Qingqing has another wound

[ChinaBun]

Several weeks ago I posted that my rabbit was somehow wounded and got good advice. Here is the long post on that:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=29210&forum_id=16

That wound was healing nicely, but yesterday I found a new one! This is what it looked like right after I found it:

You can see the new wound and the old one in this photo:

I took her to a vet right away. As I've mentioned before, there are no rabbit-savvy vets that I can find in this city. The vet looked at her, made no guesses about what caused it, cut away some fur, and treated it with (I think) alcohol and iodine. I put some antibiotic ointment on it when I got home. This is what the wound looks like after having fur shaved away and the wound cleaned:

Note that the wound in the upper right corner is deeper than the others and seems to be scabbing over. There wasn't fresh blood. And, unlike the wound a few weeks ago, she is not tearing out her fur. This new one doesn't seem to be itching her like the last one did. For that reason, I'm not putting the anti-fungal on her, but only the antibiotic. As always, I am open to suggestions.

I am at a loss as to how these two occurred. I can't find any sharp places or hot places where she could have been hurt. Could this be some kind of skin problem?

Nancy

 

[MsBinky]

Ok... This might sound weird... But can she be doing it to herself? :?I am throwing ideas around right now. But the article does mention that it can happen due to hormonal frustrations. And since she was pulling her fur before... I wanted to mention it the last time too but it's pretty rare I think so thought I'd be way off. But now I am thinking it could be that.

Then again, she might have a skin irritation that bugs her so much that she is making it worse herself...

I hope someone else has better ideas...

You should check this thread out, it talks about self-mutilation and skin problems (from other causes) so it might be useful? http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=17913&forum_id=10

 

[ra7751]

Odd...but that tissue in the last picture looks almost necrotic. Looks like a bite of some kind to me...maybe a spider or some type of insect? You mentioned using an anti-fungal on the last one...while it is possible, rabbits rarely get fungal infections. Where on her body is the wound located? And I am not sure of what type of insects or things you might have there. Could even be a bite from a mouse or something like that. Right now, I'm afraid that I have more questions than answers. But I think I would continue aggressive antibiotic treatment while researching the root cause of this problem.

Randy

 

[Pipp]

I was just typing a response when I saw Randy's, and we're both on the same page. I was mentioning that the last time something like this popped up here, it turned out to be a rat that had chewed a hole in the hutch and was visiting during the night.:shock: (Poor bunny!)

Any chance something is getting in with QingQing?



sas :?

 

[Leaf]

Where did she come from, in the beginning? Perhaps her background could show some insight on her continuous conditions.

 

[Phinnsmommy]

In the last picture the lump on the right looks like some sort of maggot or worm!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I saw what looks like a worm too - is it flies?

also I thought of an intruder like a rat or something as well.

 

[Ivory]

I'm not completely sure, but it seems as though the two wounds aren't related. The skin on this wound looks its necrotic, like some kind of bite.

Keep and eye on it, keep doing what you're doing.

Sorry you're having these problems with Qingqing again. She's such a beauty.

 

[ChinaBun]

I didn't sleep well last night. I kept wondering how Qingqing was getting these wounds. It didn't help my sleep that I had seven (yes, seven) people spending the night in my one-bedroom apartment! I live in a major tourist city in China and this weekend five American teachers from one city came here on vacation and two other friends from another city also stayed with me. So I had five in my living room, two in the kitchen, and they let me have my bedroom to myself.

I have spent some time this morning looking at the links provided by MsBinky. I didn't find anything in them that is like what my bunny has.

When I first looked at the wound, I wondered if it was caused by a fly or worm or magot or something. But the wound in the upper left of the photos is like a gouge wound, not a poking out thing. I'm sure there are technical words that I can't recall at this moment. It looks like a worm, but it's really a gouged part that has started to scab over.

Last night a nursing-student friend was over, so she did the honors of cleaning and treating the wound. I didn't see any evidence of larva etc. infestation. I also had her give an antibiotic injection. My seven houseguests were looking on in wonder. Except for the two who had to turn their heads.

She doesn't fit the model of a rabbit who would self-mutilate. She has free run of a small room all of the time, and free run of my apartment when I am home. I don't know how she could inflict a deep wound on herself. Unless the deep wound was an accident and it itched and she caused the other ones.

Still puzzled.

 

[Haley]

Geeze this is so strange. Poor Qingquing and poor you!

The only thing I keep thinking of is if there could be something doing this to her- like a mouse in the appt? Or a rat? Do you have a dog or cat? It almost looks like scratch marks to me this time.

I wish I could help more- it looks painful

 

[Bo B Bunny]

what sort of antibiotic did she give her?

 

[Leaf]

If there are flies around it could be cuterebra... I just am at a loss as to what could be happening to the poor bunny, and she is by far one of my forum favorites.

 

[ChinaBun]

There are flies in her room sometimes, but I checked the symptoms for what Leaf mentioned and they don't fit.

One of my rabbit-loving students came over tonight and we caught and treated Qingqing. We got out a flashlight and looked at the wound carefully. It seems to be scabbing over, though the scab is very dark, almost black. I looked again for signs of worms or larvae but didn't find anything.

I don't see how a rat could be in Qingqing's room. I'm on the second floor, and I haven't seen any rats around this campus. (I live on my college's campus, in Chinese teachers' housing, and walk five minutes to my classroom.

I bought Qingqing when she was two months old. I bought her from a woman who was selling baby rabbits at a Sunday animal street market. Others also had rabbits, but they looked too young to me. I know nothing about how she lived before I had her. All I know is that she has never liked being picked up, so I presume that she wasn't handled as a baby.

 

[pamnock]

Self mutilation may be a possibility.

Pam

 

[ChinaBun]

I forgot to say that she had an injection of Enrofloxacin last night. I had a houseguest a few weeks ago who brought along six vials of this, which she had gotten from her vet for me. It was originally meant to treat the lump in her jaw, but when the skin problem came up the first time, we used it as an injectable antibiotic. We had used four vials, so there were two left. Without a rabbit vet here to consult, I did what I thought was best for her last night.

Now she is being treated with antibiotic ointment. I put her collar on for an hour afterwards. As soon as it's off, she goes right to the spot and starts licking. At least this time she's not tearing out hair.

 

[Leaf]

I don't know the answer to this question but maybe someone else will:



Are there any foods you could add to her diet (or modify her diet to) that would help her immune system?

 

[Ivory]

I don't know what species of flies are in China, so I can't tell you if that's a possibility or not. Myiasis is also pretty uncommon in house rabbits.

The shot of Enrofloxacin will help. I'd give her another for the next two or three days, just to help.

Honestly? The first wound looked like a bad scald, a first degree burn, that just so happened to get infected. This one almost looks like a second-degree burn, what with the necrosis and all. An infected first-degree burn will itch like the devil, but a second-degree burn will hurt more, so she wouldn't fool with it as much.

I just also want to point out that scalding doesn't have to be in water form- it can be the form of steam. Rabbits have such delicate, thin skin, it isn't impossible for them to get first, second, or even third degree burns. I've gotten first degree burns from steam before.

I don't think it's self-mulitation. It doesn't follow the typical pattern of self-mutilation.

It's just a possibility. I would continue her for a few days on the Enrofloxacin. I will ask to see if there are any topical soothing creams that would possibly help. Remember, as wounds heal, they itch like heck.

 

[fsubunnee]

There is a spider, Brown Recluse, whose bite canbe necrotic?

Check your apartment, Recluse spiders prefer warm, dry locationsr warm, dry locations.

Behind pictures ,In closets ,Behind furniture Underneath couches, tables and chairs

In bed sheets of infrequently used beds ,In stacks of clothes ,Behind baseboards. ,,

In boxes

They are brown shaped like a fiddle.

 

[pamnock]

Ivory wrote:

I don't think it's self-mulitation. It doesn't follow the typical pattern of self-mutilation.

I've seen a number of cases of self multilation and there really is no "typical" pattern. Self mutilation in rabbits is manifested in a number of different ways on a number of different body areas. I've seen cases from simply chewing off all the fur they can reach to eating their own feet, testicles or eating holes into their sides.

Pam

 

[Ivory]

Pam, what I meant was, the wounds themselves don't follow what self-mutilation generally looks like. The first one I could understand, but this one looks much more like a spider or other kind of bite.