Pressure Sores

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

As some of you may know Monsters has lots her mobility So when she's in her cage she's lying down as she can't hold herself up. I was just looking her over and it looks like she's developing pressure sores.

What can I do to help with that besides flipping the side she lye's on? What can I put on it? I'll probably call the vet in the morning and find out what she says. We were just there on Monday. She is on pain meds.

I'm just frustrated with myself for not seeing this before.

We have been using puppy pads with her to help pull the pee away but that doesn't seem to be really helping anymore as the pad is still wet so she's wet.

I know Monsters age is up there I just don't think I'm ready for her to go. She still seems to have lots of life left.

:nerves1
Rebecca and Monsters

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

can you put a flat one inch thick 12in-x-12in sponge and small towel under her,sounds like my rehab days,.,definately call the vet concerning dosage of meds,and some type of therapy for her situation,.may have to setup special feeder and water bottle too,.sincerely james waller

 

[kherrmann3]

I don't have any experience with bunny pressure sores, but I have a little experience with people pressure sores... At the nursing home that I work at, we have a resident with a big pressure sore. This is what we do to "heal" a pressure sore:
- Reposition side-to-side every 2 hours - day & night.
- Cover the pressure sore with some prescription salve (no idea what it is, sorry) and gauze. Changed daily.
- He is on an air mattress to distribute weight evenly. Maybe use a weight-distributing foam of some sort?
- Keep him from laying on the sore at all. This is tricky, but is possible.

That's the basics that I know about people pressure sore care... I doubt that any of it was useful, but I figured I might as well share. Good luck!

 

[Maureen Las]

I had this problem with Babette... problem is that she would fall on the side and I coudn't be there all the time to get her off it. humanpressure sore care would be similar but you need to use an appropriate ointment and make sure Monsters wouldn't eat it. The vet can most likely give you a prescription creme.

Khermann' suggestions are applicable for a bun also

I would pm Julie (treasured friend) I am not sure that she has dealt with pressure sores but probably has..

you could use a sponpe pad (donut)with a hole in it so that the sore is not having contact with anything

you can lookin some stores that sell medical supplies.
I'll try to fnd more on this...

 

[kherrmann3]

Ooo! I just thought of another thing! It works for elderly people that get sores on their ankles or other bony spots. It's a foam pad that sticks to skin (not good for buns, I bet) and they cut a hole for the sore area to protrude from (but still can't hit anything - like Maureen said). The foam for people is about an inch thick, then you cut the hole in the center to size. In the nursing home, I've seen them use the foam that has a sticky, Band-Aid-like adhesive on it, and I've seen them use a plain foam that they tie in place with gauze.

I have seen Julie use a little pad between one of her rabbit's legs before. I don't know if it was to prevent pressure sores or to catch urine droplets. We do that for the elders, too. If they have a sore starting between their knees or ankles, we just put a pillow between their legs when we position them.

Where are the sores? Are they just on the side or on Monster's legs?

Also to keep in mind, if the sores are beyond the first stage (redness & warm-to-the-touch), they are going to be hard to heal. Being that pressure sores are from lack of blood to the tissues, they are normally deeper than they appear to be. They have to heal from the inside-out. That's the case with people ones, anyway. I don't know if rabbits and people have the same healing response to them.

ETA: I just PM'ed Julie (treasuredfriend) for you about Monsters. I sent the link to so she can come have a look. Good luck, little Monsters (and her loving Momma!) :clover:

 

[Maureen Las]

Thanks kherrman

I don't know if Monsters is at an 'eating everything" stage; could be she will leave things alone...
hopefully between all of us we can come up with a plan...

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

Julie is already informed, I PM'd here after I posted. I have been talking to her trough PM's for about a week since Monsters stopped moving around as suggest by Jen. Julie has been a great help.
angieluv wrote:

I would pm Julie (treasured friend) I am not sure that she has dealt with pressure sores but probably has..

The pad between the leg was to help prevent any more sores forming I believe.
kherrmann3 wrote:

I have seen Julie use a little pad between one of her rabbit's legs before.

It looks like she has a couple starting on the inside of her legs. And one ugly one not sure if it's a pressure sore or just a bad sore just under her hip bone but above the tail.

Here's a few photo's that I took. I think the photo's make it look worse than it is.
http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/...ealth Photos/?action=view&current=DCF3002.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm320/PolarWabbit/Bunny Health Photos/DSCF006.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm320/PolarWabbit/Bunny Health Photos/DSF3003.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm320/PolarWabbit/Bunny Health Photos/SCF3001.jpg

 

[kherrmann3]

To me, that looks like a deep sore. They always look shallower than they really are, so once the "scab" on the top comes off, there will be a deeper wound there. Like I mentioned before, human pressure sores have to heal from the inside-out, and that can take months.

I hope that you and Julie can figure out a solution for her sore bottom! Good luck!

 

[Maureen Las]

Yeh they look bad
In a person often the sore will be actually be cleaned out and packed with gauze as it will be a hole.after being cleaned out

if their was a way to suspend her up off the ground it might help; but that is no life for a bun
How is her behavior and appetite. ?

is she on systemic antibiotics ?
Also are you using salve on those wounds.
a few are pink around the edges and look infected...


not good..

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

angieluv wrote:

Yeh they look bad

Thats 1 wound and not what I wanted to hear

if their was a way to suspend her up off the ground it might help; but that is no life for a bun How is her behavior and appetite. ?

I don't think I can suspend my poor girl off the ground with a lot of work. As she can't hold herself up.

is she on systemic antibiotics ? Also are you using salve on those wounds. a few are pink around the edges and look infected... not good..

The vet hasn't seen this as I just realize what it was last night. What can I put on it untill I call the vet?

ETA: her behavior is happy when she see's her mommy and loves to eat when offered to her. If I offer her water sometimes she's not ready for it but when she is she drinks. I know that could be a sign of something else.

 

[Maureen Las]

try some plain neosporin but I think the vet will might give you somethine like silvadine cream
I'm sorry that I upset you hon

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

You didn't upset me. I know that everyone wants to help take good care of her that what you are doing.

 

[Maureen Las]

Yeh we just want to help you help her

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

I found a couple of little sores on her right side. 1 has hair growing in it. Just called the U of S and left a message for the vet to call me.

 

[tonyshuman]

Silver sulfadizine (?) cream was what I thought of too. I agree that those wounds may need to be cleaned out and dressed in order to get them to heal, and she may need systemic antibiotics. Does she not lay on her belly, but just on either her right or left side?

Vet bed is also a good option as it is very good at wicking away the moisture.

I'm amazed at all the good input we have here on pressure sores, both human and animal! I think all the things Kelly said about human pressure sores do apply. I have used something called moleskin before to protect blisters on my feet in the way she was talking about before. It's sticky on one side and cushy on the other. That would require shaving around the wound though.

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

Got a call back from the vet we are going in on Tuesday at 3. Julie recommend soft fuzzy bath mats so I went out and got a couple of those. I have a huge piece of vet bed at my parents house that I was using for the other guys. After we move I will get Mom or Dad to cut it up for me if I need it.

No she wont lay on her belly she mostly on her right side. I try and sit her up for a few hours so she's not always on 1 side or the other but she does fall over sometimes.

 

[tonyshuman]

I see. That's too bad, since with sores on both sides, neither is a good one to lie on! At least the one on the right isn't as bad, right?

 

[pla725]

I'm having the same issue with Smitten. I do give her butt baths, not every day, but every two to three days. I use a large dog bed absorent pad that can be washed. Iswitch those out daily. I do use neosporin and diaper rashoinment on the area. Smitten won't move off the one side so I decided to leave her that way. I did try doggie diapers but she pulled those off. I thought about using the ones that velcro on.

Other that that she is doing well. She eats and grooms her partner and he grooms her in the spots she cant' reach. She does scoot around.

Good luck with Monsters.

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

So far the sores are only on her right side but that's the side she likes to lye on.

tonyshuman wrote:

I see. That's too bad, since with sores on both sides, neither is a good one to lie on! At least the one on the right isn't as bad, right?

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

Monsters was getting washed every day as she was wet on her side from lying on the puppy pad that was wet from her peeing on it.

Monsters partner has moved over to my parents place while we find a new place to live. I'm not sure we can keep Fluffy with Monsters as she can't move around at all 'cause her arms just aren't strong enough to hold her up. I was at Walmart today but didn't hit the pet section. Will have to go back on the weekend as I think saw something else that might work for her.

We will try out the bath mats. If Julie says it's a good idea then I'm sure she's right.