Tail amputation in rabbits

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Rob Reid — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:44:41 GMT

Quick case update :

I re-examined said bunny 3 days after as planned - the perineal scald had almost completely resolved but the tail ulceartion had deteriorated further with the skin devitalisation now going almost completely round the circumference. I didn't attempt a blood sample as it only seemed to be the tail that is the issue - don't think I would have got a sample in a rabbit her size anyway! (will try and post some photos at some pont to emphasise haha!) I also didn't want to significantly increase the GA time seeing as it was her second GA in 3 days - not ideal for an obese patient.

I therefore opted for an amputation right down to the base. I performed this as would do in a dog or a cat and the net result of suturing this is that it has also pulled back the dorsal fold of skin above the anus - acting as a sort of dermoplasty I guess. Closed with vicryl rapide sutures. Bunny was placed on metacam and 2 x 3day oxytet injections post-op.

I examined rabbit for final time yesterday and she is better than ever - her back end is staying much cleaner and her owner reports that she is the happiest she has been in months. Weight wise we have started to experiment with reducing her greens again with good success - no problems with faeces and she has gone from 4.9kg to 4.72kg in the 2 weeks since we started!

So all in all going well so far, due to re-ex in 1 month to see how diet is progressing!!

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:54:04 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

Surely, if you could hit the jugular though, you could get as big a sample as you needed?

[/quote]

I suppose I could have done! Was the advice the lab gave me, so I only had a 1ml hep tube ready, so only took 1ml!

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:45:21 GMT

Jugular access very much depends on the rabbit, its sex and its weight. In a 'wild type' rabbit it is easy - not so in a fat female hybrid!!!

Surely, if you could hit the jugular though, you could get as big a sample as you needed?

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:35:07 GMT

I have an experience of 1 blood sample in a rabbit and it was taken from the jugular vein, much like a cat. Clipped and with surgical spirit the vein was quite obvious.

Spoke to the lab and they suggested as I was only likely to get a small amount to put it in a heparin tube as I could do either biochem/haematology on same sample.

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Kirsten Simpson — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:01:15 GMT

The only bloods i've ever run in a rabbit I managed to get blood from its saphenous vein - was very easy surprisingly!

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

sarah mason — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:41:22 GMT

I have taken a ml from a cephalic before in a 2kg rabbit

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Charlotte Marshall — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:30:55 GMT

[quote user="Rob Reid"]Blood testing - I like the idea of doing this but I can see the problem with this being a practical one ie finding a vein that going to give me enough blood! I think because of her size and shape getting a jugular will be tricky and I have never been able to get more than about 0.2ml out of an ear vein - any tips?[/quote]

I have managed to get sufficient blood from an ear vein for testing before, making sure the rabbit is nice and warm so the vein is visible helps. I have also used the cephalic vein for dripping so I am sure you could potentially use it for sampling. They talk about using the saphenous in Guinea pigs so maybe that would be an option - not tried it myself though.

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

katja wagner — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:38:09 GMT

Hi Rob,

I have amputated a rabbit tail last year ,was necessary after the rabbit had been bitten very badly by a terrier which left him with nasty large wounds at the back and not much of a tail. my decision to amputate was probably easier then yours as no other options then to take it off very short so he now has a small stump and so far several months later no problems have been reported by the owner. i was rather surprised how good and quick the wounds on his back which also needed stitchting and the tail stump heeled.

good luck katja

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Rob Reid — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:19:05 GMT

Thanks for your comments guys, really appreciate it!

Neutering - yes she has been neutered (sorry I probably should have mentioned this on one of my earlier posts, my bad!!)

Urine testing - I did a basic dipstick when I took the radiographs and this was normal. Admittedly this was a few months so it may be worth repeating these tests and doing a culture.

Blood testing - I like the idea of doing this but I can see the problem with this being a practical one ie finding a vein that going to give me enough blood! I think because of her size and shape getting a jugular will be tricky and I have never been able to get more than about 0.2ml out of an ear vein - any tips? I may give this a go on Friday.

Grooming/dewlap issue - If it were only the dewlap that was impeding this rabbits ability to groom!!! Unfortunately it is purely an obesity issue - I'll try and get a photo when she is in tomorrow and you will see why haha!

Diet etc - Have tried cutting back the Excel lite and upping the vegetables but this caused ileus so unfortunately have to be very careful of this. On the Vit C supplement issue, she gets Avipro in the drinking water already. Looking at 'low calorie' vegetables and upping exercise, any other ideas welcomed!

Will let you know how things look tomorrow, again thanks your help - given me a few ideas!

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Vikki Halliday LLB — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:01:56 GMT

Is she neutered? I know this can make them a bit prone to weight gain , but if not you could suggest it as the other complication could be endometriosis or uterine carcinoma?

( OK so I'm really grasping at proverbial straws for you now!)

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Vikki Halliday LLB — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:58:29 GMT

Does she have a dewlap impeding grooming? You can perform "liposuction and chin tuck" on these to improve self cleaning, which may be worth doing before tail amputation.

However E.Cuniculi abscess in the tail a possibility also, is this definately urine scald or is it self trauma?

Have you tested the urine pH at all? I wondered if perhaps it was too alkaline in which case adding soluble vitamin C tablets to the water would help, as would removal of any sludge from the bladder.

Will hopefully be talking to a rabbit specialist tomorrow, will ask her too.

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:50:48 GMT

Hmm....sounds like a tough one.

The weight will certainly be an issue. I'd be looking at reducing the excel lite as much as possible, and increasing the veggies if necessary. Certainly no more than an egg cup full of excel anyway!

Have you done a urine culture? I've seen cases of cystitis which can look like this. Also, is she spayed, or is early uterine neoplasia a possibility?

Have you done bloods to look for renal disease? And an E Cuniculi PCR?

Don't mean to sound like I'm telling you what to do - just offering ideas....

Good luck!

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Rob Reid — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:33:57 GMT

Sorry, should also say that the owner bathes the rabbits back end daily and have been using fuciderm initially and now flamazine on this area. However now the tail is so sore that the rabbit won't tolerate this hence why looking at more extreme measures. I GA'ed the rabbit on Tuesday to give the area a thorough clean and this was when I discovered the extent of the tail problem. I am due to re-examine on Friday with a view to tail amputation if the tissue isn't looking viable...

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Rob Reid — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:31:11 GMT

Hmmm where do I start?!

The perineum is also an issue as you have quite rightly gathered. The main problem this rabbit has is that it is morbidly obese, I'm talking 5kg instead 3kg. However all efforts at dieting and weight loss so far have proved fruitless - the rabbit refuses point blank to eat roughage, will quite literally starve itself (and therefore develop ileus.) Any changes in diet away from its norm of Excel Lite and selected vegetables (with avipro in drinking water) lead to profuse mucoid diarrhoea (which responds well each time to a combination of fibreplex, metoclopramide and engemycin) and if it's Excel is reduced by any significant amount we also get ileus. I am currently experimenting with trying to get the owner to exercise the rabbit more on a harness - any other ideas of how one can get a rabbit to lose weight?!

I have taken abdominal radiographs which revealed no problems with the spine or urinary tract and there have been no issues with hindlimb lameness. There is a large perineal skin fold and I have read about dermoplasty in rabbits in this area. But she is nowhere near as bothered with this area as she is with the tail so I am not keen to do anything surgical to this fold unless she really needs it.

Owner compliance is very good in this case and I get the feeling she would keen to give any changes in husbandry/diet tactics a try...

Re: Tail amputation in rabbits

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:55:23 GMT

Have never amputated a tail but anatomically I would have thought it would be the same method as always.

Just curious though - surely if the tail is that badly affected, isn't the perineum also sore? What diagnostics have you already carried out for the urine scald?