While taking a walk in the garden in the summer of 2023, my 11-year-old bunny and strolling companion Titi contracted a botfly infection, commonly known as warbles.
Titi became an accidental host when a botfly larvae migrated to the tissues beneath the skin of one of his foreleg.
After the larva was removed by a veterinarian, the empty cyst got infected and turned into an abscess. Titi had to stay in the hospital for over a week, during which his wound and injured tissues were debribed (surgically removed) every other day. Additionally, the veterinarian administered subcutaneous antibiotic injections every other day.
After the wound finally healed, Titi came back home looking exhausted. The experience had greatly affected his joints and ability to move.
I was desperate to help him and I was getting more and more worried as Titi kept falling on his side and his poop was getting smaller and smaller. He was too frail to stand up and consume hay, and nothing seemed to be working.
Soon after, I was informed by a veterinarian about the benefits of PEMF technology in treating pain, inflammation, and stress in animals. That is all I needed to know! Then I found a company who sold a PEMF pad adapted for cats and dogs and I quickly ordered this small one online.
Promo code: BUNNY10
The website described the pad as follows: The Petspemf Pad is a non-pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) bed for pets that can help improve the quality of life dogs, cats, and other smaller animals, especially suitable for those suffering from joint pain or arthritis.
I received my order 3 days later and immediately placed Titi on the pad in a sphinx like position as recommended.
With each instance of Titi resting on the mat for 20-30 minutes, his condition showed gradual improvement.
Initially, he would quickly drift off to sleep once placed on the mat, indicating his recovery was underway.
It was very interesting to see that the recommended settings call of a 30 minutes session and like clockwork, Titi often stood up just when the end of the treatment was approaching.
The mat has three types of settings: accelerated healing, pain relief and stress relief. "Accelerating healing" is recommended post surgery and can speed up healing as well as help with inflammation and pain. I thought that setting seemed ideal as Titi wound was still healing and he his joints needed relief from pain and inflammation.
A PEMF pad is similar do a phone battery charger, but instead you are recharging the cells of a small animals. PEMF is basically going to help the blood cells to separate and carry the oxygen around the body more effectively. If you can increase the oxygen in an area that arthritis, that is going to help with the healing process in a non-invasive way. I found it fascinating that after a session Titi often did 2 things:
Stretch the hind legs
Drank water
I could not help but think of the many therapists who recommend drinking water after you get off the table in order to release toxins after a deep tissue massage. Could Titi intuitively hydrate and stretch his body to improve his well-being?
That would not surprise me at all since I noticed that after his hospitalization, Titi intuitively knew to consume the herbs that best assisted his healing. Antibiotics can take a toll on the liver, particularly if you’re on them for an extended period of time like Titi combatting the infection caused by the warble.
Our human liver has over 500 different jobs it performs. Not only is the liver responsible for metabolizing and detoxifying medications, it also acts as the clean-up crew to the thousands of microbes that have expired as a results of the antibiotics. Milk thistle is a great supplement for supporting liver health, and Titi would eat the seeds with gusto! Here is a link to this amazing herb:
After a couple of weeks, Titi was feeling much better! He had more energy to move around and eat more hay and his poop increased in size.
I am deeply grateful to Titi for all that he has taught me about nutrition and the general well-being of bunnies throughout the years. Through this unfortunate warble incident, I gained valuable insights into alternative methods to care for our cherished bunnies at the sanctuary.
Throughout the last year, I have utilized the PEMF pad to assist in comforting rescue rabbits dealing with trauma and anxiety, as well as providing relief from gas and bloating. Additionally, the pad aids me in administering medication and grooming their fur. I find great pleasure in using the pad during a session, where I offer a soothing head and ear massage while bonding with a bunny.
Although the pad is a little expensive, it has been so beneficial to me that I decided to purchase a second one as a backup in case the first one stops working ;-)
Comentários