Please help me understand. I had to put my five year old baby boy to sleep yesterday as he lost all function in his body. He was first diagnosed with a respitory infection around age two. I believe we tried two types of medication and it calmed but his sneezing, runny nose and noisy breathing continued to happen occasionally (everything else was fine in terms of appetite etc). A year ago the coughing came back fairly strong so I brought him back to the vet and we tried medication again. It seemed better, but again it would come and go. In the last few months it would happen a little more often, but then kind of stopped in the last two weeks or so. I also noticed that he had dry skin and his fur was coming out on his back and i believe he was pulling some fur out on his sides.I decided to give him a rinse in the bathtub using the shower head only on his body, not near his face. After the bath he was very distressed and started ripping out his fur and seemed unbalanced, and fell to the side a couple times because he was licking himself so vigorously. Once he was dried off I took him outside and he was happy but it almost seemed like he was limping. His head was not tilted but possibly bobbling a slight bit more than usual. Anyway the vet seemed to think he injured his paw but thought the head bobbling was normal ( when they breath sometimes there's movement) so I waited it out for a week while his condition stayed the same. He was eating and trying to act as normal, but he would fall over due to the lack of movement in his front paws. It seemed to be getting worse so I took him back and the vet said it seemed neurological. Anyway, by the time I got him home his back legs went out and he could no longer even sit himself up - his whole body stopped working. I had to bring him back to put him down. He was very alert and still had an appetite until right before he was put down. His eyes always looked normal and there was never a head tilt. I'm afraid that we should have given him more medication for that infection, but over the years it just didnt work. I'm afraid that I caused the neurological issues by giving him a bath and stressing him out. I loved him so much and thought if it was fleas that giving him a bath might help. I didn't bring him back to the vet this last time b'c the medication never seemed to work and after he would cough, he would eat and play and act like it never affected him. I just figured it would never go away and he coped with it without other signs that he was sick. Did the bath cause a stroke or damage due to being stressed. Would this have happened regardless. He was potty trained, never used a cage and was always fed the best and well taken care of. He would sleep in my room and was free to roam free in my room at all times. I just can't bear the thought that the bath contributed to all the neurological problems that ultimately killed him. He was five and fI knew he was slowing down a bit but now after reading things on the Internet I feel like I contributed to his death. If I would have tried the medicine again and if I wouldn't have bathed him would he still be here today. Please help me understand what he died from. The vet seems to think it was related to the respitory infection or a possible tumour on the brain or vestibular disease which happens to older bunnies that we just couldn't get rid of and thinks the bath was a coincidence. Please help me, I tried my best with him and I'm having a hard time living with myself.
(RIP) Please help - urgently need some assurance/advice
- Thread starter Vlahota
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ladysown
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five year old baby boy... are you talking about your rabbit?
most likely he has some fur mites and the bath made him itchy.
but pasturella over time affects the whole body... it weakens the bones, can cause all sorts of nerve damage and so forth. It's a nasty illness. Treatment only covers up the symptoms it doesn't get rid of it.
My guess is his 'respiratory infection' is actually pasturella and it's catching up to him
The bath did not cause this. It may have stressed him, but that stress wouldn't cause what you are seeing now. Please rest your heart on this matter.
I am sorry your fellow is suffering.
most likely he has some fur mites and the bath made him itchy.
but pasturella over time affects the whole body... it weakens the bones, can cause all sorts of nerve damage and so forth. It's a nasty illness. Treatment only covers up the symptoms it doesn't get rid of it.
My guess is his 'respiratory infection' is actually pasturella and it's catching up to him
The bath did not cause this. It may have stressed him, but that stress wouldn't cause what you are seeing now. Please rest your heart on this matter.
I am sorry your fellow is suffering.
Hey, you can't beat yourself up over this. From reading your post, I don't honestly think it was anything to do with the bath. Baths can be stressful for rabbits, but it seems that your boy was already having some balance problems and to me it's' definitely not the cause. It may have been related to his previous sickness if there was still some underlying infection. You did the right thing I think in taking him to the vet the times that you did and giving him medication. If I'm honest, where you mention that the vet seemed to think he injured his paw I think he should have been a lot more thorough, maybe some blood work etc. When you took him back again and the vet said it seemed neurological (which I agree with) did the vet actually give you anything for it or suggest anything that may help?
To me, it sounds like you took very good care of your rabbit but you may have gotten some bad advice. There's so many things that can cause neurological issues though that it can be hard to treat. This is not your fault at all. My heartfelt condolences to you for your loss.
To me, it sounds like you took very good care of your rabbit but you may have gotten some bad advice. There's so many things that can cause neurological issues though that it can be hard to treat. This is not your fault at all. My heartfelt condolences to you for your loss.
The vet said he had pasturella. I took him to the vet for coughing and loud breathing in oct 2008, dec 2010, followed up in jan of 2011, April 2011 and aug 2012. We tried a medication each time and we just couldn't get rid of it. He has had this since 2008 on and off, but he always seemed healthy otherwise. I noticed he had this skin issues recently, maybe under my bed more than he ysed to be and I noticed he wasn't eating as many pellets as he used to. In the morning before I bathed him I hadn't seen him hopping to know if he was wobbly but I certainly didn't notice any balance issues in the past. It wasnt until after the bath that I noticed he wasn't bslancing in his front paws. The vet examined him but never opted for blood. At that time it just seemed more like a limp or hurt paw but after a week he was falling all over the place. I just don't know how a bath could have triggered this. Yes it was stressful for him , but could stress have caused this. The vet seems to think it was coincidental and that the bath wouldn't have pushed it - he said it would have happened anyway. I'm just having a hard time coping thinking that if I wouldn't have given him the bath then he would still be here even for a few more months. I just thought a bath was so innocent. He didn't fall, I used Luke warm water and I just can't understand how a bath could do this. I miss him and it's breaking my heart to think my decision to give him a bath was harmful to him. And yes, I'm taking about my bunny who was my baby boy. This is very hard.
There may have been a couple of things going on, but pasteurella can't be cured, only controlled. Eventually, the meds won't work as well as they use to either. I don't know if you could've had a little more time with him if you hadn't given him the bath. I know that stress can trigger health problems in a rabbit...it makes sense because stress can cause health problems in humans. I'm sorry for your loss though :hug2:
