Older bunny

[Contactsayeh]

My little girl is 13 years old and her back legs are starting to completely give out.

We are Starting her on laser treatment next week. I am hoping for tips and advice on how to make her more comfortable with better flooring ideas, litter box options, how to calm her down for a bath, and any other mature bunny living situations that others are aware of! If there are certain foods i could be giving her to help etc

I just want her to be comfortable now that she’s getting older.

[Bam]

Congratulations on having a bun that’s so awesomely advanced in years!

I had an old-ish dog who got laser treatment for her very bad back. That, combined with daily NSAID (non-steroidal anti inflsmmatory drug, for rabbits f ex meloxicam), it gave her 2.5 more good and active years.

Exercise is good, so its not adviced to give the pet a “too easy” life. You might add ramps to the couch or bed (if she’s allowed on the couch or bed), but you will want to encourage a bit of daily exercise, such as with a treat ball (if she’s food oriented).

My old dog got gabapentin for painful flare-ups, as needed. It’s a bunny-safe drug. It can make the pet very drowsy, though. I only used it occasionally, but many dogs and buns do well on daily gabapentin.

Older buns, especially if they’re skinny, tend to like a bit of warmth. A warm water bottle or snuggle safe heat pad to snuggle up against might be appreciated. Just make sure she has enough space so she can move away from the heat source if she wants to.

There are joint supplements. Some people give a tiny amount of horse joint supplements, because horses and buns are very similar in what food they tolerate and thrive on.

If your bun is a hard keeoer, a small amount of rolled oats and a few (very few, like 3 seeds/day) sunflower- or pumpkin seeds can be added to her diet.

 

[DanaNM]

Second what Bam said! My bridge bunny Bertha seemed to respond well to Myristol, it’s a joint supplement originally made for horses, but they have a rabbit formula now. My current senior Bun Jovi (who is also almost 13) doesn’t like it though!

I’ve given both the Oxbow joint support and the Sherwood joint support. I think they sort of help? They at least like them as a treat, lol.

I basically have modified Bun Jovi’s area to make sure there is more traction for him so his legs are slipping a lot. You can also use a low-sided litter box if she is having trouble jumping in and out. I found one meant for senior cats that worked well for Bertha. I have seen some people just use a lunch tray or jelly roll pan, so the edge is super super low.

. . . 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.  

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