Risk of ear infection relapse because of bonding sessions?

[SnowyShiloh]

Okay, I know this isn't really the right subforum for this thread, but I want the Infirmary mods and those with experience with head tilt to read this since your opinions are the ones I'm most looking for!

Backstory of what's going on: I am trying to bond some of my bunnies and it's going terribly, everyone seems to hate each other. Ya know how the car ride is supposed to stress them and make them snuggle together? Yeah. My guys will duke it out in the carrier while in the car! Does not bode well for bonding.

Now to the actual issue at hand. I have not attempted to bond Ned since 2 summers ago, when I tried bonding him and Phoebe. There were a couple little scuffles, but it was far and away the most promising bonding experience I've had so far. Had to throw in the towel that summer (we can really only do bonding in the summer for space issues- trust me on this) because of our sick baby birds and our wedding, and weren't able to do it the next summer because Ned got sick with head tilt. It took him 2 months to recover. No relapses since, but he definitely seems more feeble since he got sick. I know relapses can occur when a rabbit is stressed, so we decided not to try to bond him with Phoebe since it would undoubtedly be stressful. Now though that things are going so terribly with bonding our other rabbits, we are thinking again about Ned and Phoebe.

What do you guys think? Would trying to bond them put Ned at risk of another ear infection? Could he be carrying something that he could give to Phoebe Mae, and could HE be carrying something that he could give to her? Ever since his ear infection, I've been neurotic about hand washing and the like before and after handling Ned and his accoutrements to avoid passing anything. My husband thinks I should just go for it and try to bond them, but I don't want Ned to get an ear infection again or give anything to Phoebe Mae (or her give him anything). Thoughts from the experts?

Thanks!

 

[LakeCondo]

I don't think I would. I think it's best that bonding be done only with healthy rabbits.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Orlena, he's healthy- no health issues at all, I'm just worried he could relapse. Of course I wouldn't try to bond a sick bunny When I say he seems more feeble, he doesn't have any specific symptoms, just doesn't seem as young as he once did and has some minor lingering balance issues. Of course, he IS a year older than he was and he's at least 4 1/2 years old (don't know how old he was when we got him since he was an adult), so he's no spring chicken. Phoebs herself turns 4 in a couple of days.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

I personally can't say I have TONS of head tilt experience-only with one bunny who had it horribly and after months never got better. So, I may not be the right person to give advice on this. Personally though, I wouldn't want to try it if there's any chance it could relapse. It's such a horible, terrible illness, I wouldn't want to risk it. However, maybe there's not a chance of that-I'll let someone else respond who may know better as to that.

 

[LakeCondo]

I guess what I was thinking of, but didn't want to say, was how long they might have together if they did bond & how the remaining one would do after that. But you can say that with a 1-yr-old, too.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Aww, I hate thinking about my babies getting old and dying As do we all!

 

[Maureen Las]

Rationally it would be OK to attempt to bond them but emotionally I think that I understand where you are coming from...
You and Ned went through his terrible illness and you are afraid the stress from bonding him would lower his immune system and allow a latent infection to become active.

Maybe you could attempt to bond them but with less aggressive bonding techniques.

Maybe place them in a neutral area for a short period each day (supervised) or even better have them living next to each other ( sorry I don't remember you rabbit set-up ) so that they have separate areas but are together.

I would forego car-rides and other really stressful bonding techniques ; possibly they really would like each other without a lot of work.

This advice comes from a woman who has 9 rabbits 5 of which are singles. I just cannot persist in attempts to bond once 2 rabbits have one good fight.. so I am not an expert at it.
In terms of Phoebe MaeI would not worry about him infecting her; her immune system is probably strong and she most likely has been exposed if they live in the same home.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Angieluv, thanks so much for the great advice! I will try those low stress bonding techniques if I need to. However, I introduced Phoebs and Kerensa and they seem to be doing pretty well. We've only done car rides so far (taking things verrrrry slowly), but no nipping or anything. They snuggle instead. Good girls.

Max and Macie are jerks and immediately go after other rabbits it would seem. I've tried them with each other and with Phoebe Mae (individually, of course). They went after each other AND when they were with Phoebs, they went after her too! Poor girl didn't understand why they were nipping her. The funny thing is Max and Macie both got along great with their mom and with each other when they were with her (they were taken from her at 6 weeks and then re-introduced at like 8 months), now they hate each other and the other bunnies.