When I set up my own practice as a mobile veterinarian, I was fortunate enough to continue treating some of the patients I had previously encountered at the clinic. Ella is one of them: a six-and-a-half-year-old spayed female lop-eared rabbit.
His medical history began normally: sterilization, annual visits for vaccinations, and nail trimming. No major abnormalities: a few small dental issues here and there, nothing serious.
But in the spring of 2022, the first warning sign appeared: Ella was not acting like herself.
May 2022: the end of transit
She is depressed, hardly eats, does not defecate, and does not urinate either.
On clinical examination, she is hypothermic (her temperature is low), her abdomen is distended (bloated) and filled with air, visible on X-rays.
Rabbit owners will recognize the condition she is suffering from: she has intestinal obstruction... The cause? She has fairly large dental spurs, her molars are not wearing down sufficiently, injuring her cheeks and tongue. In addition to these dental problems, she has kidney failure and high blood creatinine levels.
Her condition is life-threatening: hospitalization is inevitable. She needs to be warmed up, put on an IV, and fed.
After almost a week in hospital, there is relief: Ella is eating again, her temperature has returned to normal, her digestion is back to normal, and her creatinine levels have dropped! She can go home, where she will be well looked after by her humans.
February 2023: cystitis
Almost a year goes by without seeing Ella again.
Unfortunately, in early 2023, she was brought in again, this time for urinary problems: she urinates very little, and when she does, her urine is thick and whitish.
On clinical examination, she is quite lively, but a mass is palpable in her abdomen. The X-ray reveals that it is her bladder, filled with small urinary crystals (red arrow below).
https://www.capello.vet/assets/diagnosis-and-treatment-of-urolithiasis-in-pet-rabbits.pdf
These crystals are made of calcium and act like tiny grains of sand that irritate the bladder wall, causing inflammation, also known as cystitis. In rabbits, these crystals are formed by the kidneys, especially when their diet is too high in calcium.
UnfortunatelyUnfortunately, Ella's kidneys are failing again and her creatinine levels have risen: she needs to be hospitalized. This time, she needs to be put on a drip and treated for the pain of cystitis.
Within 48 hours, she had recovered enough to go home! She left with very specific instructions to follow for her diet: her humans are as determined and disciplined as she is, and they follow the lengthy prescription to the letter.
At the checkup one month later, everything was back to normal: creatinine levels had returned to normal, and the urinary crystals had disappeared on the X-ray!
April 2023: kidney failure
In April, Ella again presents with transit stoppage, and again her creatinine is high. The diagnosis is made: her kidneys have suffered irreversible damage, Ella has kidney failure.
Once again, hospitalization, IV fluids, refeeding, and a heat lamp helped her pull through. She went home after 48 hours.
In this context, we are forced to wonder whether Ella might be carrying a parasite that is well known in rabbits: Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Thisparasite affects many rabbits and various organs, including the brain, eyes, and kidneys. It is responsible for the well-known condition known as "rabbit torticollis."
Preventive treatment is therefore implemented to avoid relapses.
Despite everything, 2023 ends without too many alarms: Ella is doing rather well, her creatinine remains high but stable. She has a good appetite and her joie de vivre is still very much present.
In fact, 2024 passes quietly: Ella makes a few transit stops, each time hospitalization gets her back on her feet within 48 hours. She accepts care without any difficulty, a model patient.
November 2024: Pododermatitis
www.meddirabbit.com
photo of Ella
But since Ellhad read all the veterinary books on lagomorphs, she decided to mix things up a bit at the end of 2024 with a nice case of pododermatitis. What is pododermatitis? Well, it's an inflammation of the footpads. But rabbits are always full of imagination when it comes to complicating things, so in their case, simple footpad irritation can easily turn into a deep infection, and sometimes even septicemia if not treated in time!
Fortunately, this is not the case for Ella: her humans bring her in early. Treatment is put in place: local care with shampoos, sitz baths, antibiotics to fight the infection, painkillers... But despite all the dedication and involvement of her humans, things take a turn for the worse: Ella lets herself go, eats less, and remains prostrate in her urine. This aggravates the pododermatitis, which spreads to the back of her hindquarters: she is completely bare from the rear, her skin damaged. The situation was so worrying that euthanasia was discussed: a pet that remains lying in its urine or feces can be a sign of suffering and a poor quality of life.
The weeks go by, as do the checkups. The IV helps her keep going, as does the skin care her humans give her. The holidays are coming, and her spirits are low. These may be the last moments she shares with them. If she keeps letting herself go like this, they'll have to stop...
I won't hide the fact that we were all devastated at the clinic.
2025: a Christmas miracle?! Or not...
In January, there was a surprise: Ella had gained weight, her fur was starting to grow back, and her skin was calm. She defied my pessimism, slowly recovered, and literally regained her strength!
I must admit that I am never so happy to be wrong as when an animal pulls through despite what I thought! I am lucky to be celebrating my departure from the clinic to launch my home-based business knowing that Ella is back on her feet!
Unfortunately, her adventures did not end there, as last fall Ella was struck by the infamous "rabbit torticollis." Her head was tilted, she lost her balance, but despite everything, her digestive system remained intact: she ate and produced droppings.
As feared, this confirms the diagnosis: Ella is most likely carrying E. Cuniculi. Without hesitation, treatment is resumed, and once again Ella recovers, this time without hospitalization! Maybe next time she'll recover without even needing to see the vet?! But actually, I don't wish for a next time, except for vaccinations...
www.medirabbit.com
photo of Ella discreetly tilting her head to the left
So what's the point of all this: rabbits are fragile? Having a pet is an emotional roller coaster? Veterinarians sometimes make mistakes?
Yes... But my conclusion is that Ella is a fighter, just like her humans, and that it's a blessing for a veterinarian to meet animals like her, because their stories warm the heart when spirits are low... So thank you, Ella, keep fighting (but try not to get sick again)!
Thank you to her humans for allowing me to share Ella's story.
