This was my weekly “day off” from work and I had hopes for accomplishing some useful things, but instead I had a very bad bunny experience. I actually only know of one person (that’s you, Togbean) who might potentially read this, and I should warn you, that if you get easily queasy or don’t enjoy hearing about revolting things, you might want to just move on to the next blog.
I, however, will plow bravely forward with describing this because it is truly disturbing and I want to get the whole thing out of my system. Ok, here goes. I have many bunnies, and this spring one of the 3 litters of babies included this one that was fawn and white in a pretty pattern (a lot like our corgi dog) and, best of all, with blue eyes. I usually only keep rabbits from especially good breeding combinations, and/or that are especially big, healthy, strong and with really excellent wool. Well, he was big, seemed quite healthy etc and in combo with the unusual color/eyes I decided to keep him. And he’s really a very nice bunny. I named him “Frank,” as in Sinatra.
Today I decided to clip Frank’s hair. I had brushed him recently, but he had gone off his feed – a pretty good indication of incipient wool block (something angora rabbits get) so I had treated him with several doses of Vaseline. It seemed to take care of the problem, but he had gotten quite a bit on his coat, thus the decision to clip it all off. In the process of clipping (I think I am making this way longer than I need to in order to avoid describing the actual awful thing….) I noticed a really nasty sore under his chin. It was truly truly truly nasty. It was open and seemed to be filled with dark convoluted stuff, I swear like a brain. And then I noticed that something inside seemed to be moving and I knew I was dealing with some sort of parasite. I’ve seen fly maggots inside open wounds before, and this was different. I have also heard of insects that lay eggs under the skin and then develop there. I suspected that this kind of insect larva was what I was dealing with. I did a quick google search, and yes, indeed, rabbits have a bott-fly parasite whose larvae develop in just this way. The solution is to smear it with Vaseline, and when the larva starts to emerge to get air, you pull it out. OK, I did it. And what emerged was immense!!! Horrible!! Disgusting!! It is practically the size of my thumb and dark and has all these folds down its big fat maggot body. I will say, that as a biologist, which I am in my other life, I find it quite fascinating. But as a caretaker of rabbits, for whom I try to keep life as happy and stable and safe and healthy as possible, it was awful awful awful.
And that is not even the worse of it. If I had removed the larva and that was the end of it, I could deal. But unfortunately, the rabbit now seems to have a big and infected abscess from the whole ordeal. I have cleaned it, and packed it with gauze, but I am afraid it is too much. Having lots of rabbits as I do, I cannot justify the expense of taking them to the vet when things go wrong. I have gone that route enough times to know that I would be cranking up a lot of $50 vet bills that I cannot afford. So I muster through as best I can. Unfortunately I cannot get antibiotics without a vet visit, and I don’t think Frank is going to make it without them. I do feel bad. On the other hand – I try to keep things in perspective – he is actually the result of a father/daughter breeding which is not the best thing to do. So if he does not make it, well, believe me there are many other rabbits. So far he does not seem in pain, is eating and seems comfortable. btw - the photo at the top is of Frank in his younger days.
That ends my story and is an example of WHY I CAN NEVER SEEM TO GET ANYTHING DONE!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment