Broken back? Limp hind legs.

[bantambunnies]

One of my rabbits was loose in the yard last night and was found dragging his hind legs along the ground. He was fine yesterday morning.

He doesn't seem to be in much pain, although he does not like to get up and spends all his time lying on one side.
He is eating and drinking fine, and if I put him on the ground he will actually hop around about as fast as I can chase after him. He even went down some stairs easily.
He does seem to have some control of his back legs, but they are very weak and will not support his weight. He is able to kick just a little when I pick him up.
He does not have any noticeable head tilt.

I did read the recent thread about the doe that seemed to have the same condition, but the problem wasn't resolved.

It's quite possible that he injured his back in some way, since he runs around a lot all day - BUT it's very rare to see him jumping. I've hardly ever seen him "binky" like most rabbits will.
I know that E. Cuniculi was mentioned as a possible cause. If he could have this, how do I know (any way other than the vet?)? I read that it might be able to be treated with Ivermectin, which we do have on hand.

Right now I have him in the house in the smallest cage we have, on newspaper and straw. He is calm (he is very comfortable with people), lying on one side and munching on hay. He doesn't look like he feels very well, though. Will I need to express his bladder?

 

[Miss M]

I would think it's either an injury or E.c., but not broken.

If he has that much control, you probably won't have to express his bladder, though you might want to give it a go, just in case. But I think you should probably keep him as still as you can for a few days.

If you want to treat for E.c., you can go ahead and give a dose of ivermectin, maybe get some Safeguard (fenbendazole, I think) and do that for at least a month. I got the pellets at the feed store. They were cheap. I think I used less than a pound in all.... I seem to recall that after I did the math (I think the dose for E.c. in a rabbit was 20 mg/kg), I ended up giving something like .32 ounce per day.

Trick was getting it into him. I mixed those things with pumpkin, applesauce, pineapple juice, whatever. Finicky rabbit! :angry:

 

[bantambunnies]

Thank you! We gave him 1/10 cc of Ivermectin, orally.
He doesn't move around much in the small cage we have him in (it's a hamster cage, actually). He'll sit or stand up from time to time and lie on different sides.
He doesn't seem to have any trouble passing droppings, although he doesn't get up to do it, but I'm not sure if he has urinated yet or not.

I don't really know much about E.c. Is it contagious to other rabbits? Will he need to be kept separate? Will it go away? And where did he catch it from?

 

[Miss M]

As with pasteurella, most rabbits are thought to have been exposed to E.c. It is contagious, but not nearly as easily transmitted as pasteurella. From what I read, it seems to be transmitted mostly through urine. An infected rabbit pees, other rabbits go over and lick at the residue on the wire. An infected rabbit sprays, and all rabbits within range groom themselves, lick at their feeders and water bottles, etc.

As far as does it go away, I don't recall getting a square answer on that. There have been rabbits that have recovered from it, and have been put back with other rabbits with no issues. Some seem to continue shedding it now and then in their urine. If you suspect E.c., I'd suggest doing some research, starting with Barbi Brown's website: http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/ecuniculi.htm . Get a snack and a drink first.

 

[bantambunnies]

Thanks. Now I'm really thinking it's E. C. We put him outside on the deck and he started exploring right away, not seeming to be in any pain (which I assume he would be in if he had an injured back/spinal cord). His legs actually seem better today. He can hop around pretty well, but his hindquarters still seem weak or floppy. He can't sit up to wash his face properly, and sometimes a leg will give out and he'll flop over on his side.

The link you gave me says to keep his area as clean as possible and to take anything extra away, since it could harbor spores that could reinfect him. So should I assume that it's E.C. and put him back in his regular cage, away from the other rabbits? I don't think that, with his hindquarters the way they are, he could spray very well anyway.

I guess the spores can live in the ground, correct? He has been all over our yard, but mostly right around the other rabbits. He has also been inside the pen that I sometimes let the other rabbits run in. Should I treat the other rabbits with Ivermectin, too?

 

[arachyd]

Definitely tell the new owner. Double definitely since it's a breeder. In fact you should make sure the other rabbit is completely recovered before letting any rabbits go to new owners.

 

[Miss M]

Yes, if you do let the rabbit go to the breeder, make sure the breeder knows before you go to meet that you have a rabbit that might have E.c., and that this rabbit might have been exposed. Since the majority of rabbits are thought to be exposed anyway, it might not matter that much to the breeder.

Still, it probably would be better to just keep the rabbit for a few more weeks, to make sure it does not develop any symptoms.

 

[bantambunnies]

Would it be safe to breed my rabbits (not the sick one) right now? It's unlikely, but possible, that the others have been exposed. The doe I would be breeding was in a pen recently that the sick buck may have been in, as was the buck (but the doe was in the pen more recently.)

Should I treat all the rabbits with Ivermectin?

 

[Miss M]

If it were my bunnybarn, I would not treat any rabbit but the one I suspected for E.c. I would also proceed as normal with any breeding and other activities. That's me, though.

 

[bantambunnies]

Okay! Thanks!

 

[Miss M]

You're welcome!

 

[bantambunnies]

Can anyone tell me when it's safe to put him back in his regular cage? (I will be cleaning it out thoroughly with bleach, as I have already done with one of his cages.)

He has definitely improved. He can keep his legs underneath him now and can sit up on them much better. He escapes off the deck and runs right back to the does' hutch (so much for keeping the yard parasite-free). Is this okay? If he does shed spores in his urine, will they ever leave the ground?
I've stopped feeding my other rabbits greens that grow in the area where he used to run loose, just to be safe.

 

[Miss M]

His regular cage would be with the other rabbits?

I don't know when it's safe. I know I have seen pix and videos of pet wry-neck rabbits playing with other buns, so apparently it got to the point at which they felt it was safe. Our bun has never gone back outside (for one thing, his head tilt never improved), but we don't necessarily wash our hands after handling him anymore, either.

I don't know how long E.c. persists in soil.

All I can suggest is reading everything you can find on it. See what you think. :shrug: