# Miffy's been chewing her dewlap - AGAIN.....



## mummybunny (Mar 23, 2006)

OMG, I wish she would stop it.

Her neck is in a right mess again, she just can't/won't leave it alone.It's all in a huge bloody scab and there is an actual slit like opening that has clear/bloody fluid coming from it.

It really must hurt as when I tried to touch it she flinches away.

We are soaking it in the surgical solution the vet gave us last time, and she's off to the vet AGAIN on Saturday. I hope she doesn't have to have another operation to remove the damaged skin like last time, she'll have no dewlap left!

Anyone's experience of a self mutilating rabbit would be appreciated.

mummybunny xx


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## KatyG (Mar 23, 2006)

I can't believe she is still atit! i don't know if this is right or not but I didwork experience at a vet and he said some animals chew at woundsbecause they are in pain. Chewing at it hurts but that causesmore endorphins or something to be released which make it feel betterfor a while, but by chewing they have made the wound worse so it hurtsmore later so they chew it more and get stuck like that.Maybe you should get the vet to give you metacam orsimilar toinject her with until the scab begins to heal.


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## mummybunny (Mar 23, 2006)

What's metacalm?


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## naturestee (Mar 23, 2006)

Eek! Naughty Miffy!

Has your vet treated her for fungal infection in her dewlap?It's not unusual if her dewlap got wet from her water bowl.If she does have a fungal infection it would make her skin itch andcause her to chew it.

NO MORE CHEWING ON YOURSELF!


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## cheryl (Mar 23, 2006)

ohh noo not Miffy again,she is such a naughtylittle girl,but im starting to think maybe there is an underlyingproblem somewhere.

i know when i have watched vet shows on tv,and people have problemswith their pets picking at themselves,enough to make themselves bleedand make a whole lot of mess of themselves,and the vet has always founda problem,just like naturestee said there could be a fungal diseasethat has been overlooked,maybe when you take herbackmention that to your vet and see what he/shethinks.But i do think when an animal does this all the time there issomething irratating them,and the only thing they can do is chew atit,i hope you can get this all sorted out for your sweet littlegirl,she must be so annoyed by all this,but you are a good bunny mum totake such good care of her,miffy is lucky to have you



let us know what happens with miffy



cheryl


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## Greta (Mar 23, 2006)

Miffy! Not _ again _! You keep going tothat place where you take long naps (vet) like this and mommy won'thave any money left to buy you treats! Now wouldn't that behorrible?!? Dewlap really isn't _ that _ tasty, is it?

Benjamin Bunny:brownbunny



**and his slave, Greta**

:bow:bunny19


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## KatyG (Mar 24, 2006)

Metacam is just a pain killer commonly used for dogs and cats. I'm not sure if a different brand is used for rabbits.


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## naturestee (Mar 24, 2006)

The same brand is used for rabbits, with adifferent dose. Fey had that, but it upset her stomach andstopped her from eating. That's supposed to be a rarereaction.


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## mummybunny (Mar 26, 2006)

So...Miffy got 2 steroid injections straight into the new wound, they certainly made her wriggle, poor bun bun.

We've to keep cleaning it daily with the surgical scrub solution and hegave us a skin shampoo as she has flaky places on her back and bum -she doesn't have mites, but a dermatitis. We've to bath her twice aweek and go back in 3 to 4 weeks. The hope is the steroid will increasehealing and take out any itch so it'll settle, therefore, HOPEFULLY,she won't have the need to bite at it.

And if the shampoo works she won't be itchy elsewhare and be tempted to take it out on her wound!

Fingers crossed - we don't want any more surgery!

mummybunny xx


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## Pipp (Mar 26, 2006)

Yeah, it's important for them to take Metacam ona full stomach, otherwise it causes that ulcer sensation. Itshould ALWAYS be given with food. 

If a bunny's not eating, Metacam's not the answer unless itsadministered with the pellet slurry, pumpkin or whatever else is beingforce fed, and the bun is ingesting that food. And I imaginewith some buns, that still isn't enough to prevent a problem.

I wonder if there's a chance (if it's not fungal) that food allergiesare causing or at least contributing to the dermatitis? Oneof my cats has that problem. She's allergic to fish and maybecorn -- or at least it clears up when I feed her foods that don'tcontain fish or cornmeal. (She chews all the hair off herfoot because her back is itchy).

I haven't heard of this happening with rabbits, but then 10 or 15 years ago, didn't hear about it happening with cats, either.

PS: Maybe it will help pinning up a picof Binkie the mobilesatellite dish? 

PPS: Greta, love your siggy! 

sas pipp :bunnydance:and the gang :brownbunny:toastingbuns:bunny24


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## RO STAFF 2 (Apr 5, 2006)

How's Miffy? 

:bump


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## mummybunny (Apr 5, 2006)

Well, she HATES getting bathed, and she gruntsand groans and snorts and fusses before, during and after!! (untilshe's licked herself dry again).

She looks like a teddy that's gone through the washing machineafterwards - big fluffy head and small(ish!) tousled body!! BLESS!!

It is definelty making her less 'itchy skinned' as she seems muchcalmer and isn't nibbling away at her shoulders and butt so it must bedoing something good. She's had 3 baths so far and we have to give herone tomorrow evening again.

Her wound looks(looked) like it was healing better but last night I hada closer look and she'd nibbled at the side of it, so out with thesurgical scrub again - which she also then licks off! Must tastehorrible though!

Will keep you updated....

mummybunny


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## naturestee (Apr 5, 2006)

Thanks for the update! I can just imagine her after her bath!

Miffy, honey, food is for chewing. Not your dewlap.


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## LuvaBun (Apr 6, 2006)

I have a wonderful image of this fluffy headedbunny, grunting and grumbling away . I really hope this works for herand she can stop cheweing her dewlap. Perhaps she needs to wear a bib :?

Jan


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## KatyG (Apr 7, 2006)

Oh dear I wish you luck! Ihad to help bath a rabbit once and it was not easy!! It wassummer and a hot day so we tried to bath her outside in a baby bath (cos my friends mum would not have been happyifwehad doneit in the house). After a lot of fussingwe finally managed to get her wet, then she was really still for awhile and we were just rubbing the medicated shampoo in when suddenlyshe made a huge leap for freedom, emptied most of the water overus, and proceeded to run right into a flower bed and roll inthe dirt. It was such a mess. 

They do look really funny when their heads are fluffy buttheir fur is all wet. It makes their bodies look too smallfor the head!


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## mummybunny (Apr 8, 2006)

OK, so now she has kind of runny eyes (notgunked up but wet at the tear ducts so her fur gets a bit wet) and abit of a snuffly nose (but no wet fur under it). When we've bathed herwe've had the heating up - she's a house bun. Do you think she's got awee chill? Can bunnies get the cold? She's behaving andeating/drinking/pooing/peeing fine.

mummybunny xx


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## naturestee (Apr 9, 2006)

It could be a reaction to stress.Frequent baths aren't good for bunnies, although there's no avoiding ithere. Maybe you could ask your vet over the phone?

Give that girl a snuggle for me!


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## cheryl (Apr 28, 2006)

Hello Miffy's mum...how is little Miffy going,we haven't heard about her for a while,is she going ok?



cheryl


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## JimD (Apr 28, 2006)

Hi mummybunny !

I've been kind of following this thread. I hope Miffy is doing okay.

Binkie has been chewing at her dewlap, too. Ever since her surgery, sheseems to have an incessant urge to bite and groom until she has pulledthe fur from the affected area. It's not even the surgery site, either.She hasn't broken the skin yet, so I'm hoping it will pass with time.

~Jim


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## mummybunny (Apr 28, 2006)

Hi guys, Miffy is fine, after she got thesteroid injection right into the wound it has been healing reallyreally well. It has healed to a smallish scab - about thesize of a pinky nail.

She did, however, the other night do one of her 'pings' - where shebites herself when grooming and pings right up in the air, teeth stillattached - and she had broken the skin again and she was bleeding abit. She has, however, not made it any worse since then. The otherthing though she has been doing is plucking fur from down the otherside of her dewlap, so she has a big pink strip of skin with downy hairwhere she's been pulling - but at least no biting!

We have not been bathing her as her eyes are still kind of weepy, theyare not crusty but the fur under her eyes looks wet most days. We haveto take her back to the vet so he can check her itchy skin, and we'llshow him her eyesthen. She's totally fine in herself though.So, more updates to come....!

mummybunny xx


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## cheryl (Apr 29, 2006)

awww poor little miffy,but it sounds like she is doing a bit better than she was before 



cheryl


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## JimD (Apr 30, 2006)

*mummybunny* posted:
*"The other thing though she has been doing is plucking fur from downthe other side of her dewlap, so she has a big pink strip of skin withdowny hair where she's been pulling - but at least no biting!"*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's what Binkie has been doing !!!!

Binkie had the abcess removed through the side of her dewlap, and nowshe has plucked a strip of fur down the front of her dewlap.
I'm not too concerned, but will be if she breaks the skin !***knocks on wood!!***

~Jim


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## mummybunny (May 5, 2006)

Spoke too soon, she WAS doing reallywell....until last night when I picked her up to have a look and shehad mauled the area again, holes, blood, lots of grunting and growlingfrom Miffy. Doused it in surgical scrub, and it's looking really soretoday. Miffy and Munchkin are off to vet tomorrow anyway for boostersso will have to have vet look at it - AGAIN. I just wish she'd stophurting herself AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!

mummybunny x


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## LuvaBun (May 5, 2006)

I feel so sorry for you - you have triedeverything to get Miffy to stop chewing on herself, it must be soooofrustrating. Perhaps she should wear a bib - made ofsteel!!!! Good luck at the vet .... again!

Jan


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## Spring (May 5, 2006)

Has your vet said anything about the "lampshade"? This will stop her from chewing it atleast until it heals?


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## mummybunny (May 5, 2006)

He gave us a lampshade, which we attempted toput on her some weeks ago, we were (poor bunny) laughing so much we hadtears running down our faces, we felt soooo sorry for her bumping intoeverything. Her ears were all bunched up around her cheeks, her cheekswere all bunched up around her eyes. We had to take it off, I'mafraid!!!


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## Greta (May 5, 2006)

Aww! poor Miffy! (but it _ is _ so veryfunny when they bump into everything!). Have you tried bitter apple?it's what I use... seems to work pretty well.


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## mummybunny (May 5, 2006)

What's 'bitter apple', is it a liquid/cream? Where can you get it?


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## Spring (May 5, 2006)

I'm not sure, but my dog since he's gotten olderisn't himself anymore and he sometimes pulls out his fur for noreason.. he just takes a mouthfull and almsot tries to rip it out. Wehad to get these wipe things to soothe dogs skin that has this bittertaste to them and that seemed to help. Not sure if they are ok forrabbits though.

It comes in a deodarant like thing or wipes. I can't find a picture ofit but I'll keep looking, but I don't know if it's safe for rabbits.


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## naturestee (May 6, 2006)

Oh no! Poor Miffy! :hug2


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## mummybunny (May 6, 2006)

Miffy and Munchkin got their myxi boosterstoday. Vet could not administer another steroid injection into her newwound as it has some kind of contra-indication with the myxi jag, so wewill just have to clean it with the surgical scrub. We've to go back in4 weeks for their VHD boosters so maybe she can, if she persists inchewing at the new wound, get a steroid injection then.......ho hum!

mummybunny


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## cheryl (May 6, 2006)

Ohhh it sounds like a never ending battle withMiffy,im wondering who would be more stressed than who by nowonder:,poor Miffy,just what are we going to do with that little girl



cheryl


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## Greta (May 8, 2006)

*mummybunny wrote: *


> What's 'bitter apple', is it a liquid/cream? Where can you get it?


Bitter apple is a liquid designed to stop animals from chewingthemselves. You can get it at the pet store for around $5, and I've hadvery good results with it.


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## JimD (May 8, 2006)

I wonder if it actually itches inside due to thehealing and that's why they keep fussing and biting at it. Binkie'sstill pulling fur and over-grooming her dewlap, but no broken skin***knocks on wood***.

After my recent surgery, it itched so bad "inside" that I though I was going to go crazy.


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## cheryl (May 13, 2006)

mummybunny,how is our little girl going,is she doing any better?or is she still doing the same thing?



cheryl


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## mummybunny (May 14, 2006)

Hi all,

well, she opened up a big hole in her dewlap on Friday, next to the bigscab and was in a total mess. The wound was about the size andthickness of your thumb. Luckily no signs of infection. We took her tothe vet again yesterday and she was given steroid injections into thewound again. It is a long lasting slow release steroid that lasts about4 or 5 weeks. It worked really well last time, until it had nearlytotally healed and then she mauled herself again. Mad, mad bun.


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## LuvaBun (May 14, 2006)

:tantrum::foreheadsmack:*MIFFY!!!!*Girl, you have got to leave it alone and let it heal.Poor mummybunny, Miffy must be driving you to despair.

Jan


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## Greta (May 14, 2006)

But Miffy, if you keep going to the vet, mommywon't have any money left for treats! Now wouldn't that be horrible?!?So stop chewing your dewlap lil' girl!


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## cheryl (May 15, 2006)

awwww Miffy what are we going to do with you? onderoor mummy must be getting so stressed out by now



cheryl


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## NZminilops (May 16, 2006)

Can her dewlap be removed, like a plastic surgery type operation?


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## mummybunny (May 17, 2006)

Hi Minilops - Miffy looks exactly like the bunny on your avatar. Here she is, pre first op -


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## NZminilops (May 18, 2006)

Oh yes they do look similar, Miffy is so pretty!I love her grey colouring. The bunny on my avatar is a broken tort,he's a lovely boy. I did try and change my avatar so in case it doeswork here's a picture of him.


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## m.e. (Jun 14, 2006)

:bump

How has Miffy been doing?


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## JimD (Jun 14, 2006)

:yeahthat

~Jim

PS: Binkie chewed a BIG hole in her dewlap last week and is back to wearing her e-collar .


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## mummybunny (Jun 14, 2006)

Hi JimD - I saw the post - poor Binky!! Thankfully Miffy, for the first time in a very long time, has a totally healed dewlap - no holes/no scab!! The area is still bald though and she has the biggest scars but no new biting for a while now - THANK GOD. So.....fingers crossed (although I'm sure, like Binky, she'll get it into her daft head that her dewlap is for biting again and wound herself again at some point).

mummybunny


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## JimD (Jun 17, 2006)

Bunnies With Issues!!!! 

I got to peek at Binkie's boo-boo and it looks A LOT better. At least another week though. 

I may just loosen the collar up by one notch. If she'll leave the wound alone, she'll be more comfortable.

~Jim

PS: Binkie says, "HI MIFFY!! :wave2"


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## mummybunny (Jun 28, 2006)

I knew it was too good to be true!! New wounds today on totally healed skin - AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!! And we are away on holiday on Sunday - but have a great surrogate bunny mummy who comes in every day to feed/water/adore etc. So we will have to try and get Miffy to the vet on Frid or Sat to get another steroid injection so it doesn't become a total mess whilst we are away. Will it ever end?!!!!!!!

mummybunny xx


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## naturestee (Jun 29, 2006)

Eek! Not again!:shock:

Praying that this is the end!


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## cheryl (Jun 29, 2006)

Ohh noo not again,poor little Miffy

i'm hoping that this will eventually go away so you don't have to worry anymore



cheryl


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## rabbit_whisperer (Jul 12, 2006)

is there a certian reason she chews on her dewlap?


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## mummybunny (Jul 18, 2006)

Back from holiday - and wound totally healed due to steroid injection (again) - till next time.

In reply to previous poster - it started when she would get a wet dewlap from drinking water, then she would overgroom the area, started nibbling it, bit the skin, opened up a wound, had operation to remove dead flesh area -then a viscious cycle of healing, re-biting, new wound, steroid injection, healing, biting, new wound etc etc etc........

mummybunny


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## JimD (Jul 18, 2006)

Hi mummybunny!!


:welcome2

Glad to hear that Miffy's been behaving.

We took Binkie's collar off last week and so far so good.
***fingers crossed!!***

~Jim


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## mummybunny (Jul 22, 2006)

Please see new post on 'apparent (now definite) weight loss'


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## andradem (Dec 7, 2015)

So glad I came upon your post! My rabbit has done the same thing, I think. At first we thought perhaps he was bitten by a rat that we've seen hanging around our shed. But now I'm thinking he has done this damage himself The wound looks so deep and painful...thoughts??


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