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pdennis89

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My mother and i just got a rabbit from our neighbors. They didnt take care of it, left it outside in a pen sitting in its own waste and fed it their table scraps. I didnt know much about rabbits, so i started doing research and eventually we were able to convince them to let us have it. I've had it for three days now, and there is a bubble around the rabbits vagina and it's bleeding out of three different holes in the bubble. I have a picture here. Help me please.

http://gyazo.com/b01cc28b7e81adc182ebd1022d75accc
 
This is something that needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. I don't have any clue as to what the picture is. By the location, it could be a swollen testicle that's hanging out closer to the genitalia, it could be an abscess, it could be botfly strike. If it is actively bleeding (ie bleeding doesn't stop), and/or the bunny is in pain (hunched posture, grinding teeth, lethargic, body temperature below 101F), the bunny needs to see an emergency vet. I would take her/him to the emergency vet and potentially call the police non-emergency line on the way there to explain the situation. Botfly is a fly that lays its eggs in the tissue of animals, often in the neck or near the genitals, and the larvae grow there and cause large lumps. Since the lump is the same color as her skin, it looks to be about the right size for a botfly, and you mention some holes in it, that's what I would go with right now. The fly larvae chew holes to breathe through once they get big enough. Poor hygiene is a major factor in developing these infestations, so if she was sitting in waste it's very likely. A vet will know. Find the nearest emergency vet that will see rabbits. Just call to ask if they see rabbits. I'd direct you to our listings of rabbit-savvy vets but they don't always have all the emergency vets on there.

If she is not in pain and the bleeding is stopping, it can wait until normal business hours (probably).
 
She's laying on her side right now, but she's alive. The picture is between her legs near her vagina. Her anus is normal looking. She doesn't seem to be shaking or in pain at all.
 
Are you sure shes actually a female?
Regardless Tonyshuman has summed everything up nicely. Please take this bunny to a vet. Especially because you're not sure what body part that could be.
 
If you are sure she's not in pain and it isn't bleeding, it can probably wait until normal vet business hours. I haven't seen anything like that, but it looks bad. If you are in the UK or Australia, it may be myxomatosis, which is nearly always fatal and requires immediate vet care (usually euthanasia to be kind to the rabbit).

It is hard to tell when rabbits are in pain, and this came up so suddenly; I would personally take her to the vet ASAP. I would only wait until normal business hours if money is a big issue. An emergency exam usually runs around $70. It is good of you to have taken this rabbit out of its deplorable living conditions. The possibilities of what this lump could be are many not good things. Botfly is treatable but requires surgery. If it is a testicle (ie the sex has been determined incorrectly), it shouldn't be bleeding. In addition, the color is a bit angrier than a testicle should be. It is good to know her anus looks normal--anal prolapse is a serious emergency. I know you didn't sign up for a medical emergency when you rescued this rabbit, but she may be in serious distress. Sometimes emergency vets will take in animals that need immediate care, treat them, and then send them on to the humane society if the person who brought them in could not afford treatment; this is not always the case of course.

Are the whites of her eyes showing at all? Since that lump looks painful, lying on her side is probably the only comfortable position she can find, so that's not the best way to judge if she's ok. Are breathing and heart rate normal? How does she react when touched?
http://www.rabbitwise.org/emergencies.html

I wonder if this is a hernia?
 
I checked when we got her, but i didnt really know what i was looking for. When i try to touch her, she recoils, but she's been doing that since i started feeding her before we got her. That was probably two weeks ago. There arent any 24 hour emergency animal hospitals around here. The closest one is 2 hours away, and i can't drive. There are a bunch of google hits close to here that say 24 hours, but when i call them, they tell me otherwise. It's 1am where i'm at, and the only option is to wait til 8, when my mother can drive me. I'm okay with the hospital taking my animal if i can't pay. Just as long as she's okay. I don't want her to be in pain.
 
I think youre fine to book an appointment for tomorrow. Just stay calm. Just make sure him/her is eating and drinking okay for now and keep them as comfy as you can until you can reach a rabbit savvy vet.
 
I think youre fine to book an appointment for tomorrow. Just stay calm. Just make sure him/her is eating and drinking okay for now and keep them as comfy as you can until you can reach a rabbit savvy vet.

She's out of her cage and hanging out with me. climbing all over me. I'm more calm because of this, but she's still going to the vet tomorrow ASAP. Thank you guys so much.
 
Took him to the vet, and you're right. It's a guy. He had maggots inside of him, an abscess, a bladder infection, and a liver infection. He's being treated with medication, the maggots were removed, and the abscess was lanced. It came out to be just under a thousand dollars, but the vet agreed to take 350 and pay the rest out of pocket. The bunny is home now, and i'm a tad worried, because he's only been in the cage since 8pm, it's 3:13 am right now, and he's spent the majority of his time drinking from the bottle. Like i'll go see him, he'll start drinking, and i'll go do some **** in the next room and i'll continue to hear the noise of the ball bearing inside of the tube on the bottle for the next ten minutes. He's only got three little poops in the cage in that amount of time. Any have any ideas?
 
Can you offer him a bowl of water to make it easier for him to drink?
 
Wow! That's incredible. Well you certainly saved the little guy. And that was great of the vet not to charge the full price. I hope he's feeling much better now and continues to improve. I agree that he'll have an easier time drinking from a water dish, and giving grass hay and some leafy greens like cilantro and green leaf lettuce(only a tiny bit if it's not something he's used to eating) will help with his digestion and get his poops looking more normal. You may even want to stop or reduce pellets at this point so that he does eat more hay. Pellets tend to slow down a rabbits digestion, especially if it is a new kind that they aren't used to yet. Normally it's best to gradually introduce a new type of pellet over 2 weeks time. But if you do stop or reduce pellets, you'll need to make sure he is eating his hay well, to make up for the lack of pellets. Sometimes rabbits that aren't used to getting hay, don't eat it very well when first introduced to it. And if he stops eating and/or pooping for several hours, you may want to give your vet a call, as he may need a gut motility med to get things moving again.
 
Great job saving this little guy! So nice of your vet to help with the bill...that was a lot of work they had to do...very compassionate on their part. :thumbup
 
Wow, you, your mom & the vet are heroes for rescuing that poor little guy! Try to encourage him to eat hay, maybe offer him some fresh herbs or romaine, since they have a lot of water in them, too.
 
Wow indeed. I'm so glad you helped this guy out. Such a kindness that you all did for this little guy. With a bladder infection, you might see more drinking and urinating, although it will be painful for him to urinate for a while. Hay, veggies, and a bowl of water are all good ideas. I hope he's doing better now.

Wanted to add that going under anesthesia can slow the gut down, so I'd only worry terribly if it has been 6 hours post-operation that he hasn't pooped significantly.
 
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