Eldery bunny with arthritis - worried about pain

Hi

Leon is now 10 years old. He is now suffering from arthritis in his back legs. He struggles to get about now. Doesn't venture far from his mat in the house, which was never like him,no surface would phase him. over the past month now one his front legs has starting sticking out to the side. He lets me touch but when he is sitting up it keeps moving away from him. Is this what they call splayed leg?

He now has to go the vet every few months for a check up as he is in Loxicom (dog kind). We started him off on a dosage of 7 on the syringe (sorry not sure the units) and over the past fortnight I have increased it to 10 (vet advised I could do this) but it doesn't seem to have a made a difference.

He now lives in our attached garage where its all on one level for him and gets a heater on regularly which he seems to really like. He still gets the run of the garden. every now and then I catch him hopping about thinking its a good day for him and then other days he mainly sits on one spot.

He is still eating very well and going to the toilet. I haven't seen him eat much hey for a while though. He needs weekly bathing as he struggles to clean himself now.


Obviously the arthritis will never get better but I'm just worried that he is in pain. How will I know when its too much for him? Can the vet try him on something else or should I be asking for an x-ray?

He's a grand age.

Arthritis is a difficult condition sadly. He will have good and bad days, just as humans with arthritis do.
Keeping his environment warm will help keep the joints mobile, I know some people use electric heating pads. Hopefully they will see this and be able to advise what they use/recommend.

Using vet bed around his enclosure so he has soft & supporting areas to lay will also help.

You're the only one who will really know when enough is enough.
But xrays and trying different medications may be beneficial. The xrays will purely be to see the extent of the arthritis and see if it's creating any other complications.

Trying different pain killers to find what works for him. Pain medication is very personal, just as with humans (paracetamol doesn't work for some, does for others etc)

Many owners report marked improvement using acupuncture so maybe discuss finding a referral place with your vet if he's not already receiving this treatment.

I'd also be tempted to discuss physiotherapy with your vet as this may help slow down the muscle wastage that will occur.

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k.mdaniels said:

Hi

Leon is now 10 years old. He is now suffering from arthritis in his back legs. He struggles to get about now. Doesn't venture far from his mat in the house, which was never like him,no surface would phase him. over the past month now one his front legs has starting sticking out to the side. He lets me touch but when he is sitting up it keeps moving away from him. Is this what they call splayed leg?

He now has to go the vet every few months for a check up as he is in Loxicom (dog kind). We started him off on a dosage of 7 on the syringe (sorry not sure the units) and over the past fortnight I have increased it to 10 (vet advised I could do this) but it doesn't seem to have a made a difference.

He now lives in our attached garage where its all on one level for him and gets a heater on regularly which he seems to really like. He still gets the run of the garden. every now and then I catch him hopping about thinking its a good day for him and then other days he mainly sits on one spot.

He is still eating very well and going to the toilet. I haven't seen him eat much hey for a while though. He needs weekly bathing as he struggles to clean himself now.


Obviously the arthritis will never get better but I'm just worried that he is in pain. How will I know when its too much for him? Can the vet try him on something else or should I be asking for an x-ray?

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Well done for looking after Leon so well - he's reached a great old age!

I had similar problems with my bunny of 14 years old - she had stiff legs but it varied day to day.

Metacam (Loxicom) can help, but only up to a point. Another to try would be tramadol. Both have side effects and you need to discuss their long term use with your vet.

I have used (and still do) 24/7 heated pads for arthritic rabbits. Some on here say they overheat and get dangerous, but the one I use is also used by my vet for recovering animals. So if you choose carefully they can be an absolute godsend

Acupuncture and physiotherapy can work for *some* bunnies, so that would be trial and error.

An X-ray will show you the extent of the arthritis, but will no doubt involve a (potentially risky) GA and won't tell you how much pain he is in. That would be your choice. If you bathe him how much water do you use and do you dry him thoroughly afterwards? Rabbit fur is notorious for staying damp and this can be irritating to his skin over time.

You might like to read up here about supplements:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Bone_diseases/Osteo/arthritis.htm

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/arthritis.html

Some have recommended Boswellia Serrata (Frankinsence ) for arthritis - but be very careful when using alternatives. Just because it's natural doesn't make it safe!

If he has problems hopping into a litter tray then you can use a potting tray with a low front to minimise his having to hop.

Sore hocks can be a secondary problem in arthritic Rabbits, so providing traction so he can get around easily without slipping or falling is important. Carpet can be abrasive and wood/lino etc often doesn't provide enough grip. Vet bed is excellent and very comfortable.

Good luck with him

My elderly arthritic bunny LOVED her plug-in heatpad. We had this one http://www.petnap.co.uk/acatalog/Flexiguard-Petnap-Pet-heat-Pad-2.html#SID=1 - the 44x33cm with an additional fleecy cover. She adored it and I thinkbeing able to sit on a very gentle heat definitely helped with discomfort. I wouldn't recommend the microwave snugglesafe. They get VERY hot initially AND are quite awkward to sit on for a bunny with mobility issues.

What does he weigh? His metacam dose still sounds very low, whatever he weighs. My Daisy weighs 5.5kg and gets a 20kg dog dose twice a day, for her arthritis...