Disgusted

[Bunnylady]

I would think that getting a serious infection from a rabbit scratch should be ranked as "possible, but rare." Every rabbit owner I have ever known has been scratched countless times - it just comes with the territory. Since this was a nursing journal, I'm assuming the article was concerned with hazards to humans from animals, so I doubt it also pointed out the hazard to animals of developing an infection from bacteria that they pick up from people who handle them - though that can happen, too.

 

[GD91]

Don't know about it, but I've had a bad cough & a runny nose since I dispatched them . The animals seem ok though. That was a a few days ago now.

 

[Clarabelle]

I believe that the only disease that can be passed between humans and rabbits is meningitis aka strep throat

 

[David]

tulmaria "frenchmens sickness" is a zoonotic ? that can be passed to people through scratchs or when forced to be airborne when butchering about 90 cases a year of it are recorded

if you have celluilitus should see a doctor that **** can get nasty I had it from a saw blade cut and couldent use my knee for a month

 

[animalmom]

There are many forms of Pasturella and most of them are animal specific however, I had a rabbit come down with pasturella and it was suggested to me by the vet to disinfect my hands prior to handling my other animals -- be they other rabbits or my goats. The vet didn't feel that I could come down with something disgusting from the poor rabbit (who has recovered).

Yes quarantining new animals is the best advise, not always followed.

Regarding your question as to what you could do about that rather unethical pet pushed, I gather you are in the UK? Could your equivalent to the US SPCA or Humane Society do anything? (SPCA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

It is incredibly frustrating to come across such rampant stupidity as exhibited by that organization. Each Easter season I keep an eye out at the local feed stores to ensure the baby bunnies and chicks have feed/water in containers the animals can use. Doesn't do the bunnies any good if their pellets or water are covered in hay since they don't have the thumb to remove the hay and no mom to show them to just eat the hay. I tell the clerks and go home and worry about the bunnies.

 

[GD91]

Well, the good news was:
A) I didn't die
B) My quarantine measures are a success because nothing spread + I have hardy stock anyway.

But I've got yet another 2 coming soon a buck and a doe. Same story, they were bought and not sexed properly, the doe had a litter, blah de blah. Not sure where from - a friend is taking them for me until I can collect them.
They will either be culled or added for breeding stock. Probably culled unless they are something special.
Seriously though, these "owners" don't even care.
According to my friend a random guy just spotted her rabbit in her front garden and asked her if she wanted 2 more. Then he said he'd bring them to hers tomorrow and just drove away. This was yesterday.

Am I missing something? My rabbits are kept mostly for meat and even I take far more responsibility for them all than these "pet owners."

The word pet owners just sits on my tongue. As these animals were bought as pets, and as such members of the family, shouldn't their owners be more than happy to pay for any vet bills such as spaying etc.

A lot of rabbits I get are house rabbits which come in large (and small) cages. I wonder how their owners can keep them in the house on a personal level before simply dumping them elsewhere?
Do these people not read? Do they not watch the news or the adverts? Are they exceptionally thick?

As you can probably tell I disapprove of people who dump their pets on others, particuarly when it happens without even a backward glance. Sometimes these rabbits do miss their homes and owners and pine a bit and demand a lot of attention when I'm going around the garden.
It really is very sad.
I can't even rehome them even though so many of them have such lovely personalities. Nobody wants them, so I have to cull them anyway otherwise I would have 60+ rabbits by now. As it stands I have 7.

Not one of these pet owners uses common sense i.e Ok, we have had an accidental litter, so lets do some research and cull the kits at a certain age and then spay the doe and castrate the buck.
Oh, no, instead its "Oh my god, she's had babies, oh I knew this would happen! What are we going to do? We can't kill them, lets just try and rehome them or give them away and then these rabbits will have to go, we can't have this happen again."
That is just an example of one of many things I hear.
And this is were the issues are happening. People are just so soft and conditioned to the "no kill" mentality that they won't cull the kits and then pay for the spaying of the parents. Instead they are struggling to find them homes where there are very little or sending them to rescue centers which are also struggling.
I'd say its as bad as, if not worse, than the situation with dogs and cats.
I have great sympathy for the rabbits being delivered to me. I just wish that the people breeding them irresposibly and not taking any responsibility for the kits would stop.

 

[Kyonarai]

You can treat pasturella with Vibactra plus tincture drops. Doesn't have to be an immediate cull. There is always the chance of a rebound, but I haven't had to much trouble.

 

[Onyx]

Hmm... I had pet rabbits as a kid and loved them. I don't think I'd make a blanket statement like "rabbits are not suitable pets for children". Rather that people need to be MUCH more well educated in what to expect when they get a rabbit or rabbits so they do not have misplaced expectations.

Children getting a pet rabbit is by far the most common way for people to enter the rabbit breeding/showing fancy. Which is already struggling in many places as it is.

I don't think the issue is that rabbits are not good for children. The issue is that people are clueless, and even with this amazing research tool we all now have at our fingertips called "The Internet", people instead go in and rely on the advice of someone who is trying to SELL them a product... it boggles the mind.

Children also need to be taught that animals are not stuffed toys to be hauled around for their amusement. A child is perfectly capable of enjoying interaction with a rabbit sitting on the floor/grass, and what a great opportunity to teach them about respect for animals, and that every living creature is different and has different needs.

Owners need to be educated about the "teenage monster" stage in rabbits, too, because I find that this is when most rabbits end up being dumped or rehomed because people think the rabbit has become "mean" and will remain that way.

FULLY agree regarding pet stores selling animals and supplies. Having worked in a couple of pet stores and been friends with a Petsmart regional manager... I can say that the ONLY thing most pet stores are interested in is selling product, which includes animals. They do not care in the slightest whether the animals or supporting products are healthy/suitable and the sad thing is.... despite being given bad advice and being tricked into buying bad products time and time again, people will keep going back to the same store, so there's really no incentive for change.

Would certainly never encourage anyone to buy a rabbit from a pet store. You have no idea where they came from, how the parents were raised, any health issues or illness etc... if you wouldn't buy a puppy from a pet store, why buy a rabbit? I wish people would support their local breeders instead.

Sorry to hear about your pasteurella woes, that is definitely not a fun thing to go through :/

 

[Keljen]

Well I love to go in Pets Stores ...employees in this Stores do not like me hi hi hi .
My Hubby got the Idea having Rabbits because he knew I was researching Backyard Chickens but Chickens are not allowed in our Village. So Meat rabbit was our new search word at Google for Month and our Town Liberian was phoning once a Week that the ordered Rabbit books are in.
Most of the People would do a Internet research for their new Car .... for Month( and longer depend on Gender ) ,but to pick up and read a Book for the new Pet is too much to ask for.