want to.

END UPDATE

Hi,

he is not neutered if he is spraying. If he was left behind the people who left him would not have paid to get him neutered.

He needs to be neutered by a good rabbit vet, not all are. Start here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

to find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you. Rabbits are still exotics and only good rabbit vets should be trusted with your rabbit.

Be very careful with the dogs. If they are not trained to obey your voice commands and listen to them I'd give your rabbit a separate room until they were. SOme dog breeds are made for small animal hunting, so not all dogs are equal either.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: OK--took so called neutered male rabbit to vet to be neutered....guess what...female in heat...spayed now, last Friday. She had terrible breathing and snuffling first 2 days after, was on cipro, Dr. discontinued because he thought this was from the anesthesia, not snuffles. She became very mean and was biting me a lot. He was afraid the antibiotic was causing this in part. Did not "bounce" back from anesthesia. Now I have noticed, since I have had her, that she scratches her ears a lot, more now, there is like a fine white powder in there when I put my finger in and look at what I get out. She shakes her head some...her ears are "hot" on the very inside, right next to her ear canal. She was going stir crazy in her cage, so I let her in her 6 foot run today. Is there a home remedy for ear itching....vet bills are piling up. She does not have ear mites. Vet suspects allergies. Told me to stop feeding veges and fruit, apples, pears....she gets a combo of hay, timothy pellets, oats, and alfalfa pellets with vitamins in them. Anything look suspicious to you so far? Her name is Gracie.

Answer
Hi,

she may have some kind of infection in the ear, and that is serious because that can lead to damage of her balance and cause things like head tilt. I'd check the white flakes and ears with a magnifying glass and see if you can see anything crawling around. You don't want to have something transfer to you or other animals.

If the dollars are getting too much, you need to contact rabbit rescues like the House Rabbit Society, or whoever is around you, and see if they can take her, and they will get her better because often these groups have rabbit vets that work with them.

Thanks for caring about her.

You can always try to put a little mineral oil on her ears (NOT MINERAL SPIRITS), mineral oil. From the grocery or health stores.

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