mimodok
Active Member
Hi I'm new to the forum. I love my bunny (Peter) very much and I've come here because I don't know how else I can help him. I've put a link below to a short video so you can see his chest. I tried to take pictures but they didn't come out very well.
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/mimodok/?action=view¤t=100_2712.flv
Location: Wilmington, NC
Description: I believe he's a year old now, maybe a month or so short of a year old. (I don't know his breed or his weight). I just noticed: if you look at the banner at the very top of the website with all the rabbits on it, Peter looks just like the gray rabbit above the black and white rabbit on the farthest right.
Spayed/Neutered: Male rabbit that has not been neutered
Notes on fecal and urinary output: Completely normal. I've seen him pee and poop more than once today.
Has it been to the vet or has it been sick before? Yes to both questions. I've taken him to my vet once before for the same symptoms he has now. I can't recall the doctorâs name or the name of her practice at the moment but I can find out if it'd be helpful. She says that she's qualified to do exotic animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs (and other species, I'm sure).
About first vet visit: When I broughtPeter in she was very thorough. She weighed him, checked his ears, felt him all over, and observed that he wasn't neutered. She asked about his diet and reminded me to make sure he always had hay available and to call her immediately if his poops looked strange or wet. She seemed very knowledgeable and was very nice, and Peter wasn't scared at all.
Symptoms that prompted the vet visit: She inspected the bald spot on his chest. He had what looked like a cut starting from his chest and going down his arm and a similar cut was starting on his other arm. It was scabbed over and the skin around it looked red and irritated and dry. It looked as if it had bled at some point. She took a couple pieces of scotch tape and dabbed at the scabbed area and the bald skin. She looked at the "tape samples" under a microscope and said that she couldn't see any mites. She prescribed some cherry flavored antibiotics to be given to him twice a day for 7 days. I don'tremember the name of the antibiotics used but she told me about how you have to be careful about administering antibiotics to rabbits because it could kill the flora in their bodies. It was really hard to get Peter to take the antibiotics but I finished the treatment and the sores quickly healed.
Peter has only been to the vet once. This problem has been recurring (although he hasn't had actual sores since his treatment) for... maybe 4 months since his first vet visit. He has not been to the vet again since his first visit. Prior to his visit the problem had been going on for about a month or two. I had thought he was pulling out his fur as a mating behavior, although I couldn't understand why he would be doing that. When the sores showed up I took him to the vet.
Diet: Ecotrition rabbit food. Sometimes myself or my Dad will buy different brands. We try to get the "colorful" food - with those colored nuggets he likes, and dried carrot, various seeds, etc. Always has Timothy hay. I have vitamins I could put in his water. I did so when he was growing but now he's grown and he was getting fat soI stopped. He loves bananas. But I don't give it to him often and I don't give him very much (about a 3/4 inch-thick slice). I also give him leafy greens when we have some. Green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, parsley, spinach (although he doesn't really like the spinach). I've offered him bits of apple and carrot and even grapes and blueberries bit he'll only taste them.
Movement: He hops around his cage, stretches and yawns, shakes his head and runs around, kicks his feet, stands up and sniffs around, dramatically plops down when he's tired. He seems like a very happy and active little bunny. I let him out to play more than once a week. Myself and/or my sister supervise him the entire time and make sure he can't get to any wires, etc. When we let him out to play we often let Trixy out also. She's a guinea pig who's in love with Peter. He humors her but he thinks she's boring.
Plants, chocolate, other within reach? Not that I can see.
Outdoors: Never. I know that my Dad uses chemicals in our yards and I don't want him to get fleas or mites or somethingThere is a window next to his cage which I open a crack while I'm in the room on really nice days. I do try and open the blinds when it's not too sunny so he can look outside.
I saw in someone's post that their bunny had what they described as "fuzzy butt." That was a good description of what Peter also has, although it's not my main concern. (fuzzy butt: tufts of hair sticking out that can easily be pulled out when lightly tugged - doesn't bother rabbit). I also looked in the index and the description of mites is consistent with the symptoms Peter is showing.
The symptoms he has now: Bare patch on his chest. I often catch him licking and chewing there and where his chest meets his arm - wherever he can reach on his chest from shoulder to shoulder. The skin looks red around the edges. "Fuzzy butt."
What I've tried: Took him to the vet about 4 months ago. Immediately after the visit I started and finished a 7-day treatment of antibiotics. I've revolutioned him once before (which cleared it up). The symptoms kept coming back so I revolutioned him again last month and this month. At the end of last month it worsened which is why I treated him again this month. All of the cats and dogs that live in my house are revolutioned regularly. The guinea pig that he plays with has also been revolutioned for the last two months. I don't pet the cute baby bunnies and guinea pigs when I go to the pet store for fear of transferring anything to Peter and Trixy.
Bedding: Normally Aspen shavings with corn litter in his potty corner. In the past I've used that recycled paper they sell in pet shops that they always recommend but it's really expensive. I just cleaned his cage two days ago and I think my Dad bought Cedar shavings by mistake. I know that Cedar is bad but it's all I had. I figure one or two bedding changes won't kill them - then I'll go back to Aspen and remind my Dad about buying Cedar shavings. It could be my imagination, but I think his chest was clearer when I used the recycled paper... maybe he's allergic to shavings. But that recycled paper is too expensive. If you think he's allergic to shavings, is there something else I could use as bedding? I don't want to use corn litter in his whole cage - just his corner. I thinkcorn litter isa little pricey too, and it's messy when he kicks around in his cage.
Conclusion: Revolution doesn't seem to be working. Antibiotics didn't really clear it up. Vet didn't see mites but she approved of me using revolution. He really likes to be scratched, maybe he's itchy? His cage is pretty big, the biggest cage I can get without building one. I don't think he's bored or anxious; he seems to keep himself busy and happy. I guess it could be mating behavior...Trixy is a girl but she's a guinea pig...
Sorry about the long post. Thank you for reading it and for your help, it's much appreciated.
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/mimodok/?action=view¤t=100_2712.flv
Location: Wilmington, NC
Description: I believe he's a year old now, maybe a month or so short of a year old. (I don't know his breed or his weight). I just noticed: if you look at the banner at the very top of the website with all the rabbits on it, Peter looks just like the gray rabbit above the black and white rabbit on the farthest right.
Spayed/Neutered: Male rabbit that has not been neutered
Notes on fecal and urinary output: Completely normal. I've seen him pee and poop more than once today.
Has it been to the vet or has it been sick before? Yes to both questions. I've taken him to my vet once before for the same symptoms he has now. I can't recall the doctorâs name or the name of her practice at the moment but I can find out if it'd be helpful. She says that she's qualified to do exotic animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs (and other species, I'm sure).
About first vet visit: When I broughtPeter in she was very thorough. She weighed him, checked his ears, felt him all over, and observed that he wasn't neutered. She asked about his diet and reminded me to make sure he always had hay available and to call her immediately if his poops looked strange or wet. She seemed very knowledgeable and was very nice, and Peter wasn't scared at all.
Symptoms that prompted the vet visit: She inspected the bald spot on his chest. He had what looked like a cut starting from his chest and going down his arm and a similar cut was starting on his other arm. It was scabbed over and the skin around it looked red and irritated and dry. It looked as if it had bled at some point. She took a couple pieces of scotch tape and dabbed at the scabbed area and the bald skin. She looked at the "tape samples" under a microscope and said that she couldn't see any mites. She prescribed some cherry flavored antibiotics to be given to him twice a day for 7 days. I don'tremember the name of the antibiotics used but she told me about how you have to be careful about administering antibiotics to rabbits because it could kill the flora in their bodies. It was really hard to get Peter to take the antibiotics but I finished the treatment and the sores quickly healed.
Peter has only been to the vet once. This problem has been recurring (although he hasn't had actual sores since his treatment) for... maybe 4 months since his first vet visit. He has not been to the vet again since his first visit. Prior to his visit the problem had been going on for about a month or two. I had thought he was pulling out his fur as a mating behavior, although I couldn't understand why he would be doing that. When the sores showed up I took him to the vet.
Diet: Ecotrition rabbit food. Sometimes myself or my Dad will buy different brands. We try to get the "colorful" food - with those colored nuggets he likes, and dried carrot, various seeds, etc. Always has Timothy hay. I have vitamins I could put in his water. I did so when he was growing but now he's grown and he was getting fat soI stopped. He loves bananas. But I don't give it to him often and I don't give him very much (about a 3/4 inch-thick slice). I also give him leafy greens when we have some. Green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, parsley, spinach (although he doesn't really like the spinach). I've offered him bits of apple and carrot and even grapes and blueberries bit he'll only taste them.
Movement: He hops around his cage, stretches and yawns, shakes his head and runs around, kicks his feet, stands up and sniffs around, dramatically plops down when he's tired. He seems like a very happy and active little bunny. I let him out to play more than once a week. Myself and/or my sister supervise him the entire time and make sure he can't get to any wires, etc. When we let him out to play we often let Trixy out also. She's a guinea pig who's in love with Peter. He humors her but he thinks she's boring.
Plants, chocolate, other within reach? Not that I can see.
Outdoors: Never. I know that my Dad uses chemicals in our yards and I don't want him to get fleas or mites or somethingThere is a window next to his cage which I open a crack while I'm in the room on really nice days. I do try and open the blinds when it's not too sunny so he can look outside.
I saw in someone's post that their bunny had what they described as "fuzzy butt." That was a good description of what Peter also has, although it's not my main concern. (fuzzy butt: tufts of hair sticking out that can easily be pulled out when lightly tugged - doesn't bother rabbit). I also looked in the index and the description of mites is consistent with the symptoms Peter is showing.
The symptoms he has now: Bare patch on his chest. I often catch him licking and chewing there and where his chest meets his arm - wherever he can reach on his chest from shoulder to shoulder. The skin looks red around the edges. "Fuzzy butt."
What I've tried: Took him to the vet about 4 months ago. Immediately after the visit I started and finished a 7-day treatment of antibiotics. I've revolutioned him once before (which cleared it up). The symptoms kept coming back so I revolutioned him again last month and this month. At the end of last month it worsened which is why I treated him again this month. All of the cats and dogs that live in my house are revolutioned regularly. The guinea pig that he plays with has also been revolutioned for the last two months. I don't pet the cute baby bunnies and guinea pigs when I go to the pet store for fear of transferring anything to Peter and Trixy.
Bedding: Normally Aspen shavings with corn litter in his potty corner. In the past I've used that recycled paper they sell in pet shops that they always recommend but it's really expensive. I just cleaned his cage two days ago and I think my Dad bought Cedar shavings by mistake. I know that Cedar is bad but it's all I had. I figure one or two bedding changes won't kill them - then I'll go back to Aspen and remind my Dad about buying Cedar shavings. It could be my imagination, but I think his chest was clearer when I used the recycled paper... maybe he's allergic to shavings. But that recycled paper is too expensive. If you think he's allergic to shavings, is there something else I could use as bedding? I don't want to use corn litter in his whole cage - just his corner. I thinkcorn litter isa little pricey too, and it's messy when he kicks around in his cage.
Conclusion: Revolution doesn't seem to be working. Antibiotics didn't really clear it up. Vet didn't see mites but she approved of me using revolution. He really likes to be scratched, maybe he's itchy? His cage is pretty big, the biggest cage I can get without building one. I don't think he's bored or anxious; he seems to keep himself busy and happy. I guess it could be mating behavior...Trixy is a girl but she's a guinea pig...
Sorry about the long post. Thank you for reading it and for your help, it's much appreciated.
