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Older rabbit with possible back problem?

jennie-c

New Kit
Hi,

My rabbit is about 5 years old, and she spends a lot of time lying down in her cage. She's eating and drinking normally, and has been like this for a while. In the past few weeks or so, sometimes when she walks around the cage, she lifts her back right up in the air, and she almost stands on tip toes to put her rear end up as high as she can.

After a few moments standing like that, she walks along normally, but then will do it again. And when she lies down, she seems to lie flat out with her legs flat out behind her. My boyf and I check her rear end regularly as she has been prone to getting a messy rear end, and we have had to bathe her before. As far as we can see, there is nothing obviously wrong underneath, other than the occasional messy fur.

I read somewhere that older rabbits can get back problems, is that true? And if so, is this a symptom? She seems to be able to go to toilet ok, so I don't think that is a possibility.

Any ideas?

She is an unspayed French Lop.

Many thanks
Jennie
 
I would take her to the vets and see if they can feel any lumps inside her, as she's behaving oddly. If she has a bladder infection she would also lift her rear up high in order to wee, so she would need antibiotics for that if you can collect a clean urine sample in a litter tray or something - or the vet might be able to express her bladder. Make sure you have a vet that's done extra training in rabbits since qualifying though, as many vets have scant knowledge about them - ring round and ask them for example how they would treat a rabbit with pasteurella, and how many spays they do on rabbits a week - they should also use isofluorane gas, so that's another check you can run by them.

If she's getting a messy bottom she maybe needs her dry food cutting back now she's older - my boy Benny is nearly 5 and gets overweight on the tiniest amount of pellets so he just has a few morning and evening now. Also try and encourage her to run about more, simply by chasing her around for a minute. If she's unfit she will not feel like moving, and larger breeds can get stiff joints with age.
 
Hi, I have a 4 year old netherland dwarf that had exactly the same symptoms, the vets took x-rays of his spine, hips and knees and it turns out he has arthritis and some bone abnormalities in his hips. He is now on metacam and has been alot more active :).
 
A 5 year old rabbit shouldn't be struggling with movement unless it has an injury. An arthritic rabbit will be visibly wobbly and will lose muscle mass.

My first thought would be some kind of pain in the abdomen. I've seen buns standing on toptoes when they had gastric pain, and also pain from a bladder infection.
 
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