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Might have to rehome Bear..

Miss Annamarie

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I've been crying all morning because of this, but I think my asthma has been so bad because of all of Bear's fur. He is the most gentle sweetest animal I've ever met and I'll never be able to replace him. Cleaning more often hasn't helped. I don't know what to do. I am in tears.
 

Gigibirds

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Oh no!! I'm so sorry about that!!! Do you have a close friend or a family member who could take him in? Not even brushing/shampooing/bathing him helps? Or allergy medicine? I also have asthma so I know how hard it can be with furry animals, but I really hope that you can keep him! :sadhug:
 

sunnysmom

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I'm so sorry. Do you have air purifiers?
 

Miss Annamarie

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Oh no!! I'm so sorry about that!!! Do you have a close friend or a family member who could take him in? Not even brushing/shampooing/bathing him helps? Or allergy medicine? I also have asthma so I know how hard it can be with furry animals, but I really hope that you can keep him! :sadhug:
I take Zyrtec plus a prescribed asthma and allergy med. I brush him daily with a special rubber edged brush that grabs the loose fur and nothing has helped. I've posted on facebook to see if anyone I know would take him. I'm afraid if I rehome him, he'll go to someone not experienced in rabbits. He's 20lbs he can't just be shoved into some cage, no bunnies can.
 

MR. Mango

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What about a large outdoor hutch?
 

Miss Annamarie

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What about a large outdoor hutch?
Its not safe for bunnies to live outdoors for several reasons, especially where I am, we have a couple predators who roam around and bunnies can be scared to death without even being touched by a predator. Thank you for your suggestion though!
 

Sparkles99

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If you're truly allergic to rabbits, you should rehome Bundt Cake too, not just Bear. Constant exposure to known allergens apparently makes allergies worse. Bear may have more fur, but Bundt Cake is the same species & will therefore cause problems too, just perhaps more slowly.

Are there any rabbit rescues in your area that could take Bear & Bundt Cake? The humane society here doesn't split bonded buns, nor do reputable rescues.

People who love animals are often tempted to think that only they would give x animal a good life. It's rarely true.

As for your cleaning schedule, have you tried daily? I do my buns' boxes daily. I know a lot of rabbit people do them weekly.

Also, has an allergist told you it's a rabbit allergy? If not, you're just guessing - it could be hay, straw, litter, etc.

You mention Bear's a Flemish giant. My first bun was a flemmie cross & one of my current two is a flemmie. I find that they urinate a LOT. Now both mine had/have vet diagnosed e-cuniculi. Why is this important? It affects kidneys. Both output & somehow sugar in their urine cyclically. Why does that matter? It moulds. Fast. I wonder if what you're really allergic to is microscopic mould spores. You wouldn't even notice if you were cleaning regularly, but it's there.

Before giving up a much loved pet, you owe it to all of you to investigate & pin down the true source of the allergen.

Lastly, if they're not already spayed/ neutered, you could try that. IME, intact animals cause more allergies in susceptible people than altered ones. No idea why.
 

Miss Annamarie

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If you're truly allergic to rabbits, you should rehome Bundt Cake too, not just Bear. Constant exposure to known allergens apparently makes allergies worse. Bear may have more fur, but Bundt Cake is the same species & will therefore cause problems too, just perhaps more slowly.

Are there any rabbit rescues in your area that could take Bear & Bundt Cake? The humane society here doesn't split bonded buns, nor do reputable rescues.

People who love animals are often tempted to think that only they would give x animal a good life. It's rarely true.

As for your cleaning schedule, have you tried daily? I do my buns' boxes daily. I know a lot of rabbit people do them weekly.

Also, has an allergist told you it's a rabbit allergy? If not, you're just guessing - it could be hay, straw, litter, etc.

You mention Bear's a Flemish giant. My first bun was a flemmie cross & one of my current two is a flemmie. I find that they urinate a LOT. Now both mine had/have vet diagnosed e-cuniculi. Why is this important? It affects kidneys. Both output & somehow sugar in their urine cyclically. Why does that matter? It moulds. Fast. I wonder if what you're really allergic to is microscopic mould spores. You wouldn't even notice if you were cleaning regularly, but it's there.

Before giving up a much loved pet, you owe it to all of you to investigate & pin down the true source of the allergen.

Lastly, if they're not already spayed/ neutered, you could try that. IME, intact animals cause more allergies in susceptible people than altered ones. No idea why.
Thank you for this in depth post, I'm fine around Bundt Cake, but I think its just the immense amount of fur floating around. They aren't bonded, we've still been working on getting them together, it hasn't been working out. We've just been doing scheduled out times. I have been cleaning daily for about 2 months, I'll take him to the vet this week and see if there's anything possibly wrong. He is also neutered.
 

finchly

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Oh a Flemish Giant!!! I love them! Can I see him?
 

Blueberry

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Would you could you use the furminator brush on your rabbit and would you be able to wash him/her with head and shoulders shampoo? I don’t know much about rabbits and not sure if you can actually wash them.
 

Sparkles99

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You can bathe them. I had to periodically bathe a former rabbit, due to illness. I used a natural kitten shampoo. I have a coworker whose father takes his rabbit (lionhead) regularly to a groomer for brushing and bathing. Actually for very similar reasons as Miss Annamarie's.

Good idea, Blueberry! Maybe Bear just needs to visit a groomer regularly.
 

Miss Annamarie

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finchly

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:heart: :heart::heart:

Thank you! So beautiful. And obviously so well cared for. Whatever you decide - no guilt ok? You do what you have to do.

But ask the vet before you wash him. I killed one that way.
 

Miss Annamarie

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:heart: :heart::heart:

Thank you! So beautiful. And obviously so well cared for. Whatever you decide - no guilt ok? You do what you have to do.

But ask the vet before you wash him. I killed one that way.
Thank you so much for your reassurance, I need it. Don't worry i would. Bunny coats are so dense it takes them 3x longer to dry than a dog. They can go into shock or hypothermia in a snap. Honestly i might try to find a home for him. He doesn't get a long with other rabbits at all either and I would definitely like another one eventually. I think Ari is threatened by how big he is and that's why they dont get along. It breaks my heart but he's not going anywhere unless i find a home that'd be even better than me.
 

Miss Annamarie

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Update

I found a really wonderful family who would love to take him at the end of the month when they move into their new home. They have kids which he loves, and TWO sliding glass doors, which he loves to lay against. They already got a custom name plated harness made for him and bought a litterbox and everything. She asked me to make an in detail care sheet and shopping list in case she forgot anything. They plan on free roaming him in their big new home. I was feeling really guilty and sad but now I'm super excited for him!
 

DesertBird

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Update

I found a really wonderful family who would love to take him at the end of the month when they move into their new home. They have kids which he loves, and TWO sliding glass doors, which he loves to lay against. They already got a custom name plated harness made for him and bought a litterbox and everything. She asked me to make an in detail care sheet and shopping list in case she forgot anything. They plan on free roaming him in their big new home. I was feeling really guilty and sad but now I'm super excited for him!
That's great that you found such an amazing home for him. I bet he'll be really happy there!
 
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