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Using tubigrip on EC rabbit?

heleni

Warren Scout
One of my rabbits is currently being treated for EC. He has lost control of one of his back feet, mainly drags it, and spends most of the time lying on one side. His "dead" foot is becoming raw where he pushes against it with his good foot as he tries to move. I've been putting Sudocrem on it, but he licks it off or it gets wiped off by the other foot. I've tried putting a baby sock on his foot, he didn't mind it but when he moved around it works its way off, so I've thought about a finger sized tubigrip, to protect the skin from his other foot and give it a chance to heal. Has anyone ever tried using one on a rabbit?

Also, he is 10 days into 28 days of Panacur and has just finished 10 days of Baytril, plus is on Metacam. I'm not seeing any real recovery physically yet, though he is fine mentally and eating etc. Am I just impatient? Is the "dead" foot just a symptom of the EC, or could it be a sign he has injured it - he isn't showing any signs of pain, except the raw skin, but just isn't putting weight on it or even getting it properly below himself sometimes. I'm gently pulling it and pushing it to ensure the muscle doesn't waste away too much, and he does have the muscle strength to pull it back in when I get too annoying. I will take him again to the vet if needs be, but if it's just a normal part of EC I would rather not spend the £30 to be told by the vet to leave it and come back in another week!
 
I don't know a lot about EC, but I think it can take a while to see any improvement. I don't know if a longer course of antibiotics is needed?

Sending loads and loads of vibes x
 
It can take a while to see an improvement in some bunnies. I think there is now talk of possibly giving a longer than 28 day course, and you will need to bleach or steam clean anywhere he goes inc bowls, bottles and especially where he urinates as EC is transmitted that way and he could pass it back to himself. There are specific days to do this but I just did it every week to be safe x

ETA: I've not used tubigrip but sounds like a good idea if that foot is sore
 
I'm afraid I have no advice but just wanted to say I hope he recovers soon.

To me the tubigrip sounds like a good idea if it will stop his foot getting more sore.
 
The bleach cleans are days 21 and 28. 10 days into treatment is pretty early days. Have you asked your vet re the tubigrip? Lots of get well vibes.
 
Thanks everyone for your kind wishes and advice. I'd not realised I need to do a bleach wash (I've only been using my standard water and vinegar mix) so felt a bit guilty but now feel relieved by Amy's comments that it's only days 21 and 28, so I can do that on the weekend cleans in two and three weekends time. I've not asked the vet about the tubigrip but can stop in there on the way home. I hope he makes it - this time last week I was certain he'd have to be put down as he was such a sorry state, but at least he's a bit more mobile now even if it's going round in circles on one and a half legs, not all three and a half (one doesn't work properly in normal circumstances)!
 
With regards to the foot- I had a bunny who had something similar (for different reasons), I used cream on the sore bit, and then I used the finger of like a frst aid glove, and then I covered that finger with a finger from a glove, and then taped around the top (of the glove, never touching the skin/fur). It worked amazingly. Might be worth a try. Good luck :)
 
Well, the vet was OK with me using tubigrip, but unfortunately the "finger" sized was too small, and the larger sizes were much too big (could almost fit the whole rabbit in). So I tried a similar approach with a bandage and some tape to hold it together, and he had pushed that off in less than a minute. Somehow I need to fix it so it won't just slide off, but without sticking to his fur. I might next try the bandage again but wrap it further up his leg as well. Hopefully the skin will scar and toughen up soon.
 
I was in exactly the same situation with my severely disabled house bunny, following a stroke and being paralysed down his right side. I tried all the baby socks, bootees, finger bandages, absolutely everything I could think off, and then remembered something to do with my horse, and discovered a fantastic solution, that stayed in place so well, it could be left for a week, and then was taken off at the weekend and replaced with the next weeks protection. Not only that but my bunny looked incredibly trendy as well :D

Ideally, it is best achieved if you have somebody to help you, and I started with making sure the sore area was clean with sudacrem applied. I then placed gauze like a sock so that the actual toes were protected, and if the gauze you have is really thin, just apply a number of pieces so that you have a good thickness of gauze. I wouldn't recommend wrapping it round the leg because you could in effect cause pressure sores, and for that reason it all needs to lay flat. You might find you have to trim the sides, and it doesn't matter if the gauze isn't technically all around the leg, as long as the sore area and actual foot is covered.

I then used Vetwrap which is a bandage that sticks to itself, not the bunny's fur. It does come in quite big, wide rolls, but you can easily cut it to the width you require, and cut a fairly long strip, and then roll it up so that it is easy to apply how you would normally a bandage. It can be purchased in places like Tesco's, Superdrug stores and is about £3 per roll, but it will last you for years because you will be using so little of it on your buns leg. I have only found it in these places in the colour blue. Once you have got your initial application of vetwrap on, if you need to use more, than just repeat what you have just done. I say it is best if you have someone to hold your bun, so that you can just work on the bandaging of his leg, and it is so important, that it is as tidy, smooth and flat as possible, so that you don't create any pressure areas, so you really mustn't have creases in the gauze. It needs to be perfectly flat and smooth to then bandage over. I personally would really build up to a good thickness, as it will provide immense support, comfort and protection to your bun.

I then on my vets advice :shock: looked on Doggie Style Store (yes really!!) and you can purchase the most adorable socks in sets of 4, all different colours, designs, with the little rubber grips on as well for about £4 and p&p is included in the price as well. I found for my medium size lop bunny, that for front footsies you need socks for small dogs, and for back footsies, you need socks for medium size dogs, but obviously each individual buns size will determine the size socks you need to order. These socks were actually a perfect secure fit for Roger, and he would then have a sock placed over the bandaged foot, with vetwrap around the top of the sock, and I can honestly say that this never fell off and came off by itself, even though Roger dragged himself along such a lot, and provided such brilliant support and protection, that the sore areas healed completely, and I then used this ongoing as a prevention to any more sore areas.

It was so secure, that it actually had to be physically carefully unwrapped by myself, when due changing at the weekends. When removing, because it is so secure, it is imperative that you carefully unwrap, and never just try to pull it off.
 
Thanks RogerRabbit - that's really useful to hear from someone who has had a similar problem. I took a look at that website (debating whether the work internet filters would allow it but they did!) and the socks do look sweet. I should be able to look for the Vetwrap this afternoon - if I remember I will stop in the horse shop near me first, and I will also see if my local pet shops sell dog socks. Given the cold weather we are due, it will be useful to be able to wrap his foot warmly as it feels quite cold a lot of the time.
 
Thanks RogerRabbit - that's really useful to hear from someone who has had a similar problem. I took a look at that website (debating whether the work internet filters would allow it but they did!) and the socks do look sweet. I should be able to look for the Vetwrap this afternoon - if I remember I will stop in the horse shop near me first, and I will also see if my local pet shops sell dog socks. Given the cold weather we are due, it will be useful to be able to wrap his foot warmly as it feels quite cold a lot of the time.

You can get it in a saddlers, but for some reason it will cost you about £9 per roll then :shock: The socks are just fab and nice and thick as well. When I ordered the socks they did come within a couple of days, and they were like a bonus, because you can get such good protection from just the vetwrap anyway. I think I went for the socks as well in case Roger chewed the vetwrap, but he didn't bother with it.

I always keep this and gauze in now (really would put gauze on buns skin before vetwrap), as have found it invaluable for sore hocks, or any leg injuries that are normally so very hard to cover securely.
 
A little update on my rabbit - he is still alive and now on about day 18 of the Panacur and Metacam. He is not getting worse but I'm not really sure that he is getting much better either, though I occasionally see little things that give me hope. The bandaging with the vet wrap lasted less than one night - but longer than the other things I had tried! In the end I stopped trying and his foot has now scabbed over. He's since broken one or two front claws where he pulls himself around, but other than keeping an eye on them I'm not sure there is anything else I can do. His appetite is improving, which is good, and I'm trying to fatten him up with oats and sugary veg while keeping his poos healthy (they are perfect golden poos at the moment!).

I had to give him a rinse of his rear and side yesterday, from where he lies in wee, and after I'd done that and started brushing him out, a HUGE amount of fur came out, almost a third of the size of him when I piled it up. It's all from his side where it had got matted and wet and he can't groom it, and now he's got lots of bald wrinkly (old man plus excess skin from previous excess weight) patches on that side. The skin generally looks pretty good, flaky but a healthy colour though there were a few small scabs. He seemed to enjoy having the excess fur removed and it should help as the skin will be able to dry more easily than the fur. Hopefully a new coat will start to grow back in before long. I'm probably going to have to give him a good groom again for the next few days to get the remaining excess out.
 
Glad he's hanging in there. Keep strong, its an awful illness and can be very testing for an owner. Battled this with Comet twice, second time much worse, it takes a while for improvement and often they can get worse before better but its worth fighting.
 
Glad to hear he is still with you and you are seeing some small improvements, that is what counts, even if they are only small.x.
 
Sad news

Sad news - Button died last night, in my arms. He had not made any significant improvements in the EC and although he'd been fine (by recent standards) in the morning, when I got home from work he was lying barely moving and with no interest in food at all, very listless. I thought he was realistically on his way out, so I put him in a comfy spot on the hay. I had to go back inside to make tea and when I went out again, he lifted his head and started to make some horrible/sad screechy noises, so I picked him up for a cuddle, and he died. So I am sad that he died, but happy that it was fairly quick, and also that I didn't have to take him to the vet to be PTS - I'd been in to talk to the vet earlier in the day and she said that as he'd not made much improvement by day 25 of the EC treatment, realistically he probably wouldn't and PTS would be the best option - so, sadly, one way or the other he was going to go this week.

Oreo, his widowed mate, had about an hour and half with his body and then I took him out overnight and buried him this morning next to his former love, Crunchie.

I will get in touch with Windwhistle Warren in due course about getting Oreo a new mate, though obviously it's a bit of a tricky time of year if I had to put a newly bonded pair into Xmas boarding. I'm not sure how she has reacted to Button's death, but I think she would like a new mate, one who is nearer her age and more active. WWW have some lovely boys at the moment... She hasn't had any treatment for the EC as she has no symptoms, but I think it might not hurt to give her a short course of the panacur before I get a new bun, particularly as I have enough left over (I will need to speak to the vet to get her dose though - unless anyone knows how much you should give per kg?).
 
I'm so sorry to hear this :cry: I hate EC! Hugs for you and hopefully Buttons is happy in rainbow bridge, watching over you xx


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