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Making arthritic bunny more comfortable

F

flutimo

New Kit
My 9 year old mini lop has arthritis and has lost a lot of muslce mass which made him very unstable and unable to walk around without falling over.
He's been to the vet and has been given oral meds which he is doing well on and is much more mobile.
My only concern is that, when I let him out the next morning, he's very stiff and is unable to walk without falling over but gets better throughout the day.
I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help make him more comfortable throughout the night so that his joints arent too stiff in the morning?

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Where does he live? I had electricity in my shed and my 10 year old bunny very much appreciated a plug-in Petnap aluminium heat pad. She'd sit on it all night long and I think it help her feel a bit better - a bit like us soaking aching joints in a warm bath. You could also give him some nice thick vetbed type bedding.
 
Mackers said:
Where does he live? I had electricity in my shed and my 10 year old bunny very much appreciated a plug-in Petnap aluminium heat pad. She'd sit on it all night long and I think it help her feel a bit better - a bit like us soaking aching joints in a warm bath. You could also give him some nice thick vetbed type bedding.
Click to expand...
He lives in the backyard during the day and at night we bring him into the living room and put him in a large box with blankets and pillows.
I'm not sure if being cold is the problem since he's in the house-but I'll definitely give that a try!
Ive also heard a lot about vet beds- Are there any alternatives to them?
Thanks for the suggestions!
 
Massage can be very helpful for arthritic Rabbits. Hind leg weakness/stiffness is often the result of the loss of muscle at the rear end of the Rabbit as well as the actual arthritis. Massage helps promote good circulation within muscle tissue. Physiotherapy can be useful too. Some Rabbits respond well to acupuncture, although some find that too stressful. Maybe you could discuss these options with your Vet ?

This may be useful to take a look at :

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/arthritis.html
 
Mackers said:
Where does he live? I had electricity in my shed and my 10 year old bunny very much appreciated a plug-in Petnap aluminium heat pad. She'd sit on it all night long and I think it help her feel a bit better - a bit like us soaking aching joints in a warm bath. You could also give him some nice thick vetbed type bedding.
Click to expand...


Thank you for the suggestion of a plug-in heat pad Mackers :thumb: I think I may invest in one for the winter ...
 
MightyMax said:
Thank you for the suggestion of a plug-in heat pad Mackers :thumb: I think I may invest in one for the winter ...
Click to expand...

Just make sure it's one that can't be chewed. The Petnap one is all metal with a metal covered cable. Flora used to love it! The piggies have it now as they live in the conservatory and it's quite cold in the winter.
 
Mackers said:
Just make sure it's one that can't be chewed. The Petnap one is all metal with a metal covered cable. Flora used to love it! The piggies have it now as they live in the conservatory and it's quite cold in the winter.
Click to expand...

Will do, thanks :thumb:
 
What medication was prescribed, and the frequency? Just thinking that if it is metacam and is only being given once daily in the morning, that could explain the morning stiffness, as the previous days dose likely would have worn off by then and would take some time for the next dose to take effect.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Massage can be very helpful for arthritic Rabbits. Hind leg weakness/stiffness is often the result of the loss of muscle at the rear end of the Rabbit as well as the actual arthritis. Massage helps promote good circulation within muscle tissue. Physiotherapy can be useful too. Some Rabbits respond well to acupuncture, although some find that too stressful. Maybe you could discuss these options with your Vet ?

This may be useful to take a look at :

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/arthritis.html
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link! Yes I've been giving him daily messages which he absolutely loves ☺
Unfortunately I dont think my vet provides acupuncture 😕

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Jbun said:
What medication was prescribed, and the frequency? Just thinking that if it is metacam and is only being given once daily in the morning, that could explain the morning stiffness, as the previous days dose likely would have worn off by then and would take some time for the next dose to take effect.
Click to expand...
Meloxicam was prescribed which I think is the same as metacam? We were instructed to give 0.35 ml every 24hrs so maybe that's why? Do you think I should divide it into two doses?

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flutimo said:
Meloxicam was prescribed which I think is the same as metacam? We were instructed to give 0.35 ml every 24hrs so maybe that's why? Do you think I should divide it into two doses?

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Click to expand...

How much does your Rabbit weigh, Metacam (Meloxicam) doses are calculated according to body weight ? Some Vets who are not too clued up on Rabbits tend to under dose. The dose range now suggested it 0.3mg-0.6mg/kg/day.

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Meloxicam.htm

Also, as Jbun mentioned, Rabbits excrete Meloxicam at a faster rate than other animals, so they may benefit from having the dose split into 12 hourly ones.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16521861

Finally, some Vets dispense the 'Cat' version of Metacam which is 0.5mg/ml and some dispense the 'Dog' Metacam which is 1.5mg/ml. So you also need to establish which version of Metacam you have.

Not exactly straight forward is it !!
 
Jack's-Jane said:
How much does your Rabbit weigh, Metacam (Meloxicam) doses are calculated according to body weight ? Some Vets who are not too clued up on Rabbits tend to under dose. The dose range now suggested it 0.3mg-0.6mg/kg/day.

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Meloxicam.htm

Also, as Jbun mentioned, Rabbits excrete Meloxicam at a faster rate than other animals, so they may benefit from having the dose split into 12 hourly ones.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16521861

Finally, some Vets dispense the 'Cat' version of Metacam which is 0.5mg/ml and some dispense the 'Dog' Metacam which is 1.5mg/ml. So you also need to establish which version of Metacam you have.

Not exactly straight forward is it !!
Click to expand...
My rabbit weighs 1.8 kg but we're still working towards his usual weight of 2.1! I think he was prescribed the 'Dog version' because the bottle says 1.5mg/ml.
Thanks for the links :) I'll have a look at them
 
flutimo said:
My rabbit weighs 1.8 kg but we're still working towards his usual weight of 2.1! I think he was prescribed the 'Dog version' because the bottle says 1.5mg/ml.
Thanks for the links :) I'll have a look at them
Click to expand...

You could certainly ask your vet to increase the dose if he/she thinks it appropriate. The dose you prescribe could be given twice a day. Some vets under prescribe, and a rabbit remains in pain. You have to balance the advantages with the fact that it can be hard on the kidneys, though. Perhaps your vet is taking this into account ... ?
 
MightyMax said:
You could certainly ask your vet to increase the dose if he/she thinks it appropriate. The dose you prescribe could be given twice a day. Some vets under prescribe, and a rabbit remains in pain. You have to balance the advantages with the fact that it can be hard on the kidneys, though. Perhaps your vet is taking this into account ... ?
Click to expand...
Yes I think the vet is being a bit cautious because he did get a blood test and the enzymes in his kidneys was a bit high. She was speculating that it was due to his weight loss but isn't 100percent sure so he's due back for a checkup on Monday. So maybe the vet might increase his dose based on how he's doing?

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I just have another question. Some time during the night, my bunny falls to the side and cant get back upright on his own and gets his caecotrophs stuck onto his belly which means I have to wash him very frequently. Is there a way to prevent that from happening?

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flutimo said:
I just have another question. Some time during the night, my bunny falls to the side and cant get back upright on his own and gets his caecotrophs stuck onto his belly which means I have to wash him very frequently. Is there a way to prevent that from happening?

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Click to expand...

What type of flooring is he on ? Do you mean he is unable to get up himself until someone helps him ?
 
flutimo said:
I just have another question. Some time during the night, my bunny falls to the side and cant get back upright on his own and gets his caecotrophs stuck onto his belly which means I have to wash him very frequently. Is there a way to prevent that from happening?

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Click to expand...

Would putting him onto a mat, or even better, some vetbed help him to get up again and keep himself clean? Vetbed is lovely and soft and would cushion his fall.
 
MightyMax said:
Would putting him onto a mat, or even better, some vetbed help him to get up again and keep himself clean? Vetbed is lovely and soft and would cushion his fall.
Click to expand...
Yes I was thinking about vetbed too but my local pet stores don't stock them 😕😕

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flutimo said:
Yes I was thinking about vetbed too but my local pet stores don't stock them 😕😕

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Click to expand...

You should be able to get it easily online or through a vet surgery (though may be more expensive) :thumb: It gives a good soft grip and if there's any wee (because of not getting to the litter tray) it allows the moisture through and bunny doesn't end up laying on wet towels etc ...
 
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