Spinal Injuries?

[Gina Won]

Has anyone here dealt with a bunny who has spine injuries before?

What did you do to treat it?

I have a 4 year old dwarf male rabbit that I adopted 2 years ago.  Basically, he has a few seriously  “crushed” discs in his spine and because of this he sometimes falls over and is unable to get back up. The poor baby flails and flails, scared and stressed out, until somebody finds him and puts him back on all fours.

He is currently on Prenazone ( .1ml twice per day) but every time we try to weane him off of it he starts toppling over again. It is so sad and scary every time he falls down, both for bunny and for our whole family. We know that Prenazone is not a long term solution but he has already been on it since the end of May and we don’t know what else can be done for our little one.

Based on the x-ray, Seamus (my bunny) looks to have abnormally thin, osteoporotic bones. Additionally, his front leg muscles are a lot more developed than his back legs, indicating he may have always had some trouble with his spine and hind legs (thus requiring him to rely on his front legs more).  Ever since we got him, he would fall down occasionally but he would immediately get back up. Starting this past April and May, he started to fall down more frequently than he used to and struggle longer, but he still was able to get up.

Then one day at the end of May, in a freshly made litter box, we discovered that he had fallen down and was completely unable to get back on all fours… it looked like he’d been struggling and frantic for a while. We immediately rushed him to the vet where they x-rayed him and discovered his crushed spinal discs. They concluded that there was impaired feeling and mobility in one leg, thus affecting his sense of balance and ability to pull himself up once fallen.

That was when we started giving him Prenazone, which was really initially like a miracle. He was like a brand new bunny, not falling, able to run around like before. But then, as we started to taper him off the medication, his progress would take a nosedive and he’d start falling all over the place again. There was a time when he would fall every 15 minutes and it was heartbreaking. We feared we’d have to put him to sleep because his quality of life was so sacrificed.

So basically now all our vet suggests is to keep him on the Prenazone and taper him off if that’s possible. But it doesn’t seem possible. So we’re sort of stuck. We’re worried about the side effects the medicine is having on him, as his skin has dried up and gotten all crusty under the fur. He has also lost a TON of weight, as he went from 2.8 lbs to 2 lbs between the intial accident (May) and August.

Overall, when he’s on the medication, he still falls occasionally (maybe once or twice per day) but is still mobile and has a great appetite. We’ve switched him from timothy based hay and pellets to alfalfa based hay and pellets in order to up his calories and get him to gain back some of his weight, but to no avail. Our vet said to pick out the scabby dead skin so that the live skin underneath can breathe, so we do. Because of this, he has bald patches but I can tell he feels better when his skin breathes. Though Seamus has horrifically dry skin and a wobbly gait, overall, as long as he’s not fallen down, he’s in great spirits and is a happy little guy.

We’re just wondering if there is anything else we can do to help him. We love him desperately and only want for him to be healthy and happy, to have a high quality of life, and to know that he is our treasure.  We don’t want to be dependent on Prenazone anymore, but don’t know of any other options out there. Please help.

 

 

[jerseygirl]

Just want to say how great it is to see someone so dedicated!   Some members here have more experience with special needs buns and hopefully they’ll chime in. The Prenazone is just for pain management? There are some alternative treatments you might try. Someone mentioned acupuncture here recently, this may help with mobility and pain management. (??) Hope you get some answers. Lovely bunny name!

[Sarita]

You sound extremely dedicated.  I have not dealt with this but I highly recommend the Disabled Rabbit yahoo group:

pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/disabledrabbits/

They have many people on the list experienced with rabbits with disabilities.

[JK]

I am so sorry about your bunny.  I really have no advice to offer other than contacting Dana Krempels at http://www.allexperts.com. She has probably dealt with these kinds of things and is really on the cutting edge of rabbit physiology.  Please keep us posted. 

 

 

[RabbitPam]

http://www.amazon.com/When-Your-Rabbit-Needs-Special/dp/159580031X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222400332&sr=8-1

This book has been recommended on a few sites lately, so it might have something to help. “When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care”

Also, this website helped me a lot when Spockie lost function in his rear legs:

http://www.catsandrabbitsandmore.com/disabled_rabbits 

And if I may add my 2 cents: Even though it’s hard to have a bunny on a medication long term, if the choice is between a restored quality of life for the time he has, or a life in pain that necessitates shortening his life anyway, I would feel like giving him a better time for the time he has left, however long that may be. It’s a heartbreaking choice either way, and you are doing wonderfully with him.

 Also, you can try a bit of mineral oil on his skin to moisturize it. Use as little as possible, but see if that helps.

[Beka27]

oh my. i’m really sorry to hear about this. you are so great to go thru all of this with him. i would maybe check out that other bunny forum, they might have more info for you.

[TARM]

I know I’m in the minority here and may get flamed for even suggesting this…but from what I’ve read here his quality of life doesn’t seem to be very good. I know you think you’re doing right by him by having his sypmtoms treated but I have always believed that keeping an animal alive for my benefit is just not right. If this were my bunny I would personally opt to have him put to sleep. I would hold him in my arms, pet him, and whisper in his ear about what a good boy he is so that his last moments would be peaceful.

Of course this is a very personal decision to make and what’s right for me may not be right for you. This is just my opinion. And now I will go sit in the corner and wait and see if people think I’m mean. :0(

[JK]

I do agree that if the quality of life is not there, then it is not fair to an animal to live this way. We put our dog down a few months ago because her quality of life was gone and she was having trouble breathing and really suffering.  It was all of one night in this conditioon that we decided to take her to the vet and see if it was the right time to put her down.  She couldn’t even get out of the car at that point so we had no other choice. It was best for her and it was awful to make that decision.  I have a neighbor that refuses to see that her dog is suffering and continues to drag her around the block for walks.  She constantly falls and is miserable.  She is keeping her alive for her and not taking into account the dog’s suffering and it makes me so upset that she is so selfish. With that said, you have to do what is right for your bunny and only you can make that decision. It is not easy under any circumstances.

[Gina Won]

Thank you so, so much for all the advice and input, it means a lot.

I really appreciate all of the links and will definitely look into them.

Again, thanks so much.

I understand what people are saying about when to put an animal down and my family and I have been mentally preparing ourselves for his departure for some time now. However we can sense from Seamus that he is not quite ready to go yet and so we are simply appreciative of our precious time together.

He is actually quite remarkable in that despite his handicaps, Seamus is is excellent spirits and is lively, interactive, high-spirited and eating very well. He doesn’t seem to be in pain at all. It’s just the distress of him not being able to get up once fallen that hurts him, and the wait until someone finds him, though we check on him and stay by his side as much as we can.

Again, thank you.

I’ll keep you posted on any new developments.

[jerseygirl]

Yes, it does seem from your first post he is a happy bun all considered. So it is when he struggles after falling that he can hurt himself? Wonder if there is some sort of stablity device he could wear? Or would that would cause more distress? Is he able to groom himself? 

Be interesting what you learn from other sites- Goodluck!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome to binkybunny!!

The yahoo ‘disabled rabbit’s’ group, as Sarita recommended is excellent. There are more types of disabled rabbits then you could ever imagine and their moms and dads are part of that group… Very friendly and lots of good adive-quickly too.

IMO you could look into carts-they make them for disabled rabbits and although he’s not paralysed might make mobility easier and falling over less likely. Prendisone is such a good drug, it’s unfortunate that it’s not one that can be used long term.

[BinkyBunny]

You can come out of the corner TankAndRanger. I doubt anyone will think you are mean. : ) No one wants to see their animals suffer and sometimes suggesting putting their animals to sleep can help them feel it’s okay and not selfish to find peace for their animal this way. Sometimes people may feel inside that it would be selfish of them to put their animal down, so having another point of view can just help them find the solution that is best…for their fuzzy companion.

I also know that the description of what an animal is going through may not include the happiness an animal is feeling as well. I know with my bunny Bailey, she could no longer binky because of her hind leg weakness, but she was spunky, and would do “head” binkies. She loved to be petted and had enjoyed life more than she suffered it. Only you, ligeia, will be able to determine that about your own bunny.

I wish I could offer you advice about severe injuries like yours. Though I have dealt with injuries, and spinal issues – they have been minor in comparison. When Bailey was having trouble with symptoms from ecuniculi, she had acupuncture. I was getting it for free while my vet was in training, and so I figured, what the heck. I kept a somewhat open mind, but I am also a skeptical person – however I really think it helped. I saw improvement, and though I can’t say for sure it was due to the acupuncture, I don’t know what else it could have been except if she just coincidentally got stronger on her own.

I also met a woman at the vets office today who was taking her bunny in for acupuncture for pain management, and she said it really made a difference.

If you do find help and find something that works, please let us know. As I really want to continue to learn about what works for special needs bunnies.

keep us updated.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

T & R I didn’t even see your response. BB’s right, it’s a personal decision and I happen to agree with you that when there is no/low quality of life euthanasia is a good option. I’ve seen three horses be put down and I’ve decided when it’s my time that’s how I want to go. It’s very peaceful and humane. It’s just a tough decision to make for them, as they can’t tell you how they feel and your feelings may get in the way. But don’t sit in the corner *HUGS*

[KatnipCrzy]

It sounds as though your bunny is on steroids- prednisone.  The steroids help keep the inflammation down in his spinal injury which allows him to move and feel better.  Steroids can definitely have side affects from chronic use- but it sounds like in this case you really have no choice.  Your vet is right in trying to get him down to the lowest effective dose- but it sounds like his injury is so severe that he will need the meds to live comfortably.  I would suggest getting the book that others mentioned about “special needs bunnies” and while that might not change what medications he needs to have you might get some good ideas on other things that can improve his life and make things easier for him (I have not read it yet) and those websites sound like a great source of info too.

There are other pain meds for bunnies- but with a spinal injury it would likely not be as beneficial as steroids (Metacam is a NSAID- a Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug). 

Good luck- be sure to check with your vet frequently also- but it sounds like you are dedicated to giving your bunny the best quality of life possible.  And that is awesome as not everyone is like that (of course those people would never bother to sign up for BinkyBunny forums as they don’t think enough of their bunny to research and ask).

[jerseygirl]

liegeia, just saw this on website mentioned in another post. Thought you might be interested to have a look.
http://www.vrra.org/special-rabbits.htm

[bunnytowne]

I was thinking maybe putting him down too.  But didnt’ want to say it. However there probably are special carts with wheels for bunnies hindquarters that might help him stay upright and not fall over. If so that may be one solution.  So there are options out there for him. Poor little bunny. The falling down and not being able to get up is his biggest dilema. He sounds healthy otherwise. As far as the meds sounds like he really needs them and should stay on them. If that helps him I would keep him on it.  That way his quality of life improves. Or the carts with wheels could help too. 

If you decide to try that handicap cart for him I would let it sit out so he can explore it.  Then in a few days set him on it then in a few days strap  it on him. That way he may be more accepting of it.

From your description he is not miserable. Until he can’t get up. He doesnt’ sound depressed or anything. Glad you like that website for disabled buns too.  In Seamus’s case sounds like you should keep trying for him. I am sure you can find something to help.

 

[bunnytowne]

Sending healing bunny vibes and asking for his healing and a helpful solution for him. I wish  you all the best with him.

[MooBunnay]

I am sorry to hear about your little bunny’s struggles – it must be scary for him to fall down and not be able to get up. I know that with bunnies that have head tilt, they are often kep tin very well padded cages with towels and soft sheep skin flooring so that they do not injure themselves when they fall over.

If Seamus is eating well, I think thats one of the best signs you can have that he is feeling good on the medicine, usually the first thing a bunny will do when they don’t feel well is stop eating – so I would agree with your thought that he is probably pretty happy feeling when on the medicine. I can’t imagine though that a crushed spinal disc would feel very good if he wasn’t on pain medication, so I’m not surprised that he does not do as well without it.

I’m sorry that I cannot offer any better advice, I do not have much history with the medication Seamus is on – were you able to try the disabled rabbits group? Could they offer any help?

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