Back legs

[Thumper123]

Just wanted to ask opinions about my rabbit please…over the last few months I’ve noticed her back legs are a bit odd. She is doing everything as normal but when she runs it’s slightly wonky.
This photo shows her sitting with her back leg quite forward, when she cleans her back end is completely on its side.
I have a video of her running but can’t upload a video.
They are in a shed at night, out in the day. The other day as she came out the shed her legs gave way twice, but she then carried on as usual.

We have been to the vets, they can’t find anything obviously wrong and just said to keep and eye on her. I do give her the oxbow joint supplement daily.

 

[Shimmer]

Did the vet suggest any Xrays, EC parasite or pain relief? Personally, I would want some further investigations. A rabbit that becomes disabled is an issue, especially when it lives outside in winter - I would want to know what I was dealing with so I could manage it better. I guess it means talking to your vet again, especially if she deteriorates further.

There could be some spinal / hip / joint / foot damage that is affecting the leg.
Maybe arthritis. Is she still managing to keep her bum clean? You didn't mention her age.
EC is a common parasite in rabbits. Often the first sympton is hind leg weakness or head tilt. It's treatable by daily oral Panacur and Metcam for 28 days. All companion rabbits need treating with Panacur at the same time.

 

[Thumper123]

Sorry, she is 6, lives with her sister. Yes she is clean.

The vet checked her legs physically and felt her spine and as she didn’t object felt she wasn’t in pain.

He said if it was neurological she could flop or have head tilt but she hasn’t done this. Aside from her legs she is doing everything as usual. Very food motivated and will chase me around the garden for it!

 

[InspectorMorse]

From the photo it looks like a classic example of a Rabbit with some spinal/hip arthritis. I would not be happy with a ‘wait and see‘ approach and would want a second opinion if the initial Vet is not willing to look into the problem more thoroughly.

Arthritis in Rabbits

Understanding arthritis in rabbits: symptoms, treatment, and care tips. Reliable resources from the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund.

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

Does your Rabbit have any thinning of the fur on her hocks/sore hocks? This can also be a symptom of arthritis.

 

[Thumper123]

No I can’t see any thinning of her fur. I think I’ll look around for vet who specialises in smaller animals.

The one I saw didn’t want to give her any medication as he said her legs have only given way once (that I’ve seen) so if he medicates her we won’t know if it would have happened again or not. Didn’t seem too worried about how her legs are in general.

 

[Shimmer]

I would look for another opinion / different vet.

Isn't the whole point of medication to resolve a condition?? Seems to be an odd response from a professional when there is an obvious issue, even if the cause hasn't been determined.

Recommended Rabbit-Friendly Vets

Find recommended rabbit-friendly vets near you. Explore our directory for expert care and support for your furry friend. Ensure the best healthcare for your rabbit

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

 

[joey&boo]

I wrote a thread called "legs akimbo" on here some years back. My bun sat in similar awkward looking positions & it turned out she did have arthritis. To an extent my vet could tell from physical exam but xrays gave a much fuller picture. Metacam really helped her initially as she became notably more active & that helps build much needed muscle.
She's a pretty bun

 

[Thumper123]

Oh really that’s interesting! I’ve found another vet who specialises more in smaller animals so I’m going to give them a try.
I imagine she will need some medication…bring on the chasing her around for it

 

[Pets mum]

Good luck with the new vet, hope you get an answer this time. If they prescribe metacam, I believe its palatable to most bunnies, I used to put it on my buns food, and she always ate it up.

 

[joey&boo]

This is true - my bun loved metacam & would willingly take from syringe. Good luck with your next appointment

 

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Good luck with the new vet

 

[Bhavani]

Hi @Thumper123, did you make any progress with this? My poor Cream, 9+ years old now, is having hind leg problems. She is an outdoor garden shed bun like yours. She had been limping slightly for a couple of weeks. We found hay had wrapped itself around her left hind foot and formed a ligature that was swelling her foot! The vet had never seen that before. He removed the ligature and put her on metacam. She seemed to improve for a week or so. On the follow-up visit, after he pronounced her improved, he proceed to trim muddy excess fur around her feet. However, her limp has returned, and she is now limiting her movements, dragging herself and falling over when she tries to move quickly. Very sad to see her like this. If you've had any progress on your bun's problems, I'd be grateful to hear about it! Thanks.

 

[Omi]

Hi @Thumper123, did you make any progress with this? My poor Cream, 9+ years old now, is having hind leg problems. She is an outdoor garden shed bun like yours. She had been limping slightly for a couple of weeks. We found hay had wrapped itself around her left hind foot and formed a ligature that was swelling her foot! The vet had never seen that before. He removed the ligature and put her on metacam. She seemed to improve for a week or so. On the follow-up visit, after he pronounced her improved, he proceed to trim muddy excess fur around her feet. However, her limp has returned, and she is now limiting her movements, dragging herself and falling over when she tries to move quickly. Very sad to see her like this. If you've had any progress on your bun's problems, I'd be grateful to hear about it! Thanks.

Is she still on Metacam?

 

[Bhavani]

Hi Omi, the vet didn't ask for metacam to be continued as she seemed to have improved, but I am continuing her on that with leftover supply!

 

[Omi]

Hi Omi, the vet didn't ask for metacam to be continued as she seemed to have improved, but I am continuing her on that with leftover supply!

I would be inclined to have a chat with your vet. It might be that they are happy to increase her Metacam on a trial basis, if she's on a low dose at the moment. They might be prepared to do this without examining her again.

Sending lots of vibes for the lovely Cream.

 

[InspectorMorse]

I would be inclined to want her examined by an Vet again to make sure that there is nothing more going on. The Vet needs to do a neurological work up as well as checking for increased arthritic pain.

Have you checked her ears? Rabbits with any form of hind leg weakness or pain from the spine can struggle to groom themselves and are prone to getting gunky ears/ ear infections. The Vet needs to make sure her ears are OK too.

 

[Bhavani]

Thanks - will ask for continued Metacam - I do think it helps her. And we will go back to the vet's after a few days. She gets super stressed out by the visits and I'm hoping that we can see a bit of improvement on Metacam and TLC over the next few days. She gets kale, banana and nuggets delivered to her every few hours, on top of the unlimited hay around her. Her appetite is still strong.

(good to speak to you all again, I haven't been here much since Puff went across the golden bridge and I ceased to do the CreamPuff comics. We now also have Tato, a daft 2 year old lop void to give Cream company in her very old age).

 

[Omi]

Would love to see a photo of Tato if you have one. ASlso let us know how Cream progresses.

 

[Orenoko]

Lilac sits like this but with both back legs practically in front of her front ones. She's almost 10 and does have arthritis in her hips, spine and elbow (among other issues). She's on metacam, calpol and gabapentin for her various issues, it's made a massive difference. Would definitely recommend some long-term pain relief.

 

[Bhavani]

Would love to see a photo of Tato if you have one. ASlso let us know how Cream progresses.

Here is the goofball Tato - afraid of his own shadow (quite literally - will sometimes run and thump if there's a stiff breeze), but also enjoys playing.