Senior bunny (11 y/o) with hindquarter instability

[Nima]

My 11-year-old bunny boy has been having increasingly problems with his hindquarters. Since a week or so he sometimes falls to the side and cannot get back up by himself; he ends up sitting with his legs to one side until I help him up. His hips feel unstable. I am very sure that it’s related to the surgery he had in Jan 2024 (neutering). After that surgery, his hip hung to one side, and he circled for a while before recovering.

He’s also rather bony (hips) despite eating well. He hasn’t flopped since the surgery. I haven’t seen him loaf in quite some time either. I saw a (new) vet last year who offered further tests (MRI/x-ray) but I didn’t continue with her as she wanted me to come back for a nail clip instead of doing it at the time. I have old x-rays from 3 years ago. I consider seeing a (different) vet again, but I am wondering if anyone has experience with this? I don’t want unnecessary stressful tests if it won’t help. I may consider the medicine for him, if necessary, but it won’t help with the stability of the hindquarters/ muscle mass.

Also, I consider getting him a thick fitness mat, would this work better than blankets for easy cleaning and good comfort for him? Moreover, I read on a blog article by a Vet about bunnies that can just lie due to being “paralyzed”. She wrote she can’t understand how people keep these bunnies alive as she finds it cruel as the quality of life is no longer there. Thank God my bunny is not at this stage (yet) but what do you guys think about this?

I’ve also tried some physiotherapy exercises for bunnies such as slowly extending the leg and bringing it back up and trying to massage it but I don’t think it will help that much. Besides that, I make sure I enjoy every day with him.

On a positive note, he is in great spirits, playful, eating well, naughty, alert when he is not resting. He’s bonded to a rabbit girl. It’s just heartbreaking watching his happy alert mind in a body that won’t always cooperate. Hoping this improves.

Does anyone have any experiences or advice with this? It’s much appreciated. Thank you.

[LBJ10]

This sounds very much like my bunny very late in his life. He started getting weak in the back end. We finally settled on it being pain-related (arthritis) and pain management helped a lot.

[Wick & Fable]

Considering the age, I agree discussions around pain/joint-relief medications is beneficial. Even without a surgical hx, an 11yo rabbit is bound to have relatively normative, age-related arthritic and joint discomfort.

I have two senior rabbits– one is a 3lb netherland dwarf, and the other is a 7-8lb mix of -generic rabbit who knows-. The netherland dwarf has no mobility issues, likely due to his size not really putting as much stress on his bones/joints. My other rabbit however really shows her age. She did have an x-ray two years ago that suggested back leg arthritis. Fast foward to the present, she definitely is not her “baseline” young self in terms of movement, but she is remarkably more comfortable moving on a regimen of joint tabs (Sherwood is what we use), gabapentin, meloxicam, and Adequan injections, as needed. To my understanding, this is sort of the “last tier” of palliative medications for rabbits her age impacted by arthritis-related conditions, but she is clearly comfortable moving and doing things are on her own, in addition to settling down for snuggles.

The prompting for Galaxy starting on a regimen was her suddenly going a day where she’d go to get up and walk, then fall over immediately. I was convinced it had to be something neurological, but it ended up being spine/pain related, and starting her on meds worked a charm.

We did also complete a course of laser treatment for her back, but again, this is all “last tier” of what is available and, in my opinion, realistic towards what owners can provide when balancing end of life and quality of life. As soon as I see the current regimen no longer sustains Galaxy in a comfortable way, it is what it is.

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.

[Nima]

Thanks a lot for both of your answers, I really appreciate it 😊

We just came back from the vet. He received an injection of Metacam, and I was instructed to give him 1.5 mg orally per day. Do you also use Metacam (meloxicam) which is for dogs for your rabbits, and if so, do you use a similar dosage?

She mentioned that he has pain in his front paw (the paw always moves backward because he tries to keep himself upright due to his weak hind legs). Hopefully the medication will make a difference, similar to what Wick & Fable described. Unfortunately, he still fell over when we returned home and couldn’t get back up on his own, but we’ll see whether the treatment helps. How long did it take for Galaxy to get better after starting with the medication? 

It surprised me to hear that some rabbits in pain still eat well. I had always assumed the opposite. In the past, when he didn’t feel well (which thankfully wasn’t often), he usually stopped eating. 

We’ll need to return for an X-ray, during which they want to position him fully stretched out. Was this done the same way in your case, or can it also be done with them sitting? The vet wants to check his spine. A previous vet had mentioned that it could be something like a pinched or twisted nerve, but that was some time ago, before these more severe symptoms appeared.

Unfortunately, he is quite underweight as well. He was always slim despite eating well but he lost 400 to 600 g compared to July last year. I was advised to give junior pellets, which I think is a great idea, as well as some pea flakes. Overall, I felt that he was in good hands with this new vet. 

What do you think of Chiropractic for bunnies? There is a Youtube channel which also shows him doing the treatment on bunnies. One that didn’t walk anymore, could walk again after a few sessions as per the video.

[LBJ10]

Rabbits need a higher dosage than a dog. Dosage can be as high as 1.5 mg/kg for acute pain, but typical (i.e., maintenance) is 0.3-0.6.

My bunny was eating like it was going out of style. I could see a bunny that had stomach pain not wanting to eat, but arthritis doesn’t necessarily prevent them from eating as long as they can reach the food.

As for the X-ray, they will need to get his spine relatively straight so they can see the joints. I have heard of alternative medicine for rabbits like acupuncture and laser. From that I’ve read, results seem to vary. Hopefully having some pain meds will get him at least feeling a little better. He will likely never recover full use of his legs, but hopefully he’ll be able to support himself and get around more easily.

[Nima]

Many thanks for your answer. I also just noticed clear/whitish mucus in the small amount of poop he produced. He has never had this (mucus) in his entire life.

I understand that this can be related to an infection or parasites, possibly even E. cuniculi. The vet ruled out E. cuniculi because he does not have a head tilt, but from what I’ve read, a head tilt is not always present.

No blood work was done. I also read that E. cuniculi cannot always be reliably detected via blood tests, so I’m unsure whether testing would make any difference.

Does anyone have experience with mucus in bunny poop with the bunny have those symptoms (circling / falling)? Would you recommend starting treatment with the E. cuniculi medicine even if it cannot be confirmed with certainty? Unfortunately, the VET is a bit far and if I have to go back so soon again, it’s not ideal but I guess it is what it is.

I am adding that he never had the symptom of falling like this. He tried to hop earlier and flew against a box albeit not so high and not hurting himself. It started mid/end of last week and I thought initially it may be related to the obvious. Now with the mucus present, I am not so sure.

[LBJ10]

Mucus is a sign of inflammation in the GI tract. It can be caused by a lot of things. It certainly doesn’t hurt to treat for EC. Panacur is well-tolerated by most bunnies. However, when the bunny is very geriatric, they may not respond as well to the treatment if it is EC. When they are old, their immune system isn’t as good. So things that have been lying dormant will see an opportunity.

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