MimzMum
Wise Old Thumper
Mimzy has been going through almost perpetual moulting for a few years now. Mostly his saddle comes off but lately he's had possible mite trouble so has been on a regular selamectin dose each month. At first it seemed to be improving the overall condition of his fur. Now it's all changing.
Last night I was getting him ready for bed and fur was coming off in tufts. So much so that he is nearly bald along his haunches and his 'skirt' is coming away from his bum. This has gone on for days now. He looks awful to be sure but the ease of how most of the fur comes away worried me because his gut isn't doing great again and I don't want him swallowing it. Needless to say he's not been appreciating 'mum bun' yanking his fluff out. I must appear to him to be a giant bully rabbit.
The alarming moment came when I got to his ears: the inner pinna has turned blue! They aren't cold but not warm either. I can get them to pink up with a little rubbing which usually sets him down the road to a furious wash. However there's always some blue color down the inside center...only the edges turn pink. But tonight they are all blue again. Nowhere else in his mucous membranes or lips or even where the backs of his ears meet his head do I see this blue color. His skin overall is also pink...so not cyanosis in my opinion. I would almost say that the months of meclazine tablets (which are blue) have adversely colored the skin of his ears but then I should be seeing this discoloration elsewhere and I'm not. Like colloidal silver, when overused, can turn a person's skin green.
I am very disturbed by this. The house is warm. There's a freeze bottle in his pen at all times because he tends to overheat. But I don't know if it is the cause because he's always got one in and it's never caused this before.
Has anyone any experience with anything like this? I know a bunny's ears are their cooling mechanism but he shows no sign of being either too cold or too hot. He isn't enjoying his hay but that doesn't surprise me, he's not a big hay eater. He's also been eating willow twigs and leaves each day, still has greens: leafy lettuce, carrot tops and shredded carrot (minimal) and italian parsley, plus his 0.25 ml metacam twice a day and 0.1 ml metaclopromide twice a day. It's been over a week now that we stopped the meclazine.
He seems to breathe just fine. No raspy or labored sounds, although it'll pick up the pace whenever I'm grooming him because he gets so agitated.
I have no stethoscope to hear his heart. Not sure I'd know what to listen for but my only other thought is some kind of cardiovascular involvement.
Does anyone know what's wrong with his ears? He's still tilted but otherwise acting normal. Could something be cutting off the circulation?
One of the things my good vet warned me about before she left was that his headtilt could be due to a tumor...now I'm afraid she might be right.
Or perhaps a thymoma? I would think that would affect breathing though...not ears. We'd ruled it out a few years ago but I suppose that could've changed.
I dread taking him in thirty miles with snow coming. Mostly because I fear he won't make it if he getting s too stressed. If this is some kind of final stage I'd rather he go peacefully at home.
Getting carried away though...can someone please ease my mind here?
Many thanks. xx
Last night I was getting him ready for bed and fur was coming off in tufts. So much so that he is nearly bald along his haunches and his 'skirt' is coming away from his bum. This has gone on for days now. He looks awful to be sure but the ease of how most of the fur comes away worried me because his gut isn't doing great again and I don't want him swallowing it. Needless to say he's not been appreciating 'mum bun' yanking his fluff out. I must appear to him to be a giant bully rabbit.
The alarming moment came when I got to his ears: the inner pinna has turned blue! They aren't cold but not warm either. I can get them to pink up with a little rubbing which usually sets him down the road to a furious wash. However there's always some blue color down the inside center...only the edges turn pink. But tonight they are all blue again. Nowhere else in his mucous membranes or lips or even where the backs of his ears meet his head do I see this blue color. His skin overall is also pink...so not cyanosis in my opinion. I would almost say that the months of meclazine tablets (which are blue) have adversely colored the skin of his ears but then I should be seeing this discoloration elsewhere and I'm not. Like colloidal silver, when overused, can turn a person's skin green.
I am very disturbed by this. The house is warm. There's a freeze bottle in his pen at all times because he tends to overheat. But I don't know if it is the cause because he's always got one in and it's never caused this before.
Has anyone any experience with anything like this? I know a bunny's ears are their cooling mechanism but he shows no sign of being either too cold or too hot. He isn't enjoying his hay but that doesn't surprise me, he's not a big hay eater. He's also been eating willow twigs and leaves each day, still has greens: leafy lettuce, carrot tops and shredded carrot (minimal) and italian parsley, plus his 0.25 ml metacam twice a day and 0.1 ml metaclopromide twice a day. It's been over a week now that we stopped the meclazine.
He seems to breathe just fine. No raspy or labored sounds, although it'll pick up the pace whenever I'm grooming him because he gets so agitated.
I have no stethoscope to hear his heart. Not sure I'd know what to listen for but my only other thought is some kind of cardiovascular involvement.
Does anyone know what's wrong with his ears? He's still tilted but otherwise acting normal. Could something be cutting off the circulation?
One of the things my good vet warned me about before she left was that his headtilt could be due to a tumor...now I'm afraid she might be right.
Or perhaps a thymoma? I would think that would affect breathing though...not ears. We'd ruled it out a few years ago but I suppose that could've changed.
I dread taking him in thirty miles with snow coming. Mostly because I fear he won't make it if he getting s too stressed.
If this is some kind of final stage I'd rather he go peacefully at home.Getting carried away though...can someone please ease my mind here?
Many thanks. xx
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