What could be affecting my Pinkerton?

[Jenk]

I'm wondering if anyone might have a theory as to what is ailing my nearly 4-year-old Cali boy, Pinkerton.

Recently, Pink had the following tests: CBC/blood-chem panel, fecal float, fecal smear, urinalysis, and x-rays. Not one test has pinpointed a definitive cause of his symptoms, which include:

• weight variances/loss (from 9.4 lbs., to 8.6 lbs., to 9.24 lbs., and now 8.96 lbs.)
• excessive hunger
• excessive thirst
• excessive urination
• lethargic nearly the entire time he's out of his pen for exercise
• restless during the day when he’d normally be asleep (sometimes grooming/scratching; sometimes just sitting upright)
• scratching/chewing frequently at his shoulders, hind legs/feet, inner thighs, top/base of his tail
• rough coat (shedding, too)
• lost a patch of fur on his upper right-hand shoulder
• feels “thinner” (to me) on his upper body
• On two occasions, he squeaked when I gently petted his back. (It seemed like pain/discomfort.)

I've had Pink examined by two rabbit-savvy vets. Nothing specific jumps out at them. I'm thisclose to having Pink treated for internal parasites; I can't figure out what else is causing his issues. (Blood work and a urinalysis seem to rule out kidney/liver issues at this point.)

The only thing that makes me lean toward deworming treatment is that, this past fall, our pets were affected by some form of external parasite. I believe it was the cat flea, though we caught the issue early enough to not see the adult form of it. (I saw a larva under a microscope; it resembled cat flea larvae I viewed online.) It is possible that Pink developed tapeworms from ingesting parasites. But, again, his blood work doesn't prove my theory 100%. (His Eosinophils count has gone from 0 to 57, but that's still within the normal range.)

I've also recently checked Pink's body for any sign of possible mites and saw nothing. (I highly doubt mites are the issue, based on his other concerning symptoms and the fact that our home/pets were treated for parasites this past fall. And no other pets are showing excessive grooming/scratching behavior.)


Thank you,

Jenk

 

[LakeCondo]

I wondered how things were going. I'm sorry that it's still an ongoing problem. :sad:

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Have you considered diabetes? The thirst,weight issues,hunger ect are symptoms of diabetes. Other then that it could very well be a parasite.

 

[ZRabbits]

So sorry Pinkerton isn't feeling good. If it's diabetes, you will need special blood tests for this. But what I read, diabetes is rare and only really strikes bunnies that are obese. I'm kind of leaning toward the internal parasite.

I found this information, in the library. I would look at the parasites that can pass from cat to rabbit. Maybe something else got passed than fleas. The scratching at his belly and hindquarters, don't dogs do that too when they have worms? And when bunnies are stressed or uncomfortable, don't they loose their hair?


http://www.gopetsamerica.com/small-animals/rabbit/internal-parasites-rabbits.aspx

I think you should go with your gut feeling.

Hope Pinkerton is feeling better soon.

K

 

[Jenk]

I_heart_Fraggles wrote:

Have you considered diabetes? The thirst,weight issues,hunger ect are symptoms of diabetes.

I have considered it, but per the blood work and urinalysis, it's not the issue. :?

I forgot to mention that Pink also had his thyroid function (T3 and T4) tested; both were negative, putting me back to square one.

Other then that it could very well be a parasite.

Pink's blood work doesn't quite indicate parasitic activity--i.e., the WBCs you'd expect to exceed the normal range in the face of parasitic infestation are within it. The only noticeable change is that Pink's Eosinophils count went from 0 (twice in the past) to 57 (for the most recent blood test).

The tricky part about treating for internal parasites is that we don't know what we'd be treating for; clearly, fecal tests fail us at every turn. Coccidiosis seems unlikely because he's not had issues in the nearly 4 years that we've had him; plus, it wouldn't explain his voracious appetite. Tapeworm is the only parasite I can imagine at this point--but I'm not sure that it would explain all of Pink's particular symptoms.

For now, I'm keeping tabs on Pink's symptoms--especially his weight. His vet suggested retesting his CBC/blood-chem. at the 1- or 2-month mark from the time of his previous test. Of course, she said she'd repeat it at any time, should Pink's symptoms worsen (especially his weight loss). She also mentioned the possibility of doing TSH (suppression) test.


Jenk

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

I was just wondering about Pink myself, thinking you hadn't posted in a while about him. ray:

 

[Jenk]

Bunnylova4eva wrote:

I was just wondering about Pink myself, thinking you hadn't posted in a while about him. ray:

Thank you for thinking of Pink.

My anxiety is sky-high at the thought of waiting beyond one month from the date of Pink's recent blood work. If it is a parasitic issue, he's been infested/affected for four months' time. But I also don't want to hit him up with strong meds., if the issue really is with his liver and/or kidneys. Ugh...

My DH is no longer a believer in the effectiveness of diagnostic tests, since we've spent far too much money on blood work, x-rays, and fecal tests that have revealed so little about our pets' health in the past 4.5 years'; I understand my DH's feelings on the matter. He doesn't want me to retest Pink at all, but my anxiety may not let me sit still. But I suspect his theory may be correct: additional blood work may not reveal anything useful. And we've already spent too much money on Pink's vet bills within the first month of this year.

Since our home has been chemically treated many times between two parasitic infestations, I do fear that something went wrong--that the chemical was applied too strongly--and it's affecting Pink. But, again, the recent blood work doesn't pinpoint anything specific. AARGH!


Jenk

 

[LakeCondo]

I know you don't think it's diabetes, but what would the treatment entail if it were? Rabbits sure don't get much sugar, but it seems like getting rid of most of that little bit wouldn't hurt. Type I diabetes isn't related at all to weight the way Type II is.

 

[Jenk]

LakeCondo wrote:

I know you don't think it's diabetes, but what would the treatment entail if it were? Rabbits sure don't get much sugar, but it seems like getting rid of most of that little bit wouldn't hurt. Type I diabetes isn't related at all to weight the way Type II is.

The vets don't suspect Diabetes because Pink's glucose level--in both his blood and urine--was in the normal range.

I don't know if there is a treatment protocol for Diabetes in rabbits; I've been told that if it does exist as a condition in rabbits, it's extremely rare.

Pink's blood work (sort of) leans toward chronic inflammation and either parasitic activity or an allergic reaction. That is, his Monocytes (chronic inflammation) and Eosinophils (parasite/allergy) counts have raised since his last blood test in 2010. But since both WBC counts are still within the normal range, the vets are left scratching their heads. The exotics-only vet told me that if parasitic activity were the case, Pink's Eosinophils count would likely exceed the normal range. (He has been scratching more all over and even lost fur in one circular patch on his shoulder. I will lost my mind if we someone got parasites in our home for a third time; it would defy all explanation.)

I just hope that a second CBC/blood-chem. test is more helpful/definitive; my DH and I are having trouble justifying the cost of chasing down non-answers.

 

[Jenk]

Over time, I've also noticed that Pink sometimes makes a singular hacking sound--it sounds like a cough that could lead to vomiting. Today, I heard it happen twice, which is more frequently than I've heard it in the past.

I can never catch him at it, so I can't say with 100% certainty that it's a cough. But it's such a fast/sharp sound that I don't think it's a sneeze; it simply sounds more like a harsh cough.

I hope to be able to speak to Pink's regular vet tomorrow, at which time I'll inform her of the coughing issue. (Recent vet visits didn't reveal an abnormal heart rate/beat, and digital x-rays didn't reveal an enlargement of the heart.)


Jenk

 

[Jenk]

Today, the vet examined Pink for parasites. (I mention his and Emma's itchiness in another thread.) Nothing discernible appeared to her. I gave her three pieces of Scotch tape that I'd touched to Pink's ears and Emma's foot--in case something might be found.

The vet mentioned tapeworm could be a possibility, since cats can transmit it without being symptomatic. I agreed to let her do a culture for ringworm, whose presence/absence can take 5 days to 3 weeks to determine.

She said that, in the meantime, I could put all three pets on Revolution again--dosing them every 14 days to break the cycle of a potential parasite and possibly keeping them on it monthly for a while thereafter. I'm not thrilled with the idea of them getting more Revolution, but I'm not sure what else to do; "sitting tight" if you do have a parasite issue isn't a good thing.

She'd talked with another exotics-savvy vet who said that Pink's other symptoms--at least most of them--could be caused by EC, which can affect the kidneys. I need to speak with my DH tonight about this possibility, since it, too, would cost more money to test for (and, of course, treat).

Jenk