Loss of use of front legs?

[Links56]

Awhile back I had a 1.5 year old California doe lose the use of her front legs. I was just wondering what the cause might have been. Thanks.

 

[Dood]

Tapeworm cysts and E. cuniculi parasites can both cause neurological problems

 

[Links56]

Anything you can watch for or do? Where do these parasites come from?

 

[michaels4gardens]

E.C. another parasite [protozoan] can be killed, or at very least controlled by allium plants, or specialty wormers, OTC wormers take care of the others. Both are orally introduced [generally]

 

[akane]

Odds are high it's something to do with the brain. Problems further back will cause hindleg disorders which is why it's uncommon to see it in just the front legs. Did the head tilt any? That's the more common symptom of things impacting the brain like E. cuniculi.

Mine got E. cuniculi from birds nesting over them. Wild rodents and skin pests can spread illnesses. If they are on a solid floor the odds go up a lot because things can live in the bedding, any wood, the ground.... but I have heard of people who had to regularly deworm their caged rabbits.

 

[michaels4gardens]

When I worked at a well known "Animal sanctuary", EC was very common and lots of rabbits were on their "EC protocol" at any given time. -- generally with EC it is either the front end or the back end affected, but almost never both ends [unless nearing the fatal point]. Loss of use of either front or back legs was very common, as well as head tilt, and circling. If not caught early rabbits will not recover from the nerve damage, and it will become permanent . EC is very contagious when rabbits have access to dirt or urine from infected rabbits.[and sometimes through the placenta, and into the eye of the kit] EC manifests symptoms "generally" after the immune system becomes depressed [in my experience, shortly after cheap moldy hay, or 2+ year old feed was fed to them]. Some infected rabbits will live a normal life and never show symptoms. The vets at the "sanctuary" had fair/ to good success with panacur, and ponazuril combination. I have treated symptoms with garlic chives, with no symptoms being manifest again [so far almost 2 years].

 

[Links56]

Wow. She would just push her self around with her hind legs. Her head didn't seem tilted. I figured she was suffering so I put her down, I just wanted to know for future reference. Thanks for the info.