• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Losing control of back legs

chloaster

Warren Veteran
We had 7buns come in from a big rescue last week and I'd like some thoughts on Cookie if anyone has any;

She is a medium sized girl, used to sharing a hutch with her now seperated friend Flossie about the size of the chair seat you are probably sitting on now, and has come from really terrible conditions. Whether she is pregnant or not we don't know as we were assured the sexes had been kept seperate but were also told these two were boys. She is happy in herself eating and pooping fine but she was originally with Vickie and her son noticed that she tripped over her back leg. We got her out and let her hop around the run and she is able to hop and periscope but she also seems weak in her back legs as when she turns she has to kind of drag her legs round after her and sometimes they splay under her?

She is now with Theo and going to see Paula today but just wondering if anyone had experienced something similar and what the outcome was? We have had thoughts of EC, uterine cancer, muscle wastage but any other ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
my first 2 thoughts were ec in early stages or muscle wastage...hopefully a precautioinary pannaccur will help and if muscle wastage then maybe time out stretching a bit would help. i guess it could be a brain realted tumour or a spinal injury... good luck and keep us posted. x
 
Denny's Marcel, lost the use of his back legs, but recovered it wasn't EC though, I think it was a form of floppy rabbit, he made a full recovery.
 
Thanks for the positive Tree - feeling a bit nervous for her. Is early ec apparent through intermittant leg usage loss or is it more advanced ec? It baffles me a bit because she hops along just fine and can jump into the hutch without using the aid we put in for her and periscope yet sometimes it's just like her legs give way under her ...... :?
 
I have a bunny with similar problems, her wobbly back legs are the result of over breeding causing a calcium deficiency in her bones, plus muscle wastage due to being kept in very cramped conditions.

She also now has an advanced active EC infection, which is making the situation worse. She is now wetting on her back legs and is showing neurological problems that also don't help with he co-ordination.

It's so sad as she is a beautiful bunny with a lovely temperament.

I hope Paula is able to help her
 
If it is floppy bunny syndrome as someone suggested there was a post on here a while back about feeding the bun vitamin E to help it.
 
If she has lived in that tiny hutch & never been out, I guess it could be that thats caused the problems? Jen had real trouble when she first came here, because her legs weren't used to the space to hop properly & run etc. Think that was muscle wastage. We just gave her gentle regular exercise & she could run with the best of em after a few months! I guess there could be a hundred reasons why, but hoping its curable. Really hope this girl is alright, shes in good care X
 
I guess the first thing would be a spinal examination and an x-ray to rule out any actual bone or vertibrae damage. What were the conditons like spacially where she was kept?

EC would be high on the list of probably candidates. As far as FRS goes thats pretty much a term to cover a symptom rather than a cause but it is often attributed to either a potassium or a selenium deficiency. That said it usually leads to total loss of limb control for a couple of days because I believe it affects the synapses which would in theory then affect the entire body. There is an excellent article on here somewhere about FRS, I think it's also on the cottontails rescue website.
 
I guess the first thing would be a spinal examination and an x-ray to rule out any actual bone or vertibrae damage. What were the conditons like spacially where she was kept?.

Awful - about 2ft to share with another bun that's why my first thought was muscle wastage but I've seen worse on other buns without the loss of legs control and also Flossie seems fine :?
 
Is she overweight?

No - she's more on the slender side.

CIMG0127.jpg
 
Is that just her posture where her legs have collapsed or is her spine always like that? :shock:

Bonnie had muscle wastage on her legs from being kept in a tiny hutch and they were still usable but uncoordinated.
 
Is that just her posture where her legs have collapsed or is her spine always like that? :shock:

Bonnie had muscle wastage on her legs from being kept in a tiny hutch and they were still usable but uncoordinated.

It's her posture - you wouldn't know anything was wrong with her from just looking at her, and when she hops around she looks fine too - just when she turns or stays still for a bit of time they gradually give way. I really hope it is muscle related - Did Bonnie come good?
 
Cookie and Flossie were only with me for a few days and I felt very emotional handing them over to Theo but I know Cookie will get the best possible care from a fab vet. I do so hope Cookie recovers and maybe we will meet again :love:
 
Back
Top