Balance issues – possible causes?

[Salem Fluffle]

Hi all,

I recently found a bunny at a local farm that is wobbly. At first I thought she (still unsure of gender) was injured but I’m thinking it’s something neurological. She wobbles and her back end is very unsteady. She can run but she sometimes falls over and then flails as she tries to get up. All the farm owners can tell me is that she’s about six months old and fast, so they’ve given up trying to catch her.

The farm owners told me that if I can catch her, I can have her. I’ve had rabbits for 20 years but never one with a disability. I’ve been doing research on various disorders and the needs she might have. I’ve spoken with a rabbit savvy vet clinic who suggested two titer tests for E.cuniculi, a fecal exam for internal parasites, blood panel, and a physical exam to rule out old injuries. They told me I could do a 30 day dewormer treatment while I quarantine her as well.

My end goal would be to bond her to my current rabbits but I don’t want to jeopardize their health if she could make them sick. Is there ever a safe way to bond a rabbit that could have a parasite caused condition with others? The vet told me that my elder rabbits probably have antibodies to E. cuniculi but there’s still a risk. I’d prefer to bond only if I knew it was 100% safe. (I’m also not convinced it’s E. cuniculi as she doesn’t have wry neck nor do any other rabbits on the farm.)

I’ve also been thinking of the risk of RHDV2. I know that some rabbits will not display symptoms but considering the farm has 50-70 loose rabbits and I didn’t see any ill-looking rabbits, I imagine the virus hasn’t hit Michigan quite yet. I believe quarantining her for 30 days would be long enough to be safe.

I’d also love any information on where I may be able to receive help paying her medical bills if possible – the vet has already given me an estimate of roughly $1,000 upfront for diagnostic testing.

I would appreciate any information you’re able to provide on ideas of her issues, concerns, treatment, etc. I know this is not a replacement for actual medical care, I’m just trying to gain as many perspectives as possible so my partner and I can make the best decision for us, our elder buns, and this little baby. I’ve attached two short videos of her that shows some of her wobbliness/balance issues if that is helpful. I’d love to rescue this girl from the farm field. However, my priority will always be keeping my two 9 year old rabbits safe and healthy.

Thank you for your time,

Rascal and Freckles mom

 

[video src="https://binkybunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/Wobbles-walking.mp4" /]
(Video link reviewed and approved by Wick)

[Wick & Fable]

Thank you for your concern over this rabbit. The plan with the vet sounds appropriate. The wobble does not jump out to me as a physical injury-looking wobble, and more a wobble I see from a rabbit just coming out of anesthesia or something, so that does make me lean more towards neurological or something offsetting balance (such as an ear infection as well).

Quarantining from your current rabbit is absolutely necessary as you are not only assessing for what is going on with the rabbit, but also for the RHDV concerns you mention in general. Please be very mindful of washing hands, changing clothes, and the items you use for the rabbit vs. those for your current rabbit.

Many rabbits actually have EC, but are not symptomatic, so if it is EC, I usually do not hear of vets advising against bonding because the likelihood that 1) the other rabbit doesn’t have it and 2) the other rabbit is also susceptible to getting symptoms to EC are low, is my understanding.

In terms of assistance with payment, unless that vet is open to payment plans, the other route is simply shopping for a better deal at another rabbit vet (https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Choosing_a_rabbit_veterinarian#Rabbit_veterinarian_listings ; any local HRS chapter may be helpful in finding cheaper rabbit-experienced vets), and also prioritizing assessments to a pace you feel comfortable with. I’ll also note that you can treat for EC without actually testing for it, since the treatment is rabbit-safe. Some vets do prescribe panacur without waiting for the confirmatory test for EC, so that’s something to consider.

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.

[Salem Fluffle]

I also believe it to be a neurological concern. I’ve never noticed an obvious injury whenever I’ve stopped at the farm to observe her. However, they do have some aggressive intact Flemish Giant bucks, so it’s possible she was attacked as a youngster and now distances herself from them. She hangs out in that spot by the road/chicken run and nearby brush. I’ve never seen her anywhere else when I’ve stopped to watch her. The only other rabbit that stays in that area in the white one in the video of Wobbles hopping in the ditch. She’s pretty distanced from the others who roam around the yard, driveways, and back fields.

From the medical professionals I’ve spoken with, I hear the same thing as you said when it comes to EC. The vet I’ve been in ongoing contact with is highly trained in rabbit care and she said most rabbits have been exposed and developed antibodies, so the risk to my elder buns is low. The EC titer test runs roughly $260 and they suggested two in order to assess if levels change. Obviously if I don’t have to do that and can do the dewormer treatment instead, that significantly decreases the amount we’ll pay. I will have to ask if she feels that’s necessary or if I can reduce it to just one initial test.

Another thing I should have asked about and your mention of ear infection reminded me. I know that we might run into fleas/ticks/mites on her since she’s outside. Do you have advice on how to check for that or if we can do something to treat it before the vet appointment? I’ve never had an animal with that problem. I know there are cat/dog medicine that are toxic and fatal to rabbits, so I don’t want to use anything that could harm her. But I also don’t want to wait until we could get into a vet if she does have them so they don’t have a chance to spread around my home.

[LBJ10]

The tests for EC are notorious for producing false negatives. And even if they do detect EC antibodies, that doesn’t necessarily mean EC is what is causing the symptoms. It just means they were exposed to it recently. So yes, treating for EC when EC is suspected is actually very common. If the treatment works, it works. If it doesn’t, then no harm done.

Honestly, I would not worry about bonding. There is no reason to believe that this bunny, if he/she has EC, will cause your current bunny to have symptomatic EC. The vast majority of rabbits are exposed to EC at some point in their lives. It’s highly likely your current bunny was already exposed (i.e. from their mother). Only a small percentage develop symptoms and even a smaller percentage develop chronic illness. If this bunny has EC, it is unlikely he/she is still shedding the spores anyway. The spores are shed through the urine for the first 2 weeks or so after initial infection.

[Salem Fluffle]

Thank you so much for this info!! I didn’t know that the spores were only shed for roughly 2 weeks. We met this bunny the first week of September and the farm owners said she’s been like that for a while, so that puts me at ease knowing the risk of spreading infection have declined by now.

[LBJ10]

It’s possible for it to be longer. I’ve read they can shed spores for anywhere between a few days and all the way up to 6 weeks. Regardless, an infected rabbit is only contagious for a relatively short period of time. Shedding of spores is not a long-term thing.

[DanaNM]

You’ve been giving great advice so far! Just want to add that the standard practice for quarantining for RHDV is 14 days (our vet has said really 9 is sufficient and 14 is overkill, but we do it for added peace of mind).

Thank for being interested in rescuing this rabbit! At the rescue I volunteer at they will often use a few x-pens to corral stray buns into a smaller area. You could even set one partially up and feed the bun some veggies and pellets in the pen to get it used to going into the pen.  You might also be able to use a live animal trap, but using pens might be easier and more effective.

. . . 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.  

[Salem Fluffle]

HRS hasn’t mentioned an outbreak in Michigan where I’m located and since the farm rabbits don’t display symptoms nor have I seen any dead rabbits when I’ve visited, I doubt it would be an issue. But I’ve been taking extreme precautions anyway since the outbreaks in the western states started (no shoes in the house, no visiting animals, thorough cleaning, etc) so to do a 30 day while the bun does a deworming process isn’t a big deal.

I do have an x-pen that I figured I’d bring but she’s so scared that I don’t know if I’d be able to even get close enough to start corralling her in. I have a live trap too and I thought maybe some sweeter hay and pieces of fruit might entice her since they don’t get that there. Of course, this is all on someone else’s property so I don’t want to camp out for long periods of a time either.

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