How do you balance full-time work and rabbit caretaking/nursing?

[Jenk]

I'm wondering how one nurses a bun through stasis and/or gas bouts if working full-time?

For 4 years, I've been home with my two rabbits. This time has allowed me to deal with digestive issues as they arise. Our female is very stasis-prone, and our male gets several bad gas bouts yearly. (Our girl didn't have her first stasis bout until after I'd stopped working full-time; so I never had to nurse her through stasis while working.)

I should return to full-time work. Problem is, I can't conceive of how to find the time to help a bun through a gut issue--or even deal with a vet visit--if I'm gone 10 hours per day. (My husband works full-time is gone for 10+ hours per day.)

Being home all this time, I've lost all perspective on how to make it work. And my (diagnosed) anxiety soars at the thought of not having the time to stay on top of rabbit gut issues.


Jenk

 

[MiniLopHop]

I have a couple strategies for animal care taking while working. I have 4 rabbits, 2 cats, and various small animals so things come up. It also depends on how flexible your employer is.

Vet visits- schedule for evenings or weekends.

For light duty care, such as after spay where they don't need much just a precaution to be there in case something happens. I am lucky that I can work from home if pre-arranged for a day or two.

For heavy duty care, such as when Cinderella had a fever and rolling- I had to give fluids and wet her paws every couple hours and didn't want to leave her alone at all. I took vacation days until her fever broke. Then after she was getting better I gave her fluids before work and after work.

Honestly I put aside one week of vacation a year to plan on nursing emergencies. If I don't have to use it, then great. I have an extra week off at the holidays. It helps relieve my anxiety knowing I have a plan in place.

 

[Jenk]

MiniLopHop wrote:

Vet visits-schedule for evenings or weekends.

My struggle with this suggestion--and this could be my anxiety talking--is that evening and weekend appointments are the first to book up; I'm unlikely to get a timely vet visit when it's warranted. (I can't imagine waiting until the weekend if a bun is showing early signs of stasis on a Tuesday, for example.)

It also doesn't help that my husband doesn't want to split the rabbit health-care issues 50/50 because he thinks that I do too much for them now--that some of what I do for them is unnecessary work due to my anxiety. He may be right, but it's the not knowing that drives me to keep up extra care.

For heavy duty care, such as when Cinderella had a fever and rolling- I had to give fluids and wet her paws every couple hours and didn't want to leave her alone at all. I took vacation days until her fever broke.

Starting a new job, though, likely means little-to-no vacation time available until I've devoted X-amount of time to a company.

Honestly I put aside one week of vacation a year to plan on nursing emergencies. If I don't have to use it, then great. I have an extra week off at the holidays. It helps relieve my anxiety knowing I have a plan in place.

All this talk about vacation time just reminds me of the vacations my husband and I haven't taken in the 4.5 years that we've had rabbits. We're a bit bitter about not being able to afford a vacation--plus the cost of a pet sitter--due to all of the vet bills we incur every year. But I also can't conceive of leaving my buns in the hands of a pet sitter, all of whom (in my area) are not bun savvy.

I also know that my husband would not be willing to set aside any of his vacation time to stay home and nurse a pet through any issues. And knowing that I likely wouldn't be able to due to a new job, my anxiety is intolerable.

 

[MiniLopHop]

If it makes you feel any better, my vet normally has evening or weekend appointments within a day or two for non-urgent issues. If it is something like stasis she would fit us in because she knows it is an emergency. If you have a good relationship with your vet hopefully they would do the same thing. Heck, when Cindi got sick I just called to say I was coming right then and she was ready for us when I got there. The key to that is not to abuse it. Only push in for real emergencies.

I'm sorry vacation wouldn't be an option. My husband wouldn't take off for the pets either, but he's also not very good at it. He can't use the needles or juggle a bun and a procedure because he just don't practice holding them eough. The pets have always been my responsibility though.

As for a sitter, we always use the same person and have taught them about the rabbits. Do you have anyone that would be willing to learn? As a side activity I teach a basic rabbit care class and I gave them the same information.

 

[Jenk]

MiniLopHop wrote:

If you have a good relationship with your vet hopefully they would do the same thing....The key to that is not to abuse it. Only push in for real emergencies.

True... Still, I worry that my anxiety could have me panicking at the thought of not having enough personal time to help a bun through a gas (or stasis) issue and relying on the vet for supportive care. It could wind up feeling abusive to the vet clinic, even though that would not be my intention.

I don't grasp how people get a bun through a serious gas and/or stasis bout around a full-time work schedule. If you wake up in the morning and see a bun showing signs of gas pain, one dose of Simethicone before you must head out the door doesn't seem like enough in terms of treatment. (One dose usually isn't enough, especially for my male.) Or if I find tiny fecals in my female's litter box, I want to give her watery Critical Care throughout the day--and that would be impossible if I had to leave for work.

As for a sitter, we always use the same person and have taught them about the rabbits. Do you have anyone that would be willing to learn? As a side activity I teach a basic rabbit care class and I gave them the same information.

Before our last vacation several years ago, I called every pet sitter within a fairly large radius; no one was familiar with rabbits. I wound up sharing a lot of info. with the sitter I chose, and left her with detailed instructions and emergency contact numbers. It cost us $550 to have a sitter for 9 days. Ugh...

 

[woahlookitsme]

I guess you could call me lucky. For all of my emergencies I have been able to go to my bosses for any help.

I work at two small animal clinics when I am home during the summer. One has done previous neuters for me and the other while not specialized in rabbits was able to teach me how to splint one of our babies legs when it was broken due to an accident. When we had a bunny go through e.cuniculi I was able to take her to work with me and get x-rays(to rule out a broken back causing paralysis) and treatment. She was later euthanized and sent off to texas veterinary medicine diagnostics lab where they performed a necropsy.

Big plus is I get discounts.

But I don't think i've ever had a problem with stasis with any of our rabbits.

 

[ZRabbits]

Luckily "knock on wood" our bunnies have been healthy. But I know that if something should happen where caretaking/hursing was called for, my Husband and I would switch off. My Husband is very good with our buns and is self-employed. Plus if I had to, which I'm taking a vacation day to go get a bunny, I would take a vacation day or just call out sick.

Our bunnies are all we have. They are our life. We would find a way to be there 24/7. You find the balance BECAUSE you love them.

K

 

[Jenk]

ZRabbits wrote:

My Husband is very good with our buns and is self-employed. Plus if I had to, which I'm taking a vacation day to go get a bunny, I would take a vacation day or just call out sick.

My husband, who is not self-employed, would want us to switch off in terms of taking the rabbits to the vet. But, as I explained to him, that could be tricky if I'm a new employee. (I suspect it wouldn't look good to a new employer if I'm taking off work for pet-related duties several times during my first year of employment. Maybe that's a false perception, but it's how I imagine a new employer to think.)

Our bunnies are all we have. They are our life. We would find a way to be there 24/7. You find the balance BECAUSE you love them.

My biggest problem is that I've given too much of my time/energy to our rabbits and not enough time/energy to other aspects of my life; things have become very imbalanced and lop-sided, so that I now can't conceive of our female bun surviving her next stasis bout if I'm working full-time outside of our home.

 

[ZRabbits]

Jenk wrote:

ZRabbits wrote:

My Husband is very good with our buns and is self-employed. Plus if I had to, which I'm taking a vacation day to go get a bunny, I would take a vacation day or just call out sick.

My husband, who is not self-employed, would want us to switch off in terms of taking the rabbits to the vet. But, as I explained to him, that could be tricky if I'm a new employee. (I suspect it wouldn't look good to a new employer if I'm taking off work for pet-related duties several times during my first year of employment. Maybe that's a false perception, but it's how I imagine a new employer to think.)

Our bunnies are all we have. They are our life. We would find a way to be there 24/7. You find the balance BECAUSE you love them.

My biggest problem is that I've given too much of my time/energy to our rabbits and not enough time/energy to other aspects of my life; things have become very imbalanced and lop-sided, so that I now can't conceive of our female bun surviving her next stasis bout if I'm working full-time outside of our home.

I think you are right on that one. Some employers frown on "pet" related incidents and some feel they aren't really a reason to miss work.

I wish I could help. But I'm in a position that our rabbits ARE the only aspect of my life. Same attitude when my Son was alive.

Maybe if you are so upset and need to turn your time/energy around to other aspects that are important, you could look for a forever home for your female bun. Someone who can put a full time effort, like you have, into this sweet girl.

I'm hoping you have some luck finding a solution.

K

 

[Jenk]

ZRabbits wrote:

Maybe if you are so upset and need to turn your time/energy around to other aspects that are important, you could look for a forever home for your female bun. Someone who can put a full time effort, like you have, into this sweet girl.

Unfortunately, the idea of losing our rabbits--either to re-homing or death--is intolerable to me in terms of my anxiety. It's a Catch-22, really.

I think (and fear) my only recourse is to interview for jobs and take a leap of faith.


Jenk

 

[deaners]

Jenk wrote:

ZRabbits wrote:

My Husband is very good with our buns and is self-employed. Plus if I had to, which I'm taking a vacation day to go get a bunny, I would take a vacation day or just call out sick.

My husband, who is not self-employed, would want us to switch off in terms of taking the rabbits to the vet. But, as I explained to him, that could be tricky if I'm a new employee. (I suspect it wouldn't look good to a new employer if I'm taking off work for pet-related duties several times during my first year of employment. Maybe that's a false perception, but it's how I imagine a new employer to think.)

Our bunnies are all we have. They are our life. We would find a way to be there 24/7. You find the balance BECAUSE you love them.

My biggest problem is that I've given too much of my time/energy to our rabbits and not enough time/energy to other aspects of my life; things have become very imbalanced and lop-sided, so that I now can't conceive of our female bun surviving her next stasis bout if I'm working full-time outside of our home.

Jenk, I ask this with all gentleness:
Are you getting help/treatment for your anxiety? You mention in the bolded that things have become imbalanced. I know before I started getting treatment for my anxiety I felt the same way and hadvery "all or nothing" outlook that seems similar to what you are describing.

Are you looking for work now? Can you look into some type of part-time work? I took a new job that is part-time (I used to work full-time) it gave me the freedom to have balance of both home responsibilities (such as carring for our first bun when she was ill) and work resposibilities (outside interests/extra income).

I hope this makes sense.

 

[Jenk]

deaners wrote:

Jenk, I ask this with all gentleness:
Are you getting help/treatment for your anxiety? You mention in the bolded that things have become imbalanced. I know before I started getting treatment for my anxiety I felt the same way and hadvery "all or nothing" outlook that seems similar to what you are describing.

Hi, deaners.

I have replied to you in a PM; please, check your inbox.


Jenk

 

[deaners]

Got it and replied.

 

[nobunnynoclue]

Hi there Jenk.

I gotta say that seeing how anxious you are about your rabbits is a little alarming. Not in a critical sort of way, but in a compassionate way. I'm concerned that you may not be putting enough focus and importance on your own wellbeing. Take care of yourself first and foremost. The healthier you are, the better equipped you will be to care for you pets and the dozens of other things life will throw at you. I say this from personal experience.

I suffer from depression and some anxiety, but mostly depression. I take medication for it and I see a therapist who is helping my husband and I work thru some issues. I have 9 pets. I have two small children. And I also work 40-50 hours a week outside the home. Trust me, it's doable. You just need to take care of yourself first and the rest will fall into place.

 

[nobunnynoclue]

I just realized how old this is. I was searching for something and found this. Sorry for dredging it up. :'(