Goofball's leg is injured--U/D: Goofball passed away on Saturday

There seems to be something wrong with Goofball, but I just can't quite put my finger on it. This late afternoon around 5:30 pm, I took Goofball to the backyard to do her usual hopping and running at the backyard.

Even as of yesterday, she does some running on her own. But today she didn't do any running, she did walk around the backyard. There is no wind at all, but the weather is just slightly cool, as it tries to rain.

In the end, I do my usual chase with her, and normally in the past 2 year's summer, she would run as I chase her. But not today. She only run a few steps.

As she hopped back to the house, we have a 2 step concrete slab, she usually hopped from the ground to the top surface of the slab, then walk into the house. Today, she almost missed that step as she hopped on top of the surface, she has to struggle a bit because she lost her footing, she didn't fall, but she has to wiggle a bit to balance.

This simple hop is something that she has done for almost 2 years, and so did my past bridge bunnies.



see photo for height of the concrete slab at the back door.

After she came back in with me around 6:30 pm, she seems a bit dull. I observed her way of walking, her rear, right foot is not really resting on the carpet as she hops around the main floor.

But as she hops back to 2nd floor along the stairs, her motion and speed is normal, her weight sits equally on both feet.

In the evening, she hops around the room in the 2nd floor, and she didn't rest her weight on her rear right feet neither.

She also hide for hours in the "tunnel", this is her way of isolating herself. In Feb. 2007, when her teeth cuts her tongue and blood came her, she did the same thing, hide in that tunnel. Other than these 2 times, she never use the tunnel since Feb. 2007.

She also pee on her usual spot with clear transparent color urine, but lie her body on it. By past experience, whenever she do that, it seems she doesn't care about her well being. So some part of her body is wet.

But on the other hand, she did eat her carrot, 3 big leaf of spinach, and a sizeable amount of watermelon. I don't give her spinach anymore, but tonight, she didn't eat any pellet, so I tempt her with spinach.

Bunny poos size and quantity is perfectly normal. My guess is, somehow her leg is injured, and the pain is affecting her diet.

she hasn't drink any water this evening since 6:30 pm or so.

The only possible incident that could cause this is, on Monday, she jumped down from the edge of this chair (old summer 2005 photo when she's 3 mth. old)



to the ground carpet. So it's a 27 inch from the ground. And on Mon. night, she was sitting next to me, hop on the edge of the chair, and jumped down. As she do so, I try to catch her as I thought it's slight high for her, her feet (the top part) did tangle on the edge of the chair, but as she lands, I would think her feet still land nicely on the ground.

I booked an appointment with the vet on Fri. 2:30 pm, she said if she stop eating then call her and maybe I'll get a "sneak-in" appointment tomorrow (Thurs.).

But at the end of the day, I just can't quite put my finger on this. I traced the bones of her right, rear foot 3 times, I do the same thing on her left rear feet. There is no trace of any broken bones, she has absolute no reaction as I did this on neither feet. As I trace her right, rear foot, one toe at a time, along the length of her toe, to the palm of her foot, there is nothing broken, nor did she display any pain or reaction. How can you tell if it's injured?

And if it's injured, what would be the treatment?

When scout broke her leg she was blatantly limping. She went into shock and wet herself with pain, wouldnt let me touch her but still had feeling in her leg....it was heartbreaking.

She had an xray to confirm the break which was near her femure. The ends were not aligned properly and i was given the option of leaving it to heal naturally (she was only 14 weeks) or having it pinned to set the bone edges together. Pinning gave a better chance for a straight set so we went ahead with the op three days later to allow swelling to subside.

Within 6 weeks she was using it fine and now you cant even tell it was ever broken.....her treatment cost over £300....but was worth every single penny.

It doesn't sound like she's broken it might she might have sprined it. Alternatively it could be a nerve problem that's causing weakness in the backlegs rather than pain from an injury. The vet will probably manipulate her backlegs and be able to tell more from that

Tam

I don't think it's broken neither. I manage to move the appointment to today at 2:30 pm rather than tomorrow. Only 1 hr. to go. Thanks everyone, I'll keep you post when I come back from the vet.

Any news on Goofy

Fiona x

I'm afraid I've made a horrible mistake and injured her in the process. In the past 2 summer (2005 & 2006), because we can only go out when it is warm, so the only time period she can do some running in the back yard is from mid April to October or so. I need to do the running as an exercise as in the winter, she just stay inside the house.

So in the past 2 summers, as she sit outside at various spots on the yard, with some sort of hopping around. And I want to make her do some degree of running for a minute or 2, otherwise she would just sit there most of the time, although there are some instance that she does a bit of running on her own. To make sure she do some running, I walk behind her, and either tickle on her foot or just grab it. Since she hate anyone touching her foot, so the moment I touch it, or try to touch it, she'll run away.

This work quite nicely for the past 2 summers and I do the above this spring since mid April or so. She does 1 run per day. What happened was, on Tuesday, as I grab her foot, she yank my hand off as usual, this is the exact same process as it were everyday in the past 2 summers, but somehow this time, the yanking motion broke her right femur on the exterior side, i.e., her right knee on the outer side.

I just can't believe a motion that simple, and I never grab her foot hard, and always let go as she run, can cause any bones to break.

I'll live with this mistake and the future consequences for the rest of my life. Surgery is set for Fri. at noon.

Sending lots of hugs to Goofball! Claire x

Oh dear poor Goofball

I hope the surgery goes well for her.

Janex

Good luck to Goofball. XXX

Hope all goes well for Goofball.

Don't be hard on yourself, they are fragile things really. I often tease my bunnies my tickling their feet and holding their legs for a moment. It would just have been an awkward move she made.

I would have thought the giants could withstand that well, so don't be too down about it. She was NOT injured deliberately. I have accidentally dropped two of my bunnies over the years :shock: Accidents happen

Let's give even more support to Jason here and vibes to Goofball!

Fiona x

Goofball is such a stunning bun and well done for having the guts to own up, none of us are perfect
Hope her surgery goes well and keep us posted.

I hope she recovers quickly. Scouts bones were so fragile as a wee babe and they barley had enough bone to get the pins into but an adult bunny should be a much easier op.

The hard bit is keeping the stithes intact and restricting movement for a few weeks.

Lots of vibes X

Shes gorgeous
I really hope all goes well for her

Well, the news goes from bad to worse. It's bone cancer, that's why the joint breaks the way it did so easily. 15 min. before the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Alun Cooksley (who used to live in Britain for many years before he moved to Canada) opens up Goofball, he called me and ask about the nature of the accident.

And he told me that he took 4 more x-rays, there is very few bone density at the area, suggesting that it is a tumor, because after I describe the accident to him, he said that bone cannot break that easily, unless it is bone cancer.

After he cut Goofball open, he confirmed it is, in fact, bone cancer. So in a way, it's mixed blessing that I grabbed her leg and caused the accident, otherwise, I would not have known there is cancer cells in her body.

I have rabbits for 9 years now, since my first rabbit, Big Fat Bunny, passed away, I realize the signs of illness is subtile, but in the past 1 3/4 years or so, the only incident that can accounts for subtile signs of illness is the night when Goofball came back from the 1 month post dental surgery check up (March 20, 2007), where for about 55 min. or so, it seems as something spooked her, see this thread:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=42228

now it seems that could be the first sign of bone cancer, but there is no other subtile signs before or after that. In the past 1.9 years, her diet is exceptional, lots of bunny poos, drinking water normally, and loves bunny treats all the time.

The surgeon gave me 2 choices, one is to put her to sleep, the other is to cut off the bone cancer part of her leg. So obviously, I chose the leg removal option, as even as of Wednesday, before her injury, there is no sign of pain of any kind.

I remember some members posted a rabbit on a wheelchair, and off hand, I can't find that thread, but I remember there is a link to the purchase of the chair. If anyone recall that link, please post it here.

The vet nurse who dealt with exotic pet said rabbit can functions quite well with 3 legs and I might not even need that wheelchair. Because it is a burden to Goofball, if it is not necessary, I don't want to bother her with it.

Has anyone take their rabbit to do chemotherapy, if so:

1) what are the side effect? Is it painful to the rabbit? Would she lose all her fur? The people that I talk to said that once bone cancer is discovered, it has already spread, and chemo is not remotely effective.

Other than that, I spoke to the original breeder, this is his side of the story:

About 20 years ago, he started with 4 - 5 Flemish Giant, during that 20 years spread, he introduce 2 new set of DNA on 2 different sources of Flemish Giants to breed with his. I said that's not enough genetic diversification, but he said that you don't need new DNA per generation.

He also said that as breeders, his focus is on "Show Rabbits", and he has breed half brother with half sister, one at least one occasion, a father and a daughter, and that he killed his rabbits to the zoo when a new mother, which starts producing 6 to 8 babies, thru out the years, eventually down turn to producing 3 babies.

So to me, correct me if I were wrong, that very poor breeding technique and with very poor genetic diversification. Anyhoo, he retired a few years ago, and the 30 or so rabbits he got left was sold to that lady in Abbottford BC, and she introduce a new set of DNA from another source of Flemish Giant, and my rabbit, Goofball is from the first generation baby of that mix. Essentially 50% of the DNA is fresh, the other 50% is from that 20 year generation of breeding with only 2 new set of DNA in that 20 year spreads.

One important thing I learnt being here in RU for 2 years is that I should have get a rehome rabbit. At the time, I like Flemish Giant, so all 4 of my rabbits in the past 9 years are Flemish Giants. But if and when Goofball passed away due to bone cancer, the next rabbits, preferably a neutered male and a spay female, would definitely be from SPCA.

Oh I am so so sorry for your Goofball and the terrible news . You did the right thing to give her every chance now, and youre so very right, it is so difficult to see any early warning.
I remember that picture of her in the Red chair which you have posted before, and thought she was so extraordinary. My thoughts are with you and sending many many vibes for her fast recovery. xx

Aww, I'm so sorry it was bad news. I really hope Goofball recovers well.

OMG Goofball!
Vey best wishes to her (and you)
I also remember seeing that cart thing but wouldn't know where to look.

Oh Jason I am very sorry

I dont have any experience of Chemo for Rabbits. I dont think its an option open to us in the UK yet although I have read of some cases in the USA.

If Goofball were my Rabbit I think I'd be looking at doing everything possible to make her remaining time comfortable. I am not sure that I would embark on chemo for osteosarcoma, even if it were to be available.

Rabbits are so unlike other animals. They respond profoundly, in a PHYSIOLOGICAL way, to stress. If chemo involved numerous Vet trips and IV infussions I dont think I would want to put a Bun of mine through it.
It may buy a few months of time but, IMO, it would be time of less quality than allowing the Bun to live out their remaining weeks/months in peace and comfort with the very best palliative care.

Here are some links you may find helpful

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/bun_bun_final_column.htm

http://www.k9carts.com/

http://www.doggon.net/

http://www.vetcancersociety.org/

http://www.gcvs.com/oncology/pwc/index.htm

http://www.hopperhome.com/Disabled Rabbit.htm

I am sure you will do all you can for Goofball

Janex

No advice to give, but jusn't wanted you to know that I am thinking of you both and wishing you all the best x