# you better not be pregnant lady!!



## terrierist (Sep 26, 2012)

Just been out to see Bunty again, to see if she has eaten...poo'd etc and she has made a nest in her bed, complete with hair.

Now I know this doesn't mean she is pregnant, it may merely be a phantom...but by eck, it has me concerned!!! She was a stray after all


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Oh dear. Looks like you are going to be playing the waiting game.

The only other way is to go for an emergency spay.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

Oops! The only thing is if she can smell your boy (if you have one) it could have triggered her hormones. But yes, you have to wait and see!


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## terrierist (Sep 26, 2012)

only girls here!!! Can't do emergency spay.........not when I can keep any babies!!

Put a status on my FB, and one of the nurses at work said she thought she felt mammary bumps but didn't say anything as she thought the rabbit would end up pts anyway and I took her on her day off!!!

So I may end up a bunny granny!!


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Heigh ho. Life follows a strange path sometimes. 

Let us know how it goes.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

Best thing is to give her lots of hay to nest with and leave her alone, don't handle too much. Stress can cause them to cull their litter and she has been through a lot. I would say up her green leafy veg to encourage milk and up her pellets, but is this the same girl who has the excess caecotrophes? That's tricky then.


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## Funky (Dec 8, 2012)

terrierist said:


> only girls here!!! Can't do emergency spay.........not when I can keep any babies!!
> 
> Put a status on my FB, and one of the nurses at work said she thought she felt mammary bumps but didn't say anything as she thought the rabbit would end up pts anyway and I took her on her day off!!!
> 
> So I may end up a bunny granny!!


I am glad you are not putting her through emergency spay-I think is cruel.people can make decision for themselves and decide for abortion or not but that there decision-I could not do that to bunny cat dog or any other Animal as that won't be there decision -it is unfair.if I would find out one of mine is pregnant i would just go ahead with this.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

If she is already poorly with dental disease and soft poos then it might be cruel to allow her to go through a pregnancy, birth and rearing kits for eight weeks. With breeding animals comes great responsibility. Responsibility to the mother. Responsibility for the kits. And responsibility for the people you home them too.


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## MrRustyRead (Mar 14, 2011)

Please please emergancy spay her, it would be so creul to bring babies into this world that could have extreme dental issues like their mum, and also with the mums dental issues she may find it difficult to get the correct nutritions for the babies and herself


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and do what is best for the animal.

If it were me I would speak to a rabbit savvy vet for their opinion, especially as she appears to have a lot of health issues. I would be worried I could lose her as well as her kits and tbh I would rather have mum than risk losing them all.


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## Funky (Dec 8, 2012)

sskmick said:


> Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and do what is best for the animal.
> 
> If it were me I would speak to a rabbit savvy vet for their opinion, especially as she appears to have a lot of health issues. I would be worried I could lose her as well as her kits and tbh I would rather have mum than risk losing them all.


I have not associated that thread with the other about health issues-in situation like this i agree with ssmick that even if is massive shame to loose babies it would be worse to loose them all!!!


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## terrierist (Sep 26, 2012)

oh poop! I know you all speak sense...but spay? late on? I am torn. I hope this turns out to be a phantom. if nothing has appeared by Monday then I will take her to be seen.

on a positive note - bunty has produced lovely hard normal poo today and has munched on some carrot for tea.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

terrierist said:


> oh poop! I know you all speak sense...but spay? late on? I am torn. I hope this turns out to be a phantom. if nothing has appeared by Monday then I will take her to be seen.
> 
> on a positive note - bunty has produced lovely hard normal poo today and has munched on some carrot for tea.


Carrot tops are a great treat , but just to warn you - carrots are very high in sugar, and can play havoc wih a rabbit's guts, so don't be surprised if bun has an upset tum tom

Some tolerate it better than others though, so hopefully you will get away with it.

Do introduce any new food very very gradually.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

terrierist said:


> oh poop! I know you all speak sense...but spay? late on? I am torn. I hope this turns out to be a phantom. if nothing has appeared by Monday then I will take her to be seen.
> 
> on a positive note - bunty has produced lovely hard normal poo today and has munched on some carrot for tea.


I really don't have an answer on this one, all I am saying is that if it were me I would seek advice from a rabbit savvy vet to be sure I made the right decision and hopefully the outcome will be mum and kits will be healthy and strong.

My little girl had a phantom pregnancy I never mentioned it on here because I actually thought she was pregnant and I was warned that it can happen through the mesh. I stopped them from stretching up, if she turned round I put my hand between them.

He has always been allowed the run of the garden when supervised, I had nowhere else to put Betty so they were able to greet each other, through the mesh of her hutch/run.

Whilst part of me thought no, don't be daft she isn't, she was preparing a nest, at the back corner of her hutch she was pulling large tufts out of chest. I dreaded cleaning her out in case there were babies there. Part of me was hoping she was having a heavy moult. It turned out to be phantom pregnancy. She was spayed about 6 weeks ago and he was neutered at the same time.

I didn't want baby rabbits, simply because I would have kept them all had them all snipped and then got advice on here as to keeping them as a group. I had already thought about that.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

terrierist said:


> oh poop! I know you all speak sense...but spay? late on? I am torn. I hope this turns out to be a phantom. if nothing has appeared by Monday then I will take her to be seen.
> 
> on a positive note - bunty has produced lovely hard normal poo today and has munched on some carrot for tea.


Only you can decide whehter to spay or not, and the advice you have given to talk to a vet is sound.

There are risks on both sides, so it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation, where you have to weigh up both sides, then try and do what is best for her.

First, you need to consider her general health. If she were pregnant (and you don't know what type/size of buck she might have been with), would she be healthy enough to sustain a pregnancy/give birth and raise the kits?

The vet can examine her, and may feel any kits.

I can't remember how old she is now. If she is older, she may also have trouble giving birth, and need an emergency caesarian.

Also, some things are hereditary. If she has tooth issues, she shouldn't be bred from, as the kits are likely to have the same issues.

Would you be able to keep (and cover vet costs) for a potentially large number of dental buns for the rest of their lives?

(very expensive, believe me - we have that here. 6 out of a litter of 7 bunnies all have dental problems that even the best hay diet can't put right)

So, if she is in poor health, perhaps you need to consider a spay - but only with a rabbit savvy vet).

Then again, is she strong enough to have the op right now? :001_unsure:

There are risks with any anaestheic, but they are far reduced nowadays, even for poorly bun. But they are still there.

But then, if you do have her spayed, she is less likely to develop and die of uterine cancer (unless she has problems already).

A healthy rabbit can live into double figures, but uteriner canceer hits at about the 5 year mark. So if her health problems were so severe that she will not live very long, perhaps uterine cancer is less of a risk?

The other risk, if she is pregnant, and goes onto have kits, is that she have been with a wildy.

These babies can be very tricky rabbits to keep, as they can go stir crazy in hutches, and develop behaviour problems. They need very different housing, and are likely to be very hands off bunnies - but should never be released inot the wild.

Much to think about, eh? But ultimately your decision alone.


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## terrierist (Sep 26, 2012)

Fabulous advice - thank you!

I am in a very fortunate position in that I work in a vets so dentals for many buns isn't that big a deal financially. I also have some fabulous vets on hand for advice - several being very good wabbit peeps. I also have space to keep them.
Bunty is a fairly young doe, and apparently in good health aside her wonky incisors. I had a few concerns earlier in the week (only brought her home from work on Tuesday) but poos and eating all seem to have resolved - I am marking any worries I had as being transitional upset for the poor baby. I am sure she is healthy enough to go through a spay. Just not sure if I can cope with the thought of it. Early spay, I can get my head around. Later spay - not sure if I can. I am in a fortunate/unfortunate position of being able to keep the babies/sort dentals if needed. In some ways I feel if this wasn't the case, then a spay would be an easier decision to make - hands tied if you get me.
I have had part wildies previously, and so am prepared for the sort of temperament they may have. I don't handle my rabbits much anyway - I got them as adults and don't feel its fair to impose myself on them when it isn't what they are used to. Rosie likes a stroke, and will tolerate being pickedup. Her daughter Sparky, barely likes a stroke!!

I hope this is just aphantom. She will be coming into work on Monday if there are no kits anyway - to make sure. She will have been in 'captivity' for just over 2 weeks by Monday, so I am sure any kits will be obvious in utero!


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Sounds like Bunty has arrived at the right home!!


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## Funky (Dec 8, 2012)

She is lucky to have you


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## terrierist (Sep 26, 2012)

Funky said:


> She is lucky to have you


awww thank you. That is so nice to say xx


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