Possible illness question

[mjpeter]

Now that Bella has settled in nicely, I wanted to keep our eyes open for "Mr. Right."

We are going to rescue a second rabbit, so I figure I'll visit some rescues, and when I find some good possibilities, I'll start some bunny speed dating.

My question is, am I putting Bella at risk for illness by myself or her spending time with other rabbits? I imagine I'll need to make sure I change, wash hands...etc after I visit with other rabbits, but what about when it's her time to meet other friends? I'm just worried about contagious illnesses.

Any tips for my little lady on the market? BTW, she is spayed, and a 9 month old Dutch.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

I would think that there would always be a risk when you put your bunny with other rabbits. Especially if they interact with each other physically. I've heard of people getting animals from a shelter only to discover after bringing the animal home that it's got some sort of illness/disease. And that's after supposedly being inspected by a vet.

But what else are you going to do? It's definitely important to see if they're going to get along, before you bring another bunny home.

 

[whiskylollipop]

It is a big risk and illnesses are hard to detect at first glance, but a reputable shelter that houses bunnies separately to prevent illness spreading is a good place to start. It would also be wise to bring the bunny you pick to a good rabbit vet straightaway for an independent assessment, and if the shelter is a decent responsible one they should take the bunny back if it is found to have diseases. Just clarify their policy on that before you commit to the adoption.

She should be fine during the speed dating as long as nobody starts biting each other!

 

[missyscove]

The stress of being in a shelter or moving from a shelter into a new home can be enough to bring up a latent issue in a rabbit. Many diseases have incubation times that mean they wouldn't be obvious on an initial vet visit but could appear a few days later. Choose a reputable shelter and you shouldn't have to worry too much.

 

[BlueMoods]

Choose a reputable shelter, take the new rabbit to a vet ASAP and, quarantine it for a week at least to make sure it shows no symptoms of anything, then you have done all you can to make sure Bella stays healthy.