Miffy's been chewing her dewlap - AGAIN.....

[mummybunny]

OMG, I wish she would stop it.

Her neck is in a right mess again, she just can't/won't leave it alone.It's all in a huge bloody scab and there is an actual slit like opening that has clear/bloody fluid coming from it.

It really must hurt as when I tried to touch it she flinches away. We are soaking it in the surgical solution the vet gave us last time, and she's off to the vet AGAIN on Saturday. I hope she doesn't have to have another operation to remove the damaged skin like last time, she'll have no dewlap left!

Anyone's experience of a self mutilating rabbit would be appreciated.

mummybunny xx

 

[KatyG]

I can't believe she is still atit! i don't know if this is right or not but I didwork experience at a vet and he said some animals chew at woundsbecause they are in pain. Chewing at it hurts but that causesmore endorphins or something to be released which make it feel betterfor a while, but by chewing they have made the wound worse so it hurtsmore later so they chew it more and get stuck like that.Maybe you should get the vet to give you metacam orsimilar toinject her with until the scab begins to heal.

 

[mummybunny]

What's metacalm?

 

[naturestee]

Eek! Naughty Miffy!

Has your vet treated her for fungal infection in her dewlap?It's not unusual if her dewlap got wet from her water bowl.If she does have a fungal infection it would make her skin itch andcause her to chew it.

NO MORE CHEWING ON YOURSELF!

 

[cheryl]

ohh noo not Miffy again,she is such a naughtylittle girl,but im starting to think maybe there is an underlyingproblem somewhere.

i know when i have watched vet shows on tv,and people have problemswith their pets picking at themselves,enough to make themselves bleedand make a whole lot of mess of themselves,and the vet has always founda problem,just like naturestee said there could be a fungal diseasethat has been overlooked,maybe when you take herbackmention that to your vet and see what he/shethinks.But i do think when an animal does this all the time there issomething irratating them,and the only thing they can do is chew atit,i hope you can get this all sorted out for your sweet littlegirl,she must be so annoyed by all this,but you are a good bunny mum totake such good care of her,miffy is lucky to have you



let us know what happens with miffy



cheryl

 

[Greta]

Miffy! Not again ! You keep going tothat place where you take long naps (vet) like this and mommy won'thave any money left to buy you treats! Now wouldn't that behorrible?!? Dewlap really isn't that tasty, is it?

Benjamin Bunny:brownbunny



**and his slave, Greta**

:bow:bunny19

 

[KatyG]

Metacam is just a pain killer commonly used for dogs and cats. I'm not sure if a different brand is used for rabbits.

 

[naturestee]

The same brand is used for rabbits, with adifferent dose. Fey had that, but it upset her stomach andstopped her from eating. That's supposed to be a rarereaction.

 

[mummybunny]

So...Miffy got 2 steroid injections straight into the new wound, they certainly made her wriggle, poor bun bun.

We've to keep cleaning it daily with the surgical scrub solution and hegave us a skin shampoo as she has flaky places on her back and bum -she doesn't have mites, but a dermatitis. We've to bath her twice aweek and go back in 3 to 4 weeks. The hope is the steroid will increasehealing and take out any itch so it'll settle, therefore, HOPEFULLY,she won't have the need to bite at it.

And if the shampoo works she won't be itchy elsewhare and be tempted to take it out on her wound!

Fingers crossed - we don't want any more surgery!

mummybunny xx

 

[Pipp]

Yeah, it's important for them to take Metacam ona full stomach, otherwise it causes that ulcer sensation. Itshould ALWAYS be given with food.

If a bunny's not eating, Metacam's not the answer unless itsadministered with the pellet slurry, pumpkin or whatever else is beingforce fed, and the bun is ingesting that food. And I imaginewith some buns, that still isn't enough to prevent a problem.

I wonder if there's a chance (if it's not fungal) that food allergiesare causing or at least contributing to the dermatitis? Oneof my cats has that problem. She's allergic to fish and maybecorn -- or at least it clears up when I feed her foods that don'tcontain fish or cornmeal. (She chews all the hair off herfoot because her back is itchy).

I haven't heard of this happening with rabbits, but then 10 or 15 years ago, didn't hear about it happening with cats, either.

PS: Maybe it will help pinning up a picof Binkie the mobilesatellite dish?

PPS: Greta, love your siggy!

sas pipp :bunnydance:and the gang :brownbunny:toastingbuns:bunny24

 

[RO STAFF 2]

How's Miffy?

:bump

 

[mummybunny]

Well, she HATES getting bathed, and she gruntsand groans and snorts and fusses before, during and after!! (untilshe's licked herself dry again).

She looks like a teddy that's gone through the washing machineafterwards - big fluffy head and small(ish!) tousled body!! BLESS!!

It is definelty making her less 'itchy skinned' as she seems muchcalmer and isn't nibbling away at her shoulders and butt so it must bedoing something good. She's had 3 baths so far and we have to give herone tomorrow evening again.

Her wound looks(looked) like it was healing better but last night I hada closer look and she'd nibbled at the side of it, so out with thesurgical scrub again - which she also then licks off! Must tastehorrible though!

Will keep you updated....

mummybunny

 

[naturestee]

Thanks for the update! I can just imagine her after her bath!

Miffy, honey, food is for chewing. Not your dewlap.

 

[LuvaBun]

I have a wonderful image of this fluffy headedbunny, grunting and grumbling away . I really hope this works for herand she can stop cheweing her dewlap. Perhaps she needs to wear a bib :?

Jan

 

[KatyG]

Oh dear I wish you luck! Ihad to help bath a rabbit once and it was not easy!! It wassummer and a hot day so we tried to bath her outside in a baby bath (cos my friends mum would not have been happyifwehad doneit in the house). After a lot of fussingwe finally managed to get her wet, then she was really still for awhile and we were just rubbing the medicated shampoo in when suddenlyshe made a huge leap for freedom, emptied most of the water overus, and proceeded to run right into a flower bed and roll inthe dirt. It was such a mess.

They do look really funny when their heads are fluffy buttheir fur is all wet. It makes their bodies look too smallfor the head!

 

[mummybunny]

OK, so now she has kind of runny eyes (notgunked up but wet at the tear ducts so her fur gets a bit wet) and abit of a snuffly nose (but no wet fur under it). When we've bathed herwe've had the heating up - she's a house bun. Do you think she's got awee chill? Can bunnies get the cold? She's behaving andeating/drinking/pooing/peeing fine.

mummybunny xx

 

[naturestee]

It could be a reaction to stress.Frequent baths aren't good for bunnies, although there's no avoiding ithere. Maybe you could ask your vet over the phone?

Give that girl a snuggle for me!

 

[cheryl]

Hello Miffy's mum...how is little Miffy going,we haven't heard about her for a while,is she going ok?



cheryl

 

[JimD]

Hi mummybunny !

I've been kind of following this thread. I hope Miffy is doing okay.

Binkie has been chewing at her dewlap, too. Ever since her surgery, sheseems to have an incessant urge to bite and groom until she has pulledthe fur from the affected area. It's not even the surgery site, either.She hasn't broken the skin yet, so I'm hoping it will pass with time.

~Jim

 

[mummybunny]

Hi guys, Miffy is fine, after she got thesteroid injection right into the wound it has been healing reallyreally well. It has healed to a smallish scab - about thesize of a pinky nail.

She did, however, the other night do one of her 'pings' - where shebites herself when grooming and pings right up in the air, teeth stillattached - and she had broken the skin again and she was bleeding abit. She has, however, not made it any worse since then. The otherthing though she has been doing is plucking fur from down the otherside of her dewlap, so she has a big pink strip of skin with downy hairwhere she's been pulling - but at least no biting!

We have not been bathing her as her eyes are still kind of weepy, theyare not crusty but the fur under her eyes looks wet most days. We haveto take her back to the vet so he can check her itchy skin, and we'llshow him her eyesthen. She's totally fine in herself though.So, more updates to come....!

mummybunny xx