Poor fluffy has a limp!

[Tasha93x]

Noticed my girl was limping and hopping around on three legs last night. She had a visit to the Vets today and the vet checked her out but it didn't look like she was in any pain when pressure was applied to her sore foot, and there was nothing stuck between her paws. I've been prescribed with anti inflammatorys to be given to her every day and i was just wondering if anybody has any experience with limps/sore paws!? Could she have sprained it somehow? I hope she's feeling better soon she's feeling right sorry for herself,bless her!

 

[gmas rabbit]

She may have caught a toe nail ( hope they checked those ) or caught her foot somehow in wiring or on the cage? Is it possible that she got stung by something. Keep an eye on her, if you have access to animal probiotics add them and extra hay while she is one anti imflamatory drugs. These can make her a bit nauseated and off her food.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[naturestee]

Were her joints ok? My Tan has knocked one of her hocks (hind knee) out of place a couple of times. If she's not better after a day, I'd ask the vet to x-ray her.

 

[Tasha93x]

Thanks for the replies.

Her toenails were checked and her joints flexed and she didn't appear to be in obvious pain when she was checked over so we assumed it was something else causing her pain :/ I'm wondering whether she could have stood on something as I noticed her sore foot when she came back from playing in the garden.

She's had her dose of anti inflammatory drugs today and she's looking in just as much as pain as yesterday,it's so heartbreaking seeing her hobbling about! She's been eating some food but not like she usually does and also her droppings appear a little messy..is this an effect of the drugs? She doesn't seem to be drinking alot,but will drink when i hold her bottle up to her for her.i've given her a bowl of water aswell incase she's having trouble reaching her bottle.

 

[gmas rabbit]

Offer her lots of hay they drugs are probably playing havic with her digestive system. Are sure she wasn't stung. Have you checked her foot for a bite from a spider or bee. Push the fur back again on the bottom and see if you can see anything, maybe the vet missed it. She probably has to put pressure on her foot to reach the water, maybe a water dish for a couple of days.

 

[Tasha93x]

I've checked her foot for a bite but no sign of anything unusual :/ She has quite a large run which she is out in 24/7 but i've set her up an area under her hutch with her hay rack,water bowl,food dish and water bottle as she didn't seem to be moving from under the hutch yesterday so i decided to set this up,she seems quite content lying there the whole day however she's not moving much and hasn't come out from under the hutch once!. Also i've noticed she's just standing up slightly and peeing wherever she's sitting,and also she seems to be peeing all down her other leg(the one that she's not sore on). Her foot doesn't seem any better after the drugs,thinking of just taking her back to the vets?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[Tasha93x]

Hey,a quick update on fluffy!

Took her back to the vets last night as the anti-inflammatorys didn't seem to have any effect. The vet had another check over her leg to make sure she hadn't missed anything last time and then gave us 2 options -stronger steriod like drugs or an x-ray...but neither these options are guarenteed to work. I've decided to go with the stronger drugs for the moment and she's due back at the vets tonight for a injection of the drugs. And i suppose an x-ray would be the next option if the drug didn't work.

Also, she seems to have a little urine scald(which i've never dealt with before..)does anybody have any tips? Thanks for the replies it's very much appreciated

 

[Tasha93x]

PS - sorry forgot to add this in last post but it's not so much like fluffy is limping now;she is literally just dragging her back leg around...hitting it of things...

The vet gave her the 5 day injection.hoping for the best....it was a different vet to last time and he gave her another examination and it doesn't look like she has any physical damage to her back,pelvis etc. He thinks she may have burst a blood vessel in her spine causing a sort of mini stroke?

We've to take her back to the vets on monday,will keep you guys updated.

 

[Maureen Las]

Here is a link on givng butt bathes


http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

but I am wondering if you could bring her in the house so that you could get something under her( soft absorbent towels etc)that is more absorbent..seems like it would be harder to set up something for her outside

Ihave used different things for urine scald ..like bag balm and at times even neospsorin ointment... diaper rash creme is very effective but it isn't safe for a rabbit to ingest.( zinc oxide)
I know that many vets would have professional products designed for this problem in animals.

You need to keep her clean, keep her as dry as possible and treat the scald so that it can heal....

In terms of dragging her leg ..there is always the possiblity that this is Ecuniculi which often presents with hind leg paralysis and paresis
then again it may be a spinal injury affecting the leg and it may heal with time (we have seen other cases like this on the forum which resolved on their own)

Poor little girl

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[Tasha93x]

So sorry i haven't had time to reply on this! I went away for a week and my mum has been caring for fluffy.

Thanks for reply angie,gave fluffy a bath with the link you gave me.she's been having baths every few days to keep her nice and clean.

So,update on fluffy! -
She got the month long cortisone injection from the vets a few weeks ago. She doesn't seem to be dragging her hind left leg anymore. However, she's been out in the garden a few times and i've noticed she can only take a few steps before having to sit down. She is very tired and appears to be out of breath most of the time. Also when she attempts to run she runs to the right side-i think she is just unbalenced though and doesn't want to put too much pressure on her left leg. It seems her back end isn't very stable at all my poor girl. She's still eating plently and drinking fine and she's happy just laying in her straw bed all day. Unfortunately there is no way I can bring her inside however I'm change her bed once or twice a day to keep it nice and dry for her.

I've never really heard much about Ecuniculi - does anybody know anything about it ? I will try research it on the internet too.
Is there a possiblity it could be arthritus?