Please Help. My rabbit is dragging her hind legs when walking.

This is my first post so I'm sorry if its in the wrong place.

I have a 4 year old doe, I'm not sure what breed she is, I got her from a friend when she was a baby. She lives in the garden with a house to go in at night but mainly spends most of the day outside. Recently I found she was dragging her hind legs a bit when she was walking so I brought her inside for a night or two and she got better in no time so I thought she must have just had a bump, but a few days ago I noticed the same problem again I've kept her in now so I can keep an eye on her.

Shes eating and drinking fine and her usual self, always up and playful but still dragging her back legs. She can move them so I can rule out broken back and I checked if she was sore in places but she isn't.

Shes a very picky eater (doesn't even like carrot, or hay) we buy her top quality rabbit food because she only picks out the bits she likes in the bog standard stuff. We give her the right kind of treats now and then. I'm a little worried because shes so fussy that it could be shes undernourished and this could be the problem, thats the only thing I can put my finger on.

She seemed a little better today but I'm still concerned. Shes in my bedroom now on a soft towel with food and water so I can keep a close eye on her.

Just wondering if anyones had this problem with their rabbit before? No horror stories please, I'd like geniune advice from people who are well knowledged. Feel free to PM me if you like.

Many thanks.

I hope she is doing OK and feeling comfortable. Sounds like you really have taken good care for her.

Sounds like there may be something internal going on so maybe a visit to the vets could help to pin point anything?

Keep us posted x x

You have to see a rabbit specialist vet immediately. Call around and make sure the vet you are about to see is a very experience rabbit savvy vet, and make an appt.

Rabbit are prey animal, if they show their weakness, as is the case, it's a very serious matter.

I just searched simlar posts and found this

Hi guys. Ash is a 3-4 yr old neutered female. She came as another unwanted pet about 15 months ago. A few weeks ago I noticed she was struggling with her back legs, she seemed to be dragging them occasionally. I monitored it and within a couple of days she seemed better. About a week later it happened again. Then yesterday morning Kev said she was struggling again and it looked like she had been bitten on her back by one of the others.
I went out and she was indeed dragging her back legs again and it looks as if one of the other buns has had a bit of a go. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, she doesn't mind you touching her legs or moving them. She moves around well just with difficulty. She is eating well but has lost weight recently. She is also drinking a lot. When I checked her box this morning, there was a lot of wee on the paper beneath her hay. I have put her in the run separate from the others as I don't think its fair for her to be picked on by them. I will take her to the vets tomorrow evening to see what they say but just wondered if anyone had any experience.
Injury doesnt seem to fit as she has got better then worse again. I did think kidneys as she is drinking so much, but that doesnt explain the legs. What about diabetes? that would explain the drinking and the loss of use of limbs. I really dont know. havent seen this before.
help!
thanks,
Jess

It sounds exactly the same as the issues with my rabbit and people are saying it EC. It doesn't sound good. Can vets treat it in the UK?

If *emphasis on the if* it is EC it can be treated with Panacur. Has your rabbit had Panacur in the past?

I think the time has come to take your bunny to the vet.

No she hasn't had it in the past year. These problems only started recently. I will get my father to take me today. Will they have to diagnose it before they can start treatment, if it is? It sounds alot like it though.

Please take your Rabbit to a Vet today.
She may have a spinal injury, it may be EC but whatever it is she needs veterinary attention

Good luck

Hi Ash can start treatment straight away.I would also get your vet to check for a spinal injury and ask for some pain relief such as metacam.Good luck for today.Please let us know how you get on?

Hi there - how did you get on at the vets?

Buns are prey animals so they conceal their pain. If a bun is showing any signs of pain/weakness etc. at all it means they're in a LOT of pain and must go the vet asap.

I hope bun is ok. Please let us know.

Hope the vet was able to give you some answers, it does sound like it could be EC or spinal damage. How is she now?

Hi. How's your bun doing? hopefully by now you will have seen a vet. I have seen this symptom as a result of both e. cuniculi and back pain. She may need xrays to see what's going on. If it's something like arthritis she might need an anti-inflammatory medicine for life.

I took my girl too the vet today. He was quite certain it was EC as she didn't seem to be in any pain when he moved her back legs she just seemed very weak and disgraced herself by doing a huge wee all over his table. She has been prescribed meds for 28 days which she is not happy about because she does her silly licky tongue when I gave it too her. He also mentioned as she had hind limb weakness once before and it got better by it's self that is a good sign.

Thanks for all your help everyone. If anyones had a positive outcome from a rabbit on EC meds I'd love to hear your advice.

Thanks again.

hope she gets sorted out

One of my bunnies lost the use of her back legs just before christmas. She hadnt been good on her legs since I got her from a local garden centre. She has been used for breeding :-(

Xrays showed that she has fusing on her spine and the vet seemed to think a fall or binkying may have caused it to flare up. She is now ok and on metacam for the rest of her days. Apart from this she is fine.
I hope your bun gets better soon x
Barb, flippy,floppy,honey,sooty,peter,squiggles, donald,daisy,jake,jemima,pixie

Sorry to hear that she has EC hopefully she will be better soon. Keep us posted on her progress.. you mentione dshe doesnt like hay. Do you still offer her it?

She still seems happy and up and about, I can hear here trying to scamper about in the room next to me right now. We still offer her hay because we keep it for our guinea pigs, she doesn't want to know though. Shes a fussy madam.

I_hate_danger said:

She still seems happy and up and about, I can hear here trying to scamper about in the room next to me right now. We still offer her hay because we keep it for our guinea pigs, she doesn't want to know though. Shes a fussy madam.

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maybe if you cut down her pellets then she will eat the hay more. I know that without hay some bunnies can become ill Although she sounds ok now apart from the EC. Trying to encourage her to eat as much hay as possible will help her recover more quickly im sure

My rabbit had (most likely) e. cuniculi and made a full recovery on panacur and septrin. At her worse she was paralysed from the neck down but it took her about 5 days to recover. The latest advice is to continue the treatment for 6 weeks

How is Ash today?