Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Long term probiotics for rabbits?

Viewing 4 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • HickChickidee
      Participant
      5 posts Send Private Message

        So I took my rabbit into the vet about 2 months ago because I noticed it seemed like his legs were being urinated on… There’s only one vet in town that treats rabbits and when I took him in he said he’s probably just sitting in his litter box too much, if though he noted that he was the most well behaved rabbit he’s met and that he seems really comfortable with me and I with him he didn’t want to run any blood tests because he didn’t want to stress him, so he put him on a course of antibiotics and probiotics. While I was there I asked about his eyes running sometimes and without even looking at his eyes he said “maybe the antibiotics and probiotics will help but it’s probably nothing” basically it seemed like he was passing off everything I brought him in for as nothing and just gave me some medicine to try and clear up whatever could be wrong. So I gave him the antibiotics and probiotics until they were gone as instructed and the probiotics (which were probiocin) lasted longer than the antibiotics (about a week and a half) and his eyes stayed clear while still on the probiotics but about 3 days after they were gone, they started running again. He loved the gel/paste and I had no trouble getting him to take it (the vet however tried to force it down him and lost grip of him while he did a full backflip) but I read that a long term probiotic shouldn’t have minerals and I think that one does? And the ones I’ve seen that don’t have minerals come in a powder form and as I said, he really liked the paste and even if a different brand may taste different I can still squirt it on a yogurt treat I assume, and he loves those (also, are they okay to be giving him?)

        And I was also wondering if I should give the probiotic to him daily or how often if at all.. Do you guys think that it’s what was helping with his eyes? And do you think his eyes are anything serious?

        One important thing I have yet to mention is that about a year ago he scratched his eye, I took him into the vet and he gave me some drops, it cleared up but just after this flat white thing showed up on his eye right where the scratch was which is just barely in the line of sight right in the center on the eye half under the lower eyelid… Then just a few months later scratched his other eye, gave him the drops and it has done the same thing. Everything I find online doesn’t look/sound similar so I don’t think its anything and seeings as the vet doesn’t care enough to examine him I was wondering if I should be concerned it’s something more than a scar?

        I have two other rabbits so if it’s something bacterial or possibly catchy that’s bothering his eyes I would assume they would be showing symptoms as well.

        Also, he hasn’t had urine on his hind legs in a couple of weeks but the hair looks very separated and he’s missing some hair on them… I was wondering if it’s anything to be worried about and if I should be doing anything regarding when he does urine? Should I do something about the hair on his legs other than what I have been doing? Because I’ve been putting natural cornstarch baby powder with no talc on his legs and rubbing it around and then brushing through when he does get urine on them because it gets very irritated and sometimes slightly matted. Should I be concerned something more is wrong?

        To sum it up I was wondering if a long term probiotic preferably in gel/paste form would be a safe treatment and if it would help with his eyes and whether or not his eyes were anything to be concerned about?

        He gets very worked up traveling and the nearest vet that might be more experienced is over an hour away


      • Sarita
        Participant
        18851 posts Send Private Message

          I honestly do not think that the probiotic and the eye problem are related. Probiotics are supposed to help the gut/intenstine so it sounds just coincidental that the eye healed up while on this.

          As for the actual probiotic – it cannot hurt to continue this but the truth of the matter is that whatever is in any probiotic is not usually the same flora that is in a rabbit’s gut as their gut flora is different from ours or other animals.

          Also you mention yogurt – this is not good for rabbits either as it is a milk product as well. It’s marketed for rabbits but it’s not good for them as it is also high in sugar which is not good for their gut.

          I understand about the next most experienced vet being an hour away but it might be worth getting a second opinion from this vet – I can say that there is probably no rabbit that does very well traveling but sometimes you must do this.


        • HickChickidee
          Participant
          5 posts Send Private Message

            I was afraid of that!

            Okay, thank you I will discontinue the yogurt treats right away.

            I just read this from a website

            “Scarring can block a tear duct just as effectively as the original abscess did. If this is the case, then the runny eye will likely be a lifelong affliction.”

            “Unfortunately, in many cases the problem recurs, and a permanent solution just isn’t possible.”

            I just hate to drive all that way and put him through so much stress for the vet to tell me there’s nothing s/he can do. Especially if it’s nothing life threatening.

            But I will call around and see if they would be willing to tell me if it’s worth coming in over the phone… If nothing else I’ll take him back to the vet here first to see if he’d be more willing to take a look and figure it out, and if not then I guess we’ll have to try and make the drive.


          • Sarita
            Participant
            18851 posts Send Private Message

              It probably is not life threatening. Did he have an actual abscess from the eye scratch?

              I had a rabbit who had runny eyes from a blocked tear duct but the vet said the cause was due to the molar root intrusion.

              How old is your rabbit?


            • HickChickidee
              Participant
              5 posts Send Private Message

                No the scratch was flat but it was filmy looking around it, it was very small.

                Ah I see.

                He will be 3 in a couple of weeks.

            Viewing 4 reply threads
            • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Long term probiotics for rabbits?