Hind leg weakness

I just wondered whether anyone could help with my rabbit Harvey. I took him to the vet today but she didn't know what was causing his problems, and said she'd do some research. She said he has feeling in both legs and she can't feel anything physically wrong with them. She thought it could be nerve damage of some kind.

I noticed a few months ago that he didn't seem to be hopping properly, and that his hind legs were not raising up in the air as much as normal when he hopped. I booked an appt with the vet, but when i took him in she (not the same vet I saw today) couldn't find anything wrong. She thought he was hopping normally. Over the last few months the problem re-occured but it seems to get worse and then improve however there has been an overall very gradual decline. It got to the stage this week where his hind legs were really bad the other day and he didn't seem to be able to move them very well at all so that's why I took him back to the vet.

He doesn't appear to be in any pain. He's eating and drinking normally and is able to get around perfectly well despite his legs not working properly. He's lost quite a bit of weight round his spine and back legs, but he's not thin and is eating well. His teeth are in really good condition. The only other problem is that his tail seems to be getting a bit matted, and sometimes gets a bit wet when it's rainy because his bottom is on the ground all the time. I also don't think he's grooming his back end properly because the fur is quite messy. The vet said I might need to brush him, and to make sure his bottom stays clean.

She basically said there isn't anything she can do for him at the moment, but to bring him back if it gets worse.

I thought that it could be E.Cuniculi but I've had a bunny with this before and the symptoms are not the same. Harvey doesn't seem to have any balance problems and the problem seems to be progressing very very slowly whereas with my other bunny it escalated very fast, and he developed a head-tilt.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to try and describe the symptoms properly in case anyone elses bunny has had the same thing..

Thanks,
Hayley

Hi wish i could help. Thought i'd post so your post doesn't get lost.

Hope someone can help you.

sending vibes for your bun.

EC can present with just hind leg weakness. Headtilt is not always a symptom it depends on which part of the CNS has been effected by the EC spores. The areas effected will have an inflammatory response resulting in the clinical symptoms.
I would ask your Vet about giving your Rabbit a 28-42 day course of Fenbendazole (Panacur/Lapizole) and also an anti-inflammatory eg Meloxicam(Metacam).

Diagnostics your Vet might consider are Blood testing for EC ,although results from this can sometimes be misleading and not necessarily helpful. Usually a series of test are required which is stressful for a Bunny.

An Xray may give an indication of any spinal problems although tbh your Buns symptoms sound more neurological than skeletal.

Hope you Vet can help

Here are some links that may be of use:

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

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=490&S=5

http://www.intervet.co.uk/products_public/panacur_rabbit/010_overview.asp

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Genitrix_Ltd/Lapizole/-43601.html

Last year one of my female rabbits started to go a bit weak on her back legs. I think we gave her painkiller and she seemed to pick up. She was eating but lost a bit of weight. The vet said it was spondulosis of the spine. She used to get a bit muddy around her tail and I had to keep her clean. My rabbit was an adult when I rescued her but think she was about 6 when this developed. Also she was a lop.

Thanks for all the help.. I'll speak to my vet about your ideas

I knew I could rely on the rabbits united forum

Hayley

question about painkiller

MissMinnie said:

Last year one of my female rabbits started to go a bit weak on her back legs. I think we gave her painkiller and she seemed to pick up. She was eating but lost a bit of weight. The vet said it was spondulosis of the spine. She used to get a bit muddy around her tail and I had to keep her clean. My rabbit was an adult when I rescued her but think she was about 6 when this developed. Also she was a lop.

Click to expand...

What kind of painkiller did you use and how much to give a Holland Lop.

bert said:

What kind of painkiller did you use and how much to give a Holland Lop.

Click to expand...

Hi Bert,

Welcome to RU

This is a thread from 2008 so the people you are interested in talking to might not be keeping an eye on it.

It might be worth sending MissMinnie a private message to ask her what pain relief she used (she was last on today so still visits the forum), and then checking with your vet about dosage