Bunny spinal injury care??

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culling, euthanasia,putting down, putting to sleep. Does not matter how you say it, it ends up in the same place, what DOES matter is the quality of life for that rabbit, whether you are a pet owner, breeder, into showing, Your first concern should always be your animal. As a breeder I do look at health concerns a bit differently but I do take care of my rabbits none the less.
 
Culling is defined as removing inferior animals from a herd, so it's not really what pet owners do. I do think that if the animal is suffering it should be put to sleep.
 
yes that is is a nice way of putting it, and technically you are right to cull is to remove from the herd and we have many options on how to cull, ie put down, sell as pets, process, but for sake of argument when discussing an injured animal and one says to cull, it means to end its suffering. I was being very nice when I mentioned this and it is a viable option considering the circumstances ( 6 weeks, getting worse, meds not working).
 
The first vet I took him to has suggested letting him go. And I'm not very experienced in disabled/injured bunny care and not too sure how it's gonna turn out once I start work though after seeing all the stories and carts available for disabled bunnies, I started thinking of giving it a go or rehoming him.
He's alert and affectionate and he enjoys the exercise he gets. (don't remember the other A)
I'm not exactly sure but I think it was when he jumped on his litter box from his hidey box or when I seperated him from the other bunny I have while putting him in a cage...
Can accupuncture heal a bone if its fractured.
 
I am very sorry that you are in this predicament, I know it is hard, I had one of my very favorite rabbits named hershey (one of my original breeders) problem is hershey liked to do backflips in his cage and I came home to a sobbing wife and a paralyzed bunny which I had to put down myself, it is never easy and one of the hardest parts of raising animals and livestock. the only problem I have with rehoming animals is you are never sure how they will be treated in their new home, many people do not realize the time and attention needed to care for pets,livestock or any animal for that matter. I am not a vet but I do not believe acupuncture would work on a broken bone, it still has to mend itself. nobody can make your decision for you, that is for you and you alone, If you really feel he is not in pain and has a chance (do not lie to yourself either, it helps neither you or the animal) then by all means try and help your pet heal. I hope I do not sound like a "bad guy" in the advice I give but I feel being realistic is the best way and many people have a tough time letting go whether it be humans or animals and being selfish in life hanging onto things that need to be let go, does not typically better the situation. best of luck for you and your bun.
 
Does he seem in pain, or distress? That is the question to ask. If he isn't, then he has a good chance at living a happy life, provided you are happy/able to give him the care of course.

I wish I were closer to you, so I could come and have a look. Where abouts in Auckland are you? I know someone up there who had a disabled rabbit for awhile, although I don't think it was spinal. If you do decide to rehome him, message me, I know a few rabbit owners up there, including a few who are experience in dealing with disabled pets; I can check for interest, and put you in contact with anyone who's keen. If I weren't flat broke, I'd offer to take him in myself, I have a magic vet down here.
 
Anaira said:
Does he seem in pain, or distress? That is the question to ask. If he isn't, then he has a good chance at living a happy life, provided you are happy/able to give him the care of course.

I wish I were closer to you, so I could come and have a look. Where abouts in Auckland are you? I know someone up there who had a disabled rabbit for awhile, although I don't think it was spinal. If you do decide to rehome him, message me, I know a few rabbit owners up there, including a few who are experience in dealing with disabled pets; I can check for interest, and put you in contact with anyone who's keen. If I weren't flat broke, I'd offer to take him in myself, I have a magic vet down here.
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No I don't see any pain aside from not liking being stuck in his cage.
That's good to know! Most people I know would see it as requiring euthanasia :\ I'm on the north shore
I also found this [ame]http://youtu.be/En1G3UUUmzU[/ame] so I might try this
Been feeding him comfrey for healing his bone and chamomile, lavender and willow for inflammation although I'm hoping that's gone.
Got an appointment on Wednesday for an X ray...

We had to put down our bunny two years ago after he was attacked too...couldn't do much then. Researched things a bit more this time.:caffeine
 
It's really hard to make the decision to have an animal euthanized. I would say as long as the good outweighs the bad, he should be ok. Did you try to contact TreasuredFriend? I'd send her a PM as she has had a paralyzed bunny that had a good quality of life. If you can't provide the good quality of life, which will take more time and resources, then rehoming him with a rescue or having him euthanized may be the most humane option. Sometimes people keep pets around longer than is dignified or comfortable for the animal, so you really have to think about how enjoyable the life of the animal is. I think in this situation it is important to think about having him put to sleep, but definitely also think about if you can keep him healthy and happy with modified living arrangements. Just being paralyzed doesn't mean the bunny will be unhappy. In fact I have seen several very happy bunnies with wheelchairs.
 
annabelle00 said:
No I don't see any pain aside from not liking being stuck in his cage.
That's good to know! Most people I know would see it as requiring euthanasia :\ I'm on the north shore
Got an appointment on Wednesday for an X ray...
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Eh, I believe in always trying to do what's best for any animal. If they enjoy life, then I always try help make it as easy for them as possible. I'm actually part way through building a wheelchair for old rats, because they lose the use of their back legs in their old age.
How did the xray go?
 
Had to cancel...my transport disappeared on me -.- I might look for another vet who is a bit cheaper with xrays...this one is $100 for 1 plate and $200 for 2 :s
 
Whoa, that's a bit expensive. I think. I'm sure it was cheaper for our cat, and it certainly wasn't double the price for the second one. What vet are you seeing?
 
I'm seeing the forrest hill vet clinic on the north shore. He just had his x ray today. It's his last veterbrae that's fractured and he's got scar tissue around the area. Also apparantly he's been born with a spine deformation near his neck.
I've read and been told by his first vet to keep him confined so he doesn't move, but was told by a vet nurse at the clinic to give space to roam. So I did that today, it's been 8 weeks now. His injury was on the 10th Feb.

A day ago he managed to pull his feet underneath him with my help but he kicks out his back legs a lot.
 
The medications are not too bad $35 for a Metacam injection and some Panalog...didn't have to pay for the consult.

He has some urine scald that was preventing him from drinking water and peeing normally too.

Gonna get some puppy pads tomorrow.
 
A little bit of a problem has come up with Caramel.
He has had some urine scald which I took him to the vet for 2 days ago...as I was worried after he stopped drinking and was eating little.

Would a bunny with urine scald stop(reduce) drinking? Could it be anything else as he had quite a lot of gas/water (not sure which) with a distended (maybe?) stomach...very bloated but would go down after he peed, sometimes after some fennel which I've read to be good for bloat. (although not immediately)

Before he would have a lot of pasty urine and would not pee for quite sometime...I would give him bits of orange pulp and his pee would clear after some time.

He also had swelling on his bits probably from the urine. Which is going down after some panalog, but he's got some reddish dark brown scabbing/skin there still.
His poops atm are really small, he does make a few cecals and there is quite a bit of pee when I clean the cage. Today morning I heard him drinking water but he hasn't all day after. He rarely eats his pellets or drinks but he's fine with his hay and vegetables. After coming from the vet he had started drinking quite a lot and his poops were bigger (they had given him some fluids)

I have 3 different guesses 1. urinary tract infection 2. sludge (although I haven't seen any) 3. urine scalding

And if he's malnurished what can I given him to make sure he's healthy.



As for the acupuncturist I can't seem to get her on the phone x(


:angelandbunny:
 
If your rabbit is having thicker paste like urine, then it sounds like he has bladder sludge. He can also have a UTI as well. That is most likely the cause of the urine scald, and also the pain from it can cause him to stop eating. You will want to talk to your vet about it, as a urine test may need to be done, the bladder may need to be flushed, and antibiotics may need to be given. You may also want to ask your vet about showing you how to give sub q fluids yourself, as this may need to be a common treatment given to your rabbit. Both the small poop problems and the bladder sludge, may be in part due to your rabbit not being able to drink enough each day. Feeding him lots of leafy greens like green/red leaf lettuce, romaine, and cilantro, that aren't high in calcium or oxalates, will also help him get the extra water that he needs. And because he isn't eating pellets, he needs to be eating lots of veggies to be getting the proper nutrition. If doing sub q fluids yourself may be a problem or not possible, you could see if you can just supplement his water intake, by syringing him water orally, a few times a day(being careful so that he doesn't aspirate any of it). This site has info on bladder sludge. Just be warned, there are pictures as well.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/Mech_diseases/Urolithiasis.htm
http://www.3bunnies.org/feeding.htm#greens
http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

You can ask your vet about getting a cream to protect the skin from the urine scald. There is also this recipe to make your own. The chloramphenicol is a prescription antibiotic(in the US) so you may need to get it from your vet. Or if the antibiotic isn't necessary, then you could make up the cream without it.

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/cream/antibiotic_cream.htm
 
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Sorry to hear about your poor Caramel. If you need a rabbit savvy vet there are two very good ones in Auckland that specialize in rabbits and other exotic pets. The first is Lynfield Vets, this is where I take my rabbits (the vet they see is Kevin Turner) and the second is Mt Albert Vets (there is a vet there named Berend who is really good with rabbits). I used a "regular" vet for years before switching to Lynfield and only wish I had done it sooner because the difference in the level of experience was huge, and yet I had thought my original vet seemed quite capable. There initial consult fee is quite large and they are probably one of the pricier vets but they gave my bunny the best of care when he was constantly unwell.

Also you could maybe look at getting some Vet Bed for his cage? It is like a fleecy fabric, sometimes called dry bed, which wicks any urine or water spills away from the surface of the fabric so the bedding stays dry. Might help with urine scald issues. I'm not sure where you buy it from, but I know vet clinics often order it in big rolls to cut up and use in the clinic so you could ring around vets and perhaps purchase a piece.

Poor wee guy, I hope he starts to feel better soon.
 
Aliena said:
Sorry to hear about your poor Caramel. If you need a rabbit savvy vet there are two very good ones in Auckland that specialize in rabbits and other exotic pets. The first is Lynfield Vets, this is where I take my rabbits (the vet they see is Kevin Turner) and the second is Mt Albert Vets (there is a vet there named Berend who is really good with rabbits). I used a "regular" vet for years before switching to Lynfield and only wish I had done it sooner because the difference in the level of experience was huge, and yet I had thought my original vet seemed quite capable. There initial consult fee is quite large and they are probably one of the pricier vets but they gave my bunny the best of care when he was constantly unwell.

Also you could maybe look at getting some Vet Bed for his cage? It is like a fleecy fabric, sometimes called dry bed, which wicks any urine or water spills away from the surface of the fabric so the bedding stays dry. Might help with urine scald issues. I'm not sure where you buy it from, but I know vet clinics often order it in big rolls to cut up and use in the clinic so you could ring around vets and perhaps purchase a piece.

Poor wee guy, I hope he starts to feel better soon.
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Hi Thanks for the info! I have actually just purchased a vet bed it should arrive some time tomorrow or the day after. And I phoned the Lynfield one today there is some one who specializes in acupuncture there. Hopefully its not too expensive.

I also purchased some baby fleece...but seems to sit on the top rather than going down onto the paper...:s wrong one?
 
I think fleece fabric does seem to keep the liquid on top rather than drawing it through to the bottom. The other thing you could try is puppy training pads, the are just flat pads like a disposable nappy that are really absorbent. You'd just have to make sure he didn't chew any, but if you put his hay on top that might be enough to stop him. They would probably be cheaper than vet bed.
 
Pretty good news!
Went to Lynfield this afternoon...

1. It was a hip fracture.
2. It HEALED!!!!!! and is still!
3. He can't pull himself up because his muscle need building up. Some physiotherapy for his left leg was recommended :)

Those were some very clear X-rays 80

The lordosis will probably remain but one side (left) of his hip is a bit funny.

Bill was pretty ok came to $300 in total (he picked up a pinworm today which costed a bit more for the cytology)


YAYYYYY!!!! :happyrabbit:
 
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