Incurin

Hello, Has anyone used Incurin and seen a link between it and heart failure? I have just lost my special little Mo on Monday. She was six years old and was a very happy bunny up until nearly a week before she died of heart failure. I had been using Incurin for her incontinence for a few months before she died and on advice from the vet had upped the amount to 1 tablet a day, half in the morning and half in the evening. I gave a good long try though as it seemed to help a little bit. Last week, I realised she was distressed when I washed her wet bottom. She never liked it much but usually put up with it calmly. But just last week she started to pant and it seemed like a panic to me. So I didn't do it for long next time being really calm and careful, and then stopped doing it. I told the vet on the phone that she was very distressed about being washed and dried now and that I felt I couldn't do it. I asked the vet whether the incurin could be causing her any heart trouble. I also told him that she had recently had white discharge (also in the same week i noticed that her vagina had become bigger, and it was noticeably bigger when she was dead). He suggested I stop using the incurin as it was not working anyway, but said it did not cause heart problems. She died a few days later. I had so much guilt, but realise now that the choices I made were good and I'm glad i went with my instinct to let her die at home with me and her bonded friend, Effie. She was able to make herself as comfortable as she could and not have to deal with a car journey and a vets visit that would be useless. it was really hard to see her die, though. I thought it would be good to share about Incurin as if that did play a part, I want more information out there. I haven't found any, apart from that in dogs the discharge and swollen vagina are normal side effects. Do you know anything?

I've never heard of this-you need one of our more experienced rabbit rescues -

calling Jack's Jane?

So sorry to hear that your bun little Mo died.-Sue

I am very sorry to hear about the loss of Mo

Incurin is a hormone based treatment for incontinence.
What diagnostics did your Vet do before prescribing it?
Incurin should not be used in an unspayed animal and it should not be used if the presenting clinical symptoms are not just 'leaking wee' but also drinking a lot.
Was a blood screening done to check Mo's kidney function? Renal failure can occur secondary to compromised heart function.
It may well be that Mo's heart was failing and the 'gasping' could possibly point to a build up of fluid in her chest as a result.

If she was unspayed then she may well have had a Uterine Cancer which often spreads to the lungs. This would obviously lead to respiratory problems.

I am not a Vet but from what you describe I am not sure if Incurin played a part in poor Mo's demise. But my unqualified opinion is that I doubt it did.
It is dreadful when we loose a Bunny friend and I know we all agonise over the 'what ifs'. But sometimes we can never know for certain 'why' and we just need to try to get to the stage of focusing on our Bunnies life with us and all the joy they gave rather than allowing the pain of losing them to take us over. Its not easy and I wont say 'time heals' Time just enables us to adjust and to develop ways of coping with our loss.

If it would help maybe you would like to post a tribute to Mo in Rainbow Bridge.

Thank you

Thank you so much for your quick response and your advice. Mo was tested for everything over a year ago because she had been steadily losing weight for two years. I know she ate as much as Effie and it was a good diet. There were no issues with sharing food etc or behaviour, she just was steadily losing weight. So we tested for everything and she was fully healthy. A she was not dangerously underweight the vet told me to just keep an eye on it. We tested again for everything (new vet this time) in June beacuse she was leaving puddles of wee around the room and then had urine scalding. We tested kidneys, cancer, etc. Nothing showed up. I suppose we didn't test her heart. then the vet recommended incurin. (She was spayed before I got her from the rescue home when she was two.) I didn't hear that she should be drinking more as well. She wasn't drinking more. So sounds like the incurin was a waste of time. Thankfully it didn't cause her any stress at all as she lapped it up with a bit of pineapple juice! I am glad to hear it probably did not contribute to her heart failure.
The other worry is that the way I held her when I washed her gave her heart failure. I usually held her upright, but when the wetness got really bad, I held her in my arms on her back to wash and dry her. When i realised this caused her stress/uncomfort, I stopped, but that may have been enough to cause damage. However, she was fine with it for a while.
Could it be she was just getting old? Since April she has been making noises when she snoozed, like snoring- she sounded like an old lady! She did it when she was really relaxed and cozy; on my lap or next to Effie. I never hear of rabbits dying becuase they are old (for them). As it seems so variable when they die.
Thank you for your understanding and time. She was my first rabbit and it has been a big learning curve. I have found advice so helpful.

I'd be interested to hear anything about this topic because one of my buns died of a massive heart attack a few months after starting to take Propalin syrup to treat her incontinence.

I'm not sure whether Incurin and Propalin is exactly the same drug, but I *think* it is used to treat the same illness. :?

Propalin and Incurin are both used for urinary incontinence. I have to admit I've only ever had experience of using it for speyed dogs, never rabbits.