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rabbits

rabbit hind legs not working

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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I just went to the bunny colony this morning, and one rabbit, a junior female, is dragging her hind legs around. She seems ok, except for that. She may be a bit skinnier than normal as well, but her eyes look good, she is moving around just fine, eating, drinking.

Looking online, it seems there are various causes, a few being infections. I hesitate to think that she has a bacterial infection or parasite mainly because this came on so fast. She was fine yesterday, down today.

So, I am thinking it must have been spinal trauma, like jumping wrong.

Anyone have experience with this?

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Brice Moss

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

posted 16 years ago

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do your rabbits fight?
g'ma used to raise rabbits and every now and again one of the breeders would get real mean, once she figured out which one it was we would have some yummy rabbit stew

I'd quarantine her and look real close for signs of trauma

Abe Connally

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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No, they don't fight at all.

I have inspected her several times. No signs of anything.

Well, I had another surprise today, cause when I went out, another junior doe is dragging around one hind leg.

So, that seems that it must be an infection. At this point, I don't really know what to do. I have separated both does.

I live in Mexico, and I am probably 100 miles from any vet, and who knows if there is one that knows anything about rabbits. So, I am kinda on my own, here. The main thing is to prevent an epidemic in the herd, but I also want to find out if these two can be cured.

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Brice Moss

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

posted 16 years ago

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how many enclosures do you have?
I'm thinking you'd be wise to split the rabbits into as many groups as you have cages for and get them well separated from each other.
also get on the phone and talk to a farm vet in your area even if he is a hundred miles away he's likely to know the most likely diseases to affect your area better than anyone in here

Abe Connally

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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I've got a main colony pen for the females, a growing pen for the young ones, and 2 buck pens.

I have the 2 sick does in a temporary pen separate from everyone else.

I think I will clean out the main colony pen tomorrow, and that will reduce risk of transmitting anything.

I'll see if I can talk to a vet, or even locate one. The thing is, these rabbits have not been in contact with any other animals for more than 4 months. So, I don't know that it is something that has been transmitted by another animal.

On the net, they talk about the following:
Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a microsporidian (single-celled eukaryotic) parasite that resides in the renal and nervous tissue of infected rabbits.

I am just wondering how contagious it is, and if there is a risk to humans.

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Brice Moss

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

posted 16 years ago

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I found this article
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=490&S=5
wish I could help more
good luck

Abe Connally

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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Thanks, Brice.

At this point, I am just going to try and prevent further infection, though from what I read, if they are showing signs of infection, they've been infected for quite some time.

We'll see what can be done.

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Abe Connally

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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Well, this morning, the first doe seemed a bit better, one of her hind legs is kinda moving a bit. So, that was a bit of better news.

After doing a bunch of reading on E. cuniculi, I am going to dose the whole heard with Panacur (fenbendazole), and hopefully get rid of any potential parasites.

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Posts: 16

Location: MO

posted 16 years ago

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velacreations wrote:
I just went to the bunny colony this morning, and one rabbit, a junior female, is dragging her hind legs around. She seems ok, except for that. She may be a bit skinnier than normal as well, but her eyes look good, she is moving around just fine, eating, drinking.

Anyone have experience with this?

All I can offer is some anecdotal hope. Last month I came home to the same scenario with one doe. I moved her hutch and monitored her condition. I assumed it was some sort of infection.

I am happy to report that in a matter of two weeks she began using her legs again and now seems nearly 100% better. None of my other rabbits became infected.

Abe Connally

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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well, I have started the 2 does in a dose of panacur, which should take care of any parasites.

The do seem to be doing a bit better, as the first doe is able to move one of her hind legs quite a bit now.

In any case, keeping them separate, well feed and well watered, is probably the best thing we can do. It is now just a waiting game.

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Abe Connally

Posts: 1502

Location: Chihuahua Desert

posted 16 years ago

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Ok, a bit of an update, just in case someone else has a similar problem.

I found some Panacur granules (contains Fenbendazole) locally, and started giving the 2 does a dose, based on findings on the internet. Well, now it is 2 weeks later, and they are completely recovered (though a bit below normal weight). They regained movement in their hind legs in about 4-5 days after beginning treatment, and could run and play about a week after beginning treatment.

Now, they are still shaky at times, but they run, jump, stand on their hind legs and do everything else rabbits like to do. Their weight is recovering, but at a slower pace.

So, I am dosing the entire herd with liquid Panacur (goat wormer). They get 0.2 ml / kg of rabbit/ day. This will be a 9 day course for the rabbits without physical signs of EC. This is a preventative course of action that I will start doing every 4-6 months.

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