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Arthritis - vet update

Less active, warking awkwardly, may be a bit sensitive to touch in the area. May improve in the warmth
 
Its just very subtle changes I have noticed recently. My frenchie Darcy is 7 this year so might just be old age. Sometimes he doesn't or can't periscope for a treat. Tonight he leaned on my leg with his front paws and they were shaking from trying to balance on his back legs. But then he has been hopping around as usual and eating, drinking pooing, cleaning his spotless botty and grooming himself, beatrix and even me when I was fussing him.

Most nights he always jumps up on me on the sofa for fuss and treats. Tonight and some other nights he sometimes looks like he really wants to jump up but changes his mind. Ij don#t know if this is because of some artritic issue or just moodiness.

I don't know if I'm just worry too much but I think I might take him to the vet.
 
Its just very subtle changes I have noticed recently. My frenchie Darcy is 7 this year so might just be old age. Sometimes he doesn't or can't periscope for a treat. Tonight he leaned on my leg with his front paws and they were shaking from trying to balance on his back legs. But then he has been hopping around as usual and eating, drinking pooing, cleaning his spotless botty and grooming himself, beatrix and even me when I was fussing him.

Most nights he always jumps up on me on the sofa for fuss and treats. Tonight and some other nights he sometimes looks like he really wants to jump up but changes his mind. Ij don#t know if this is because of some artritic issue or just moodiness.

I don't know if I'm just worry too much but I think I might take him to the vet.

Wow, brill age for a big bunny!
To be it just sounds like he's getting a bit weak from old age but I haven't had old bunnys so don't take my word for it!
If a vet trip makes you feel better than it's a good idea :)
 
Also, sometimes when they have arthristis they can't get in to the correct position to wee and they get a wet bottom or legs
 
I do think you should take him to the vet, though it isn't the same symptoms as our bunny Chelsea had with her arthritis (though arthritis may present in different ways?, so that's not to say that isn't what it is.)

Chelsea seemed to walk rather than hop though she could run perfectly well. She was 9yrs old at the time and lived to nearly 12yrs. She had a course of 1 injection a week of Cartrophen for 4 weeks, repeated every 6 months and it made a huge difference to her mobility.
Balance problems can be 1 of so many different things so
it would be best to get a vet to check him out.

sue:wave:
 
Sorry to worry you but not all buns present with the 'classic' symptoms of arthritis i'm afraid. Yes change in gait, soiling back legs and uneaten caecotrophs etc are the common symptoms but just so you know, some buns will hide their mobility changes well and indeed the pain. There is very rarely tenderness on site or on palpation as arthritic changes are occuring deep in the joint capsule.

Nino presented with nothing more than repeated bouts of bloat and stasis and an occasional stumble when first going up the stairs in the house, nothing more. He would back up to wee in his litter tray and then collapse in the tray with pain as it got more pronounced but other than this he was flying up flights of stairs, binkying, racing around the garden and had no change in gait other than a mild stiffness for a few seconds if he had been sat sleeping for a while, very easy to miss. On Xray he has quite SUBSTANTIAL osteoarthritic changes in both hips and knees and lower spine so much so that you would expect quite a disabled bunny and he isn't. His main presentation was repeated GI slowdown and bloat from extreme pain.
He couldn't hop on to the sofa but he never has done so no change there anyway, it is likely he has had this condition for some time for the changes to be as pronounced as they were with no symptoms other than the stasis/bloat.

On this basis I would suggest that you do take him to the vet, it is the subtle changes that are important. Bunnies can tolerate a great deal of pain before they show symptoms. If it is OA then an Xray under GA is really required to diagnose as positioning under Xray is important. In an older bunny it might not be appropriate to have a GA, that is up to your vet.
Treatment is daily NSAID's and many (including us) find the use of glucosamine (Synoquin Cat is what we use) or cartrophen helpful in addition.
I hope your boy is ok x
 
Just phoned vets. My normal rabbit vet isn't in until tomorrow. I went ahead and booked in for today with someone else. Do you think should wait until tomorrow? The only appt my rabbit vet has is at 5 so wouldn't have time to do any xrays at that time.:?
 
Back from Vets

Okay the vet said she could not find any pain points and his joints were moving reasonably well. She is not sure if he does have arthritis or not so we giving Darcy metacam as pain and anti-inflam this week and then nothing next week and see what the difference is, if any. If he gets worse bring him back.

She also said he needs to lose weight. He weighed 4kg and I thought this was normal for a frenchie?? Because his girly bun Beatrix (small/med lop) needed to lose weight I already cut out carrots and corn cobs. They only get cabbage and celery for veggies so I'm going to cut down the size of portions. So pray for my ankles at dinner time:shock:;)
 
Back from Vets

Okay the vet said she could not find any pain points and his joints were moving reasonably well. She is not sure if he does have arthritis or not so we giving Darcy metacam as pain and anti-inflam this week and then nothing next week and see what the difference is, if any. If he gets worse bring him back.

She also said he needs to lose weight. He weighed 4kg and I thought this was normal for a frenchie?? Because his girly bun Beatrix (small/med lop) needed to lose weight I already cut out carrots and corn cobs. They only get cabbage and celery for veggies so I'm going to cut down the size of portions. So pray for my ankles at dinner time:shock:;)

I think trying the metacam is sensible especially with an older bun, best not to rush into the GA for Xray, but I don't agree she would be able to identify on palpation and observation alone. However I think she has done best thing for now. I hope there is some improvement next week x
 
I think trying the metacam is sensible especially with an older bun, best not to rush into the GA for Xray, but I don't agree she would be able to identify on palpation and observation alone. However I think she has done best thing for now. I hope there is some improvement next week x

Thanks, PL and everyone for your detailed responses. I really appreciate your advice. I always panic over my buns when I think somethings up. Darcy has done so much for me, I can't bear to think he would be in pain and I didn't help him. He does seem fine and doing his normal bunny things today. Fingers and paws crossed he will be okay next week. But if he does have it, then there are medications that help so he doesn't have to suffer. :)
 
So far I think he might not have arthritis after all. I'm wondering now if I missed the obvious. I think his front paws shake when he tries to periscope because of balance. His head is still slightly titled (fully recovered from headtilt two years ago) and he has catarax in the centre of both eyes.

He is fine hopping and running about and jumping up on me on the sofa. Oh I bought those pet stairs of ebay for him to use!:D
 
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