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Bunny Wheelchair?

P

PixieRabbit

Mama Doe
We're wanting to get Harley a wheel chair, to help him get back on his feet. We've decided to keep Harley.

Him and Dawn have always had a unique relationship through bars, I've often seen grooming of noses and today I saw Dawn flop into his cage whilst we were cleaning out.

The trouble with harley is he has had an accident whilst in his hutch, we're unsure how he's done it but the vet is very certain it's his spine. We're hoping to get him in on Friday along side Betty for x-rays.


But we want to keep him going, he's so happy and we saw him semi-flop, it was so sad, yet so cute. We'd like to be able to let him run around the house with Dawn in a wheelchair, and I hope Dawn will help keep him nice and clean.


So any information on keeping a disabled bunny please? And where can I get a decent wheelchair for him, I've seen them on youtube. And I think this would really help Harley, although so long on carpet/rug's he can bomb around like a nutter, it seems he can use his left hind leg better than his right. So he may sometimes go in circles.
 
It takes a very special personality in a bunny, to be able to cope with a wheelchair.

Are you looking for ways to help him get back on his feet too? Like physio? Pain relief, etc? Has he had x-rays?

For getting a chair I'm thinking you would have to look to design your own, and then find someone who can make it for you.
 
I dont have any experience of this but you could contact a company which do 'wheelchairs' for dogs/cats? and ask if they can make one for a bunny?

I just searched google 'Uk animal wheelchair' and came up with some results.

Goodluck and i hope you can sort something out for Harley!
 
Thank you, he'll be going under either Friday or early next week. Vet wanted to try him on metacam first and if no improvement then put him under.

He is a very special bunny! Despite his hind legs he is trying so hard to live a normal healthy life.

I will look around google. x
 
If he's unable to move his back end, might it not be possible to do a quick conscious x-ray before the end of the week? I'd be worried that he could be in a lot of discomfort (metacam is strength-wise a bit like paracetamol rather than a really strong painkiller) and would think that a diagnosis sooner rather than later might be sensible before thinking about what may or may not be the best way forward for him.

How long ago did he have the accident? Does he have a ramp or similar that he could have fallen down? Have you got any idea how it might have happened?

Hope the little chap can be kept comfortable xx
 
Bunny wheelchairs always look really awful to me the bunnies always seem to drag. Have you discussed it with your vet? What solutions and ideas do they have? I guess if you could get a good one it might not be as bad as the weird ones you see on the internet

Plus behaviour through the bars can be totally different to what they show when bonding or when together on the same territory
 
There is a grave danger of a bunny wheelchair doing more damge especially to the spine, I have looked at them and together with Ricahrd Saunders we decided agaisnt them because it was felt that the pain would be too much for the bunny

What exactly is wrong with the bunny?
 
He had this house in his hutch, where he could jump on top and go underneath. We think he possibly slipped while jumping on it?

I never knew they could have x-rays without being put under. I'll ring my vets tomorrow to discuss it. I want to look at all possible outcomes, because even the vets can get it wrong.

He does not seem to be in pain, but we cannot be 100% sure after all he is a rabbit. He's only been this way since the 19th of Feb.

My vets advice was that he probably done something to his spine that was irreversible.

It would depend on the why he needs the wheelchair, because if it's to stimulate him using his hind legs again then letting him touch his feet to the floor will help him use them to move. But if it's just to let him move around with more ease then I will have it so his feet are lifted off the ground.

It's very unlike Dawn to not growl at another rabbit or to pace. She's very grumpy with other rabbits since her girlfriends passed away :cry:
 
Snowy said:
There is a grave danger of a bunny wheelchair doing more damge especially to the spine, I have looked at them and together with Ricahrd Saunders we decided agaisnt them because it was felt that the pain would be too much for the bunny

What exactly is wrong with the bunny?
Click to expand...

This is why I wanted to ask on here. Is it because it seems to arch the spine? I've noticed on the video's all the rabbits have arched spines and it looks weird and unnatural.

What would be your opinion on keeping Harley comfortable and help him become more mobile hun?
 
Yes. Though he was already wormed prior, and had not been in contact with any other rabbits, and no other rabbit is showing any signs.
 
PixieRabbit said:
This is why I wanted to ask on here. Is it because it seems to arch the spine? I've noticed on the video's all the rabbits have arched spines and it looks weird and unnatural.

What would be your opinion on keeping Harley comfortable and help him become more mobile hun?
Click to expand...

I would get him referred to a rabbit specialist to start with where they thave the very best of equipment and could at the very least xray him, it would appear that your vet is just guessing and that in itself is very wrong because he doesn't know what he is treating, so depending on what the specialist found then he would discuss a course of treatment, it could be antibiotics, pain relief or accupuncture, it really depends what they found.

There are all sorts of things that can be done, I have some very disabled bunnies here and they manage very well and have very active lives, so please get the help you need, if you need anything then just give me a shout
 
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