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Abscesses
Emergency Kit Have questions or comments? |
Taken
from newsletter of summer 2004
When bunnies can't hop: Caring for disabled rabbits Caring for a disabled rabbit can be a laborious and emotionally daunting job. Rabbits that can no longer hop unassisted rely on their caregivers to make daily assessments and necessary adjustments for implementing new ways to achieve exercise and lifeenriching activities. They must also make difficult decisions about what is best for their rabbit. However, even though the daily tasks seem endless, as two members share with us, the rewards can be enormous.
In July of 2003 I noticed that Theo had stopped using his litter box. After trying a variety of things - frequent litter box changes, different types of litter, and covering the floor with litter boxes - I decided that it wasn't behavioural. We went to the vet and were told that Theo had a urine infection, which is often easy to treat. After two weeks of antibiotic treatment and without any signs of improvement we went back to the vet. The infection was still present and Theo was prescribed a different antibiotic. He improved, but he was still leaving small puddles of urine on the floor and his poops were frequently outside the litter box, rather than in. For a bunny with formerly pristine habits, I knew something was still wrong. Another vet visit determined that Theo's problem was more complicated than we originally thought. An x-ray showed that his bladder was filled with sludge. The vet told me to eliminate as much calcium as possible from his diet, as this might have been a contributing factor. Theo also needed sub-q injections of saline three times a day to help flush the sludge from his bladder. I gave him extra greens and added a small amount of pear juice to his drinking water to encourage him to get more oral fluids. I was determined to be as aggressive as possible in fighting the sludge. We returned to the vet the following week for a check-up.
During this time Theo had been producing large amounts of urine and seemingly
unaware he was sitting it. The x-ray indicated a shadowy mass over the base of his spine, near his pelvis. There was also a fracture of his pelvis near this mass, presumably related. Unfortunately, the location precluded doing a needle biopsy, so there was no way of knowing if the mass was cancerous or caused by an abscess. What was known, however, was that this growth was impinging on his spine and the resulting neurological damage was responsible for all of his symptoms: the loss of bladder tone resulted in Theo being unable to empty his bladder effectively, and consequently led to the build-up of sludge and bacteria. It also explained the weakness in his hind legs and why he was pooping everywhere. I was devastated. We'd gone from a simple bladder infection, to sludge, to an inaccessible spinal tumour. Because there was a possibility the mass was an abscess we decided to start him on bicillin injections, hoping the antibiotic would reach the site. The drug had the added advantage of clearing up the urine infection that he had dedeveloped. After time, his symptoms worsened and the mass grew on the x-rays so we stopped the bicillin treatment. However, the Metacam he was receiving for pain control, helped considerably. His condition soon stabilized, and though I was quite busy with his various treatments, it was the same every day. I swept up, and mopped A LOT. As Theo's hind legs continued to lose strength, I laid
down washable rubberbacked mats and made little pathways in the kitchen
for him to travel on. I also bought a dog crate and put it in the kitchen
to provide a hiding place. It has a plastic base, which makes for easy
clean-up. I keep a spray bottle of vinegar on hand to clean up any accidents. Theo's bladder problems continued. He left little puddles on the floor, and at one point I thought about diapering him, but decided against it - although it would have made for a lot less work for me, it would have made my little guy unhappy. As he began to dribble on himself more, he was constantly soaked with urine. Cleaning the area was difficult because Theo has a very dense, woolly undercoat that is almost impossible to dry - it holds moisture for a long time. I clipped the fur from his tummy, legs and backside as much as I could to make drying him easier. The vet soon determined that he had developed an atonic bladder - he probably had no sensation at all, had little ability to empty his bladder on his own, and was having overflow incontinence. The volume in his bladder would become so large that it was constantly dribbling out. We weighed him before and after the vet expressed his bladder. She figured he had about 500 cc of urine in his bladder - that's an enormous amount for a five pound bunny. I had to learn how to express his bladder since he'd lost the ability to do it on his own. I found it quite difficult at first. After several visits to the vet, and several more lessons (she has the patience of a saint), I picked up the proper technique. By chance I came across some information on the Internet
that indicated Cisapride (a drug used for GI motility that restores rhythmic
contractions in the intestines) might be of benefit in atonic bladders.
Since we already knew it was safe for bunnies, we decided to try him on
it. Within a few days he had improved to the point where I didn't have
to express his bladder any more - he seemed to be managing on his own.
I kept checking it, and although the tone was still flabby, it was generally
almost empty. We settled into another routine, with me poking his tummy
several times a day to make sure his bladder wasn't distended, and Theo
trying to hide whenever he saw me coming. But, I was quickly reminded not to get too complacent.
When I ordered a refill of Cisapride, the new tablets must have been made
up by a different compounding In hopes of furthering his progress, I decided to try
acupuncture treatments for Theo. I began to feel that we were living with a chronic condition rather than a life threatening disease. Keeping his symptoms under control meant constant observation of his condition, but he had really perked up with acupuncture and seemed like a healthy bunny that just had a few incontinence issues.
We distracted him by bringing him on frequent trips to the back yard where he loves to play. We've also given him the run of the house again in the evenings when we're home. Everything seems to have settled down now and Theo's back to his old self. I'm sure he misses bunny companionship, but I wouldn't risk introducing him to another rabbit, since he responds so negatively to stress. Theo will be going in for another checkup in a few days for another set of x-rays and to check on the progress of the mass detected previously, but I'm already amazed he's made it this far. He looks wonderfully healthy and feisty. He's even gone back to chasing the cats. I still don't know what the mass is, but I don't think knowing would make any difference to his overall treatment. We treat his symptoms and keep a careful eye open for even the slightest change. I still get very anxious when I notice that he's having an off day and I still don't cope very well with the idea that he may get sicker, but I manage not to obsess about it. I'm also lucky that I've taken some time off work and
can spend a lot of time caring Krista Hewitt Karen and Kally
However, over the course of the week her condition persisted
and I decided to take her to the vet. The vet took x-rays which showed
arthritis in her hips as well as lumbar disc degeneration. She proceeded
to get worse, with more I started looking for cures. We drove 1-1/2 hours to see the closest acupuncturist, who had never performed acupuncture on a rabbit before. However, he manipulated Kally's legs and when he put her on the floor, lo and behold, she hopped. As a result, the vet recommended Kally start seeing a chiropractor. But Kally only hopped that one day. I decided to take Kally off the Glucosmine and Chondroitin because I wasn't seeing any improvement. At the end of February, I started taking Kally to a chiropractor, but she didn't seem to have much faith in being able to help Kally hop again. After 5 visits, a mutual decision was made that chiropractic treatments weren't helping Kally. At the end of April, Kally's vet said she really wanted
to try Cartrophen injections I had finally come to realize that Kally would never hop again. Deep down I knew this all along, but first I had to try everything I could. Actually, I think I was more bothered about her not hopping than she was. She seemed to adapt quite well and she seemed to have accepted the situation. Kally is unable to get into a litter box and position
herself properly, so she is sometimes Kally is now in an exercise pen with puppy training pads on the bottom and her synthetic lamb's wool or Profleece beds. The beds are great because they have a raised edge so Kally can prop herself up to eat or groom. She also likes to lay over the edge, and I think this may be because it takes some pressure off her body in certain places. Needless to say, with all her bedding there is extra laundry being done at our house. Kally's food, water crocks, and bottles are positioned
low and have lower edges for her to reach. I also keep hay and veggies
nearby. She is regularly propped up with rolled up towels so she can sit
up, groom herself, and eat. I clean and scratch her ears every day because
she can't reach with her back feet anymore. I also give her a light brushing
to tidy up her fur and get at any itches or mats she may have. I recently
started giving her my version of a massage, which she thoroughly enjoys,
especially her shoulders. This is
Caring for a disabled rabbit may not be everyone's choice,
but it's mine. I get negative looks and comments when people find out
Kally is disabled; however, if they knew her before she became disabled
they would see that her personality hasn't changed at all. She is still
so full of life and love that doing anything other than caring for her
wouldn't I sometimes have doubts about whether I'm doing the right thing. But, when I see her shuffle to me for attention or greet me with her head held high, those bright expressive eyes wash away my doubts. Kally still has good quality of life and we make the most what she has left. The bond between Kally and I is like nothing I have ever experienced before and is mostly due to the time we've spent together since she became disabled. There is a lot of added care in keeping a disabled bunny but there's nothing that I would change. I would definitely care for another disabled rabbit. It's not a burden in my life and believe it or not I like doing these things for Kally. People may see it as unnecessary work but it's not work at all to me. It's just a part of how I care for all of my rabbits, with a bit of extra care, attention and love for Kally. Karen Fox
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Krista
and Theo
Sadly,
our family suffered a terrible loss recently when Theo's girlfriend Bossy
died from an abscess she had been fighting since Theo first became ill.
He had always been very
Kally
is my 7-year old Holland lop. One morning in October 2003 she was suddenly
unable to hop. Thinking that maybe she was hurt, I put her in a cage to
rest and, about eight hours later, she seemed okay. 
Kally
also gets regular exercise. Sometimes I place a towel under her belly
and help her hop. Or, I bend over and hold her hips up so she can hop.
To give her more freedom I bought a cart from Doggon Wheels (