Need opinions - Catnip sick - weak back end

Hi everyone,

Sorry to blast back to the group with a problem, but I know where to
come for bunny experience!

Catnip is blind and probably 10-11 years old. In the last two weeks she
started losing the use of her rear legs. It would come and go but now
she cannot balance on them -- she just wobbles until she falls on her
side. She spends most of her time just laying, she can only rotate in a
circle using her front legs.

The vet did x-rays and blood tests and can't find anything obvious. She
has some bone spurs/arthritis and is now on pain meds, but it doesn't
make a huge difference. The vet thinks more is going on.

She has only nibbled food for the last several days and now is only
eating if we stick banana in front of her nose. She drank a little bit
tonight and we are giving sub-q fluids.

Tonight, she is having trouble with her front legs too. She almost seems
dizzy. Either that or more weak in general. She tries to sit up for a
minute and groom herself but starts swaying and falls.

Now I'm wondering if this could be E. Cuniculi. The vet says I can bring
her back in for a blood test but she has not had good luck treating it.
I know blood tests don't show active infections, only exposure during
their lifetime.

Here's the question, what is that possibility? The vet is very worried
Catnip has a tumor or something horrible that is undetected, given her
age. Should we drag her in for a blood test? I hate so much to give up
on her, but it's hard to see her like this and especially barely eating.
So far I have not force-fed her because I hate to do that to her with
her circumstances. If I knew this was temporary and she was younger and
had a good chance, that would be one thing. If this is nearing the end
for her, I'm hesitant to make it uncomfortable for her.

Guess I needed to talk too.

Any experience with what your bunnies went through for hind leg problems
or EC or anything similar would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Rhonda (little Bambi is being a wonderful nurse)

On Nov 13, 2:48 am, Rhonda wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> Sorry to blast back to the group with a problem, but I know where to
> come for bunny experience!
>
> Catnip is blind and probably 10-11 years old. In the last two weeks she
> started losing the use of her rear legs. It would come and go but now
> she cannot balance on them -- she just wobbles until she falls on her
> side. She spends most of her time just laying, she can only rotate in a
> circle using her front legs.
>
> The vet did x-rays and blood tests and can't find anything obvious. She
> has some bone spurs/arthritis and is now on pain meds, but it doesn't
> make a huge difference. The vet thinks more is going on.
>
> She has only nibbled food for the last several days and now is only
> eating if we stick banana in front of her nose. She drank a little bit
> tonight and we are giving sub-q fluids.
>
> Tonight, she is having trouble with her front legs too. She almost seems
> dizzy. Either that or more weak in general. She tries to sit up for a
> minute and groom herself but starts swaying and falls.
>
> Now I'm wondering if this could be E. Cuniculi. The vet says I can bring
> her back in for a blood test but she has not had good luck treating it.
> I know blood tests don't show active infections, only exposure during
> their lifetime.
>
> Here's the question, what is that possibility? The vet is very worried
> Catnip has a tumor or something horrible that is undetected, given her
> age. Should we drag her in for a blood test? I hate so much to give up
> on her, but it's hard to see her like this and especially barely eating.
> So far I have not force-fed her because I hate to do that to her with
> her circumstances. If I knew this was temporary and she was younger and
> had a good chance, that would be one thing. If this is nearing the end
> for her, I'm hesitant to make it uncomfortable for her.
>
> Guess I needed to talk too.
>
> Any experience with what your bunnies went through for hind leg problems
> or EC or anything similar would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Rhonda (little Bambi is being a wonderful nurse)
you don't have to take blood test to give the med for ec. i would just
get her on panacur. it is cheap and easy to use . onece a day.
it really could be anything. amber gave out on use of his legs from
arthritus at ten years old. he started falling alot. he was completely
disssable the last couple years of his life.
does sound like it could be pain. i would get some glucossamine and
condroiton for now 250 mg. half a tab once a day. adequan is also
something you can consider. it is given in shots. amber was in alot of
pain alot. i treated him with natural stuff and in a few months he got
alot better. it is more than what i listed here. it is easy to do. i
also gave him hot butt baths. i bought a foot jacuzzi and put epsoms
slat in it and bathed him everday to ease the pain.