Outside + worms?

[Cari]

I posted this in a different subforum but think it will be more appropriate here… please help if you can….

Since moving to a new apartment with my boyfriend I’ve had to put my rabbits on the outside patio which was originally going to be screened but the screen door got “stolen” the day before we moved in, and six months later that hasn’t been fixed(great landlord). I’ve been really totally depressed lately and barely even taking care of myself for reasons I won’t get into here, I’m not making excuses, but I’ve been neglecting them. I really, really hate to say that. I love them to death, but I barely have the will to get out of bed, much less give them the attention they need. A few minutes ago I finally dragged myself outside to clean up their cage and I was horrified when a piece of poop fell out of the litter box and there were little white worms in it. They were thin and tapered off towards the ends and very wriggly.

I did a search on here and one of the things I saw talked about fly strike and I am just completely horrified to the point where I can’t stop crying. I looked at them a little and it doesn’t look like there is anything on them, but I am upset to the point of barely being able to look at them. I feel so terrible that I’ve neglected them like this and the last thing I would ever want is something bad to happen to them.

Should I just immediately take them to a vet? What can I do at this point to make sure they are okay apart from just cleaning up and checking them? What could be the source of these worms? Please don’t tell me I should give them to someone who can take better care of them, I’m already well aware of this and will begin taking steps towards that once I make sure they are okay. Thanks in advance for any help.

[KatnipCrzy]

I would recommend calling your vet- it would be a good idea to have a stool sample checked to make sure what type of worms they have- (some are not visible to the naked eye) and then proceed with treatment.

Rabbits can be exposed to worms at the breeders, pet stores, or even outside on grass that is contaminated with worms by wildlife or other pets.

[Beka27]

bunnyluvr  Houston, TX  Posts: 84

01/28/2009 6:03 PM [script removed]Alert  I would say take them to the vet. They can run tests on their poops and find out what’s going on. Don’t be to hard on yourself either, we all go through hard times. The important thing is that you’ve noticed the problem, now you just need to get them to the vet.

 

i saw you made another topic.  this was the response from the other thread from bunnyluvr (i am going to go delete the second thread to keep everything together in one spot for you.)

i agree with Katnip and bunnyluvr, the vet will need to do an exam on them and a fecal sample to figure out your best course of treatment.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yup trip to the vets. It can be taken of care of easily -don’t be too hard on yourself. But do get them in, untreated it can cause problems.

[BinkyBunny]

extra ditto the vet visit.

The fact that you are going through a heavy depression, yet are concerned about neglect enough to reach out for their sake and make sure that they will get to the vet as well as make arrangements for eventual care (whatever you decide) shows alot of strength even when your world may seem heavy. So give yourself kudos for that, and let us know what happens at the vets. Keep us updated.

[Cari]

Ok, I’m a lot more calm now. Thanks so much for the replies. I’ve called the vet and will be going today at 3, they said all of them need to be treated. Would it be okay to just take one of them in to get seen and then get the medicine prescribed for all of them? Has anyone done this? A family member who worked for a vet said this was common.

[Hedi]

Cari-how many rabbits do you have? Can you get them all in with more than one visit? I would be afraid that if they all had flystrike the vet would need to shave that area to keep an eye on it. So you probably should call them about taking them all in to the vet.

Dont feel you have to explain about being depressed-you arent alone and it affects so many people that are afraid to talk about it. I have some chronic pain issues and am being treated for depression. Do you have a family doctor you can go see bout treatments? The depression meds are amazing these days with little to no side effects and you dont have to be on them for life. So its someting to consider.

If you ever need someone to talk to feel free to email me thru BB. If you click on my name to the left it will give you the option to email me. I can empathize with where you are right now-when you feel so depressed its so hard to care for yourself let alone other people or animals. But remember…a bunny kiss can do amazing things for your mental health!

[Beka27]

Posted By BinkyBunny on 01/28/2009 7:38 PM
The fact that you are going through a heavy depression, yet be concerned about neglect enough to reach out for their sake and make sure that they will get to the vet as well as make arrangements for eventual care (whatever you decide) shows alot of strength even when your world may seem heavy. So give yourself kudos for that, and let us know what happens at the vets. Keep us updated.

 

absolutely!  i do not know your own situation, but i understand depression.  it is hard, and so often others around you don’t get what the problem is, or they just want to breeze over it like it’s nothing.  please don’t beat yourself up anymore about what has happened.  you’re getting it taken care of now, you are aware what needs to be done.

regarding the vet:  it’s hard to say what they’ll do.  if it’s a vet that knows you and your buns, they might be able to do this, but if the vet has never seen you before, i’m not sure.  the best thing would be to call and ask ASAP.  if they say “yes, bring in one, we’ll treat all three” write down the name of who you spoke to and what they specifically said.  i know with some meds, dosage is based on the weight of the animal.  in this case, they would need to examine each one, get weights and determine what amount is needed for each.

[Cari]

I am just going to take all three of them to be safe. I don’t want to take any risks. Thanks so much for the help and kind words. Do you think it could really be fly strike? That really freaks me out :\

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

That’s a great idea to take all three. Don’t get too worried because you might get good news. Flystrike in early stages is pretty treatable, and as I understand they have to have sores or be incontinent to get flystrike, so I’d think it’s probably worms-but I’m no vet!! Your vet should be able to tell easily and give you the correct treatment for all of them. Good luck and keep us posted!

[dlscanne]

check out this thread I posted several weeks ago:

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/forumid/2/postid/90093/view/topic/Default.aspx

I had the exact same problem with my bunnies too. The thread should explain all the details of what they were…your description of the worms sounds like they are exactly the same as what Frank had.

And if it makes you feel better, I asked my vet about how they got them. I was astounded because I only thought they got them in dirty conditions, but I keep my bunny’s environment spotless. She said this type of worm in particular is not necessarily due to that. They are very common and many house rabbits probably have them their entire lives without showing symptoms. Its good to get them cleared out though if you notice them, because that probably means a heavy infestation and can lead to blockages. She said no one really knows how house rabbits get them, but maybe from veggies.

Its easy to treat and not that serious. Definitely take them in, they’ll probably give you Panacur which is a powder. I just sprinkled it on a dry treat moistened with carrot baby food.

I wish you luck and hope you feel better soon!

[Cari]

Well, I know it’s been a while but I figured I would update. I did get them to the vet who found absolutely nothing wrong with them, but told me to keep monitoring their poop and see if anything else came up. Surprisingly, nothing has. Just wanted to let everyone know who replied, and to say thanks again for the advice and words of encouragement.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

CARI! I was JUST thinking about you today! Thanks for updating-I’m so glad they are fine That’s a relief! How are you?

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