Running out of options..

[Theo&Mickey]

Hi guys!

I need a natural/homeopathic solution to ringworm in my bunnies. It keeps coming back and my bun Theo is in pain with cracked feet ((( They first had sarcoptic mange which caused sores and opportunistic ringworm which happened to be around the environment came in and made things 100 X worse.

Revolution, Ivermectin injections and the vet believes the mites problem is gone, but the ringworm persists.

The medication they got treated on was Itrafungol for 30 days which nearly cured them but not 100% It’s sooooo strong and lowers their immune system (not good for fighting ringworm) and is bad for them in the long run. They couldn’t be on it for more than 30 days without harming them, the vet said.

They lost weight too.

I brought them back home after treatment and had ripped up the carpet and thoroughly cleaned everything with Virkon. I can’t replace the floor at this time ($$$) and they are on sponge puzzle mats. They peed EVERYWHERE and even sat in their pee. In retrospect I should HAVE bought a big cage or 3 cages and kept them there until they were ringworm free and possibly re-homed them. I can’t keep them in cages forever, it’s too heartbreaking.

I went to the vet yesterday with very sorry eyes and crazy pounding heart because I can’t afford to pay for the Itrafungol again.

They still have ringworm but it’s not as bad. Theo is the worst with cracked feet Sorry if I’m rambling. This has been a nightmare.

I thought the vet would send me away saying there was nothing they could do if I couldn’t pay and also didn’t have a home for them where they could be treated in a 100% non-contaminated environment. I thought I would be taking them to the shelter. The shelter here (the ONLY one in our country) euthanise any animals that come in presenting disease or illness. So you can imagine my state of mind. I became numb.

The vet said to keep them at the clinic while he talks to the managing director about what to do. She (MD) called me back saying they have NO space or time or finance to treat my bunnies free of charge. They could not take them on. I was stuck between a wall. She recommended euthanasia unless I could find someone to sponsor them and pay for treatment or someone who would be willing to adopt them and treat them. Yeah, fat chance

So I was sitting there thinking, either I take them to the shelter where I’m sure they will be euthanised or euthanise them at the vet where they currently are (save them the trauma of moving again).

Vet refused to euthanise. THANK GOD. He said to try calling a certain lady who runs an animal relocation business (flying animals across the world). So I spoke to her on the phone, at this point sounding really manic and panicked, and THANKFULLY she said she would consider adopting all three and keeping them in her office (not the best, but something, they’d be alive and looked after, right?)

The only issue she has is if they will be cured by the end of the 30 days. She can’t risk her business being over-run with ringworm. Obviously. She’s even willing to pay for the treatment. The other issue is that the vet clinic is dealing with a parvo outbreak, no space, HUGE gov’t funded TNR operation starting and one vet leaving for a month’s time. Leaving only one vet at the clinic to handle everything. BAD timing.

One of the vet techs who lives at the clinic said he would be willing to keep them in his room and treat them for the 30 days. I couldn’t believe his kindness.

But, I’m worried it won’t work. I’m also worried that this lady who is considering adopting them will fall through.

I need PLAN B. I want to keep them, obviously, they are my babies. But I also want what is best for them and ensure their healing. This has gone on too long.

If this lady says no, or if the treatment fails even if she agrees to take on the responsibility, I need to make other plans.

Can anyone advise of any natural ringworm treatments you know of that worked for you. Someone has kindly agreed to buy them a hutch and in that way I can keep moving them around outside to stop re-contamination. The weather is lovely at the moment, this time of year, in the middle east.

I would rather they be in a big hutch outside then cramped in a small cage in a room for 30 days. And to avoid the itrafungol treatment once again which could deteriorate them.

Thank you. Sorry for my rambling.

[Wick & Fable]

I understand ringworm can be extremely frustrating in its persistence and reemergence. Wick’s first ringworm episode came in November 2017, and shortly after came a spree of reoccurring episodes. Notably, it became what I later discovered to be atypical syphilis (crusting and fur loss only around the mouth). I don’t know where the ringworm centers on your rabbit, but if that description matches, take a look online for atypical syphilis and see if it matches what you’ve been experiencing.

Wick had itraconazole for his oral antifungal, which sounds like itrafungal, so I wonder if they’re synonymous? From my experience, I found the topical treatments more effective than the oral, which didn’t seem to do much. We did all at once, so I can’t really separate what did what, but I always noticed a difference if I skipped topical or did a bad job.

Have you done topical treatments, or simply oral? For topical, we did a quick nolvasan scrub (to clean the area), then silver sulfadiazine to moisturize and protect the skin.

Can you give details on how the ringworm maneuvers and where? Dampness doesn’t help, so if there are ways to lessen both irritation and dampness in the area/s, that may be helpful.

In terms of recontamination, don’t feel guilty or get too strained — the bacteria can live on practically any surface for a long time. Even in humans, it’s notoriously difficult to get rid of. This may be my explanation of it and may not be scientifically sound, but I think the goal is to, through medication, weaken the ringworm on your rabbit to a point where your rabbit can fight it off on its own, barring something behind the scenes weakening the immune system.

I documented a lot of what I went through with Wick here:

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/163981/Default.aspx

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.

[LBJ10]

Medirabbit says this:

The best treatment for fungal dermatitis is oral administration of griseofulvin (25-50 mg/kg PO q24h or divided q12h). (Wear gloves while administering this drug). The treatment should continue two weeks after the disappearance of the clinical signs.

If the itraconazole didn’t work, I don’t see why the vet wouldn’t be open to trying something else.

I understand that cost is an issue, but I was under the impression that anti-fungal medications weren’t very expensive. Wick, can you speak to this? How much did the itraconzole cost?

[Wick & Fable]

Itraconazole, now that I’m looking, was the most expensive medication I had with Wick actually.

A half oz was $80, and a full ounce was $151.

A jar of silver sulfadiazine was $22, and they lasted a while.
Clotrimazole is an antifungal topical medication and that was $17.50. It was definitely effective (forgot to mention before), but strong and drying I found, so I alternated it with silvadine.
1oz of nolvasan scrub was $12.75
— so the topical trifecta was definitely cheaper than oral.

Again, it’s hard for me to differentiate when the ringworm became syphilis (though Wick’s other parent believes Wick never had ringworm and it was only syphilis; I disagree), but I know now that Wick doesn’t have aggressively traveling ringworm, despite me not moving him to new locations for contamination purposes. I was just very. Persistent.

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.

[Theo&Mickey]

Hi everyone.. thank you for the responses..

Here is what it looks like on my worst affected bunny. The others have dry skin on their toes and they are inflamed but not much else. 

I’m also applying Revolution on them every month now. Just in case the mites are hanging around!

[Amanda]

How available are nonprescription pet medications in your country? Over-the-counter topical medications are cheaper in many situations, but you would have to apply it multiple times a day. I remember reading about people using things like tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar on themselves (and once, if I remember correctly, on their cat) with good results. I am hesitant to recommend this since I have not researched it myself, but since I am very uncomfortable with rabbits being euthanized over ringworm, I will mention it anyway. I think I recall someone saying they used some type of athletes foot cream or lotion on their cat or dog. Just do plenty of research if you decide not to use something made specifically for animals.

[LBJ10]

I wouldn’t use tea tree oil. Many essential oils are harmful to bunnies, including tea tree.

Medirabbit gives a list of possible anti-fungal treatments. Some are OTC creams, etc. http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Fungal/Fungal_en.htm

[Theo&Mickey]

Thank you! I’ve been told to use neem oil and coconut oil. I brought them home yesterday and they’ve already started the Itrafungol.
I managed to get it at $150 instead of $480.. it’s a more potent solution. I’m applying the oils 3 x a day. It’s hard work! Plus keeping
everything clean and uncontaminated. I have been feeling itchy all over my body.

Anyway, they’ve lost weight and are not eating much hay at all. I give them greens but I don’t want them to fill up on that alone.
I can’t get the pellets they loved and made them gain weight. It’s not available anymore

[Amanda]

“I wouldn’t use tea tree oil. Many essential oils are harmful to bunnies, including tea tree.”

You are right. I read about tea tree oil and other “natural” remedies on people and heavily diluted solutions on pets. As I had these pets at the time (*or was an animal that I almost taken in 2 times), I remember you could it on animals like dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, and *ferrets but not to use rats, hamsters, and other small weight animals. I did not have a rabbit at the time so I paid little attention to any mention of them. Personally, I would never use essential oils at all for any of my pets, but only use prescription or over-the-counter medications. However, I took note because I realize that not everyone has easy access to affordable over-the-counter pet medications.

I also remember the mention of turmeric as paste on the skin for ringworm (and ingested for arthritis) for pets in that same article. This seems slightly messy, but might be another option. Is turmeric safe for rabbits?

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