bacterial infection update w/question

[dmh426]

So Sophie has been on her antibiotic 3 days now and seems better.  The area isn’t dry and sore loking anymore,but her urine is a rusty color, which the vet said was normal because of the antibiotic.  Any thoughts on this? I’m not giving her anymore spot baths since they just seem to stress her out more than anything. She’s eating and drinking normally so I will just continue on the antibiotic regime for another 4 days (which will be one week) and recheck the stituation then. Any other suggestions? Thanks for all the support! It’s nice to know there are other bunny parents out there like me who commiserate over these kinds of situations. My friends get that I am upset and worried, but they just don’t understand!

[BinkyBunny]

YEAH!   That’s great news.   I am relieved to hear the meds are working.   Well, I may still be baffled about the infection, but I do know for sure that antibiotics can cause that reddish/orange color you are seeing.  Totally normal.  Harmless.

Regarding not spot cleaning her anymore.  Is she cleaning herself up well enough?   Not like she has to be immaculate, but if she has poopybutt, and didn’t or couldn’t clean herself, then if left there for days, it can cause soreness, and actually a urinary tract infection if left on too long. 

But if she’s doing okay on her own and keeping herself "up to par" then should be okay. 

Regarding friends and family not understanding. I think people in general who don’t know much about rabbits don’t understand two things.  

1st: A sick rabbit is serious.  One minute they can be fine, happy, eating, jumping, and the next they are going down hill.  So we even worry when things seem okay, but we know there is something else going on.   Rabbits being prey animals, they hide their illness, and it’s up to us humans to really notice everything – all the subtle differences.  So part of that may seem anal, or worrywartish to some. But really keeping an eye on things isthe only way to tell if a rabbit is hiding something that may need vet treatment. And then some of the most serious problems a rabbit can have are digestive related.   A bunny whose digestive tract that slows down or stops can die within 24 hours.  I don’t think family and friends  completely know about how serious a rabbit being sick can be. 

2nd .  I think many people’s image of a rabbit is just a cute fuzzy animal without much personality.  So they don’t know how you can actually bond with rabbit like you would a dog or some other more vocal or openly expressive animal.   I always tell them, you give them room to explore, love and attention, and once they feel safe you will see "who" your bunny is.   They do have personalities, and they do communicate, you just have to read their body language – they are talking and expressing all the time. 

Well I’m off my soap box now,  I’m just happy things are better for Sophie, and maybe soon you can take a sigh of relief as well.   Whoohoooo! 

[dmh426]

I am making my mother and my best friend read your "soapbox" speech later tonight. They get that she has her own personality and love her because I totally adore her but they just don’t get that I am still worried even though she medicated and on the mend. SO… Glad to hear the rusty color is normal. She is "up to par" on her cleaning so I am happy on that. I have even managed to trick her a few times with the pill in a banana instead of having to trance her and stick the syringe of medicine in her mouth. Pill is much easier, so I have been trying thatFIRST. Sometimes I have luck, sometimes I don’t BUT I AM GETTING THE ANTIBIOTIC HER!!!!  

Have a great holiday everyone!

[dmh426]

Day four of our antibiotic treatment is complete! Yea! The area looks waaay better near her bum and tail but as I look closer the patches of hair have a scab on them. Interesting, eh? I have a call into the vet for more tresaderm for the area, and we’re going strong on the Baytril (thank god she loves bananas so much that she doesn’t notice the pill in there) so we will see what she says. She’s the only rabbit vet in the county (and I live near Syracuse- largest city upstate New york) so whatever she tells me is word. I can’t really take her anywhere for a second opinion that isn’t over an hour away, although I will do that if I have to. “bacterial infection” just doesn’t cover it with me. Binky Bunny pointed out that it was odd that it wasn’t more specific and I happen to think that’s right. I can’t find anything on the internet about the skin scabs and fur loss. But, like I said, she’s acting better and the area looks about 50% better than it did 4 days ago.

[osprey]

To add to BinkyBunny’s soapbox post, many people who are not familiar with rabbits assume that they only live a short time, and do not understand that they need vet care just like a dog or a cat. They do not realize that many of the illnesses that kill rabbits after only a year or two are easily treated if caught early.

[dmh426]

Osprey- you were right, urine scald. UTI and bladder infection. I went away for 12 days on a trip and apparently that stressed her out and the result was the infections. No more trips to Europe for mommy, I guess! I thought I did good. I left her in our house with a friend housesitting who knows Sophie well. But… at least now I know.

[osprey]

So she did have urine scald after all?  Any idea why she was unable to clean herself?  Was the litterbox too full?

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By dmh426 on 12/27/2006 6:50 PM
Osprey- you were right, urine scald. UTI and bladder infection. I went away for 12 days on a trip and apparently that stressed her out and the result was the infections. No more trips to Europe for mommy, I guess! I thought I did good. I left her in our house with a friend housesitting who knows Sophie well. But… at least now I know.

Oh, she’s a rex – I read that on another post, and you may have said it many times before but after looking at over 100 posts, I sometimes forget.  Rexes are always more susceptible to urine scald even during normal circumstances. So when she’s got an UTI, and the urine dribbles out, it can burn a rexes skin.

 So if you went on vacation and she sat around more than normal due to stress or just not having her normal exercise time during your vacation, or your pet sitter didn’t clean the pen or the litterbox as well as you did, then Sophie could have easily gotten it that way too.   Rexes fur, even though it feels dense is actually thinner, especially on their feet and hind quarters.  It’s very easy for them to get urine scald.

I’m sure it is a relief to figure it out. I’m like you that way, and so I will store this in my memory bank for future reference to help others who may have gone through the same thing you did.

[dmh426]

I didn’t know that about rexes. Good to know Binky Bunny. I know all about sore hocks in rexes and take precautions for that, so this will just be something else to watch for! Shee seems much better, although she has lost her litterbox habits. I took her out of her cage and just put her in a “habitat” in her playpen with her litterbox, some toys, water bottle, etc. I put some white flannel sheets down on my carpet to protect it from the urine stains, this way, I can monitor the color of her urine more closely. Dumb me though, she’s taking berry flavored pedialyte which is bright orangish red (the same color as uti urine!!!) I think I’ll take her off the pedialyte tomorrow.

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