Paralysis or broken back (RIP))

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luna21

luna21

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2004
Messages
921
Reaction score
3
Location
St Catharines , Ontario, Canada
Breed: Dwarf
age: 5-9months

We just had Trix in to get his nails clipped, when the girl picked him up he screamed really loud, so we decided to put him back in his carrier as we did that he was dragging his hind legs behind him, his tail looks limp and when he tries to clean himself he falls over onto his side then back. He is trying to move around but is dragging his legs and it looks like his back is twisted up. I am very upset, cant stop crying, we've called the vet and it is too costly for us to get him an x-ray. Help please someone !!!!!
 
Most likely you have a spinal luxation at L7. You really need an x-ray to see the damage. If the cord is being pressured, it might be possible to treat....if the cord is severed due to a vertebra position, the paralysis is most likely permanent. Since costs of an x-ray rules that out, see if your vet will treat with drugs. I would suggest using something like Tramadol and Metacam together. A high end dosing of Tramadol will help relieve pain and will sedate and the Metacam will help with swelling. DO NOT use steroids....many vets still tend to use Dexamethasone or Prednisone and we now know they are ineffective at best and potentially harmful in the overall picture. Keep confined as much as possible. A luxation at L7 will many times cause a loss of control of the bowels and bladder which may require you to manually express. This may very well quickly become a "quality of life" situation but I would try to get these drugs and give about 72 hours and then go day by day. You will also need to do a "prick" test to see where spinal sensation begins and ends and chart it. You can prick with a needle or use a small pair of hemastats to pinch skin to look for pain response. Good luck.

Randy
 
Trix passed, his back was broken, we had to put him down, we are devastated, we are planning to hold the pet shop who clipped his nails accountable, he was completely fine this morning, what a horrible day!!
 
So sad and I'm sure the person responsible is devastated. A couple of years ago, this same thing happened to a couple of rabbits at the state fair here. The breeders were grooming them to show as they had done many times. It's tragic but it happens even to experienced handlers. As far as holding the pet store responsible, their liability is totally dependent on the local laws there. Here in NC, clipping nails falls under veterinary care and performing that service falls under practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Even grooming salons have to have license in order to operate....legally anyway. I would certainly have a chat with the manager/owner of the pet store. Regardless, my condolences.

Randy
 
I am so sorry about your loss ):
I am terrified this could happen to my bun when we take her in to get her fixed, i wish bunnies weren't so fragile ):
 
It sounds like either some kind of horrible freak accident or the person doing the nail clipping did not know how to hold the rabbit safely. That really is so tragic. It is a really good reminder to all of us to be very careful who we allow to interact with the rabbits, even if the person is supposed to know what they are doing.

I'm so sorry for your loss. It must be very hard to loose your pet so suddenly and tragically.
 
Thankyou, its been horrible, mostly in part because we told the staff member not to pick him up because he was skittish, and that we were going to coax him out of his carrier as we usually did. To top that off, she was going to clip his nails behind the cash register counter which she was not supposed to in the first place, there is a specific room for that, there were dogs on leashes running around the store and the counter was really high off the ground. By the time she grabbed him it was too late, we thought she was picking up the carrier to bring him out back like she was supposed to, even worse is his shrill scream then she refused to cut his nails put him back and tried to hurry us out of the store,all the while i was saying " hey his back legs, he is dragging his back legs" the whole store heard me but they ignored me. This was no accident, i have called the OSPCA to report the incident because i felt that it was negligent and it should be investigated so that she is fired and that they get different protocols. The staff member was cocky with me, acted like she knew everything and she was trying to show off behind the counter, now my little guy is gone, the pet shop owners contacted us and we are being reimbursed for the vet bill and anything we bought in the store, we also get a free bunny, unfortunately thats no where near enough for me, this could have been avoided. I am heart broken!
 
He cannot be replaced :(... but I am really glad that you are taking action against that particular snotty ignorant employee and the store

:thumbup:goodjobfor taking action when you are in so much grief. :(

It will help another rabbit and owner in the future.

:hug:

Maureen
 
luna21 wrote:
Thankyou, its been horrible, mostly in part because we told the staff member not to pick him up because he was skittish, and that we were going to coax him out of his carrier as we usually did. To top that off, she was going to clip his nails behind the cash register counter which she was not supposed to in the first place, there is a specific room for that, there were dogs on leashes running around the store and the counter was really high off the ground. By the time she grabbed him it was too late, we thought she was picking up the carrier to bring him out back like she was supposed to, even worse is his shrill scream then she refused to cut his nails put him back and tried to hurry us out of the store,all the while i was saying " hey his back legs, he is dragging his back legs" the whole store heard me but they ignored me. This was no accident, i have called the OSPCA to report the incident because i felt that it was negligent and it should be investigated so that she is fired and that they get different protocols. The staff member was cocky with me, acted like she knew everything and she was trying to show off behind the counter, now my little guy is gone, the pet shop owners contacted us and we are being reimbursed for the vet bill and anything we bought in the store, we also get a free bunny, unfortunately thats no where near enough for me, this could have been avoided. I am heart broken!
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no dry eyes here,,,,my sincere condolences--nail trimming is an art,not to be taken lightly--rear legs are strong enough / when alarmed/excited to a degree-the weak part gives way,,,.i am extremely careful in the facility to not startle them,,and special care to pick up with both hands,,,pet stores bother me because people work at minimum wage,,maybe basic skills--mis handling may be hard to prove,,but i know you need closure and solice,...sincerely james waller:pink iris::inlove::pink iris:
 
thanks James, you are very kind ((((hugs))) I am not trying to prove mis handling but the fact that we told her not to handle him at all, I was going to handle him, she disregarded what i told her, I told her twice to begin with. What would make me feel better would be that the store be investigated, this employee be dealt with appropriately so that none of this happens to anyone else. It concerns me, I am an avid animal lover, it would sit on my conscience if i didn't take action!! I will let you all know what happens, we are supposed to meet with an investigator sometime this week, thank you all for all your kind words at this difficult time:bigtears: Trix will not have died in vein and he has left such a huge mark on my heart:rainbow::pink iris::rainbow:
 
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