Rabbit geriatric problems - not sure what to do

[Lagomorphine]

One of our rabbits, Charlie, is really showing signs of age related deteriorating health and we are not sure what to do.
Here's a summary of the situation:
- He is about 8 years old and has been with us for 5 years. He has a large run in the garden, his bonded pair Willow died a few years ago, so he is on his own.
- As a result of cataracts, he is almost completely blind now, at best he can distinguish between daylight and night but we are not even sure of that.
- He has worsening mobility problems in his hind legs, basically he sort of drags them rather than using them as proper bunny legs.
- We suspect he can't properly reach his hind area, so we are not sure how much he is capable of eating his caecotrophs - his living area seems to have quite a few soft, mushy poos and probably as a result of all this, his hind legs are permanently dirty. We try to bathe him but with limited success, we suspect his poo and wee just end up on his hind legs.
- For the last few weeks (since the cold spell a few weeks ago) we brought him in the house, so currently he is living in our utility room, which is far from ideal but at least he can be monitored and cleaned out.
Apart from his pretty bad general condition, he seems reasonably happy, he shuffles around a bit, finding his way using smell and his whiskers, eats hay and pellets. But we are not sure how to go on.
Clearly he can't go outside any more and if he did he would be at risk of flystrike sooner or later, due to his dirty bottom. But living in the utility room is not sustainable in the long run (plus the flystrike would still be a risk).

Any ideas?

 

[Omi]

Poor lad I think first of all I would get a vet examination to establish the cause of him dragging his hind legs. If it's Arthritis, pain relief might help his mobility. I definitely wouldn't put him back outside.

 

[Shimmer]

I would also get him assessed by a vet. There may be relatively easy things that may improve his condition eg metacam, Panacur, etc. My first impression was that he may have the symptoms of long term EC infection.

I would definitely keep him indoors now. His skin will get very sore if it is constantly dirty and wet, so your vet may aso be able to advise on how to help with that as well.

 

[Preitler]

My 11yo Fury has some problems with her rear legs too, athritis in the hip I suppose, not too bad but in fall she started to sit at the ramp for 15 minutes before eventually going outside. Also, she didn't use the upstairs hutch anymore. Started to give her metacam, a rather low dose - and that really helped. She's her old bossy self again , even digging tunnels again. i also built a new ramp with long, low steps instead of a slope, easier for her.

I would get him checked by a vet too, even simple things like pain meds can help.

 

[InspectorMorse]

1- Vet consultation ASAP to establish cause of hind leg paresis/weakness, if arthritis then a NSAID such as Meloxicam would be needed and possibly additional analgesia such as Gabapentin or Paracetamol

2- Vertebral Disc Prolapse needs to be considered as a possibility

3- EC, possible but IMO not as likely as 1 or 2

4- He will need daily help with keeping clean- this might include ‘bum/ hind leg baths’, clipping of fur to make applying a barrier ointment possible to try to minimise urine scald

5- Will need to be kept on a surface which is non abrasive but has good traction. Sheets fixed in place over rugs or Vet bed for example

6 - Vet will need to check bladder for sludge. Poor mobility often causes a build up of calcium in the bladder leading to bladder sludge. This then causes urinary incontinence, cystitis and bladder infections

7- Ears will need to be checked regularly for a build up of wax. Rabbits with poor hind leg mobility can’t scratch their ears and a consequent build up of wax can lead to ear infections. The regular use of an ear cleaning solution is usually needed.

8- Check hocks regularly. Hind leg weakness can cause sore hocks

9- Complimentary therapies such as Massage, Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, Photobiomodulation Therapy can help reduce pain, improve circulation and reduce the rate of muscle wastage.

 

[bunny momma]

Sending you lots of vibes for Charlie.