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Amputation...

W

willowthewysp

Warren Scout
is it viable on a rabbit?
My big conti, Mo..who has suffered with sore and infected hocks(they have detiorated alot) is walking about on 3 legs.....i was thinking about the possibilities of having her really bad leg amputated.

Has anyone ever had this done on a bunny?
Or do you think it is unfair to do?
 
It is possible but it's a big op. The problem is by taking away one leg all the weight is then on the other and that's likely to make the sore hocks on the remaining foot worse.

What treatment is she having for her hocks?

Tamsin
 
I had a bunny with a hind leg missing. He managed fine, but was only a very small rabbit (barely larger than a Netherland Dwarf).

A large rabbit may struggle to carry their weight on 3 legs, so I certainly wouldn't recommend it.
 
Jaypot who runs Ebony Eyes rescue for elderly and disabled buns will know more about this kind of thing. Jane has loads of rexs too. I'll pm them a link to this thread and hopefully get some more info and possible alternatives if need be. xx
 
I dont think a hind leg amputation is a viable option if *both* hocks have been effected. The Bun will just take even more weight on the remaining hind leg.
I had a Bun who had a hind leg amputation due to ulcerative pododermatitis ( 'advanced' sore hock) and a displaced digital flexor tendon. The Bun survived the op' and did well for 2 weeks. But sadly the infection had already tracted into her hip and the wound brokedown. I had to have her PTS :cry:

I dont think I would consider a hind limb amputation on a Bun, particularly a Giant, whose other hock was also effected, even if not too badly. It would just get worse post surgery as even more weight would be put on the remaining hind leg.

Janex
 
We had a wonderful bun who arrived with us having had a hind leg amputation. However her's was for a different reason (fracture left too long when she was 'dumped').

She got around really well for many years (up and down steps, jumping up to 3ft!!) - although eventually after 4 years it took the toll on her front legs and they splayed out.

However , as the other say, in your case it would probably put pressure on the other hind as well.

twigs
 
Ok, thankyou all for posting...i understand it would probably make her other leg worse:(

So, that is not an option.
Im out of options now.
The 'bad' leg has got worse..im waiting for my vet to phone me back now.
I am terribly worried the infection has spread now...a few weeks ago she was on abx and i was washing out the hole in her leg everyday..she seemed to be getting *better*.
The vet then told me to leave her leg...not to touch it and let nature take over and possibly let a callous develop to cover and protect the hole.
Unfortunatley this looks like it was a terribly bad thing to do.

Maybe im just desperatley clutching at straws! And keeping her alive is causing her to suffer....
but then, i dont want to think of the alternative:(
 
((hugs))) I'm sorry you're going thru this. Big nose rubs for Mo and am sending healing pain free vibes to her. I hope something can be done asap. xx:(
 
What antibiotics is she on? If baytril isn't working there are alternatives that could be tried. Have they done a culture to determine what would be effective?

Is she on painkillers?

Tamsin
 
Have you tried putting a pressure relieveing dressing on her hock? Jane told me about a good method for using on Pippa, although her hocks were relatively minor but prone to profuse bleeding and in the end I applied padding and cleaned & moisturised them daily.
 
I think that an antibiotic like Ceporex would be a better option as it has good bone penetration.
Pain relief is also essential.

I think if the Bun were mine I would want to establish just how advanced the infection is and if there were to be a lot of boney involvement then I think I would have to let them go :cry:

Janex
 
I have had lots of disabled buns including lots of amputees - but I would never have an amputation done on a larger bun unless it was a life saving one:?
It is very hard for larger breeds to manage with three legs - although you would think that the weight and size is all relative to a smaller bun it doesn't work like that :( One of our French Lops had to have a leg amputated but she was great and took to it like a duck to water - but she was also an elderly girl and very, very laid back - the French lops are like that and get even mellower with age:roll::lol::lol: It was a very hard decision to make but she would have died had we not made the choice - we had to give her that chance.

The sore hocks is an awful problem :( You must have gone through a range of things to help and nothing seems to be working :( Will she let you put socks on her? What about bandages under a sock with daily changes of bandage and antibios?

I truly hope that she can pull through this - it's so hard to see them in pain and not able to hop about properly :(

Is she still eating and acting normally otherwise?

She needs to be on a long term antibio as well as pain relief and kept on vetbed or soft towels. I'll send all the healing vibes that I can for her - she sounds adorable :D
 
Sooz22 said:
Have you tried putting a pressure relieveing dressing on her hock?
Click to expand...

Are there special veterinary dressings for this? I imagine so.

I was going to suggest it might be worth willowthewysp discussing with her vet whether the gel pads used by hikers with serious blisters would be worth trying. These are inert but soothing gels which either come in sheets that you cut to size or pre-cut pieces which are placed over a wound and taped into place. They simulate the cushioning effect of the fluid in a blister and often contain aloe vera as a soothing agent. For obvious reasons they are suitable for using on open wounds and sores.

If there are veterinary equivalents that have already been tried then I'm not much help, but if not and the vet thinks it's worth trying then it may offer another possibility. Band-aid's Blister Block has had particularly good write-ups.
 
Mo is not on abx anymore..I was giving her abx via injection, but the vet wanted to stop this...i wish we hadn't now:(
She is on pin relief..i cant think off hand what it is called..but it is the one designed for dogs...
The vet had tried bandaging her legs, but her feet swelled up so the vet wont put them on again, although i have heard of a special type of vet bandage which may work better.
I couldcertainly get a sock on her...bless her she does let me do anything to her.
She is eating and drinking perfectly fine and the last time the vet did a debriding he said the infection wasn't actually that deep.
I have taken a piccie of her leg and will upload it in a bit.
She has never been a bunny that binkies about...always been fairly mellow, and at the moment she isn't putting any pressure on her bad leg at all...she is walking on 3 legs..that is why initially i thought of an amputation..but i can see the problem with that now as although her other leg isn't as bad, it has still got a large pressure sore, but has calloused over.

I have been waiting for my vet to get back to me but he hasn't.
I may just order some of that vet badage stuff and try and see if that works....it shoes it here.
I would try a differnt vet, but i have an account with this one and i currently owe a lot of money!!!
 
willowthewysp said:
Mo is not on abx anymore..I was giving her abx via injection, but the vet wanted to stop this...i wish we hadn't now:(
She is on pin relief..i cant think off hand what it is called..but it is the one designed for dogs...
The vet had tried bandaging her legs, but her feet swelled up so the vet wont put them on again, although i have heard of a special type of vet bandage which may work better.
I couldcertainly get a sock on her...bless her she does let me do anything to her.
She is eating and drinking perfectly fine and the last time the vet did a debriding he said the infection wasn't actually that deep.
I have taken a piccie of her leg and will upload it in a bit.
She has never been a bunny that binkies about...always been fairly mellow, and at the moment she isn't putting any pressure on her bad leg at all...she is walking on 3 legs..that is why initially i thought of an amputation..but i can see the problem with that now as although her other leg isn't as bad, it has still got a large pressure sore, but has calloused over.

I have been waiting for my vet to get back to me but he hasn't.
I may just order some of that vet badage stuff and try and see if that works....it shoes it here.
I would try a differnt vet, but i have an account with this one and i currently owe a lot of money!!!
Click to expand...


Are you anywhere near me ? (Middlesex)
I could show you how I did the 'anti-pressure dressings' for Lady Lydia

Janex
 
It definitely sounds like there are more options to explore still. If she has an active infection then it seems strange she's not on antibiotics.

I'll let those more experienced explain the best way/type to apply dressings but the general idea is to create a pad on the foot so the pressure is put on the healthy area and not on the sore.

I was going to suggest it might be worth willowthewysp discussing with her vet whether the gel pads used by hikers with serious blisters would be worth trying. These are inert but soothing gels which either come in sheets that you cut to size or pre-cut pieces which are placed over a wound and taped into place. They simulate the cushioning effect of the fluid in a blister and often contain aloe vera as a soothing agent. For obvious reasons they are suitable for using on open wounds and sores.
Click to expand...

That sounds an interesting suggestion. Aloe vera is safe for using with rabbits.
 
I agree with the Ceporex - it's very good for the bones as Jane has said. As for the gel pads, I think that would be a good idea to try - I'd certainly have a go at those and thank you for pointing them out Anybunny :D
 
Jaypot said:
As for the gel pads, I think that would be a good idea to try - I'd certainly have a go at those and thank you for pointing them out Anybunny :D
Click to expand...

Yes, it's worth a try, though I'd suggest running them past a vet before using them just to be certain there's nothing in them which would cause problems for a rabbit rather than a human - especially if the rabbit tried to eat them.

As a former walker, my experience of them is that if you slap them on, say, a large heel blister, you can walk normally as though the blister didn't exist. Obviously the up and down motion of the heel in the book does abrade and dislodge them over a period of hours, but I don't think that would be a problem with a rabbit's normal hopping motion.

My thinking is that if using the gel allows the rabbit to hop on the affected hock normally, that should also take the pressure off the unaffected, or at least less affected hock, as well.
 
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