My bunny is really sick, her legs are eroded to the bone.

[Deliciosa]

Hi, my name is Emily. My bunny is four years old, she's a netherland dwarf. The past couple days I had noticed she would occasionally stumble and fall down, which worried me. She didn't seem to be in pain so I vouched to keep her off her legs and take her to the vet if the limping got worse.

Please please please please don't judge me or consider me a bad owner. I love my bunny more than anything in the entire world. This is the closest bond I have ever had with a pet and I would do anything for her.

I was petting her today and to my horror I noticed that on the back of both of her hind legs the fur and skin is eroded to the bone. I do not know how I didn't see this. I assume it's from her sitting in her pee but I did not know this could ever happen. I keep her clean and give her fresh bedding 3 times a week.

I woke my dad up because I was so scared, and it's 12:50 right now so we can't take her to the vet. I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep tonight because I can't believe that happened to her. I don't know how she's still eating or sleeping.

I'm posting here because it feels better than doing nothing right now.

 

[Deliciosa]

IMMEDIATE INFORMATION:


Location: Vancouver

Description Netherland dwarf, brown, 2-3 lbs?

Age 4 yrs

Sex Female

Concise Summary of the Rabbit's Condition:
Hind legs eroded to bone, otherwise behaving normally.



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / CHECK LIST: (Please fill in relevant info).

Fecal and Urinary Output

- are the bunny's poops and pees normal? Yes
- when did they last use their litterbox? She pooped maybe 10 minutes ago
- any unusual behavior? Limping
- what litter and/or bedding do you use? soft Wood chips

Medical History

- spayed/neutered? She hasn't been spayed
- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before? Went to the vet for her sneezing, she has allergies.
- is s/he on any medications? No

Diet

- what specifically does your bunny eat? Bonanza rabbit diet
- when and what did s/he eat last? Rabbit diet, 10 minutes ago
- any changes in the way s/he eats? Nope. she's a huge pig as normal!


Other

- movement - any unusual movements? limping occasionally
- is the rabbit molting? yes
- any weight loss? No
- any sign of drooling? wet face? No
- runny eyes? No
- wet nose? coughing? sneezing? wet nose
- is s/he breathing normally? yes

Additional

- any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? No
- has the rabbit been outdoors? No
- any other pets? if so, have they been ill? No

 

[naturestee]

Hi, the only thing I can say right now is that she really needs to get to a vet. Hopefully you'll be able to get her in quickly today. Until then, clean her cage and disinfect it. You can put Neosporin on the wounds (not the type with the painkiller in it) if she will let you.

I hope everything works out.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Vet ASAP.

 

[tonyshuman]

To keep her from sitting in her pee, put down a cloth that wicks the moisture away like fleece or artificial sheepskin, and put something absorbent underneath it, like puppy pads. Other than that she needs to see a vet.

I wonder why a 4 yr old bunny would have such bad mobility issues. I hope the vet can find a cause. I would guess nerve damage in the spinal cord, advanced e cuniculi disease, arthritis of the spine, or a genetic deformity. She is still quite young though, so arthritis and EC are less likely.

The wood chips may not be the best bedding for her. If they are pine or cedar, the aromatic oils in them can be harmful and some bunnies have respiratory reactions and even skin reactions to them.

There are ways to help her live with limited mobility, but you will want to try to identify a cause first, to see if it can be treated and if there is any pain associated with it (I assume there is and she may need to be on pain meds long term), and get a plan to heal those sores. It is not uncommon for bunnies with mobility issues to get pressure sores like you describe. Keeping the skin clean and dry, and moving her regularly will help.

 

[Deliciosa]

The vet says the problem was malnutrition. I had no idea she was so underweight, she behaves so normally and I thought I was giving her good amounts of food.

She's eating as much as she can now to gain her weight back and be able to heal her legs. She has some critical care food and there is unlimited food in her cage for her.

I feel so horrible that I had no idea she was so sick. I feel like the worst, most neglectful rabbit owner. I hope she will be able to recover and I'm going to try as hard as I can to get her there.

 

[Pipp]

Which vet did she go to?

How much of the food was she getting? It's a crappy brand, yes, but normally because it's high in fat, etc.. It would have been that she was obese and putting pressure on her hocks.

I'd like to know specifically what he/she thought was missing in her diet.

Did he give you Betadine for her feet?

I'm sure she'll feel better soon.

You can't suddenly change her diet, btw. I'd start by mixing in some Martin Little Friends Timothy, you can get them at Tisol or Bosley's.

Oxbow is great, too, but its expensive and the rabbits don't like it much.

Is she getting hay and veggies?

PS: I'm in Vancouver as well, I can chat on the phone if you like.


sas :clover:

 

[Happi Bun]

Did the vet not make any mention of the skin eroded to the bone? You are going to need to keep it EXTREMELY clean. Did he not wrap her legs or percscribe any kind of ointment or anti-infection meds? What about pain meds? It all seems very inconclusive to be honest.

How much and how often are you feeding her the pellets?

 

[Deliciosa]

Anderson Animal Clinic on Granville is the vet I took her to. It was kind of inconclusive, to be honest.

She was getting about two palm fulls a day, which was what her previous owner was feeding her. I know I should have looked up a proper diet which is something I wished I did.

All he said was that she was extremely emaciated, that she's basically skin and bone. He talked about her dying which was terrifying.

She didn't get anything for the feet... He made it seem like they would heal on their own if he got enough food. He said the problem was common and the severe problem was her emaciation.

 

[Deliciosa]

No pain meds, no wrapping, no nothing. Just some special critical care food and medication to stop stomach blockage.

This is all so confusing, I'm so scared the vet may not have done enough now. He racked up a huge vet bill.

I honestly don't know what to do.

 

[Pipp]

Ooh, sorry, Anderson is terrible and terribly overpriced. The Critical Care is a good start, though. Are you close to the Kilarney clinic? Or Arbutus West.

How long have you had her?

I've emailed you my number, feel free to call.


sas :clover:

 

[Deliciosa]

Thankyou so much. I will definitely call if anything worsens or I need some extra advice. You're really kind! ray:

Yeah... I really hate how much of a business it is, making money off people's love for their pets. I understand pricey staffing, I don't understand $56 dollars for critical care pouch and three pills. And I don't understand $200 for x-rays.



I'm going to call the doctor's tomorrow and ask for his advice on this:
tomorrow I'm going to buy a lot of dressings for her legs, buy a hypoallergenic non-scented shampoo or soap for her, and give her a little butt bath in the sink. I'll use as little product as I can as I do not want to irritate her wounds any more than they already are. I'm going to be constantly dressing and keeping the wounds clean, can anybody recommend an ointment for them?


He said the lesions are not so terrible as she still has skin protecting the bones, but it's hard to believe that when I see her little bones sticking out. I can't just ignore that problem.


I'm slowly starting to feel my sanity coming back to me. I've got Mimi on her towel on my bed with newspaper under her bum that I keep changing, I have a blankie on her to keep her warm and her food, critical care and water is near her head and I'm offering each to her. She is really stuffed right now as she's been eating all day, the doctor said she should eat constantly as she's extremely malnourished.

I think she likes the bed care as I can be close to her, pet her, and try to keep her calm and from moving right now. Regular bum baths after she heals, I am not going to have this happen to her ever again.

this is how I have her set up now:

 

[Deliciosa]

I basically phoned every clinic listed under the VRRA and Anderson's was the only one who could take her in on such short notice. I've had her for about a year and a half now. I'm not close to that clinic but I may take her there if anything happens.

 

[Watermelons]

Deliciosa wrote:

I'm going to call the doctor's tomorrow and ask for his advice on this:
tomorrow I'm going to buy a lot of dressings for her legs, buy a hypoallergenic non-scented shampoo or soap for her, and give her a little butt bath in the sink. I'll use as little product as I can as I do not want to irritate her wounds any more than they already are. I'm going to be constantly dressing and keeping the wounds clean, can anybody recommend an ointment for them?

If youre willing to make a trip to Port Coquitlam, I will bandage those legs for you and show you everything you need.

You need to make sure its a non strick dressing, like say a telfa that is right up against the wound, you can use an ointment like polysporin if you so wish (only if its clean and not used and abused where bacteria might be flooding around in the tube). If the legs are as bad as you say they are, dont use shampoo or anything like that, at the most I would use something like Hibitane diluted in warm water to lightly scrub the area with gauze, preferably I would use a surgical prep gel (but thats only because I keep some on hand). Then pat the areas dry with some gauze before putting the telfas on, wrap with roller/cling cauze, not tightly, then you can vet wrap over top, and for stickey stretchy tape theres 100 different choices on what you can use to keep that dressing on.

 

[Must_Love_Pets]

You are all so kind in helping Deliciosa and Mimi. This forum really responds to those in need. Iam proud to be a part of this loving and caring group of people.

I wish you the best of luck sweetie in getting Mimi back to good health. I am looking forward to the good updates on her

 

[Deliciosa]

I would for sure come to Port Coquitlam, my boyfriend lives there anyway so it is not an issue. I'm just really worried about causing her more stress, she's just starting to seem like her old self and do regular bunny things.

When are you free/when could you see her?


Thankyou for the kind wishes Must_Love_Pets
:hug2:

 

[Deliciosa]

Mimi is eating tons, she ate a huge thing of alfalfa, I went and got her a big bag of timothy hay, she's eating her pellets and her critical care. I'm just concerned about her legs now.

 

[Watermelons]

I dont think I have anything else planned for the weekend, if youre able to come in the evening either today or tomorrow (so its cooler) Or during the day, Im pretty much home whenever until July, Just let me know when you want to pop by and I'll get my stuff ready and pm you an address.

 

[DandelionHollow]

I hope your sweet bun is improving. Please note, feeding her oats will help her weight, also, they are very smooth on the stomach. If I were you, I would begin to free feed her (keep her feed bowl full at all times) and add 1 part oats to her feed. Hay is great & necessary to prevent fur block, but the problem is it does nothing to help a bun gain weight and is very filling so that if a bun eats too much hay they will not eat enough pellets to maintain healthy weight. Dont take the hay away, just add oats to her pellet feed to supplement and her weight should improve.
As far as her legs are concerned you can use non-toxic ointments such as "bag balm" (which is what I recommend) to speed her healing. It works wonders. Some wounds need open air to heal faster so keep this in mind, but if you fear infection make sure you keep her wounds clean by gently washing them with warm water. Is she kept on standard flooring or wire flooring? Wire flooring is Always best because it allows urine & cocoa puffs to pass straight through so the bun is never "sitting in it". Wire floors can be hard on the hocks so it is always best to place a small towel or bunny board in part of the cage for her to lay on (make sure it is placed away from her potty corner or she will "go" on it).
Hope this helped and best wishes to your darling lil' one for a speedy recovery.

 

[Deliciosa]

I don't have any oats right now but I can certainly pick some up from the store. I'm giving her as much food as she wants right now, lots of greens and hay, her critical care and some carrot. She finished all of her alfalfa sprouts, I think they're her favorite.

Unfortunately she has a sort of metal flooring in her cage, it is definitely not wire though, just a standard solid base.

What is bag balm? I've never heard of it.