im scared for my rabbit!

this sounds weird but i cant watch my rabbit walk because he drags his hind legs. the right leg is worse than the left and i feel so bad for him. i took him to the vet today as soon as i saw his legs. he gave me meta something to reduce the swelling of his spinal cord since he thinks it a spinal nerve problem which can go away in a week with the pain medicine. hopefully he only sprained it and it not fully paraslysis. i dont think i can take care of a disabled bunny if he is. I feel so bad!

 

Aw!

Disabled animals can still live awesome lives.

Good luck =)

 

i think he will be ok.

 

Well, the vet seemed to think he will be, and I would be inclined to try to trust him. I just wanted to show you that there can be a certain amount of adaptability for pets and their owners when a more permanent problem develops =)

 

if he dosn't regain control of his hind legs, you could make a bunny wheelchair! http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4242731/11407343

 

... awe bunny...

 

i totally would make him a wheel chair! but his legs seem like there waas some type of improvement over night!

 

The metacam is a painkiller and nothing much more from what I know

Hind leg dragging can indicate a serious infection such as E.cuniculi in rabbits, so it's important to get a diagnosis just incase. Does your bunny have any other symptoms such as weight loss or head tilt? How old is the rabbit? It can have many other causes such as leg injury (less likely if it's both legs at once, but certainly possible. Over enthusiastic binkies or trapping are usually the causes of this), neurological damage or tissue wastage from another cause. Only a vet could tell you after running some tests

If your rabbit isn't hopping normally in a week I would take him straight back to the vet and ask about what the causes are likely to be.

Some rabbits live years without the use of their hind legs by using the bunny wheelchairs, but that depends on what caused it. A rabbit shouldn't be left very long trying to put all their weight just on the front and dragging though as this will damage the joints

Good luck for your bunny, I hope he gets well soon

 

^^ Google at work.

 

Uh, no. Do you honestly think I'd spend the time researching this for a complete stranger? We kept rabbits for years and rescued many, one reached 11 years old. Vets in our area not being too knowledgeable about the creatures we had to find this stuff out, so it's been rattling about in my head for years. I know, I know a load of useless stuff. I guessed it might help this person. I know actual helpful answers aren't all that cool. Surely not as cool as trying to look clever by posting shit. But hey ho, we can't win them all

 

i looked on google for hours after i bought him home from the vet. i ruled out infections and disease since it happend over night when i wasnt home. im pretty sure he just jumped over the cage or jumpped in the air at too much power. hes still young 4 months a holland lop. the vet said he was a little on the thin side but thats because i was feeding him to the package of food. i thought i was over feeding him so i cut down the pellets and added more hay. but now im giving him more pellets and treats and he is still doing binkies! his left leg wansnt as bad as his right so its not terrible. it just sucks to see him scooting.


i ruled out disease and infection because he hasnt showed any signs of such things. hes been eating and drinking and pooping regularly and is active and alert. im not a vet, but i grew up with rabbits and he seems to be ok. after a few days if he isnt improving more, ill go back.

 

I hope he is ok,probably be bouncing around in no time you sound like you know how to take good care for him.

 

Actual answers are cool, but not cool enough to bother researching? Although granted, the OP can really do that research on their own.

Regardless, I don't care if you've 'kept rabbits'. My family has and does keep rabbits, and other exotic animals. I still don't post advice on forums that contradicts what people are told by their veterinarians. If the rabbit was examined and the vet prescribed metacam, he probably had a good reason for doing so. It doesn't sound like an infection, it sounds like a strained or pulled muscle, in which case a painkiller seems reasonable.

I can understand providing some alternative information, but I'd have to question the way you presented it.

 

My advice did not contradict what the person was told by their vet. I said make sure you get a sure diagnosis if the vet hasn't said with certainty that it is just an injury. I also did state that ti was very possible it was an injury. I asked for further information on the rabbit to try and see if this was likely, and now it's been provided-this came on suddenly and the rabbit is young. This wasn't stated before

As for prescribing metacam, all I said was it was a painkiller, and that I wasn't aware of many other uses for it. Which is perfectly true

What exactly is your problem?
Thankfully I usually get positive feedback and appreciation whenever I try and help people (especially when it's to help pets)not false accusations and idiocy, so I will continue. There's nothing wrong with the way I present my advice 9although it surely isn't up to your standard ) You just want to shit on a person trying to be decent

 

How exactly can you say that? When I posted we didn't have nearly enough information to say this with any certainty. All we really had was leg dragging and that a vet had given a painkiller. Which is exactly why I posted other possibilities, and I even said just incase, making it clear that it was simply just to be sure

I posted out of kindness for the person and their rabbit. Why you felt the need to drag me down for that seems to be an issue on your side of the fence

 

True, you hadn't read her second post. After reading it, it doesn't sound like an infection.

I'm not trying to 'shit on you' for being decent. I had an issue with your presentation of the info. It's not important. You think I make a lot of bitchy posts (which, looking at it objectively, you're right), and I think you do the same. I know we've argued before, though I can't remember what thread it was in. Anyway, it's not important. I don't want to argue with you or anyone else on here. My sarcasm got the better of me, and it started an argument, as it often does. I think part of me enjoys starting shit now and then. I need to work on keeping that part in check, I guess

Anyway, I see no need to hijack a thread about an injured rabbit for a personal argument. Let's drop it.

 

thanks everyone for your kind words. i just massaged his inner hind leg muscles and he can retract them so im hoping for a full recovery. just takes some time. ill keep you guys posted

 

yay! Bunny!

 

mmm... rabbit stew....

 

i ended up giving him to spca. they thought it was a good decision because i couldnt supply the proper care for him. it would of been 500 dollars plus to get him xrays and blood tests. he never got back control of his legs. but he is with people who can take care of him