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help for Berrys legs please.

BerryJane

Alpha Buck
Hi, Berry has had bad back legs for around a year now. We have completely adapted the living room to help him. He has been on metacam for a while . The vets - who are good I think - don't believe it to be arthritis more muscle waste and say there is nothing else they can do. He is getting significantly worse and all though can move around his back legs tilt to the side making his body tilt as he moves.

I wonder if anyone had any advice / names of injections that may have helped their rabbits at all. I can then take these names and see what my vets think.

He is in every other way healthy and still wants to investigate. He is 8.5 and I really don't want to lose him to his legs.

Cheers on advance for any replies.:)
 
No xrays been done. A while back - possibly 6 months, we did 2 weeks on metacam, 2 weeks off to see if it made a difference or not. I did not see a difference in him so the vet said it was unlikely to be arthritis as I would have noticed the difference.

She basically said it was muscle waste, nothing can be done but give metacam to ensure he not in pain. He has about 1ml a day. He has "bad days" on and off but then not too bad ones. He is currently having a "bad week!" . I am unsure what to push for as they ruled out steroids as they can effect organs etc but am sure I read on here of some having such treatment.

I had not heard of physio until I read of your lovely Colins although i do gently massage him myself.

I think I will take him back, see if he has lost weight and ask again. I have to do something as it's hard to watch him.

Thanks for the reply and I will look at the link .x x
 
Thank you. I have been ' googling' a fair bit today. It's the balance between helping him and stressing him out to much. I remember on here so.wines rabbit had an injection and I think it began with z ( rubbish info I know:oops:) just cantvfind it anywhere. Myvets are great but very cautious about rabbits having steroids and stuff. Will probe further. Cheers. X x
 
How can a vet rule out arthritis without having taken an X-Ray? Although they might not want to put the rabbit under, which is what would be required to do that.

I assume EC has been ruled out as a cause? (this can cause nerve damage and hence hind leg weakness).
 
Prednisone is very effective at getting old rabbits mobile again. A dose of 1-2mg per kg works well. It can be given with tramadol if the vet doesn't want to use with metacam. An antibiotic adjunct is a good idea to prevent immune system compromise

Physio therapy is also effective - nothing fancy just working his legs for him for 5-10 minutes per day can help.

I don't care what the books say extra quality of life suits rabbits perfectly - I would not be without press for my old rabbits.
 
Steroids cannot be used alongside metacam and their use is no longer standard for neurological conditions. I would go back to the vets and discuss having x rays done to investigate any changes in the hips.
 
Thanks for replies.

I think the vet ruled out arthritis as there was no difference in Berry whether he was on metacam or not. Apparently I should have seen him improve the weeks he was on metacam. No x ray has been done, I believe we did list his age as a factor.

Nobody has mentioned ec as he has slowly got worse over the last 18 months. A slip here, a wobble there originally then more and more obvious.

Doorkeeper, thanks for those 'names" will see what vet says. I have been looking also for local physiotherapists .

I will def be going back and asking about more options. Thanks all x x
 
A few of our rabbits have spondylosis of the spine which causes hind leg weakness due to pressure on the nerves. But again this would need an xray for diagnosis.

Some vets have a physio and acupuncture service, our vets also do home visits for these which we have found very useful in the past.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2
 
My bridge bunny Roger had a stroke and was left paralysed down his right side, and struggled to get about because of his weak back legs, but I saw a programme on the tele about 'Special Needs' pets, and one of them was a rabbit who had a cart made to fit him by 'The Dog Mobile Company'. Contact number is 01262 851632. They are an absolutely brilliant husband and wife team. Angela takes the orders and will discuss your needs fully with you, and then Bob makes each item individually to fit the pet it is required for.

I didn't have a cart for Roger, but they had an excellent product called a 'Quicklift' which is what I bought for only about £22. Basically it is like a sling to go underneath your pet, and you are then able to walk along the side of your pet, supporting him, but allowing him to actually get his legs working and build the muscles back up. I really can't praise it enough, and the more time you are able to put in, the quicker you will see results.

Initially, I started off just doing a couple of laps in the front room, but within about 2 weeks, we were actually walking outside in the garden, and Roger really perked up becoming mobile again. It helped him a lot, but because of being paralysed one side, he wasn't able to get about himself unaided, but the health benefits in getting him moving again were tremendous, and he was able to move about on his duvet by himself.

If you decided to try this, you may well actually find as Berry is not paralysed, that it does then get him strong enough to get about himself. I don't actually see any reason why it shouldn't if it is simply muscle wastage, as really all you need to do, is get those legs working again.

I'm not so sure if massage is of too much use, but when Roger was sat up with me, I used to do exercises with his back legs, such as fully extending them very slowly and gently and with your free hand, apply some resistance to the feet so that they have to work harder to fully extend. It's best to gently bring one leg at a time as close to the abdomen as possible, and then fully extend, applying some resistance. Another one was doing full circles with the legs. Basically, you just need to get the legs working again, and the more you work them, the quicker they become stronger.
 
Thank you both for your replies. Berry is off to the vets tomorrow to see what they say

He is an incredibly tame house rabbit but I have never been able to syringe feed him. For this reason the thought of doing the physio myself gives me the eebie jeebies! Would need lessons for sure. He is 100% free range so has plenty of opportunities to get moving but it's horrid seeing him fall. He always gives me his 'anxious eye' look followed by ' aren't you going to pick me up please" look! :love:

Will go armed with all your wonderful tips and my Google findings and see what i can do for my best boy. Cheers all x x
 
Meant to add - sorry to hear about Roger - it sounds like he was very much loved. Will look into those harnesses! X x
 
Berry went to the vets on Friday and was seen by their best rabbit vet. He siad he would do some research on suitable drugs and treatment for him. He said he had some ideas but wanted to be sure they were ok.
True to his word he rang me at work on Monday with some good suggestions. First up was the xray, we didnt want him knocked out for it but he felt that Berrys temperament was such that he could do it with him awake. This took place this morning, he was the perfect patient,:love: and he has got arthritis in his legs, lower back and hips! :cry: So glad I pushed it. They also took bloods as he has lost some weight also.

He has prescribed tramadol (sp?) and a supplement for his joints as a better form of treatment than the metacam. That vet is away now til next week but is keen to see him and be involved in his treatment which I was really pleased with. Physio was mentioned and will be talked about when the medication has started.

Berry is so tame but I cannot syringe feed him at all. Metacam is dribbled on his food but I am dreading getting this medicaiton in him! Ho hum - needs must for my special boy.

Thanks for your advice and I will keep you posted and no doubt be badgering for more advice! :oops:
 
I am glad you have a diagnosis now :)

I really hope berry feels better with the meds very soon.

Acupuncture may be a help to her too :)

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2
 
Updated 3.4.14 - Help if possible please.

^ ^ Thanks - only just saw your reply :oops:

Wanted some advice if possible please.
Berry has been having the tramadol (sp?) hidden in various food items for the last 3 weeks now. The first 10 days we felt we noticed a difference in him as he was definately moving better. Then he started to be really bad again. I popped him back to 'Uncle Alan' ( who he has taken a real shine to:love:) who said that it was a flare up and quite common and things should settle back again. They did slightly but no better than before we started his tramadol. The last 2 days I can not get him to eat them at all. I have tried everything . Banana, apple, made into a paste and 'buttered' on parsley, lettuce, dandelion leaves with little joy. He is eating everything else normally so not worried about that aspect.

I was told to still give metacam so am dripping that on his bran as I have done for the past year. I am wondering whether to make the tramadol into a liquid and mix with his metacam but dont want to risk him then not taking his metacam. Syringing him is not an option - he is the only rabbit I have never been able to and I am not prepared to stress him out and risk injury by him struggling as he does.

I will keep trying and trying - it already takes so much time - that is not an issue but I guess I want to know what people think. How much extra pain relief it gives and how much he would be suffering if he only had his metacam.

He is so wobbly on his legs which is distressing to see :( but I think he is still having a great quality of life.

Help please - i know there are so many requests for help on here but if any of you have experience I would be grateful. :love:

Thanks xx
 
So glad to hear he's doing.better! If he's not taking the meds, I'd suggest asking the vet for advice regarding.mixing them, as well as advice for administering them. Maybe try "buttering" it onto a basil.leaf? Obviously they are a lot stronger in smell, so might cover up the scent of the meds or at least tempt him into trying the leaf?

Hope you get him taking them again :) xx

Sent from my LG-P880 using Tapatalk
 
Thank you for your reply.

Berry loathes basil - proper repels from it when he smells it! I think it's going to be a huge trial and what works one day nay not the next such is contrarians!

I guess I just want to know the difference in pain by just having metacam. Will ring the vets they good and know me well! :roll:;)
 
Have you tried it on Weetabix? Something I discovered last year - let the meds soak into a little bit of Weetabix, and put some mashed banana on top. I guess they're all different, but Tully went mad for that.
 
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