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Walter - EC?

Joh619

Alpha Buck
Hey,

Walter had a headtilt a couple of years ago. We treated him with 28 days panacur and antibiotics for an ear infection. It took a while, but he got better and he's only got a slightly wonky head now.

I posted a while ago that he was poo-ing everywhere. Usually a nice even spread around the room and a couple of piles in his cardboard box and near his hay. He still seems to wee in his litter tray though. I thought maybe he was marking his territory as we've got a cat recently and I thought maybe he could smell him.

But my OH noticed this morning that he's walking funny. He's not really using his back legs properly. I tried to give him some carrot and he couldn't stand on his back legs to get it. I thought last night that maybe he'd lost some weight as well, though he's been moulting and they always seem to change size when they moult.

I checked his bum this morning as well and it seemed a bit mucky. Not really dirty or anything, but maybe like he hasn't cleaned it as well as he should.

He's still eating/drinking/pooing (everwhere!) and hops around as much as he can, but he doesn't seem happy :(

Do you think this is likely to be linked to the possible EC he had a couple of years ago? We gave them both a 9 day treatment of panacur about 6 months ago.

I've got a vets appointment as they're due their Mixi vaccs (although maybe he shouldn't have his if he's ill?) and my cat needs to go for a post-neuter checkup so we'll be on a mass-exodus to the vets! Is there anything I should ask for/about? My vets are usually good, but I want to make sure I don't miss anything.

Thanks.
 
As well as EC there are other possibilities including osteoarthritis. I would get your Vet to carry out a thorough examination so as appropriate treatment can be given

Good Luck
 
I took Walt to the vet, but the rabbit vet isn't in until Tuesday :( She's going to give me a call at some point on Tuesday though, but will probably have to take him in at some point for her to see him :(

Walter did also wee on the vet (which is very unusual for him) but she was feeling his back end at the time, so that probably didn't help. He's only been weeing in his litter tray at home.

We've got Panacur for him as might as well start on that, but not given him his Mixi vac this week. I was in tow minds if he should have it or not, but he's inside and I don't want to make him more ill :(
 
Walter has had a 28 day course of Panacur (I stupidly didn't give it to Nora as well :(). He seems a bit better with his hopping, but he does still poo everywhere and has weed on the floor a couple of times as well. He's not back to normal in terms of his movement though.

We took him to see the rabbit vet and she's had a good look at him and thinks its neurological rather than a physical problem. As he seems happy in himself (he even tried a binky when I put him out on the grass the other day,) she says there's not really a lot more we can do at the moment. Its not affecting his quality of life at all. We put him in their outside hutch for a bit on tuesday and he managed to get up and down the ramp fine too and he can get in and out of his litter tray (when he uses it).

She did a test where she pulled his back leg back and placed his foot so that he was resting on the top of it. He was correcting it most of the time, but not straight away. She also put him on the floor for a bit to see him hop and he did actually sit up on his back legs and clean his face, which I've not seen him do for a while. He's keeping himself clean as well so that's not an issue.

So I guess its just a case of keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get any worse and sweeping up lots of poos! :) We're working on moving the hutch to the other end of the garden so will make sure that the new home is easy-clean and accessible.
 
So glad to hear he has not got any worse. As long as he is happy eating and can clean himself then he has a good quality of life.
 
Poor little Walt isn't really enjoying all the rain! They're back outside and everything is soaking. As he still poos everywhere, their run gets soggy poos all around it. We sweep it out every day but it's still not great. I'd bring them back inside but the only room I can put them in is the conservatory and it flooded in all the rain last week and needs the floor taking up and it smells like a pond :(

We've got a playhouse to move them into, but can't put the new patio down until it stops raining as our garden is horrible clay soil and it's so wet. We got half of the top of the garden done and not been able to get to it since. I feel so helpless :(

But he's mostly white and his back legs and bum seem all mucky as he can't clean them as well as he used to and he keeps sitting in the wet dirty run. There's no poos stuck to him, but there was poo/mud on one of his legs and the fur looked a bit off-colour and wet. His tail felt like it was starting to get matted as well :( Is it worth trying to give his bottom a bit of a wash, and if so, how am I best to do it? I was thinking if my OH can hold him in a towel, then I can just try and clean him with a damp towel and luke warm water? Then if we keep him inside for a bit until he dries off?

He's not a massive fan of being picked up, but got quite used to it when he had to have all his injections when he was first ill. Usually we just bribe him with carrot.
 
Well, I tried cleaning him with a damp cloth last night. He was loads drier as it hadn't rained all day, but there was a couple of poos stuck in his fur, one on his foot and one in his tail :( I don't really know if it's best to try soaking them a bit, or to just take him to the vet for them to look at him as I don't really know what I'm doing? He wasn't happy with me either :(
 
It sounds as though etc has done some permanent neurological damage. This often happens. Is he having another 28 day course? Tbh I would bring them both back indoors he needs the support and warmth and to keep dry and away from flies
 
He had a 28 day course when we first noticed that he was having trouble with his back feet, and had a 9 days course last year as well. Is it worth giving him another course though?

I really don't know where to put them inside - my conservatory floor is damp and smells so is probably mouldy so can't be good for them to be on, and I've got a house cat who I wouldn't trust with the rabbits, and no other bunny-proof rooms so I don't know where I could put them :( I've put them the snuggle safe on the front of the hutch so it is dry inside, but they've still got plenty of ventilation so it shouldn't get hot (not that it's hot here anyway). The only thing I can think of is putting them in my indoor hutch in my office, but it's tiny :(
 
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