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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

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Sickly bun, any advice would be appreciated

foxdog84

New Kit
Three weeks ago a rabbit I've been fostering went to the vet for GI stasis. He was put on metacam, metoclopramine, sub q fluids, gas-x, penicillan and Critical Care. After about 2.5 weeks he's eating on his own, pooping fine, etc. I took him back to work as he was back to being fine (I work at an animal shelter) and the last few days he's started having this... sticky foam if you will coming from his penis shaft. He's still eating, drinking, acting totally fine, but we're sorta at a loss of what it is/where to go from here.

Also, when he went to the vet originally it was found he had fleas, and wondering if instead of stress like the vet thought, that his GI stasis is/was caused by a parasite. Ran a fecal on him at work today and we think we saw coccidia and pinworms in his poop (going to run another one tomorrow).

So just looking for suggestions on where to go from here. I have access to the majority of common dog/cat meds, unfortunately at this vet due to funds we can't take him back to the vet, who admitted in the first place they werent sure what was going on and if we were to bring him back they would just do the same that's already being done with observation and fluids as needed.

Anywho, thanks for reading if you made it all the way through.
 
Goodness, not something I've heard of before. My obvious reaction would be to take him back to the vet but that's already been ruled out. I would therefore worm him but not being a vet, don't know if that's a good idea so close to him having suffered GI stasis. Hope he makes a full recovery.
 
I am assuming that you are not in the UK ?

You say you 'have access to the majority of common dog/cat meds' but, at least in the UK, it is illegal to administer Prescription Only Medication to an animal unless under the instructions of a qualified Veterinarian or a person holding an appropriate Licence to administer Veterinary Medication. This especially applies if the medication being given is not licenced for use in the species being treated. As I have said, this is the case in the UK, I dont know if the same applies in other Countries.

Why was the Rabbit given Penicillin ? I assume this must have been by injection and that it was based on some evidence of a severe bacterial infection that merited risking the use of a 'high risk' antibiotic. Especially as the Rabbit was already in gut stasis.

If coccidiosis is suspected then the treatment given thus far would not address the problem, Penicillin does not treat Coccidia. More information here re Intestinal Coccidiosis

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Parasitic/Coccidiosis_Hedgehog.htm

The discharge from his penis may be due to a separate problem such as a bacterial infection, a UTI, Treponematosis (Rabbit Syphillis). But without diagnostics it is impossible to say for certain the cause of that specific symptom.

So in short it sounds as though another Veterinary Consult is needed ASAP. The Rabbit needs to be strictly quarantined in the meantime as Coccidiosis is a highly contagious pathogen that carries a significant risk of a high mortality rate, especially in a high density population setting such as a Shelter/Sanctuary

I hope that you are able to locate a Vet who can help xx
 
Sorry yes, I'm located in the US and the rabbit is a foster from the animal shelter I work at, which is why I mentioned access to different meds I'm not sure of the laws or what not but they are able to administer meds without a vet seeing the animal (believe certain protocols are in order).

He was given injectable penicillin by the exotic vet they took him too as a, oh that's what it could be let's throw this into the mix as well sort of thing.
 
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