More worries! EDIT: Back from the vet!

[MelBell]

So after Luigi’s little scare with the heat, one of his ears seems to not be functioning.

 

I noticed it about a week ago. His left ear flops against his back but the other moves just fine. I played around with the ear and found that if I move it in a circle, sort of like a propeller, it makes a slight “crack” noise almost like if you were to crack your knuckles, but a much softer sound.

 

I read up on “limp ears” in rabbits and saw that it could be a sprain or he might have broken the cartilage somewhere? Either way, he has a vet appointment this Thursday.

 

EDIT: He can’t blink his left eye!! And I noticed his cheek seems to be drooping too! Oh gosh I feel horrible!

 

EDIT 2: So the vet examined him, and found pus and crust in both ears. She said it was remains from his ear mites he had when he was living at the shelter. I was a bit miffed when I heard this, since the shelter people said his mites were all cleared up. The vet gave me some oral medication with a syringe that will last me about 2 weeks, and if his eye and ear aren’t back to normal I’ll be going back. She said the limp ear and non-blinking eye might be perminant so eye drops may be needed. I’m just so glad he’s going to be ok! <3

PS: One thing did worry me a bit though! Luigi really hates being picked up, and I can only scruff him. He won’t let me hold him against me or cradle him, and that seemed to shock the vet as if she’s never seen a rabbit so rambunctious before! Is this normal, or is Luigi seriously anti-social, haha!

[jerseygirl]

That’s good you have an appointment lined up. I just read your other thread here. You mention he had ear mites once? Also that he had slightly tilting head and one eye open more then the other during that heat. These are all things it will be a good idea to mention to his vet.

I had read that the ears (in other animals too) can lop during the heat because there’s so much blood it going into the main blood vessel in the ear. Can’t remember if it was the weight causes it to lop or if the vessel collapses or something.
Rabbits use their ears to help regulate their body temp.

[MelBell]

I really hope it’s just the heat! He looks so sad with just one perked ear.

[RabbitPam]

Very glad you have an appointment for tomorrow.
In the meantime, I would list the things you noted here to take with you to tell the vet. Also, try not to move the ear anymore in case there is a tear or something else wrong so it doesn’t get accidentally injured more, if it is in the first place.

[MelBell]

Ok, thanks all!

[Sarita]

Please keep us updated and vibes to Luigi.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

{{{Luigi}}} Keep us posted!!

[bunnyluvr]

Any update yet? Sure hope he’s okay. (((((((((((((((Luigi)))))))))))))))

[kralspace]

It sounds a lot like when my Hershey was diagnosed with Horner’s. A network of nerves in her head became paralyzed from her left ear down to her left lip drooped and I thought she had had a stroke. She looked like she couldn’t open her eye because her eyelid was affected. My vet said it’s not real common in rabbits and is mis-diagnosed a lot. I’ll have to find the thread to remember what meds she gave for it.

[MelBell]

No, not yet Bunnyluvr. His vet appointment is today, in about an hour! I’m so nervous!

And thanks Kralspace, I’ll mention Horner’s to the vet. Wish us luck all!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Waiting!!! {{{Luigi}}} I hope all went well!

[Monkeybun]

Never never never pick him up by the scruff of his neck. Their skin is very thin, and can tear easily. They are not carried by the scruff in nature, they are not built for it. So please don’t

[MelBell]

Monkeybun, that is how I was told to carry him by the vet and also the shelter coordinator. I’ve tried cradling him, or holding his back legs in my arm and his front in my hands but it just results in him flailing and thrashing around. I see no other way of carrying him.

[kralspace]

I think the bunnies all have a preference for how you hold them. Pringles will go the standard way, but Charlie will fight like a demon unless you let him lay along your forearm and he can tuck his head under your elbow. I call him my football but he’s quiet as a mouse that way. Toby cuddles like a baby and Daisy just faints.

I never realized they all had their different tastes until Lola, my fiesty mini rex. No matter how you picked her up it was like fighting a giant snake/mosquito who was going to get in as many slashing bites as she could, it was awful.

I was carrying her one day and needed to open a door and had no choice but to put her up on my shoulder and THAT was the magic position. As long as she had her front paws and head over my shoulder, she’d tooth purr, nuzzle my neck and ear and enjoy the ride. I was shocked and never quite lost the fear that those teeth were going to rip my jugular vein open at any second.

Keep experimenting, you’ll find what Luigi finds most comfortable sooner or later.

[Beka27]

“A giant snake/mosquito”.

That is quite the image. Lol…

[RabbitPam]

How did the vet appt. go?

I can’t pick up Sammy at all, so my suggestion to you, rather than risk injury from the scruff (and if you hold down the scruff before scooping up from under the butt, that is different totally) is to use a bunny burrito.
You toss a thin towel over your bun so they can’t see for a second, then wrap the towel end over end around their middle and back and scoop them up. Sammy is not fond of heights, so she actually does better with her eyes covered until she gets where I’m putting her.

[MelBell]

Thanks Kralspace and RabbitPam, I’ll keep trying different things! And to Pam, if you read my first post, I updated it with how the vet went.

[RabbitPam]

Oh, sorry. That all seems well under control now. Hopefully in 2 weeks he’ll be well again.

btw, I like your avatar, especially the hat, so went into your profile and saw your link to deviantart. Haven’t stopped by that site in a long time, so checked out your page. Looks like some excellent art there. Did want to let you know that I think you have a spam post in your comments section. Someone selling gold. Suggest you get it off your site. Spammers – yuck.

Is your little Louigi hat Illustrator?

[MelBell]

It’s ok.

Thanks! And yes I saw that post yesterday, bleh. Sham that spam is getting on dA now!

And nope, I don’t have my own laptop at the moment with all my Photoshop programs and such, so I just cut and pasted it.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ditto. I agree about the neck scruff. Honestly, if the vet and shelter told you to do that-shame on them. (Don’t take that personally. I mean it to them. It’s dangerous-rabbits can kick hard enough to break their back being held that way and it can damage them to pick them up that way as monkeybun said-please don’t take it personally I do not mean it that way at all. You were told to do that. I’m ditto’ing and saying don’t Rabbitpam had an excellent suggestion of using the burrito method instead-much safer )

So what medication is he on for mites? I’ve never heard of mites causing a droopy face-my goodness!! Are they internal now or something? {{Luigi}}

[Lani]

I definitely second the bunny burrito suggestion, it’s the only way I can pick up my girl. I do use a slightly different technique however. Since she gets panicky if the towel “drops out of the sky” and covers her, I instead spread the towel out on the floor, wait until she hops over to it (or entice her with a treat) and hold her firmly around the shoulders so she stays still and I can wrap her up in it. Once she’s wrapped up, picking her up is easy. Plus, how cute is a bunny is a towel! I sometimes want to wrap her up just so I can selfishly snuggle her against her will…but I restrain myself

I’m sure you’ll be able to find a method that works for you, it just takes trying a lot of different ways sometimes. Healing vibes to Luigi!!!

[MelBell]

KokaneeandKahlua, I tried the “burrito method” this morning with no luck. It made him more violent than usual, but I think I’m going to ask the vet to show me or find a video on it if I can. The medication is called Baytril. It’s a liquid taken orally and he really likes it actually! And I think his droopy cheek was just my imagination, the vet didn’t mention anything about it so I’m sure it’s nothing. His ear and eye don’t seem any better yet but we’ve got two weeks left of the meds.

I tried doing that Lani! But he’s a fast little bugger!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Melbel if it will help I can make you a video on different methods to hold and carry a rabbit, and even how to give medication. I’d send it privately because I hate pics and don’t want to post a video on the internet.
I’m tired and it’s late but can you tell me what the end goal is-to give medicine or to hold him or? I’ll make a video sometime tomorrow (have a brunch, bbq and house viewing to go to but I’ll find time to help!) and if you send me your email via BB email I can send it to you.

[MelBell]

Messaged you!

[Author]

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