What's wrong with our rabbit?

Our rabbit seems to have a problem with his back legs. There's a video of him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTY9ifgJZ1M

Sometimes he's okay hopping but then he loses control and falls over. It can be easily and repeatedly prompted by getting him to run a little distance across the lawn. However he does also do it across shorter distances. Even as he's hopping around his more enclosed run, you can see he's struggling to move at times, perhaps especially if he's been sat still for a while and we toss him some food. Now and again he'll seem to be trying to get at his back legs, as if he can feel that they're troubling him (you can see this right at the end of the video). He doesn't seem to be in any pain though, and he has no problem with you touching, prodding or brushing him in that area.

He's only about 2.5 years old. He didn't do this when he was very young, but he's been getting progressively worse for the last 18 months. The vet tried a course of worming tablets, then a course of metacam to see if it was early onset arthritis. Neither made any difference.

Anyone else seen this and can shed some light?

Thanks very much

Aww, he looks a real sweetie. Its nice to see his disability isn't holding him back in that he really wants to move & does.

What diagnostics have been carried out so far ? Has your vet explored E>Cunniculi ? That can cause hind leg weaknessHave any xrays been done - I'm guessing these would be helpful. If it was EC related In my experience bunnies don't mine the prodding so much as I don't think they feel so much. I'm no expert though - just really trying to get the ball rolling til more experienced members chip in

What a sweet bunny

As joey&boo said hopefully some other members can chip and I didn't just want to read and hop by.

I hope you are able to get to the bottom of it

Could it be an infection that is causing his neurological or balance issue?

SpeedyTheRabbit said:

Our rabbit seems to have a problem with his back legs. There's a video of him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTY9ifgJZ1M

Sometimes he's okay hopping but then he loses control and falls over. It can be easily and repeatedly prompted by getting him to run a little distance across the lawn. However he does also do it across shorter distances. Even as he's hopping around his more enclosed run, you can see he's struggling to move at times, perhaps especially if he's been sat still for a while and we toss him some food. Now and again he'll seem to be trying to get at his back legs, as if he can feel that they're troubling him (you can see this right at the end of the video). He doesn't seem to be in any pain though, and he has no problem with you touching, prodding or brushing him in that area.

He's only about 2.5 years old. He didn't do this when he was very young, but he's been getting progressively worse for the last 18 months. The vet tried a course of worming tablets, then a course of metacam to see if it was early onset arthritis. Neither made any difference.

Anyone else seen this and can shed some light?

Thanks very much

Click to expand...

Hello

I suspect that your Rabbit has sustained some neurological damage as a result of a previous infection with a parasite called Encephalitozoon Cuniculi (EC). Although without further diagnostics, eg blood tests and Xrays, it's impossible to say for sure. It sounds as though the Vet may have thought this too, hence the prescribing of the 'worming tablets' , probably Fenbendazole (AKA Panacur). Whilst Fenbendazole can reduce the number of EC spores circulating in the bloodstream it cannot cure any damage already done by EC spores erupting into the CNS/various body organs. Metacam is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory and in cases of 'active' EC it is usually prescribed alongside Panacur to try to minimise the inflammation caused when EC spores erupt. It is the inflammation that causes clinical symptoms and permanent cellular damage.

There is some additional information about EC here

https://www.dechra.co.uk/therapy-ar...cs-antifungals/disease-information/e-cuniculi

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/disease/e-cuniculi/

https://www.dovepress.com/encephali...-manageme-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-VMRR

http://www.greendale.co.uk/cuniculi_disease.html



And also some information about other possible causes of hind leg paresis

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/Differentials/paresis.htm



Speedy seems to be coping quite well with his disability. This website could be useful to take a look at

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

Finally, his disability is likely to make him at high risk of Flystrike, so you do need to be very mindful about his hygiene. He may not always be able to keep himself clean

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/illness/flystrike/

Jack's-Jane said:

I suspect that your Rabbit has sustained some neurological damage as a result of a previous infection with a parasite called Encephalitozoon Cuniculi (EC). Although without further diagnostics, eg blood tests and Xrays, it's impossible to say for sure. It sounds as though the Vet may have thought this too, hence the prescribing of the 'worming tablets' , probably Fenbendazole (AKA Panacur).

Click to expand...

Yes that sounds a like what he was orignally prescribed, for possible EC. The vet wasn't too hopeful because he wasn't showing any of the other symptoms, his eyes were fine and he held his head straight. We hadn't noticed him do that in the weeks previously either.
So on the one hand it sounds like we need to take him back to the vet to get him tested some more for a diagnosis, but then it also sounds like there isn't anything that could be done for him even if they confirmed a prior EC infection?

Thanks for all your help everyone!

Oh, just reading those links you posted, and the third picture on the medirabbit link:



He does sometimes sit like this, we didn't realise it was likely another symptom.

Thanks

SpeedyTheRabbit said:

Yes that sounds a like what he was orignally prescribed, for possible EC. The vet wasn't too hopeful because he wasn't showing any of the other symptoms, his eyes were fine and he held his head straight. We hadn't noticed him do that in the weeks previously either.
So on the one hand it sounds like we need to take him back to the vet to get him tested some more for a diagnosis, but then it also sounds like there isn't anything that could be done for him even if they confirmed a prior EC infection?

Thanks for all your help everyone!

Click to expand...

It is difficult because EC tests aren't super useful in that more than not domestic rabbits will carry it but never exhibit symptoms. That said a negative test would rule out EC & i guess get the vets to explore other causes . Then there are tests how high it is but these are apparently easy to misread. I've found panacur had really good results on my EC buns for the main part but not my last. If you feel he is getting worse though i think its worth revisiting with your vet or ask for a specialist referral. Some buns get one attack of EC, for others its a re-occurrent battle.

Unfortunately I've had quite a lot of EC in my bunnies & it can present in so many different ways. My Boo for example has never showed any signs apart from uveitis in one eye. Mouse was diagnosed with EC when she was in Rescue - she had head tilt but no other symptoms, she's had no EC symptoms for the 6 years since. Rudey, a bunny I lost recently had kidney damage caused by EC, he got hind limb weakness later but his mobility did improve. He drank alot & had urinary incontinence (which was what prompted tests) but his brain & eyes showed no evidence of being affected. It all depends which areas of the body it takes hold of. It is known to affect eyes, brain, kidneys, spinal cord, may affect the heart