Graphic pictures: skin flap – bunny pulled off own skin after surgery!

[Kaninmor]

So, in my main post about Kattis I mentioned this new development. She ripped off her own skin post op! Has anyone ever seen something like this?

[Bam]

How terrible. Poor little girl. I’m so sorry for both of you. Does the vet have any idea what it’s all about? I’ve alerted the other leaders to have a look, in case they’ve seen anything like this before.

(((((Kattis)))))

[Kaninmor]

The vet said she might have been trying to get at her foot, but thinks its unlikely since she didn’t go for the bandage, but higher up.

She does have really thin skin, tiny bun, post her mascetomy her skin tore up from the holes from the stitches.

She also said that the steroid can thin skin with long use, but considering the tiny dose, and that she took it for so few days, it shouldn’t have had the possibility of weakening the skin this much.

She was really surprised by this. Was here in 5 minutes flat, and then opened the clinic (in the evening) to stitch it up, as she said the skin was still pink and moist and has a decent chance of reattaching.

[Bam]

I sincerely hope she’s right about it reattaching. I’m so glad you have such a dedicated vet.

[LBJ10]

Oh dear. Could something have been bothering her? Like she felt something in her hip and she bit at it? Prednisone is known to cause a burning or itching sensation in people.

[jerseygirl]

Aw little {{{Kattis}}}. She’s not having a good time of it, is she.

One of my girls had a flap of skin torn under her leg. Initially she just had staples to see her through the weekend. Then they stitched it up on the Monday. It healed up well. I hope will be the same for Kattis. The skin does look healthy.

Im also wondering if bothered by some nerve issue or returning nerve sensation if she has had limited feeling there since the surgery..

For her surgery, did she get intra-muscular injection of the anaesthetic in her le?. Or was that in the neck vein you mentioned in the other thread? Or did she have anaesthetic for this latest procedure when they cleaned out the hock sores?

Or.. maybe it was done when she was handled at the vet but nobody realised? If her skin is super fragile, it wouldn’t take much.  In my first job I worked as a carer for the elderly. I remember a womans skin tearing on her arm when we lifted her.  She didn’t react but I felt so awful seeing it. It was an incorrect grip I had, I think. And I wasn’t aware how fragile her skin was, but I remembered after that!

[Kaninmor]

Long night! Made up a cage for her, and put it next to the sofa so I could doze a bit. Had to improvise a cone in the middle of the night, as she started to get very interested in her stitches. Its part of a medium yoghurt cup, covered with self-adhesive bandage, and then two pieces of one of my boyfriend’s big woollen socks (these being added one at a time, as she worked out she could stretch. Does it look ok? She is still about to drink, eat from her foodbowl and pick up poos. Obviously she is not a huge fan. If anyone has other tips about keeping her off them, let me know. I tried bitter spray but she seemed to like that!

 

   

[Kaninmor]

For your question, yes, she was sedated twice yesterday, once planned – for the foot abscess, once for these stitches. The injections were in her other leg.

I was pretty worried I had done it myself, she was pretty jumpy when waking up. Then, when I was giving her some recovery formula she had a little bunny crisis and kicked around a bit. The vet told me not to stress about the how, since there were so many possibilities, And we probably can’t find out exactly what thing or combination of things caused it. She does have super fragile skin, just hope it heals up!

[jerseygirl]

She is such a little thing! Very inventive with the cone! It certainly looks more comfortable then the vet ones and allows better vision.

Did she get injection in her leg for the first surgery? For the lump removal?

[Kaninmor]

Posted By jerseygirl on 7/18/2017 6:38 AM
She is such a little thing! Very inventive with the cone! It certainly looks more comfortable then the vet ones and allows better vision.

Did she get injection in her leg for the first surgery? For the lump removal?

Thanks Jerseygirl Necessity (and lack of sleep) created that cone . I saw one online that imused cottonwool covered in vet bandage. Didn’t have enough of either of those things, but fluffy woolly socks – well those are for daily use here in the Arctic!

Yes, she has had th injection in the leg each time. Actually someone else here tipped me about the leg weakness possibly being caused by the the sedative, or wrongly placed injection in her tiny thigh.

Right now I just hope to get her to an unbandaged, unstitched and uncaged level of health again! Poor baby bun!

[jerseygirl]

There are some cases of ketamine combinations causing some hind limb injury and even leading to self mutilation behaviours up to 2 weeks after. I haven’t been able to read everything in full. One report was from almost 20 years ago and it was just an incidental finding. So it’s possile practices have been modified since then to prevent that sort of thing happening.
However, if some rabbits were particularly sensitive to those drug injected intramuscularly….who knows!

[LBJ10]

Oh yes, I remember something about that now. Good thought Jersey!

[Kaninmor]

Posted By jerseygirl on 7/18/2017 7:08 AM
There are some cases of ketamine combinations causing some hind limb injury and even leading to self mutilation behaviours up to 2 weeks after. I haven’t been able to read everything in full. One report was from almost 20 years ago and it was just an incidental finding. So it’s possile practices have been modified since then to prevent that sort of thing happening.
However, if some rabbits were particularly sensitive to those drug injected intramuscularly….who knows!

I am going to ask the vet about that, but since the injections and the weak leg is the other side, it feels like she should attack that one. We are going to the vet for a check today anyway.

What I am worried about now is her eating. She isn’t eating more than 1 ir 2 pellets at a time, and only occasionally eating hay. I put out some dried dandelions and she ate a little, but not much. If I put out ruccola/rocket she will eat it all at once. She ate some small pieces of carrot too. She has also done a very good job on a wicker ring. She is still drinking, peeing and pooping, but seems to be a bit less poo, and smaller poos. I am too scared to syringe feed Recovery because she squirms like crazy, and I’m worried about her stitches.

Is it ok to increase her greens, since she will eat these?

[Bam]

It is ok to increase greens, it’s always better for a bunny to eat something rather than next to nothing. I don’t suppose syringe feeding with Critical Care or pellet mash is something you’d want to put her through atm, but if she only eats very little, you will have to. Many buns seem to prefer fresh greens over other food when they are poorly.

Maybe you could get hold of apple leaves from trees not treated with pesticides, or fresh willow? When I had a poorly bun, willow was just about all he ate voluntarily.

[Kaninmor]

Posted By bam on 7/20/2017 3:28 AM
It is ok to increase greens, it’s always better for a bunny to eat something rather than next to nothing. I don’t suppose syringe feeding with Critical Care or pellet mash is something you’d want to put her through atm, but if she only eats very little, you will have to. Many buns seem to prefer fresh greens over other food when they are poorly.

Maybe you could get hold of apple leaves from trees not treated with pesticides, or fresh willow? When I had a poorly bun, willow was just about all he ate voluntarily.

Hi Bam,

Vet said the same thing, and gave me a list of foods to try. Our store isn’t super well stocked here in the Arctic, but she said ruccola was good, coriander/mint/basil for some tasty bits, and the peel from cucumbers. Unfortunately there are no trees at all only the island (Spitsbergen) so fresh stuff twigs are hard! However we also rang one of the gourmet restaurants and hhey are going to donate some carrot greens to her! I opened a brand new bag of hay and she seems morr interested in that too.

Unfortunately they didn’t have any rabbit probiotics here, but she told me to check the chesmist incase they have something without milk products.

Got to watch her poops and feeding today, if it doesn’t improve we will have to try burrito bunny and get the Critcal Care into her.

Crossing fingers now .

[Bam]

When you said Arctic I thought you meant it jokingly, about mainland Norway or Sweden. Spitsbergen wouldn’t have a lot of apple or willow, of course.

Definitely keeping fingers crossed for her! (((((Kattis)))))

[Kaninmor]

Posted By bam on 7/20/2017 11:07 AM
When you said Arctic I thought you meant it jokingly, about mainland Norway or Sweden. Spitsbergen wouldn’t have a lot of apple or willow, of course.

Definitely keeping fingers crossed for her! (((((Kattis)))))

Haha no, Kattis is possibly the world’s northernmost rabbit .

So, I just bunny burritoed her and she had 5mL of recovery plus. Decided to give it a go since it had the probiotics etc in it. She is not my biggest fan just now, but burritoing in a fleece rug made me more comfortable, and all her stitches are still where they are meant to be! Big relief

[Bam]

Well done! They do tend to get rather cross when you syringe feed them, but in my experience, they don’t hold a grudge afterwards. When I had to syringe feed my Yohio, the bun I mentioned that only wanted willow, for 3 whole weeks, the whole experience actually bonded him closely to me.. But while it was going on, I was NOT a popular person. He bit me. He even cried out one time. But my vet was adamant I keep up the feeding.

The world’s northernmost rabbit That’s so cool!

[Kaninmor]

I think we were both equally worried! She just got 10mL more and she freaked a bit when she saw the blanket but got it into her eventually . She is pooing more now – bit small for my liking, but I’m glad to see her system working. Plus she got half an hour without her collar to clean herself up .

Also the vet said she had been without prednisolone long enough that she could have some Metacam, and that seems to have lightened her mood a bit!

[Kaninmor]

So a little update. Kattis is a lot happier now she could have some Metacam, and has had a heap of Recovery Plus. Her tummy is doing normal things, and she is just more, he!

She has ripped her skin where two of her stitches are, but only about 3mm. She is already on antibiotics for the abscess, so we are just keeping it clean and sterilised. Nothing like on her tummy after the big op. Swapped her bandage on her foot with the abscess and that looks much better too.

Not out of woods yet, but a lot happier bunny now!

[Kaninmor]

Kattis

[Bam]

Oh, what a sweetie!!

[jerseygirl]

Precious!

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