Is my bunny ok?

[MrSlyve]

Today I was chilling out and wanted to go hold my bunny. I take him out of his cage which he didn’t seem to like so I put him down and he started jumping and hitting everything. Once this was done he didn’t seem like he had control over his legs and they went limp and he is was all laid out. I decided to put him back in his cage and let him chill out but he doesn’t seem to be moving and he is still laid out. Did he just have a panic attack or is this something I should get looked at?

[Wick & Fable]

If you Google Image “rabbit superman pose”, did he look like that? With two feet spread out in the back? If so, that’s a sign of relaxation. The spastic jumping could have been “binkys” (Youtube it) out of high energy, and then he was tired afterwards and went to lounge.

How are his pooping, peeing, and eating?

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.

[Bam]

Is he still all limp? Does he react when you speak to him?

Young buns can have seizure-like fits that look very scary, but they’re not really fits at all, they’re full flops and binkies. But after it’s over the bun should be fine again, completely back to normal, with full control over its body.

[MrSlyve]

It has been a full day now, he still hasn’t gained control over his hind legs. He is still just fully laid out. When he tries to move he just uses his front legs and drags the other half and it’s really sad. I don’t know what to do.

[jerseygirl]

How is he acting otherwise? Is he grinding his teeth with pain? Is he showing interest in food? 

Given this happened after he jumped about vigorously, it sounds like he has injured his back. It would be worth getting him seen to find out exactly what is causing the loss of use of his legs. It may be just swelling, or something more like fracture. This is not necessarily a death sentence, so be sure to see a rabbit savvy vet. Even him going on some anti-inflammatories may help him gain some function of his legs again. 

This is an excerpt from a long article about hind end weakness in rabbits. It’s a condition that can have various causes but this is just the section about trauma.

Trauma

Cause: Damage to a rabbit’s back by any kind of trauma can lead to partial or complete paralysis of the hind limbs. The most common cause of back trauma occurs during restraint of a rabbit when he kicks out suddenly or twists. The more forceful the restraint is, the more likely it is that a spinal injury will result. The force of the kicking or twisting can fracture vertebrae in the back, which are then unstable and result in severe bruising or severing of the spinal cord. Rabbits can also sustain this kind of trauma (although rarely) when running or playing. Rabbits who are confined to cages and not allowed daily periods of exercise are at an increased risk for trauma due to decreased bone density.

Signs: Complete or partial paralysis is immediately evident after the injury. There may be loss of bladder and bowel control.

Diagnosis: The damaged vertebrae can usually be seen on an x-ray. Occasionally the vertebrae will “snap” out of place during the injury, cause damage to the spinal cord and then go back into place by the time the x-ray is taken. These cases can be difficult to diagnose unless high-detail x-ray film is used or a myelogram is performed.

Prevention: Preventing damage to the spine from restraint is two fold. One is to make sure your rabbit has an hour or more of exercise daily outside of the cage where he can move quickly, or jump up and down off of low surfaces. This will help to maintain bone density. Secondly, learn how to restrain your rabbit properly with a minimum of force. Desensitize your rabbit to being held and handled by gradually teaching him that touch is good; train with treats and use short sessions. Work on the floor for anything that might be particularly scary to prevent injury from jumping off a high surface or out of your arms. If the rabbit is struggling a lot, then release him, let him get calm, and try again with less restraint.

Treatment: If the spinal cord is completely severed or seriously bruised, there is no treatment that will return normal neurological function. Euthanasia should be considered for these patients because their quality of life will be poor. Rabbits who have only mild to moderate damage to the spinal cord or who still have sensations in the toes and maintain bladder or bowel control have a chance of healing. These rabbits should be confined to a cage for a period of 6 to 8 weeks to facilitate healing the fractured bones. Corticosteroids may be used for the first few days after the injury. Many of these rabbits will regain at least partial if not total neurological function and live a fairly normal life.

source: https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=490&S=5

I just want to mention: some vets will not want to use corticosteriods on a rabbit. They can be powerful and fast acting but need to be used with caution in rabbits. It may only be one or two shots they’ll try early on in treatment. 
 

[Sirius&Luna]

If he can’t move, you need to take him to the vet. If your rabbit ever seems injured and you’re unsure what to do, its always best to take him to the vet.

[MrSlyve]

I have found out that she is bleeding from her privates, I think she is in heat and that is why she didn’t want me to pick her up. She is eating fine whenever I put anything in front of her she has no problem. I am going to give it a day or two and see if she feels like moving. Other than not wanting to move and being laid out she is very healthy, eating and drinking.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Rabbits don’t go into heat, rabbits are reflex ovulators. That means that they release an egg as soon as they mate, and this is why they’re fertile all year. If a female rabbit is bleeding from her privates, it may be a sign of cancer which is common in unspayed females.

This case sounds really worrying. Get your rabbit to a vet as soon as you can.

[Deleted User]

When a bunny is sick it’s not something that you should just wait around. Bunnies can decline rapidly. Something like bleeding privates is a bad sign and so is hind leg paralysis. Something very serious is clearly going on. You need to get her to a vet ASAP

[sarahthegemini]

Oh my goodness yes please get her to a vet. Rabbits don’t go into heat like a dog would for example so bleeding from her genitals is not okay. Please, please take her

Edit: Just realised you referred to your rabbit as a he before. Do you know the gender?

[Sirius&Luna]

As the others have said, rabbits don’t go into heat, so bleeding is very very concerning. Please don’t dismiss this and wait a couple of days, she needs to see a vet immediately. Rabbits don’t just stop moving because they ‘don’t feel like it’. She is quite obviously not ‘very healthy’ if shes bleeding from the uterus and unable to move.

[Sirius&Luna]

Also he was a boy at the beginning… is it a boy or a girl?

[Bam]

Mr Slyve, if your bunny can’t move its hind quarters and is bleeding from her private parts, she needs to see a vet asap. That’s the only reasonable advice that can be given in a situation like this. If you don’t have a rabbit vet and if you’re located in the USA, you might be able to find one near you in this list from the House Rabbit Society: https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/ 

I have sent you a PM.

I’m locking this thread temporarily.

[Bam]

I’m reopening the thread for now.

The bun has been to the vet and e cuniculi seems to be the likely culprit.

Disabled Rabbits has lots of good infor and tips on management of paralysis: http://www.disabledrabbits.com/

[Author]

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