prolapsed rectum

Question
hi dana
today, my friend's bunny was diagnosed with a prolapsed rectum :/ . the vet, who is very rabbit savvy, had to put it back in place and use a purse string suture. my friend told the vet that her  bunny is an obsessive chewer and feared that  she might pull the suture out. they sent her home with an e collar. poor bunny is beside herself with the collar. when she takes it off, her bunny eats, etc but after a couple of hours she started going after her rear end. Is there anything that may work better? those damn collars are torture for bunnies....
thanks
JC

Answer
Dear Jeanine,

Yes, E-collars are a nightmare for bunnies!  :(

I know of one person who had success by tying a little cotton "scarf" around the bunny's hips so it was like a little skirt.  Bunny could reach back and try to chew, but the skirt would get in the way.

You just want to be sure not to tie it too tightly, or perhaps use a bit of loose-ish elastic and watch the bunny carefully to be sure she's not going to get herself into trouble with the skirt.

Rabbits make scar tissue *very* quickly.  So probably after 2-3 days the collar will not be necessary.

I hope poor bunny makes a full recovery soon!

Dana