Please help!

[Georginasmith34]

Just wondering if anyone could offer me some advise about my mini lop's hind legs. For about three months now my rabbit has been in and out of the vets trialing every possible medicine for his legs, and he doesn't seem to be improving .

It started one afternoon when I got him out of his hutch and put him in his run I noticed he was dragging his hind legs slightly, so I took him to the vets and they said that he has full feeling in his legs still and that they felt normal. Metacam was suggested and just to see how he got on, after a week of not much change we went back and the vet suggested the possibility of a parasite affecting his brain and movement so he was then put on oanti biotics and panacur (wormer). Once his course had run through we went back after no improvement. The entire while he was still eating, drinking and pooing and using his legs to a degree just not hopping normally and falling over frequently. The latest update is he's been on and off steroid injections while have made improvement however as soon as they run out he goes back to square one.

The vet has now suggested putting our bunny down which is something I really do not want to do seen as he seems so happy and full of life still apart from his legs. Just wondering if you have any clue where we should go from here? Would be great to have some advise from someone who has been through a similar problem.

Thanks for reading!

 

[ladysown]

if he's still enjoying life, just let him enjoy it. as a pet rabbit he may still be enjoying enough quality of life to make it worth it to you.

 

[JBun]

The fact that he shows improvement on the steroid injections would indicate that there is probably inflammation causing the hind limb weakness. It could be from an injury, e. cuniculi, or other spinal issue such as spondylosis (especially if your rabbit is older). Steroids are only usually used in rabbits as a last resort because they can compromise the immune system, so more often metacam is used to help reduce inflammation on a daily basis. The metacam in your case may not have been helpful if it was under dosed, which is common with inexperienced vets. So if your vet isn't an experienced rabbit vet, that may be why you didn't see any improvement with it. What dose were you giving each day and how big is your rabbit? How long was the course of panacur and at what dose?

The fact that you had to go back to receive the panacur makes me think your vet may not be very rabbit savvy, as it is a common med to give in a case of hind limb weakness with an unknown cause. If you aren't currently seeing a rabbit savvy vet, I would suggest having your rabbit seen by a rabbit specialist. If you would like to post your general location, someone may be able to suggest one to you.

It's possible that with the correct diagnosis and treatment, that your rabbit may regain some function, but because this has been going on several months, physical therapy may be needed to help build those muscles back up.

But even if your rabbit isn't able to regain function, a disabled rabbit can live a perfectly happy life if they can cope with the extra hands on care needed, and you as the owner can provide the extra care and attention that would be required. As long as your bun continues to enjoy life and has a good quality of life, no vet should be suggesting pts, and frankly I find it a bit distressing that so many vets will immediately jump to this conclusion just because a rabbit has a disability, and not take into account how the rabbit and owner are able to cope with the situation.
http://www.disabledrabbits.com/

One thing I will suggest, is if your bun continues to have hind limb problems and he is currently an outdoor bun with no companion, I would suggest making him an indoor bun, as he will have a harder time regulating his body temp, as well as all the extra care and attention he will require.

This is just some info on the various issues that can cause hind limb weakness in rabbits.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=490

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Spinal_abnormalities_rabbits.htm

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Osteoarthritis_rabbits.htm

http://www.gwexotics.com/wccms-resources/a/5/0/e/77554b90-a660-11e0-a685-0050568626ea.pdf

 

[Georginasmith34]

Thank you very much for your informative response, my rabbit is tiny tiny (I think his growth has been stunted from his illnesses) about 0.93kg but this fluctuates from week to week. He is also only 4.5 months old so way too young to give up on, and he has always been an indoor bunny.

The metacam was prescribed at 0.4ml a day, and then the panacur and antibiotic was for 30 days. I will try attach a video so you can see how he runs. We live in South Yorkshire in England and we are in the process of waiting for our vet to get back to us today with a recommended specialist. I will read through your attached websites now to see which he fits under.

Thanks again!

 

[squidpop]

Metacam comes in two different oral suspensions- the one for dogs is 1.5 and the one for cats is .5mg/ml. So are you using the .5 one or the 1.5 one?

 

[JBun]

If you were giving the 1.5mg metacam, that would be an appropriate dose for your small bun, though sometimes a vet will prescribe a higher dose temporarily when needed. I'm not sure exactly what might be going on with your bun, but hopefully one of the rabbit specialists can figure it out. You are lucky as you have some of the best rabbit specialists in the world not too far from you.

One of the very best rabbit specialists is Frances Harcourt Brown in Harrogate. She is semi retired though, so you may not be able to get in to see her, but there are other vets in her office very experienced with rabbits as well. Plus they can always consult with her when needed.
http://www.crablanevets.co.uk/our-practice/veterinary-surgeons/

Molly Varga is also very good and visits several clinics, the closest to you I think would be in Royton.
http://mollyvargavet.co.uk/clinics/

Aidan Raftery in Manchester.
http://ashleigh-veterinary-centre.com/staff-by-departments/veterinary-surgeons/

These are all exotics(rabbit) specialists. If you just wanted a rabbit savvy vet, you could email the RWAF. I have also seen Wildbore vets in Worksop recommended by an experienced rabbit owner, though they are not specialists. Hanna Bennett is the rabbit savvy vet I believe. Though they may just refer you to a specialist as well.
http://www.thevetstop.co.uk/team/
If any of the specialist vets are close enough to you, I would just recommend going to one of them if possible.

http://www.bvzs.org/images/uploads/BVZS_Specialist_list_2015.pdf
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/?section=veterinary.html

Best of luck and hopefully one of the specialists can help your little guy. Please do keep us updated on what the vets findings are and how your little bun is doing.

 

[Margarita]

My bunny had the same issue, it wound up being a bruised spine and bulging disc (she jumped on my bed and landed on hardwood pretty hard and slipped) She has been on cage rest for almost 4 week and is taking a steroid (.5) to deal with the swelling. She is doing great, she was always eating drinking pooping just like your bun, your bunny probably just needs to limit movement so he can heal. Don't put him down if her spirits are good.

good luck