Diabetes worries for Alice

nicki · Mar 9, 2012

Hi,

You may remember that my lovely bun Alice has chronic stasis due to stomach lining inflammation. She has been kept alive for the last 7 months through short acting steroids as an apsolute last resort now and again and the usual zantac,metaclop, metacam, fluids and forage diet on a daily basis.

My vet is now worried that she may have developed diabetes. She is drinking and weeing excessively and has a big appetite. She has gained weight rather than lost recently (not sure if that is good or not)

I know it is a hard one but I wondered if anyone had any experience which could help my brave girl who still has a very happy life at the moment.
Thanks so much,
Nicki

helgalush · Mar 9, 2012

Hi, sorry your bun has had so many problems with her digestion. I am afraid I dont know anything about diabetes in rabbits, but that drinking and weeing excessively can be signs of other things being wrong with the kidneys, such as EC affecting kidney function, or raised calcium in the kidneys, or sludge or stones being in the kidneys. I dont know how diabetes would be diagnosed, I guess through a few blood glucose tests at different times of day? The blood can be looked at also for EC titres, calcium levels, and urea/kidney function (not sure what all the different specific names would be for kidney function tests, sorry, but I know all these were looked at for my buns when they were drinking/weeing excessively). Though with these I thought it was more common to lose weight than gain weight but I could be wrong.

Is your vet thinking of running some diagnostics for the diabetes? Urine sampling might help with diagnosing/excluding this and the above as well? (I am guessing here rather than knowing).

Hope she gets better & that whatever is going on can be treated for her.

Jack's-Jane · Mar 9, 2012

Diagnosing Diabetes in Rabbits is more complicated than doing so in some other species. A series of blood tests are needed at various times during the day. Diabetes is actually rare in Rabbits. Given your Rabbit's history I would be looking at other possible causes of her symptoms. Has she had a full blood profile run recently ?

nicki · Mar 9, 2012

Thanks for taking the time to reply especially as you have very poorly bunnies.

Alice has not had a full blood profile very recently. I will ask him about it next week.

She had some liver function issues before Christmas but my vet feels that on examination her liver has not changed in shape/size and she has regained weight.

I also wondered about kidney function too. Her wee is normal in appearance.

The vet said that if it was diabetes it would be very difficult to diagnose but seemed to think this was a possible side-effect of the steroids.

Nicki

Jack's-Jane · Mar 9, 2012

nicki said:
Thanks for taking the time to reply especially as you have very poorly bunnies.

Alice has not had a full blood profile very recently. I will ask him about it next week.

She had some liver function issues before Christmas but my vet feels that on examination her liver has not changed in shape/size and she has regained weight.

I also wondered about kidney function too. Her wee is normal in appearance.

The vet said that if it was diabetes it would be very difficult to diagnose but seemed to think this was a possible side-effect of the steroids.

Nicki

It is, but it is not the first thing I'd think of in a Rabbit. Hopefully a Full blood profile will shed some light on things. At least Alice is still feeling well within herself at the moment xx

bunkin · Mar 9, 2012

I may be wide of the mark here but in humans any treatment with steriods can trigger diabetes and humans on steriods are tested frequently as this is quite a common consequence of steriod medication. I am referring to steriods and not non steriodal anti inflams - but you did say you bunny had had steriod injections over time and your vet should know if bunnies can be affected the same as humans can.

Jack's-Jane · Mar 10, 2012

bunkin said:
I may be wide of the mark here but in humans any treatment with steriods can trigger diabetes and humans on steriods are tested frequently as this is quite a common consequence of steriod medication. I am referring to steriods and not non steriodal anti inflams - but you did say you bunny had had steriod injections over time and your vet should know if bunnies can be affected the same as humans can.

AFAIK steroids can effect the pancreas and thus the production of insulin. Rabbits are less reliant on insulin I think :?

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Metabolic_diseases/Diabetes_en.htm

nicki · Mar 10, 2012

Thanks for the helpful link Jane,

Nicki

Diabetes worries for Alice

nicki

Warren Scout

helgalush

Wise Old Thumper

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper

nicki

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Jack's-Jane

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bunkin

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Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper

nicki

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