Beano, hind leg disabled UD: 27/06

[Liz47]

You could put any formed cecotrophs within her reach she might eat them. If she continues to be unable/unwilling to eat them I'd have a word with your Vet as she may need some vitamin supplementation, (Vit B).

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Cecotropes

Avipro Plus would be useful, it is a prebiotic, prebiotics can aid the absorption of dietary nutrients. Prebiotics are a certain type of non-caloric carbohydrate. The technical names for them are are inulin and oligofructose. These substances go through the gut unchanged and are then used by the 'good' bacteria in the colon to enable the 'good' bacteria to proliferate.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplemen...ro-plus-p-1225

Thank you very much for those links and advice. I usually try and offer her the formed ones or leave them out infront of her but she's never gone to eat them so I would like to discuss a supplement or prebiotic with my vet, we're due back in a couple of weeks.

[MightyMax]

Thank you.

Just a quick update, Beano has had a good few days. She seems to be moving around better and seems brighter in herself. A big concern for me at the moment is she can't eat her caecotrophs, and is getting messy with them. I check her as often as possibly and they just wipe away from her tail if I catch them 'fresh', but when I'm at work or sometimes first thing there is sometimes a larger mass of them and this requires a bum bath to get clean. She is indoors and I have a fly curtain on their window so I'm not too concerned about flystrike although do check her regularly for this. Is there a chance she could become ill through not eating her caecotrophs? I worry she won't be getting the right nutrients, she is skinny and it's a battle to keep weight on her as it is. Thank you for any further advice.

Hi Liz

I'm glad to hear that young Beano has had a good few days

I have always tried offering caecotrophs to a rabbit who can't get them herself, but they don't always want them if they aren't super fresh, if you know what I mean!

In that case I have supplemented with B vitamins, as that's what she may be missing. I don't think she will necessary become ill through not eating them, but having extra B vitamins will also help with nutrient absorption, so a good thing anyway.

[Jack's-Jane]

Thank you very much for those links and advice. I usually try and offer her the formed ones or leave them out infront of her but she's never gone to eat them so I would like to discuss a supplement or prebiotic with my vet, we're due back in a couple of weeks.

If you manage to get a cecotroph 'hot off the press' she may be more likely to eat it as it'll still be warm and it'll smell 'normal' to her.


Only on RU will there be a discussion about the best way to serve poo.................

[MightyMax]

Thank you very much for those links and advice. I usually try and offer her the formed ones or leave them out infront of her but she's never gone to eat them so I would like to discuss a supplement or prebiotic with my vet, we're due back in a couple of weeks.

Yes, a probiotic - Avipro plus, will also be a good thing to try

[Liz47]

Thank you for all your help so far.

Beano is doing fairly well, she is managing to move around well and her leg is rarely being dragged now with her current medication, despite still being wobbly and splayed at times. I'm struggling to keep her dry though, she has puppy pads in her trays and they are changed daily and never feel wet and she has vet bed down over the most common areas they sit in the bedroom. She was shaved when I first posted this at the vets but her fur grows very quickly and soon matts, and now she has urine scald The worst leg on the inside is almost completely bald and pink. She has prescription cream and is bathed twice daily now (with cream applied after) but every time I go back to check on her she is wet again, I think it's just the way she sits whenever she wee's she soaks herself and I don't know how to prevent this. Any advice please?

[MightyMax]

Thank you for all your help so far.

Beano is doing fairly well, she is managing to move around well and her leg is rarely being dragged now with her current medication, despite still being wobbly and splayed at times. I'm struggling to keep her dry though, she has puppy pads in her trays and they are changed daily and never feel wet and she has vet bed down over the most common areas they sit in the bedroom. She was shaved when I first posted this at the vets but her fur grows very quickly and soon matts, and now she has urine scald The worst leg on the inside is almost completely bald and pink. She has prescription cream and is bathed twice daily now (with cream applied after) but every time I go back to check on her she is wet again, I think it's just the way she sits whenever she wee's she soaks herself and I don't know how to prevent this. Any advice please?

I don't know what cream you're using, is it Flamazine? It actually sounds like it's not a 'barrier' cream and is letting the moisture through. This would happen with a baby if the correct cream wasn't applied - they would get very red and angry skin.

Can you change to one that is healing but doesn't let moisture through?

Gill (vet at Windelsham) recommends Derbymed SCP Spray:

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Derbymed-...nfo/DERBYMSCP/

Derbymed SCP Spray 200ml is a soothing, antiseptic wound spray that removes excessive moisture from open wounds and aids in the management of cuts, sores and proud flesh.

Composition : Zinc oxide, Calcium stearate, Oregano oil,
Camomile oil, Arnica oil, Teatree oil, Marigold oil.


I had the same issue as you with an arthritic rabbit, and I used a different, totally natural, cream. But it was extremely good and healed the skin up within 12 hours. It's possible to manage the condition - speak with your vet again?

[Liz47]

Thanks MM, it is flamazine yes. I'm going to get her another appointment this week and will request a different cream. In a rabbit medicine book I have there's mention of a couple of natural creams you can buy, I may mention these too.

The vet doesn't seem to suggest much when I ask about management, just says daily baths and cream but i make sure she's dry after a bath (quick splash with water) and blow-dry and cream and within an hour she can be soaked again. I will ask again though, I just hope she's in no pain as it looks terribly sore. But she always goes off pellets when uncomfortable/in pain and she's been eating them all for the first time in several weeks atm which I guess is positive

[MightyMax]

Thanks MM, it is flamazine yes. I'm going to get her another appointment this week and will request a different cream. In a rabbit medicine book I have there's mention of a couple of natural creams you can buy, I may mention these too.

The vet doesn't seem to suggest much when I ask about management, just says daily baths and cream but i make sure she's dry after a bath (quick splash with water) and blow-dry and cream and within an hour she can be soaked again. I will ask again though, I just hope she's in no pain as it looks terribly sore. But she always goes off pellets when uncomfortable/in pain and she's been eating them all for the first time in several weeks atm which I guess is positive

Yes, that is a positive. You don't want it to get so uncomfortable for her that she goes off food though.

A good barrier cream will make all the difference. I found I only had to wash once daily and the skin healed up nicely.

I wish more vets were more clued up with the nursing aspect of rabbit husbandry, sometimes!

[Liz47]

I'm sorry to only come on Ru to post on this thread again, asking for advice when ive has little to offer others recently. I've just started a new full time job and been doing lots of training on top for it amongst other things.

I checked Beano this morning and she was well, wobbly and unsteady but managing to drag her legs relatively easily which is the best she seems to be at the moment. My partner fed them as I left early and said she ate and all was well. Ive been to check on her now and she isn't moving her back end at all and can't hold herself up on her front legs either, she looks in a really sorry state Shes been cleaned and dried and is on her vetbed with hay and water within reach, she has a vet appt at 8pm. I believe the vets will advise pts, but I don't know if it's the right time. She'll eat most times and is eating hay and treats atm, but I don't know if she's hiding pain and despite regular checks she does get wet and sore and sometimes.needs help getting around. She never lies down and can't Binky nymore so does she really have quality of life but then other times she seems bright and content. I really don't know what to do, will wait for vets advice

[Zoobec]

I'm so sorry I am sure that you will make the best decision for her, whatever that is at the moment.

Hugs xx