HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: fhd@panix.com (Frank Deutschmann)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Help needed with sneezing bunny!
Keywords: help! snuffles?
Date: 24 Dec 92 02:55:52 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC


Snowball is a five year old male albino rabbit, weighing 5.6 pounds.
About two months ago, we built a new home for him, and, over a period
of about one week, moved him to the new cage -- which he liked very
much as it was about three times the size of his existing cage (a
veritable "bunny empire" for him).  Shortly after the move, he started
sneezing, though infrequently.  After a week, however, the sneezing
became worse, with definite signs of mucous production (mostly clear,
but about once a day, Snowwy would do a big sneeze with a thick
whitish discharge).

We took him to a vet (and he certainly did _NOT_ enjoy that
experience!), and the vet prescribed Chloromycetin, three dropperfuls
a day for one week.  Snowwy improved markedly, and was no longer
sneezing at the end of the week (we kept him in the new cage).  A few
days after the end of treatment, though, he began with periodic
sneezing again, though only a few (~5) small sneezes a day (with only
slight discharge, always clear).  Contacted by phone, the vet
recommended that we continue the Chloromycetin treatment at a rate of
one teaspoon/day for three weeks.

Friday marks the end of the three weeks, and two days ago Snowwy began
sneezing again.  During the day, he will only give "small" sneezes,
but he will do one large, productive sneeze at night, typically
between 3-5AM.  He is normally sleeping at these hours, but the past
few days he has been up more at night, giving several small sneezes in
addition to the big one.

Today, our vet talked over the situation with a more rabbit-oriented
vet, and they reccomend Baytril treatment, either by shot or pill.

Through all of this, Snowwy has been his curious, active, crazy self,
with no reduced activity whatsoever.  He still has a rather healthy
appetite -- actually, he eats more like a pig!  His diet consists of
rabbit pelets, Alfalfa, a salt wheel, carrots, and the occaisional
cardboard box (not that we encourage that, but cardboard would
actually seem to be Snowwy's favorite food!).


Now for my questions: Are we on the right track with Baytril?  Should
we choose a shot/day over the pill (it will be rather difficult to
near impossible to get Snowwy to swallow anything whole)?  I have
heard that extended use of antibiotics can give rabbits fatal bouts of
diarrrhea; while his stool is thus far normal, are we pushing the
limit with this extended treatment?  Do we have any other course of
action?  I saw, mentioned in  a post from last week (relative to a
rabbit called Darwin, hope he is feeling better now!) that acidophilus
was added to the water during Baytril treatment; is this something we
should be doing?


Thanks in advance for any and all help!  Snowwy has been with us for
so long, we can't bear the thought of loosing him now! Thanks again!

-frank

-- 
EMail: fhd@panix.com        | Don't believe half of what you see 
Phone: 1 - 212 / 765 - 2050 | and none of what you hear       -- Lou Reed
From: jeffs@almaden.ibm.com (Jeff Schneiter)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Looking for snake people on net
Date: 22 Dec 92 21:01:17 GMT
Reply-To: jeffs@almaden.ibm.com (Jeff Schneiter)
Organization: IBM Almaden Research Center


I just received an albino corn snake for xmas and would like
to converse with other snake people, but I can not find any
*.pets.snakes groups - and this group seems to mostly talk
about snake food (ie. rabbits).

Any help out there?

jeffs@almaden.ibm.com

==
"The whole  idea of individual  creativity and  expression in
 the classroom was really basically opposed to the whole idea
 of the University."                 Pirsig
==
--
From: mirsky@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (David Joshua Mirsky)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Pig Owners
Date: 3 Jan 93 18:21:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: life.1i7as2INN7v3
Distribution: world
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab
NNTP-Posting-Host: hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu


Does anyone out there own one of those small, Vietnamese pigs?
I don't plan to buy one inthe near future, but I am curious about them.
I'd like to hear any experiences people have had with them.

Thanks 
David
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: Jim_Sollows@mindlink.bc.ca (Jim Sollows)
Subject: Re: Skunks as Pets - Old Postings?
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 18:30:22 GMT

Tim Writes:
>Ever since I captured a wild skunk years ago and had to
>let it go, I've wanted a skunk of my very own.

Wild skunks are not a good way to go. They may carry rabies
and are in most areas illegal. The best way to go is through
a breeder.

>my questions: do they make good pets? are they hard
>to care for? how much do they cost? where can I get
>one?

They make excellent pets. They are quite, playful but do like to
dig...at everything including your hair...carpet....linoleum etc.
They are an exotic pet and do take alot of special treatment. Don't
expect to train them like a dog. Smak them on the backside for going
in the wrong spot and they may NEVER warm up to you again. I suggest
a good book on skunks before you shop for one.
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: Skunks as Pets - Old Postings?
From: bproden@ualr.edu
Date: 31 Dec 92 13:41:51 GMT
Organization: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

In article <1hv08aINNagc@nigel.ee.udel.edu>, hartman@oin.cis.udel.edu (Nancy Hartman) writes:
> BTW, I don't know which states are legal.  I know DE is and I'm pretty
> sure SC and GA are, since there are several published addresses for the
> skunk club in those states.  I don't think there are many others.  Ask
> the people listed above when you call for the booklet.
> 
> - Nancy
> 
> 
I know skunks are legal in Arkansas, because I know a USDA licensed breeder
who does them.  They are illegal in many of the cities, though.  They class
skunks as "innately wild" along with wolves, foxes, lions, etc.  It doesn't
make a lot of sense to me to put skunks and foxes in the same class with lions
and wolves, especially if hand-raised and descented (on the skunk).  A
descented skunk that has its vaccinations is not a threat to humans (their
furniture, maybe).  The largest red fox on record was 15 pounds.  That's
smaller than the majority of domestic dogs!  Wolves at 80-100 pounds, I can
see the concern.  But even if a fox turns on you, anyone over the age of 12 can
fight it off.

Brian Roden
BPRODEN@UALR.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: swoodcoc@nyx.cs.du.edu (Steven Markus Woodcock)
Subject: Ferret Figurines Found
Organization: The Good Guys, Inc.                                      
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 06:10:58 GMT

To My Fellow Ferret Fanatics:

   Just thought that I'd pass along information on some beautiful
ferret/ermine figurines my wife and I found over Christmas.  

   We were shopping up in Boulder, CO and found the figures at a shop
called THE MOLE HOLE (they have several stores, although I don't know
whether they're just in Colorado or are national).  The figures are made
of porcelain and are from Russia.  They are each white.  The first shows
a ferret (well, it's probably an ermine since it came from Russia, but
close enough for us) standing on its hind legs in the 'classic' pose.  The
second is more interesting:  the ferret is running on all fours with an
egg in its mouth, looking over its shoulder at somebody (no doubt an angry
farmer) chasing it.  Each figure is about 6" - 7" in 'length' (one is vertical,
the other is horizontal).

   We paid $30 each for these gems, and I think they're well worth it.  They
now have a prominent location in our display case of ferret memorabilia.  If
you DO find these items, be aware that they're coming from Russia so there's
not a lot of guarantees as to whether or not you'll see them again.....



Steve & Colleen
Proudly Owned by Missy, Newone, Zebulon Pike, Minx, Slinky, and Puck

--
    "...Men will awake presently and be Men again, and colour and laughter and
 splendid living will return to a grey civilization. But that will only come 
 true because a few Men will believe in it, and fight for it, and fight in its
 name against everything that sneers and snarls at that ideal..."
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: slamkin@ollie.jsc.nasa.gov (Stephen Lamkin)
Subject: Perils of Antifreeze
Organization: nasa-jsc
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 18:32:18 GMT

The hazards and heartbreak of having free-spirited cats was painfully brought
home to me this past weekend. Five year old Little Bit, a mongrel blue point,
always liked to explore outside in our neighborhood, although she was seldom
more than 150 feet from the house. Apparently sometime during the morning,
while she was on "dawn patrol", she ingested some antifreeze at some
neighbor's house. That afternoon, my wife and two kids noticed that Little Bit
was gaging a lot, and staggering. They rushed her to an emergency animal
clinic, but she died 2 hours later while the vet worked to save her.

In talking to the vet afterwards, I found out how incidious antifreeze is
for our little friends. It's like honey to a diabetic - they grave it if
they get some. It tastes sweet to dogs and cats, and they will eat it up,
and ignore water - and it's very fast acting. The vet told me that the most
successful recoveries are those where the owner sees their pet licking the
antifreeze and brings them immediately to a vet to start treatment (or at
least within the first hour or two). By the time we see the symptoms of
gaging, staggering balance, and slow respiration, it is generally too late.

Where Little Bit got the antifreeze, we have no idea. There weren't any
indications of antifreeze pans left out at a neighbor's place, and we didn't
see any radiator spills on a driveway, although the rain Saturday night
probably washed it away, if there was any.

Now my 16 year old son won't have his Little Bit of cat to snuggle with him
in his bedroom at night, or watch after him while he sleeps. And our champion
snake and lizzard catcher isn't around to protect us from those "terrible
reptiles". We will miss her, but can find consolation with our 5 other cats
who share their lives with us, and sometimes barely tolerate us.

Little Bit came to us out of the blue, on a rainy day, and left us on a rainy
one. The heartache and hurt will take a while to ease, but the pleasant
memories of our Little Bit will always be there. You can't keep a
free-spirited cat prisoner; you have to let them go where they want - just
like children when they are grown. And occasionally there will be heartache
and pain when something hurts them, but you have to love them enough to
let them go - cats and kids are like that, but it sure can tear the hell
our of your heart when it happens.

Thanks for your time. and understanding...
From: milligan@carson.u.washington.edu (Paula Milligan)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: Funny bunnies, or at least interesting
Date: 29 Dec 1992 00:51:21 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: carson.u.washington.edu
Summary: Thumping bunny behavior

In article <1992Dec28.161843.10422@news.cs.indiana.edu> "Amy Young Leith" <alyoung@kiwi.ucs.indiana.edu> writes:
>In article <1hnjmnINNcof@shelley.u.washington.edu> milligan@carson.u.washington.edu (Paula Milligan) writes:
>







>I have never seen the thumping behavior from Dink, even in a situation
>where he would understandably feel "threatened."  Is this a purely
>instictive behavior?  We got him when he was terribly young, and
>perhaps his lack of interaction with other buns has weaked such
>responses?  Or perhaps he's just very secure?  His big show of
>disappointment or frustration is grunting. 
>
>amy
>-- 


I didn't interpret the thumping behavior as a response to feeling 
threatened.  I think it was his way of communicating.  For example,
when he thumped because he wanted a tortilla chip, we offered him 
one, he gladly accepted, and that was that.  In the case of going 
inside when he wanted to stay out, I think that was just his way
of protesting the need to go out.  He didn't run away or anything.

As to Dink's non-thumping, I would guess that you are right.  Betsy
thumps at the drop of a hat, but Rocky, who we've had since he was   
only about 8 weeks, has *never* thumped.   

I think you're right--the grunting is probably the equivalent of 
Sputnik's thumping.  To my knowledge, he never thumped out of
fright.  I'm hoping Rocky will become communicative to the extent
of grunting, too.  Of course, he and Betsy both do the bunny dance.
From: idg39@jester.usask.ca (Inez Gowsell)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: What's wrong with my ferrets?
Date: 31 Dec 1992 19:58:02 GMT
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
NNTP-Posting-Host: jester.usask.ca
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]

:<stuff deleted>


: SOME QUESTIONS:
: 
: Does anyone else have weird ferrets like mine who refuse to eat anything
: but their normal food.  No matter what, they will not even touch or 
: taste people food (except for coke - which is highly regulated).  One of
: them will scratch a banana skin and bite it, but refuse to eat the 
: banana inside.

My ferret liked fruit a lot, but didn't eat meat.  She would only eat dry
cat food, no canned stuff.  You just have to try different things until you
find something they like.

: 
: And are ferrets always so "independant" not wanting to be held.  Or it is
: a natural "confined space" reaction to move forward when petted?

As far as I have heard, and with mine especially, they love attention.  Think
of them like you would a cat.  Some of them may not be so receptive but 
others will.  Sometimes when I was busy doing stuff, Cocoa would follow me
around until I picked her up.  Then she would fall asleep in my arms.

Just give them lots of attention and they will respond sooner or later.


*******************************************************************
| Inez Gowsell                      | Gazing at people            |
| 129 Albert Ave                    | Some hand in hand           | 
| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan           | Just what I'm going through |
| Canada   S7N 1E6                  | They can't understand       |
| idg39@jester.usask.ca (temp acct) |              - Moody Blues  |
*******************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: krk1@pyuxe.uucp (24228-knights)
Subject: Re: Ferret (well, ermine) X-mas Cards
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 13:37:27 GMT

In article <1992Dec20.054443.26998@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, swoodcoc@nyx.cs.du.edu (Steven Markus Woodcock) writes:
>    Just thought that my fellow ferret fanatics out there might like to know
> that my wife and I found some Christmas cards with ferrets on them.  Well,
> actually it's an ermine, but close enough for us!  The cards depict a 
> winter scene with a dragon and various other forest animals iceskating--
> one of the critters watching the whole thing is an ermine.  The title of
> the picture is "Down on the Old Mill Pond"; the cards themselves are put
> out by Dragon Tales.  We found them at a mostly New Age shop that carries
> a large variety of 'small publisher' cards.
> 
>    Merry Christmas all!
> 
> 
> Steve & Colleen
> Proudly Owned by Missy, Newone, Zebulon Pike, Minx, Slinky, and Puck

We were at Pet Food Giant in New Brunswick recently, and they had some
very nice photo Christmas cards with ferrets on them.  Both featured
sables.  Unfortunately, they were the kind you buy one at a time and
they weren't exactly cheap.  :-/  But they were nice.  

BTW, this weekend we welcomed another little furball to our zoo.
Fermi, a ten-week old (app.) male albino ferret, joined brother
Archimedes and sister Tasha on Sunday.  Tasha seems to enjoy
her new playmate, but Archimedes is still sulking.

-----
Katriena Knights
"I don't mind being in touch with reality, as long as I don't 
have to live there."
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca (John Paul Morrison)
Subject: bunny questions
Organization: University of BC, Electrical Engineering
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 20:51:53 GMT


1. How long do bunnies live? Our book seems to ignore this eventuality.... 
   our bunny is nearly seven years old (how much time left?) 
 
2. I've read a few posts and....what's with all this papaya tablet and 
   acidophilus enzyme stuff? Will giving it to him now do anything good? 
 
3. We know it's "bad", but how much in sweet things is tolerable? He's crazy 
   about sweet things (marshmallows, mini-oreos, Toblerone chocolates etc.) 
   I imagine moderation is a safe guide(?). 
 
4. I think 6-7 years is at least middle age, or old age for bunnies. Any 
   suggestions for older rabbits? He appeared to be waning recently, so 
   I gave him a lot more carrots and apples etc, and he perked up. 
   He doesn't hop as much when let him out (he'll hop for a little while, 
   then just sit down for a long time). 
 
5. Feed: he lives on Purina Rabbit Chow, or Buckerfield's Rabbit Feed. 
   He has unlimited access to food. He doesn't appear fat, so should we 
   change anything? 
 
6. (not important) any theories why rabbits will lick some people but not 
   others? He licks me, but not others (and they feel like the bunny's not 
   being affectionate), I say it's just for salt. 
 
jpm 
 
-- 
__________________________________________________________________________
 John Paul Morrison                     |  
 University of British Columbia, Canada |  
 Electrical Engineering                 |   .sig file without a cause
 jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca              VE7JPM |  
________________________________________|_________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: GEN5075@Husky1.StMarys.Ca (CLAIRE MOXON)
Subject: New Chinchilla, Old Chinchillas
Organization: St. Mary's University, Halifax, N.S., Canada
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 23:34:05 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.13.SMU

Hello all,

I just bought a new chinchilla this weekend (a silver one) to be a pal (of
sorts) for my regular gray chins (2 of them, 1 male, 1 female).  The two
greys are in the same cage, and the silver in a separate one.  I let them
all run about together in the hall yesterday (their usual running ground)
and they did not fight or seem at all upset to have the new arrival run
with them.  I had expected some disagreements, but all went well. 

The problem I have noticed is that the new chin, now two days old (well, he
is six months old, but in my apt. for two days) is not drinking *any* water.
He has eaten pellets and seems to be otherwise happy, although perhaps more
docile than the other two, but the level in the water bottle is the same as
it was when I first filled it.  Is this the "new home" jitters or should I
worry?

The two greys are very aggressive in personality in comparison to the new
one, but he is not looking at all ill, and is very rambunctious once out of
the cage.

I have also noticed that the male grey has started making wierd noises in 
the middle of the night, almost sounding like a crow cawing - very loud and
about 10 or 12 of these cawing noises in a row, then quiet for 5 minutes
then some more.  He does this about 5 out of 7 nights a week, for about the
last three weeks to a month.  Any ideas what this means?  Also, any ideas 
about how to get the female to be more receptive to the male's mating
attempts -she usually just clicks at him or bites him on the ear.  The poor
little guy must be getting awfully frustrated...

Thanks in advance

Claire
From: alyoung@kiwi.ucs.indiana.edu (Amy Young Leith)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: bunny questions
Date: 23 Dec 92 22:57:09 GMT
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington

In article <1992Dec23.205153.9774@ee.ubc.ca> jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca (John Paul Morrison) writes:

>5. Feed: he lives on Purina Rabbit Chow, or Buckerfield's Rabbit Feed. 
>   He has unlimited access to food. He doesn't appear fat, so should we 
>   change anything? 

PURINA MAKES RABBIT CHOW??  

The only foods I've been able to find around here are names I've never
heard of.  He is very healthy, but I worry about the quality of these
pellets since in the past, we had a bad situation with an off-brand
dog food which had NO nutritional value, at least that's what our vet
said. 

>6. (not important) any theories why rabbits will lick some people but not 
>   others? He licks me, but not others (and they feel like the bunny's not 
>   being affectionate), I say it's just for salt. 

We thought at first that it was just salt, too, but we bought him a
salt lick and he didn't touch it.  Also, he'll do it to our clothes if
he's not near skin.  I am convinced that it is a grooming/affection
sign.  Dink didn't do this to Scot at all until after we'd had him a
while and Scot was won over by his cuteness.  =)

amy
-- 
alyoung@kiwi.ucs.indiana.edu for personal mail
			    All business mail to alyoung@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Dislcaimer:I only speak for myself.  Anyone who thinks differently is a fool.
			(This means NOT my employer!!)
From: milligan@carson.u.washington.edu (Paula Milligan)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Bunny stories and Where, how much for bunnies
Summary: Betsy came from HRS and Rocky was rescued from a food farm
Date: 28 Dec 92 20:45:03 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: carson.u.washington.edu

Betsy is about 4 years old now.  I got her 2 years ago to keep my bunny,
Furlough, company.  They had a terrible time getting along, so Sandi, the
HRS pres. here, took both of them to her rabbit estate for a few days, 
where, on neutral ground, they learned to tolerate each other.  I jokingly
called it the bunny marriage counseling service, or Bunny Camp.  They     
slowly adjusted to each other, and Betsy almost imediately began grooming
Furlough (after the counseling sessions).  Furlough was more reticent;
he didn't start grooming her until they had been together for about 2
months.  Furlough died last spring (he was 3) and Betsy missed him 
terribly.  They had been quite inseparable.  That's why I decided
to get another Bunny.

I was considering the HRS again, but while shopping at a feed store for 
rabbit pellets, oats and things, found a pen full of small bunnies.  This
was in a rural area, and they had been selling the littermates 4 and 5 at
a time, for $4.97.  I knew they were going to be slaughter bunnies, and the
cashier confirmed it.  I was going to get a female, but the first one I 
picked up was Rocky, and he was so sweet, not at all afraid, that I knew 
he was the one.  (His name is really Peter Rabbit, since the name peter
comes from the greek word for "rock" -- cunningly esoteric and convoluted,
I know, but oh, well).
From: njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: Papaya tablets for bun.
Summary: These should be fine
Date: 22 Dec 92 20:51:16 GMT
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO

In article <1992Dec18.202356.3261@news.cs.indiana.edu>, alyoung@kiwi.ucs.indiana.edu (Amy Young Leith) writes:
> 
> Well, I went down to GNC in the mall, and bought some.  This was the
> only place I could find them.  Here's what the bottle has to day:
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> These tablets are made from ripe papaya melon and papaya enzyme-papain
> (protein digesting enzyme from papaya), protease (protein digesting
> enzyme) and alpha-amylase (starch digesting enzyme...
> Someone please tell me these are the right ones.


Yep!  This ===>>> alpha-amylase (starch digesting enzyme
is what you want to see.
       
> I paid $20 for two 600 tablet bottles.  They are supposed to be $20
> for one bottle...

Yeah, expensive, aren't they.  But your bun is worth it.

> How many should I give him per day?  

For a dwarf, one a day; a mid-size bunny, two a day; a giant, three or
four.  When rabbit is molting, double it.

Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
att!drutx!njl
Newsgroups: rec.pets