Extreme anxiety

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 9sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 2 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 08/26/2021 at 5:59 PM
  Jadeo09
  Participant
  83 posts
  Hi
  
  As some of you may know I’ve been having problems with may rabbit for a year now.
  
  The main issue I’m having at the moment is reducing her anxiety due to her going blind. It’s so severe some days I wonder what her quality of life is like. Im wondering if there is anything i can safely give her or do to reduce this anxiety.
  
  I keep the light on at night as total darkness makes her stomp and run around in panic. I also sleep on the floor next to her bed which has helped. I’m doing everything I can to stop her anxiety. I have a parent who is blind so have some experience with the difficulties it can cause.
  
  But there areso many things that panic her. She is afraid of curtains being open, bright light, windows open, fan, strong smell of perfume other toiletries cooking and even cleaning products. She becomes so afraid she has diarrhea,stomps crawls on her belly disoriented or hides. We have stopped wearing pefume and using strong smelling toiletries. We keep the windows closed and fan off except when the temperature is unbearable. I am trying to figure out which foods that distress her too. She hides for a large part of the day but when shes calm with me she grinds her teeth and flops so she can be very content and happy. Shes eating and drinking well at the moment too.
  
  She is on metacam and gabapentin for arthritis pain which is also getting worse.
  
  We have tried the spray pet remedy but this smells so strong she becomes disoriented and panics.
  
  Thanks in advance for any help. You have been a source of strength and have helped so much over the past year. I cant explain how grateful I am.
- 08/26/2021 at 8:07 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  I’m sorry to hear about what you’re going through and you have been so wonderful and working hard in doing what you can.
  
  The Disabled Rabbit site is a great resource and they have good information for blind rabbits specifically. Things like the strong smells are mentioned so hopefully their knowledge can be both overlapping but also additive to help. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/blindness.html
  
  I didn’t review all of it, but my wonder is if a sound machine of some kind that can be in her space she can get accustomed to may dampen other noises that can be unavoidable.
  
  They also provide some reading about quality of life. It’s never an easy topic, but perhaps thinking about it in sections, as they have outlined, may help you as you consider the future. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/quality-of-life.html
  
  I wonder if you sleeping on blankets regularly to give them your scent and placing them in a specific area of her pen may help her expand the space she feels is safe and she can go to.
  
  I understand this is incredibly difficult, but reading that at times she is flopping and eating well says a lot about how much she has appreciated and is grateful for what youve done thus far.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 08/26/2021 at 10:10 PM
    Jadeo09
    Participant
    83 posts
    Thank you so much for your reply and for those links. I will look through them in some detail. I like the idea of a sound machine or even playing music she is familiar with in the background. We have used this technique with fireworks and she never experienced any anxiety after that. Though we dont find noises upset her. The fire alarm wenwent off the othe other day and she didnt seem as though she could hear it. She does have an issue with wax build up as she isnt able to clean her ears due to her arthritis. We had hoped the ear oil the vet prescribed may allow her to hear better after continued treatment which could lessen her anxiety?
    
    I think the blanket thing could also work as she gets anxious when we put clean ones down. Our smell does seem to comfort her. We change them regularly as the anxiety causes her to leak diarrhea often her blankets need washing daily sometimes. I’ll have to be creative.
    
    I really appreciate your input about end of life considerations and also that you think her grinding and flopping are positive. The vet was very happy with her last week as it’s the first time she has put weight on in years so I had hope again that we could make her happier.
    
    Thanks ever so much for your support during this hard time.
    
    Jade
- 08/26/2021 at 9:17 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Poor baby 🙁 what a tough situation.
  
  have you tried rescue remedy? It’s rabbit safe and a lot of people swear by it. I tried it with my buns when I moved, not sure if it made a difference but didn’t seem to harm.
  
  I’m sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but have other medical issues been ruled out? Your description makes me wonder if something neurological is going on other than blindness alone.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 08/26/2021 at 10:31 PM
    Jadeo09
    Participant
    83 posts
    Hi Dana
    
    Thanks again for your input.
    
    I think pet remedy could really help but I wasnt sure if I was safe to try it with the medications she is on. I was wondering if anyone on here has used it while their bun was on metacam or gabapentin. With it being herbal I was wondering if it’s generally safe as it doesnt say on the description that it’s dangerous with other medications?
    
    We have had regular visits and contact with a rabbit specialist due to a few ongoing issues and shes had blood tests physical exams, xrays etc so I’m confident that she has ruled out what she can without heavily sedating her. Due to her health issues and gi stasis over the last year she has been reluctant to sedate her to perform more tests. She hasnt mentioned anything about it potentially beimg neurological but it would be interesting to see what she thinks of he idea. She was concerned about prescription medication for her anxiety for fear it will cause her gut issues to return, as we are still struggling to keep her gut issues under control.
    
    Thanks again for your support it means so much to me.
    
    Jade
  - 08/27/2021 at 8:15 AM
    DanaNM
    Moderator
    9054 posts
    My understanding of rescue remedy is that it’s homeopathic, so it’s mostly water (it says on the label that it’s impossible to give too much for that reason…)? which means it is probably just a placebo LOL. But a lot of people do swear by it so who knows? it would be good to check it with your vet before trying though, just in case.
    
    . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 08/27/2021 at 6:19 PM
    Jadeo09
    Participant
    83 posts
    I emailed them and for a similar response. It seems safe enough and I’m optimistic. Some herbs are very effective at reducing anxiety.. Though I’m sure it’s not going to eradicate it, it’s could still make an improvement. I’ll let you know the results.
    
    I have heard Cbd is great my friends pets have had great results for arthritis and mood but I have been too concerned about interactions and potential thc being present in small amounts to try it.
    
    Thanks again for your advice
  - 08/27/2021 at 7:24 PM
    DanaNM
    Moderator
    9054 posts
    I’ve been hearing a lot of positive things about CBD as well (I have a friend who gives it to her arthritic bun). If you get hemp-sourced it has no THC in it, but yeah I don’t know about potential drug interactions.
    
    Both gabapentin and metacam are used in humans too, so there may be some info out there on possible interactions (but of course the metabolism in humans is probably a bit different).
    
    . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 08/27/2021 at 8:03 AM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  Similar to what’s been mentioned, if she has not been a chewer of fabric in the past (digestive issues you don’t need) I wonder if a life sized stuffed animal would comfort her to rest against. There’s a large bunny puppet in the Binkybunny store, or a soft plushy toy from a toy store, like ones safe for babies. You could sleep with it to give it your smell, then leave it in with her. washable of course.
  
  I also think if you have a hidey place, like a cardboard box or willow tent or tunnel, she may feel safer there if she can find it. Possibly set her in it with the soft toy or your shirt to snuggle and feel safe. A light sheet draped over her habitat partially could dim window light and muffle sound as well, as long as she can look out a side to see you and stay oriented. (not look, but smell).
  - 08/27/2021 at 6:27 PM
    Jadeo09
    Participant
    83 posts
    Yes these are great suggestions and have really helped Thank you. My profile photo is of her snuggling up to her “doughnut”.
    
    She sleeps under our coffee table which she “claimed” it has a throw over it which she likes pulled right down in a morning when she sleeps. She sleeps with just her head poking out mostly.
    
    We were worried that she spends too much time in there lately and doesn’t come out as much as she used to. That’s one of the reasons we were worried about her quality of life. As when shes scared she hides in there too. But maybe she does like spending a lot of time in there where she feels safe? Do you think that sounds healthy?
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