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vacation

22 10:25:28

Question
QUESTION: Hi Dana,
You know my bunny Angel. Well this morning I looked at her and she pulled her fur out of her sides. You know she is Lionhead bunny, and she has big puff balls on each side of her hips. She pulled them out! And there was fur in her mouth, but she spit that out so she could eat. What could this be from or causing it??? Please write back a.s.a.p.! I'm really worried about her!
Thank you so much!
-Anna

ANSWER: Dear Anna,

Angel is having her first (?) false pregnancy, and she's pulled her fur to line a nest.  She'll tend the nest for a day or two, and then lose interest.  But the cycle will continue until she's spayed.  This must be done for her safety and health, as unspayed, unbred female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine cancer.

You can read more here:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

And find a good vet to help you here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope this helps!

Dana

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

QUESTION: Hi Dana,

Thank you so much! for the response. Wow I did not know that they do that for their babies. Anyway, I forgot to ask you one more question, :) We are going to go on vacation for a week. And I'm nervous about leaving her home alone for the long period of time. But, I know that if we take her she will get stressed out. So what should I do when we leave. And I don't have anybody that I can trust to take care of her. And I asked vets and they cant watch her either. please help! My question is how can I leave her at home alone for a week to know she is safe, and to know that it is ok to leave her for a week before her surgery? Thank you so much!
-Anna

Answer
Dear Anna,

I hate to tell you this, but it is absolutely *not* safe to leave her alone for an entire week without anyone looking in on her.  If you wouldn't do this to a child, then don't do it to your bunny.

Check your local yellow pages or contact a local rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who may be able to recommend an in-home pet sitter who will come twice a day to feed and look after her.  This is an absolute must.  It is *very* dangerous to leave her alone even for a day--let alone a week.  You must not do this.

As a last resort, you could board her at a good rabbit vet's hospital. She won't be happy to be in a kennel, but she'll at least have someone making sure she's healthy and safe.

It would be better to take her with you than to leave her alone in the house for a week.  Seriously.  You just can't take a chance doing that, or risk coming home to a dead bunny.

Dana