Noticed that Dutchess, who recently began rooming with her new love, neutered Uno, had a smelly rear end. She was coated in poop and hay, so gently washed her off several times. She still is smelly. Right now she is in her outside hutch with Uno (i had to remove him from her indoor hutch for a day to observe her poop and eating.) She is binkying and seems happy to see him. But her fur still smells near her rear end. Am worried about a urinary infection but cant get her to a vet today (we are having to get our beloved 12 year old cat with terminal large cell lymphoma put to sleep today, sob). After that, will start syringe feeding Dutchess and will bathe her some more. Cut back on her greens due to the poop stuck to her fur. If she is still smelly, will try to get a vet appt but that can take a week ir more. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Dutchess smelly rear end
- Thread starter cwebster
- Start date
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Hopefully you're only cleaning her bottom ( not a full body bath).
Often a messy bottom means the diet needs adjustment. Could you describe her normal daily diet?
Is there a reason you want to syringe feed? Is she not eating?
Often a messy bottom means the diet needs adjustment. Could you describe her normal daily diet?
Is there a reason you want to syringe feed? Is she not eating?
Blue Eyes, thank you foryour prompt reply. I have been giving her syringes of water because last time shewent to a vet, he said the xray showed some urine sludge. She has two bottles and a water dish but I never see her drink water. I may have been giving her too many greens recently since Uno moved in with her so i cut back on the greens and just gave her hay and pellets tonight.. She is smelling better and pooping ok so i put Uno back with her. If she starts smelling worse I am taking him out and calling the vet tomorrow in case she has a urinary infection.
Her normal daily diet is a large handful of hay, a tiny handful of pellets, and maybe 1/4 c of greens (kale, dandelion greens, carrot tops, parsley, and grass). At night, she gets a tiny tiny piece of dried apple.
Her normal daily diet is a large handful of hay, a tiny handful of pellets, and maybe 1/4 c of greens (kale, dandelion greens, carrot tops, parsley, and grass). At night, she gets a tiny tiny piece of dried apple.
Got apple juice and pineapple juice today and put juice in her bottles. She wont touch it.
Diane R
Well-Known Member
Use water bowls, not bottles, only add a tiny amount, half a teaspoon of juice. Give an additional bowl with plain water. Both carrot tops and kale are quite high in calcium so perhaps not a good idea to feed daily if she has sludge. Hope she gets better soon.
Diane R, thank you. Will try half tsp apple juice in her water bowl. She saw a vet today who said she needs to be shaved while anesthetized. He prescribed enrofloxacin because he said her skin is infected. She goes back to vet tomorrow. In meantime, may gently dry clean her with cornstarch.
Dutchess was anesthetized and shaved at the vet today. He could not get a urine sample due to severe urine sludge. He continued the enrofloxacin, and added meloxicam for pain and chlorhexadine mousse for wound healing.She is still woozy but starting to eat and really smells all better. I cleaned her cage floor and put a special soft washable carpet covered with puppy pads except in her litter box, which I cleaned carefully then put hay in it.
I know this is likely no longer a concern for you, but I urge people to be cautious putting house rabbits outdoors, especially if they have diarrhea or discharge, because of the potential for fly strike. You need to check very carefully and regularly to make sure flies have not laid eggs in the dirty fur. We had a rabbit die from this year's ago, and I still feel guilty about it
Diane R
Well-Known Member
So sorry about the severe sludge. I think our vets would have done a bladder flush, especially as she had to be anaesthetised anyway. Hope she feels bet soon.
Unable to get an appt until Monday (three days). Dutchess not eating or drinking so am hand feeding her veggies and syringes of water. Am changing the puppy pads under her. Giving her enrofloxacin, meloxicam, simethicone, and reglan and putting chlorhexadine mousse on her rear end twice daily. She is pooping some small poops and occasionally leaving very small orange stains of pee on the puppy pads. Hope the vet can flush her bladder Monday. She is alert but tends to sit in one spot. I took her out so she would run around a little.
Diane R
Well-Known Member
This is an emergency especially if she can‘t pee properly. They really need to see her right away.
Gallagher56
Member
She does need to be seen right away. Get some critical care and syringe it. Never syringe straight down throat. Do it on the side of mouth slowly. Rabbits can’t go without long without food. She will go into GI Stasis which is deadly. Find a vet asap.
Am giving her veggies by hand to keep her from going into GI stasis plus the meds because I tried to get her into five different vets yesterday without success (the only ones within an hours drive who will see exotics). So far she is pooping in her box and leaving pee stains in her box and on the puppy pads. I agree it is an emergency because the vet Thurs said she has “severe urine sludge.” She saw a vet Tues for antibiotics and another vet Wed for X-ray, anesthesia, grooming, and more meds for her urine scalding. I have spent hours getting food into her. She spits out critical care but is willing to eat different veggies if fed by hand. She has two flavors of critical care but spits it out. Last night she grabbed a piece of kale finally and ate by herself. in her cage. The first rabbit savvy vet appt I could get is Monday. She will probably need to be anethetized and catheterized. I am going to prevent GI stasis in the meantime. I am feeding her and medicating her. The vet who saw her for urine scalding and X-ray wanted to wait “a few days to allow skin soreness to decrease“ before doing anything like catheterization. It is really hard where we live. The exotics vet care here is hard to get due to demand and waits (but is better quality than human medical care a lot of the time!).
Gallagher56
Member
I will be praying for her. I just lost my 13 year old rabbit Roady. Her situation was different but she had the urine scalding and poopy butt too. I know how hard it is dealing with vets for exotics. Sounds like you are on top of it. Praying you get good help on Monday.
Moonshadow
Well-Known Member
Hoping for the best for your bun
Am so sorry for your loss of Roady.
Thank you.Hoping for the best for your bun
Started putting neosporin on her scabs in her rear area because they still seem painful. I made sure to get the kind without the pain reliever though because I read it is bad for rabbits. She seems happier afterward but is so upset while I am putting it on.
Am sorry you lost a bunny.
