Dwarf females - humping/bleeding

Question
Hello,
I have two 12 wk old female Dwarf bunnies.  I bought them from my friend's pet store at 8 wks old.
For the past week,I have noticed that they have both been humping each other a lot, and one morning I went to their cage, and noticed blood all over - the walls, dish, everywhere.  I picked up my white Hotot and saw a blood spot down below.  Her feet were all dark orange.  They have been in a new house for the past 2 days - and I notice that it is splattered/sprayed, through the wire and onto the floor.  From what I can tell, my Netherland Dwarf is not having any bleeding - but they both hump each other - normal? (esp. for two females?)  They are both playing/eating/drinking/pooping/peeing as normal, in their potty with shavings.

Due to the high cost of spaying ($350.00 per bunny), I am unable to do this at this time, but have read that it is not not advised for a bunny to not be fixed and unbred.

Help - is this in fact bleeding ( as pet store owner says - like a period), and if so, how long does this usually last, and how often should I expect this to occur.

any info is appreciated.
Lynda, Binkie & Bambie  

Answer
Hi Lynda,

First, female rabbits do not normally bleed from their vent area.  They don't have periods like human females.  I have never seen it in any of the hundreds of females I have handled and cleaned up after.  If she is bleeding from the uterus this is a real medical problem and you should either get your money back or take her to a vet at the very least for an exam.  You shold be budgeting for at least one annual exam from a good rabbit vet anyways.  (I would also suggest budgeting for at least one emergency visit as well for each rabbit annually.)

I don't know where you live but a spay where I am in Wisconsin runs about $200 (it varies by vet).  If you go to an emergency clinic you will pay more.  If you need to find a good rabbit vet, go to:

www.rabbit.org\vets

and locate a House Rabbit Society-recommended rabbit vet in your area.

The bottom line is that you have two dwarf females that are reaching sexual maturity and may now be fighting with each other.  I would separate them from each other to ensure the bleeding was not from a bite/nip from fighting.  If you know it is coming from her internally, you were sold a bunny that has a health problem.  Bleeding like this is very serious because it indicates a uterine problem, and all rabbits (especially dwarf) do not have a lot of 'extra' blood to lose.

If you have fallen in love with her and are committed to her as a pet, get her to a vet for a diagnosis and most likely, a spay.  Actually, spaying your rabbit is recommended if they are young and you are not planning to breed them, otherwise 85% of females by age 5-6 get uterine cancer and die a premature, and often painful, death.  You should plan to get both spayed, as it is not a good idea to mix spayed and unspayed females.  Otherwise you should get your money back.

Lee