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wish i knew what was wrong...

wench

Young Bun
Winston is 7 and a half. His coat has been mess for a while now, at first I just thought he was shedding. However in addition to this he has lost some weight and appears to have good and bad days in relation to being lethargic. He has also stopped going upstairs in their hutch/ run. I let him and his bunny wife out for a period each day where they have the run of the garden and more often now he is choosing to stay in his run rather than come out. He is still eating perfectly normally. I have taken him to the vets today to get him checked out. The vet has said it could be a number of things ranging from a bit of old age, liver or kidney disease (however he left it to my decision as to whether I bring him in for tests to confirm this), arthritis ( for which pain relief would help however if it's not that and it is liver or kidney problems the pain relief would make things worse), his teeth were checked and whilst the vet said there were a few sharp edges he didn't think it enough to cause problems. I can't decide what to do next for Winston as he is a stress head and after a bad start in life (he was an abused rescue rabbit) he only trusts me, even today's trip to the vets for a check up was a big deal. Therefore leaving him in the vets for blood tests and x rays concerns me especially as he is in his twilight years. If I put him through the tests and it is liver or kidney disease can it be treated? Equally is there anything I can give him to help incase it's arthritis? Any suggestions gratefully received....
 
Hello, im not much use but i hope you get some advice on here. im waiting for a response to my health post! Where are you based, is your vet a good one? My bunnies are also rescues, they have grown in confidence over the years, but stays at the vets are always horrific for them and me! Best of luck. Not sure how long it takes for a blood test? Perhaps contact your vet by phone, ask what it involves x
 
Winston is 7 and a half. His coat has been mess for a while now, at first I just thought he was shedding. However in addition to this he has lost some weight and appears to have good and bad days in relation to being lethargic. He has also stopped going upstairs in their hutch/ run. I let him and his bunny wife out for a period each day where they have the run of the garden and more often now he is choosing to stay in his run rather than come out. He is still eating perfectly normally. I have taken him to the vets today to get him checked out. The vet has said it could be a number of things ranging from a bit of old age, liver or kidney disease (however he left it to my decision as to whether I bring him in for tests to confirm this), arthritis ( for which pain relief would help however if it's not that and it is liver or kidney problems the pain relief would make things worse), his teeth were checked and whilst the vet said there were a few sharp edges he didn't think it enough to cause problems. I can't decide what to do next for Winston as he is a stress head and after a bad start in life (he was an abused rescue rabbit) he only trusts me, even today's trip to the vets for a check up was a big deal. Therefore leaving him in the vets for blood tests and x rays concerns me especially as he is in his twilight years. If I put him through the tests and it is liver or kidney disease can it be treated? Equally is there anything I can give him to help incase it's arthritis? Any suggestions gratefully received....

Hello again stranger, I am really sorry that Winston is giving you cause for concern. Obviously it is impossible to say for certain, but the behaviour you describe can occur in Rabbits who have some arthritic discomfort. Especially how the degree to which the Rabbit appears to be effected can vary on a day to day basis. A Vet should be able to elicit some information from a careful hands on examination. However, in a very stressy Rabbit this may be more difficult as their muscles are already likely to be very tense due to stress, regardless of if they have any spinal/hip pain or not.

To be honest if you feel a blood test to check his major organ function is not appropriate at this stage and the Vet was unable to confirm or rule out arthritis then I would be minded to request a trial of a moderate dose of Metacam to see if it helps. Yes, if the problem were to be Liver/Kidney related this would carry risks. But the alternative is that Winston may be in some pain and that could account for his loss of condition. The scruffy coat due to a reduced ability to groom as a result of pain/stiffnes; weightloss as a result of chronic pain. So personally I would want to see if an anti-inflammatory analgesic helped.

Hope that despite this worry about Winston that you have been keeping well xx
 
Thankyou, I have contacted the vets and arranged to pick up some Metacam. I will try him on this and see if it gives him a boost. We are also going to be altering his house and run this weekend to make it more old bunny friendly e.g take it all to one level so there are no ramps etc. I was also going to consider looking at their food situation as a few people have mentioned Glucosamine. I really don't want to go along the blood test route unless I have to, as despite the fact I have had him for years he is very badly affected by the abuse he suffered before I adopted him. He even hides when my husband goes into the garden when he is out, and my husband is very patient and calm with him, so strangers could be very bad for Winston.
 
Winston is 7 and a half. His coat has been mess for a while now, at first I just thought he was shedding. However in addition to this he has lost some weight and appears to have good and bad days in relation to being lethargic. He has also stopped going upstairs in their hutch/ run. I let him and his bunny wife out for a period each day where they have the run of the garden and more often now he is choosing to stay in his run rather than come out. He is still eating perfectly normally. I have taken him to the vets today to get him checked out. The vet has said it could be a number of things ranging from a bit of old age, liver or kidney disease (however he left it to my decision as to whether I bring him in for tests to confirm this), arthritis ( for which pain relief would help however if it's not that and it is liver or kidney problems the pain relief would make things worse), his teeth were checked and whilst the vet said there were a few sharp edges he didn't think it enough to cause problems. I can't decide what to do next for Winston as he is a stress head and after a bad start in life (he was an abused rescue rabbit) he only trusts me, even today's trip to the vets for a check up was a big deal. Therefore leaving him in the vets for blood tests and x rays concerns me especially as he is in his twilight years. If I put him through the tests and it is liver or kidney disease can it be treated? Equally is there anything I can give him to help incase it's arthritis? Any suggestions gratefully received....

I'm sorry to hear about Winston. I think your vet's thoughts about it being a bit of old age arthritis, perhaps kidney issues etc could well be on the mark. As for the teeth - if he previously ate hay but doesn't now, it may be worth getting those little spurs looked at (he doesn't have to have anaesthetic), as they can prevent a rabbit eating even if they are small. Amazing how a rabbit's appetite can pick up when he has a decent set of gnashers!

If you don't want to do a blood test, your vet won't be able to prescribe Fortekor, which is the medication for kidney issues (is he drinking fine?). As you say, Metacam may make any kidney issues worse, but worth a try and see whether it's pain that's affecting him ....

Good luck with the little man. It's awful when they get older and we want to do our best but they can't tell us what's wrong!
 
Thankyou, I have contacted the vets and arranged to pick up some Metacam. I will try him on this and see if it gives him a boost. We are also going to be altering his house and run this weekend to make it more old bunny friendly e.g take it all to one level so there are no ramps etc. I was also going to consider looking at their food situation as a few people have mentioned Glucosamine. I really don't want to go along the blood test route unless I have to, as despite the fact I have had him for years he is very badly affected by the abuse he suffered before I adopted him. He even hides when my husband goes into the garden when he is out, and my husband is very patient and calm with him, so strangers could be very bad for Winston.

Hopefully with some changes to his environment and the doses of Metacam Winston will begin to show some signs of improvement xx
 
Thankyou, I have contacted the vets and arranged to pick up some Metacam. I will try him on this and see if it gives him a boost. We are also going to be altering his house and run this weekend to make it more old bunny friendly e.g take it all to one level so there are no ramps etc. I was also going to consider looking at their food situation as a few people have mentioned Glucosamine. I really don't want to go along the blood test route unless I have to, as despite the fact I have had him for years he is very badly affected by the abuse he suffered before I adopted him. He even hides when my husband goes into the garden when he is out, and my husband is very patient and calm with him, so strangers could be very bad for Winston.

I have used a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement for arthritic buns before ... It can be hard on the stomach, but if they tolerate it, it can work well :thumb:
 
Thank you. I am based near Mansfield. After a few bad experiences I now use Dove Vets in Stapleford (Nottingham). They are brilliant with small animals, compared to your average cat/ dog vet ( I have rescue guinea pigs aswell). They brought Winstons wife Crystal back from deaths door last Christmas when she had an impaction. It was really touch and go with her but they never gave up as long as Crystal and myself were still willing to fight. She is still going strong now
 
Thank you. I am based near Mansfield. After a few bad experiences I now use Dove Vets in Stapleford (Nottingham). They are brilliant with small animals, compared to your average cat/ dog vet ( I have rescue guinea pigs aswell). They brought Winstons wife Crystal back from deaths door last Christmas when she had an impaction. It was really touch and go with her but they never gave up as long as Crystal and myself were still willing to fight. She is still going strong now

Having a Vet you can trust is so important isn't it. I'm glad that Crystal is doing well xx
 
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