Ageing Netherland

[Tiddlepeep]

I have a male Netherland dwarf who is almost 9yrs old who is balding. Here is a bit of background. he is a lone bunny because his mate passed away approx 5yrs ago and he refused to bond with our other rabbit.
He has been unsteady on his back legs for about 2yrs the vet diagnosed arthritis but the pain relief upset his tummy so he is medication free because of this the vet advise restricting his movement space. He has a single level hutch all to himself and I get him out for supervised exercise for about 1-2 hours 3 times a week. He cannot get in and out of the litter tray anymore so I also bathe him weekly as he is unable to groom his back and underneath. When bathing him today I noticed he had a patch of raw bald skin on his back which I believe is from excessive rubbing on the sides of the best box I have treated that with some ointment but his legs are almost bare with no signs of redness or soreness. I’m not sure what I should do as he eats, drinks and poops well. I think all the above plus some other bits are all age related. He has been vet checked and all the vet said was well he’s doing well and he’s not dirty or matted because of the bathing so keep on going.
I feel really sorry for him.

[Azerane]

Hi there, I’m sorry to hear about your Nethie’s health issues. It is always hard when our pets get older. I’m not sure what is usually prescribed for arthritis pain in rabbits, but did the vet try an alternative pain relief?

While vet prescribed medication is obviously recommended and I must recommend it before anything, in a case where this is impossible some plants/ herbs have natural pain relieving properties. Nothing if course to the extent of medicine but it may be a worthwhile alternative to read into. I believe willow and birch are two of these. They shouldn’t be fed if bun is currently on meds but can be used otherwise, it may not help but if bun can’t have meds it’s worth a go since they are bun safe plants

What are you using for bedding in his cage? I’m wondering if something more absorbent may help his skin and help for regrowth. Maybe some vetbed or something similar.

ETA: I’m just reading that the flower heads of dandelions also have pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.  And of course all things in moderation and take care when introducing any new foods. 

[Tiddlepeep]

Hrs always been a fussy little man and When younger wouldn’t sleep in the hutch with anything except newspaper and hay. So that what he has at the moment and I change it every other day to make sure it’s clean and dry but he’s just peeing on all of the hay and then laying in it, he’s not been able to get into his tray for a while now but only ever toilwted in one place but not any more. I might give puppy pads a try as that would absorb more

[Wick & Fable]

Unsure which litter box you use, but would a low-lip help? I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-High-Ferret-Litter-Colors/dp/B0002AROVQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1527774308&sr=8-5&keywords=ferret+litter+box

— The low lip is quite short, so it may help.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Gordo and Janice]

Hi, I don’t have a lot of advice. Just wanted to say it sounds like you are doing everything you can. Except for the height of the lip of his litter tray as Wick suggested looking into I don’t have anything else. But I do empathize with you. Everything does sound age related. And it’s tough watching them suffer the age related issues because you know the quality of life isn’t what it used to be. One does feel so sorry for them. But it’s really good that he is eating, drinking, and pooping well and the vet says he is doing well also. 9 years is really good…he’s chugging right along.

[Author]

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