Elderly bunny, arthritis, maybe more…

[FionaMay]

Hello I am new here, so hopefully I am doing this right (not sure what I’m supposed to put in the summary box??)

I am part owner of an elderbun named Marjory. Long story short, nearly a decade ago I bought a rabbit on a whim with some college friends and we had no idea what we were doing and she lived with us in the school year and I kept her one summer at my house and it was supposed to be temporary, but my parents ended up falling in love with her. So she became their pet, and that is where she resides to this day They are GREAT owners. She is a total house bun and is litter trained and has had the run of the house and is like their child.

Marjory is a dutch bunny and will be 9 years old in a couple months. My parents are totally capable of everything that comes with owning a bunny, but my mom still collaborates with me when it comes to anything health wise with her. But Marjory has been SO healthy. She has only had some minor issues; needing bunny lax as a very young bunny when she stopped pooping, and then a fungal issue on her tail that was treated with antifungal shampoo. Otherwise, healthy as can be.

That is, until last week. My parents noticed she was holding her leg strange (not living there I don’t know how to describe it). Thought maybe at first she had hurt herself slightly, as she was still able to get around just fine. But then they noticed she started holding all of her feet oddly at one time or another, so they decided to bring her into the vet after about a week of this behavior. They have a bunny savvy vet that they go to. She felt her body and she said she could feel that she was very stiff and had arthritis of the spine, knees and hips. They did bloodwork and everything came out fine. Marjory had also lost weight, likely due to pain, and so they gave them a food supplement to help her gain, as well as an anti inflammatory med and cosequin (glucosomine and chondroitin). She takes all of the meds like a champ, which is a blessing.

So they just started this regimen over the weekend. She was still able to venture out into the living room to lay in her favorite spots and go up to people to be petted. But then yesterday my mom said she was suddenly struggling to move, and many times saw her try to get up and was unable. I asked my mom all of the important things, and she said was still peeing and pooping (my mom cleans the cage twice a day so she is able to keep track) still eating the food supplement and meds, and still eating some pellets, hay and water that very day.

She plans to call the vet in the morning. I am extremely worried. I know the cosequin takes about a month to kick in, and the anti inflammatory is supposed to help in the meantime. But how quickly does it start working? She’s had 3 days of it, and now is way worse in her mobility. Has it just not kicked in yet? Is it something worse? Is the willingness to eat and go to the bathroom still a good sign? I am worried that my mom is going to call me crying in the morning saying she found her dead I know she is quite old, but I was hoping she’d make it to 9 at least. I am worried for my mom, she is so attached to her.

The vet had mentioned laser treatments and they are extremely reasonable in price, so that would be their next step. But now I’m worried about Marjory making it day to day. I’m not sure if I should think it’s just her painful arthritis and the meds just haven’t kicked in yet, or if she is in the process of dying. Such a BIG change in the matter of one week from moving like normal to nearly completely unable to move. The only other thing, which I had mentioned to my mom when she originally went to the vet last week, was that parasite, Encephalitozoon Cuniculi. The vet had said she did not feel it was that so they did not test for it.

anyways, sorry for such a long post  Any advice? Any owners of eldery buns out there? And/or arthritic buns? Super worried for our little Marjory.

[Sarita]

I have had both elderly and arthritic buns – seems like arthritis is very common in rabbits.

I would have your mom call and speak with the vet about this decrease in mobility – I’m not sure how long cosequin takes to actually work and if it does indeed help rabbits (it certainly cannot hurt). It may be that they need to increase the pain meds – do you know what they gave her?

I have done the laser treatments and I think it’s a great idea – they worked for a few of my rabbits during the first round of treatments and I was pleased about that even if it was temporary relief for awhile – the second time it didn’t have the same effect but I would try this again on an arthritic rabbit if I had one.

[FionaMay]

I am pretty sure the anti inflammatory was called something like metacam. How long did the results last with the laser treatments for your rabbits when it improved it?

Well my mom called me a little while ago and she is indeed still living (yay!) but she said that she did not eat very much of the food supplement when offered this morning, when the last few days she eagerly ate it all up every time. She said she didn’t even eat quite half the dosage. So of course that immediately concerned me… I just don’t know what to think. I’m reading all over that many rabbits just pass away quickly, especially if the appetite suddenly goes down. Not sure why she would have gotten worse, especially with 2 rounds of anti inflammatory meds. She is still waiting to call the vet as it hasn’t opened yet.

What would you be preparing for at this point? I was thinking perhaps it is just the severe arthritis and either the meds haven’t kicked in yet or maybe the dosage needs to be increased as you suggested, but I do know that a decease in appetite is a warning sign, and a friend who owns guinea pigs told me I should maybe prepare for her going any day now. Ah! I don’t know what mindset to have. I will be sad, but also will be at peace knowing she did live a long time… but my mother however will be a WRECK. She’ll be heartbroken. I don’t know if I’m panicking for nothing or not.

[Sarita]

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a rabbit who I did the laser treatment on – she had debilitating arthritis and her back legs eventually atrophied so I don’t fully remember but I do remember thinking I would try this again if there was a need.

I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into the decrease in appetite at this point – possibly increase her pellets if you feel she is losing weight. What exactly is the food supplement? Perhaps she just doesn’t care for the taste of this. Really I would just give her whatever it is she likes to eat and extra of that.

Perhaps the metacam dosage needs to be increased or given twice a day – rabbits metabolize this medication different than dogs or cats but that is something to discuss with the vet.

I think eventually I did combinations of metacam and tramadol and metacam and buprenex for my arthritic rabbits.

[FionaMay]

Part of the reason she lost weight was because she wasn’t eating very much of her pellets or hay, she’d be excited at first but only eat a little. Probably been going on for a couple months, my mom just attributed it to her being older as her behavior was otherwise normal. The food supplement is Oxbow Critical Care recovery.

[Sarita]

Did the vet ever look at her teeth? Just curious as this can also be a factor for senior rabbits.

[FionaMay]

I’m not sure. It is a rabbit savvy vet at an exotics clinic so I am hoping so. The immobility is what scares me though. Looks like they are going to try to take her in for a laser treatment today or tomorrow.

[Sarita]

Hopefully the laser will be successful – I think my vet did a total of 6 treatments, 3 the first week, 2 the second week and 1 the third week….

[LongEaredLions]

I can’t give much more advice other than what Sarita has already posted, but I am wishing him the best, and sending lots of (((((vibes))))) Keep us updated on how the laser treatment goes.

[FionaMay]

well about 24 hours after the laser treatment she did some slow hopping from her different various spots. But her appetite is still way, way down. She’s not even very interested in the food supplement. They’re doing another laser treatment today. Do you think offering her some sort of fruit would help put weight on her? If so, what kind? I mean, she’s already down a pound… if she continues to not eat very much that’s going to spell disaster, right? Also, has anyone here done acupuncture for their buns? What was the price for you per session?

[Sarita]

It has been awhile but I also tried acunpuncture a few times and honestly cannot remember the cost per session.

I think offer her whatever she would eat, that’s what I would do. Apples are high in fiber so that would be a good choice.

[FionaMay]

do you remember if it was more like $20 or more like $100?

[Sarita]

Honestly I don’t remember – definitely not $100.00.

Initially I went to a holistic vet who then went on maternity leave then I went to my regular vet who by chance had a new vet who started who was doing acupuncture and was willing to try it on a rabbit. If I remember correctly though the holistic vet was quite pricey…that was all the particular vet did was holistic medicine but the other vet I think was more normally priced.

I think it would be just best to call and get a price.

[FionaMay]

well, she died last night. I don’t even know how to console my mother right now. And it’s hitting me a lot harder than I thought it would.

[Roberta]

Hi FionaMay, The truth is the average age for a bun is 10 yrs, yes, many live longer but the type of breed and other factors play a big part… Often bunnies from a breeder don’t get such a good start and they can have problems life long… I recently lost my 24 yr old cat and then several months later my 14 yr old to cancer. I can fully understand the pain you and your family are feeling… I think what you need to focus on is that you gave Marjory an awesome life one that could have been considerably shorter under different circumstances… I still wake up in the night and reach out for Jebediah and Twinkletoes as they always slept close to me, then I remember and the pain is fresh again…. If you are burying her at home you might want to consider building a special garden on the spot filled with all her favourite herbs and a little marker… Then maybe later on if your Mother is ready consider adopting a rescue bun or fostering… I know it seems a horrible thought but when I lost my Toffee cat many yrs ago now I was inconsolable for a few weeks and kept feeling him on the bed, he was an amazing old man that I adopted at the age of 10… Had he not come home with me from making the funeral arrangements (I was a funeral director at the time) for his previous Mum he would have gone to a shelter where he would have been PTS due to his age… Because of things that happened around my home I felt that Toff was telling me he wanted me to make his passing a source of good… A few weeks later I went to a rescue and took Bilbo off death row and brought him home. 10 months old with an existing injury (a broken hip that must have happened when he was barely a few weeks old, completely missed by the vet at the shelter) Bilbo got surgery and was able to run and jump again and have a long and happy life, he is now 18 and though a bit mangy very content and loving life… Had Toffee not directed me he would have died in the shelter partially crippled and without knowing love…

[Deleted User]

I only just read your thread FionaMay, and I’m so sorry that you and your mum lost your precious Marjory. I’m a little teary (silly me), but please take comfort that she obviously had a wonderful life and you both did everything you could – I’m sure Marjory knows that. Please take care, I know it hurts. Please pass on my condolences to your mum too, I know she’ll be devastated – again, I’m so sorry.

[Sarita]

Oh, I’m so sorry, it’s so hard to lose our senior rabbits. Hugs to you and your mother.

[LongEaredLions]

I am so sorry. You did everything you could, she was indeed quite old. Feel free to post a thread in the rainbow bridge section if you haven’t already.
((((Hugs))))

[FionaMay]

I just wanted to thank you all for your help and also your kind words here. I went and made a thread in the rainbow bridge section, i hope it’s ok i stick around here on the forum for a while longer.

[Roberta]

FionaMay, You’re one of us now…. We would NEVER forgive you if you left… You, like us have had a bunny leave their prints on your heart and that never goes away…

[LongEaredLions]

FionaMay, you may not have a bunny physically anymore, but she lives on in your heart. And that’s good enough for us! Please stick around, and feel free to PM me or anybody else if you ever want to talk.

[Deleted User]

I always joked (to everyone on BB) if I ever lost Henry I would make up a pretend bunny just so I could stay part of this wonderful BB family and that was fine by everyone – yay! Whether your a bunny owner, past or present – you adored a bunny so we’ll always adore you! Cheers FionaMay.

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