problem with back legs??? – problem found

[feeona]

hi all, my beauty boy sugar is about 6 months old ad i think he may have a problem with his legs!

he wants to waddle instead of hop (though he will hop if he holds his legs close to himself) also he wont lay with his legs out to the side or back when lying down like he used to !

i have tried to deal with the vet (which is THE bunny place to go in perth wa ) and no conclusion

eating drinking pooing weeing but no joy and he has been like this for two weeks

 

ok so ,  i took him to the vet in midvale which was recomended to me on this thread (thanks guys) , he was gruff like you said but was very good.

it turns out that he must of injured himself on his right knee which has repaired itself but the bone is not double the thickness and has excess fluid in there (which he took a sample of to make sure it wasnt infected) and he said he wasnt in any pain he just isnt used to the tightness due to the enlarged bone in his knee area. he said he would adjust over time.

and it only cost $17.50

anyway does anyone know of any thing i can give him for knee tighness like arthritis?

 

[RabbitPam]

What did the vet say exactly?
Did he get any tests or xrays?

Have you trimmed his nails recently? I doubt that’s it, but if they’re too long the may be a little problem for him.

It’s possible that a little glucosamine might help him, but I’d check with the vet before trying it. Basically, half a pill ground up into food might ease any discomfort in his joints if that’s the problem. Odd that she won’t diagnose it. Unless she said it’s just his basic build.

[feeona]

it was put down to a possiable behaviour change after he was nuetered

[feeona]

but he will let me hold him on his back and let me touch the area – he flinchs slightly but doesnt really move so it cant be that severe (pain wise)

[jerseygirl]

Almost sounds like an issue with his spine. So this is the vet that neutered him that has said this? About the behavioural change?  Is it [edited] that you go to? This is the only rabbit vet I know listed in Western Australia. 

[feeona]

no i had him nuetured by a lady then i went back in to have his stitches removed then a few weeks later i took him in cause he had earmites and he had been prettty solatary for about 4 days – now he isnt so bad he will come out of his kennel and lay in the living room but when i went it was a different vet and i told him that he wasnt floping binkying
, jumping into bed to say good night to me , or come bounding over when i enter a room (this rabbit is in love with me) u to

but he the vet touch him and the vet put it down to behavioural change from being nuetered and said he said he didnt know what else could cause the change

[Sarita]

I would recommend testing him for e. cunniculi. This is done with a titer. Heck even regular bloodwork.

I would also recommend an x-ray as well.

Honestly it doesn’t sound like a change in behavior due to neutering. It sounds medical (just based on my understanding of your reading).

Obviously you are going to have to tell the vet what you want done since they aren’t going to take any initiative on their own.

[jerseygirl]

Sorry, I added this to my post above but had just seen you already replied… When exactly did this start. After stitches were removed? After bout of ear mites? I was just reading that if an injection was given in the leg, it possible to have hit the sciatic nerve – resulting in damaging it.
Also and infection of parasites (particularly Encephalitozoon cuniculi ) can cause hind leg weakness.

 

Edit: Sorry Sarita, I posted at same time.

[jerseygirl]

Feeona, I just did a search on this site regarding vets in Perth.  There are 2 members I know of from there so I was able to search there posts. So I found another possible rabbit vet……

DAWN Perth, Western Australia Posts: 770

12/03/2007 04:35 AM   Hi Lisa Here’s the vet’s name I take my bunnies to … he is very good and great with bunnies … he can be a bit gruff but he is cheap and has been seeing bunnies for years.  His name is Geo Huber and he practices out at Midvale.  His number is 9274 1845.

from : https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tab…fault.aspx

You may want to message either Lisa or Dawn to verify this.  Not sure how frequently they check in here though.

[BinkyBunny]

I was thinking about e.cuniculi too and I was also wondering if your bunny might have splayed legs? Do the back legs spread out?

[feeona]

hi all thanks for your replies , what happened was…………..

i had him neutered about 6 weeks ago, done by the main vet at [edited], two weeks later i went to have the stitches taken out and it was done by one of the young girls there , then about 3 weeks ago i he wasnt acting himself (as in the binkying etc) so i gave him the once over and discovered ear mites , so i took him into the vet about two weeks ago and asked if this could be making him act differently , i told the vet (this is a different vet but at [edited]) that he wasnt binkying , floping , bounding over to meet me , jumping into my lap, jumping into my bed to watch telle, etc and he said it was probably due to a behaviour change after nuetering.

so they treated the ear mites (revalution on back of neck) analysed his poo and that was it. and it cost a couple of hundred bucks.

so now i cant afford to take him back just now cause i just had him consulted and nuetered shown how to cut his nails etc so that was about the same in price.

i feel that i payed that money for nothing , i want my bunny boy to make me smile again . he doesnt seem to be in any pain.

his legs do tend to want to go out to the sides and he has to pull them back in , but i never really noticed it , what is splayed legs. he has to keep pulling his legs under him 

[feeona]

i just looked at some pics of splayed legs and he can hold them under him unlike the one in the pictures

[jerseygirl]

From what I gather (from reading posts members made on these forums) that clinic is very profit orientated It’s odd they concluded it to be behavioural – it sounds like a physical abnormality to me! I know you’ve just had visit after visit with him but I would suggest getting another opinion from a vet elsewhere. Or at least insist you can talk over the phone to the original vet that did the operation and describe what has happened. Is she your vet you normally see? Perhaps ask she review it all for you.

[feeona]

i have tried to talk to the origianal vet and the second one but the young girls insist that they can not take calls when they are consulting (which is all the time) im really very worried about him (i do have ocd) but i love the damn little thing.

unfortunatly after spending so much money on the other visits i cant afford to get someone else to see him right now- i even told the girls that at the vet ggrrrrr.
i hope one of them are reading this post

[jerseygirl]

It’s so frustrating because if this is due to their care/or lack of – then they should be bending over backwards. Problem is, you cannot know if this is the case without knowing what is wrong. Grrr. Maybe try email, fax or write?

Edit:  I am being a bit presumptuous thinking this was result of something from the surgery… and judging from what you’ve posted, it seems this came on right after he had the stitches removed.  Did the 2nd vet check him there also when you went in for the ear mites?

Also, what was the poop test for?  Worms?        Sorry – I’ve been adding to my post as questions arise.  This is worrying me!  Poor Bun!

[bunnytowne]

thats so sad.  Can you try putting a cold back on his back if it is spinal it might help.  Problem though we dont’ want bunny getting cold.

[RabbitPam]

I understand the issue with cost, but I agree with the recommendation to take him to a totally different vet. If it is a physical ailment that was due to the neutering and he suffered damage, you might need recourse against the first vet if they are not taking responsibility. If it’s entirely different, but physically caused and something’s wrong, then the first vet is not treating him properly now. And if it’s behavioral, it should show nothing wrong and only cost you for an exam, but you’ll have a second vet you might like better.

Can you post pix of how he looks now when you think his legs are not right?

[angelicvampyre]

I would explain to the young girl that you are bringing him in as the changes happened AFTER he recieved treatment there and there has been no improvement. Also explain that you will not be paying for the vet visit as they need to fix the issue not palm you off and hope you go away. If thye do not accept that then I would just go and take bunny and camp out there! Seems like something they did has done damage and you want to find out what that is. Otherwise tell that you will be seeing vet X and if that vets finds out that something they did caused the issue that you will be going after them to re coup all your costs and any new costs getting the issue fixed. Hope it works out for you

[feeona]

yeah thats what i feel like doing!!!
and you know even if it wasnt there fault during nutering then why did i pay for a consult that didnt help him apart from the earmites. i was told that it would cost no more than 100 for the consult and earmite treatment but i paid almost double that
i would post a pic but you cant tell untill he is hoping

[feeona]

i have just sent an email to the main vet there. hopfully she will be able to help me out

[bunnytowne]

good for you feona     that is just rotten.   He needs xray to be sure if spinal or not then it will be known how to treat this.

Best to you

[feeona]

i have sent an email and they just replied there was nothing wrong with him apart from ear mites when he was there – made contact with the vet that was listed in this thread in midvale , he charges half for consult than the original place and they reckon that it might be due to his nueter or stitches which has tightened him up .
but besides the over the phone consult i have an appointment for my poor shoog tomorro morning with him . excellent!!!!

[jerseygirl]

So they told you this via email and haven’t seen him for 2 weeks or what he’s like currently?!……..Nice! Hope it goes well at new vet. Definately ask his advice what to do in regards to this other clinic if it is a post neuter complication. If you haven’t already, write down a record of everything including conversations you’ve had over the phone. Try record dates etc as accurate as possible. Might just be good to have this on hand, it helps keep things clear in your own mind of how this has played out – all useful if it does turn out they are shirking responsibility. Good luck and let us know what can be done for Sugar!

[Sarita]

Well it is also possible that his condition has changed since the time you took him in initially.

I think it’s best that they do a physical examination.

[Beka27]

Yikes. These vets don’t sound too good. :o(

From what I understand, it does seem like it may not even be neuter-related at all.

The ear mite thing concerns me, he may have an ear infection as well. Did they prescribe any antibiotics or only the Revolution?

[Author]

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