Bunny eating his toes!!

[Greta]

Hi everybody! I'm new here.
I have a neighbor who also shares the pleasures of bunny-dom, but areexperiencing a strange, rather nasty problem. Their 3month-old Holland Lop has started to chew on/eat his own hind toes! SoI called a friend of mine who has had buns for a long time, and she hadnever had a bun do that. have any of you seen this or have any advice?it's getting to the point that you can see the bone (not the toenail,the bone) back to the first joint in places!:shock:

:bunnydance: Greta S :bunnydance:

 

[FreddysMom]

I personally can't offer any help on the actualbehavior but I would get the bunny to a vet to make sure no infectionis setting in and a course of action taken to ensure no infection illset in.

Here isa quote from Pam Nock on self-mutilation

"Provide plenty of hay to give him a chewing distraction.Self-[highlight= #ffff88]mutilation is not uncommonin animals (or humans for that matter). It can be set off byinjury (as in the case of clipping the nails too short), boredom,genetic predisposition, compulsive disorder, fungal infection, mineraldeficiency (caused by poor feed or metabolic disorder), or disease.

In severe cases, a collar can be used to discourage the rabbit from thebehavior. In some instances, this may result in permanentlycuring the behavior.

I'd keep a close eye on him -- I've seen cases where the rabbit had eaten its entire foot down to the bone.

Pam"

 

[Maureen Las]

Freddysmom...that is certainly a good article onself mutilation.I never heard of rabbits doing it but I have heard itis a sign of stress in ex. a caged wild animal at a zoo

 

[Greta]

Well, he's got plenty of hay, things to chew on, and is fed a very high-quality diet.
the other thing is that the breeder where my neighbors/friends gottheir bun said that the doe that this particular bun came from does ittoo, an d that they tried everything they could think of to stop her,but nothing worked. Perhaps the bunnies are addicted to endorphins?I've heard of it happening in humans, but not bunnies...

:bunnydance: Greta

 

[FreddysMom]

Greta wrote:

Well, he's got plenty of hay, things to chew on, and is feda very high-quality diet.
the other thing is that the breeder where my neighbors/friends gottheir bun said that the doe that this particular bun came from does ittoo, an d that they tried everything they could think of to stop her,but nothing worked. Perhaps the bunnies are addicted to endorphins?I've heard of it happening in humans, but not bunnies...

:bunnydance: Greta

In that case it sounds rather like a genetic pre-disposition ratherthan an addiction to endorphines. I had success putting an E-collar(lampshade)on my rabbit when he got neutered, perhaps youshould try the same for your rabbit so he doesn't have access to hisfeet.

And you should also wrap them up ....perhaps if you started dailywrapping up of the feet. He would chew through just the gauze and nothis actual skin ...i wish I had a better suggestion for you.

oh oh and i used an H style harness to keep his E-collar on. Itprevented him from being able to get it off and from chokinghimself/hurting his necktrying to get it off

 

[Greta]

I actually have made a collar for him, and it seems to work quite well...
I did try wrapping his feet, but he got both wraps off within a minute!
currently, my first concern is infection, so I suggested they putantibiotic ointment on the wounds. Since his mother and one of hissiblings also does this, according to the breeder, I am thinking thatit's probably hereditary.

Greta

 

[FreddysMom]

If it is down to the bone as you had mentioned,I dont think simple wrapping will be enough. Youre vet may want to puthim on an antibiotic as a preventative measure to make sure infectiondoesnt set it. Most likey a bite that large would have to be treatedwith the same urgency as a sore. It chance of going gangrene andinfected are much higher than just a small flesh wound.

Do you have a vet your bunny as of current?

If not visithttp://www.rabbit.org/youcan locate a vet through there. Or if not do a yellow pages search ohyahoo for either exotic vets or small mammal vets.

 

[Maureen Las]

This sounds terrible..wonder why they are breeding the doe? :?

 

[Greta]

it's actually not my bunny. he lives with myneighbors down the street. it dosn't affect his whole foot, just thetips of his toes. i think it started out with the cuticle and just wentfurther. it's not down to the bone in all the affected areas, just oneor two spots. they're putting a topical antibiotic on daily. I toowonder why on earth they keep breeding that doe!:?

:bunnydance: Greta

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Does the rabbit have feeling in itsfoot? To find out, pinch part of his foot and if he pullsback then there is feeling. The reason I ask is that someanimals will chew their body or legs if they can't feel it.Just a thought. I do recommend taking the rabbit to thevet. You don't want it to get infected.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Sharon

 

[Maureen Las]

I didn't think that it was your doe , Greta, butyour neighbors shouldn't be breeding her. Too much suffering forbunnies and their owners!

 

[Greta]

it isn't my neighbors that are breeding her. it's whoever they got their bunny from!
it sure doesn't make any sense to me!

Greta

 

[zoecat6]

The first rabbit I owned mutilated her footalmost to the bone in a place that I couldn't see it and didn't knowthat it was happening til it was too late. She ended up going intostatis and dying before I could get her to a vet. I wasdevastated .

 

[Lissa]

If I understood Pam Nock correctly, self-mutilation is more common in closely bred rabbits.

 

[Lissa]

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=10563&forum_id=1&highlight=mutilation

 

[pamnock]

Because there may be a genetic pre-disposition, the behavior is more likely seen in inbred, or closely linebred rabbits.

My friend's rabbit did the same thing (ate away it's front feet down tothe bone). We put a collar on him for a while, and gave him alot of distractions. He eventually recovered and ceasedchewing on himself (he had previously ate his testicles wideopen). You can also try letting the rabbit run in a largearea where he will be less likely to think about chewing on himself.

One product I've used is "Wonder Dust" for horses. It quickly dries up and heals wounds.

Pam

 

I had a Standard Rex Doe thatwould do the exact thing chew chewchew, but it was her lower end also, as long as she had a litter under her shewouldnt chew , the Vet suggested breeding her onceto see if the behavior stopped , It did untill sheweaned the babies and they were out ofthe kindle cage . Then she went right backto chewing . poor thing was so raw it was pathetic .
I wasnt willing to breed her on a obviousneeded basis , I sent her to another breeder who would breedher . Now it sounds like a mistake especially whereit may be a predisposition andcan be passed on to the offspring . I will call theBreeder and warn him . Thanks for the information .

 

[ariel]

Wow I had never heard of such a thing until now.

 

[pamnock]

ariel wrote:

Wow I had never heard of such a thing until now.

Self mutilation occurs inmanyanimals includingman. There are many factors including a geneticpre-disposition, metabolic disorders, diet, stress and environmentalfactors.

Pam

 

[ariel]

It just amazed me, I did however just then read the link that Lissa posted.
I guess I'd never given a thought that animals would do this.