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Bunbun

22 10:25:32

Question
QUESTION: Hi Dana, sorry it said that i have asked to many follow ups :) sorry.
Hard to answer you question on if the sores are abnormal?
They are open wounds, bleeding. As she is ripping open the skin, peices of skin hanging.
I have found she seems to hurt herself then lick it better, then start somewhere else.
Bear in mind that she has not done this to a great exstend because i have keept a cone on her, but amonth ago when i went to the snow and returned because she had gone two months without hurting herself i came home to a starting of a sore (more looking like a graze) as this point.

ANSWER: Dear Monique,

AllExperts said you had asked too many followups?  That's weird, because I didn't send that message.  It must be an automatic response they send after a certain number of followups.  Please don't feel that I'm tired of trying to help.  But there's only so much I can tell you at this point, and the next step is for you to get these new ideas checked out.

Did you get my message about the sebaceous adenitis?  It might also not be a bad idea to treat for mites with Revolution (selamectin), in case there are Tropical Rat Mites causing a terrible itching that makes her self-mutilate.

Ask the vet about giving her a shot of short-acting corticosteroid (e.g., dexamethasone) to see if that will at least temporarily stop the behavior.  If it does, then it will indicate that there is some type of inflammatory reaction in the skin causing her to tear at it.

Again, I would definitely have the molars checked, because the location of these lesions is very, very consistent with drooling caused by dental problems.

I hope this helps.  Please write back once you've had the molars checked, and once you and the vets have explored the possibility of burrowing mites (treatable with selamectin, which I'd do as a precaution  even if you can't find mites) and sebaceous adenitis.

Good luck,

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Dana, i wrote my vet an email and his responce was:
Thanks Monique

Good thoughts but these suggestions from the web dont fit with Bunbun's symptoms - the fur loss from teeth problems is due to saliva constantly dribbling down the chin and neck - we haven't seen this with Bunbun.  The hormone imbalance causes fur loss without skin damage and this is generally over the back.

The problem with auto-immune problems and allergies is that the treatment in most animals is the use of steroid anti-inflammatories.  These are generally very unsafe in rabbits due to their intestinal function and we very rarely use these.  Having said that, it may be a useful brief treatment to see whether the problem resolves as this would confirm the allergy theory.

Answer
Dear Monique,

I agree with your vet that corticosteroids are really a medication of last resort in rabbits.  They can cause immunosuppression (which is why they may be helpful if this is an autoimmune problem), and they also can cause ulceration of the intestines, as can other anti-inflammatory drugs.  For this reason, if we ever do use corticosteroids we also administer famotidine along with it, to minimize the possiblity of intestinal problems.  This seems to work well.

I still would have the molars checked if they have not been. This is just such a common reason for fur loss in the area where you see it--even if you don't see obvious drooling--that I'd want to rule it out.

Good luck!!

Dana