Arthritis

[EricaWD]

Hi all,

We have a 6 year old neutered buck, Hayden, who just had a check-up at the vet. The vet said Hayden is developing a bit of arthritis. We haven't noticed an issue - he is eating pellets, hay, and greens as normal, pooping as normal, and doesn't seem to be limping or anything like that. We put a carpet down so he isn't on a slippery surface in or out of his cage.

My question is when do we know it's time for pain medication? Is there a way to tell before he is off food or seems in pain? Is it worthwhile to try a glucosamine supplement such as the Oxbow Joint Support supplement - Oxbow Natural Science Joint Support Supplement for Small Animals My plan is to get another check-up in 6 months if all is well anyway, just to see how he's doing.

 

[EricaWD]

I dug up some old threads and found this link too - Medirabbit

Are the injections of Adequan or Cartrophen something that you do when the rabbit is already showing decreased mobility? How do they help?

 

[samoth]

I recently was prescribed meloxicam for my arthritic senior 9yo bun. It made a huge difference -- way more than I had expected.

I'm generally not a fan of supplements, whether for humans or animals. If there's a real medical condition, I prefer real medication. Also, generic meds tend to be cheaper than supps, and meds have more thorough studies supporting their use & potential side effects.

 

[JBun]

RO member MikeScone, had a rabbit that developed arthritis and he started her on adequan and said it worked really well at restoring her mobility. But I think it has to be started not too late in the process, as I tried it on an elderly rabbit, but her arthritis was too advanced and I didn't notice it helping. Meloxicam did help for her though. I could tell it made her seem less stiff when she hopped, and it helped her be a bit more active than she had been previously.

I would definitely suggest trying the adequan to start, and maybe try joint supplements like glucosamine and msm, though I can't say how effective these supplements are. Then meloxicam(if no kidney problems) when you notice stiffness affecting your rabbits movement. But the meloxicam I would hold off until you notice it's needed, because of the possible affect it can have on the kidneys.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Arthritis

 

[Christin522]

My rabbit developed GI Stasis. I took her to the vet and they did an X-ray to make sure it wasn’t a blockage. That’s when I found out my bun had arthritis. She was put on Meloxicam and a joint supplement from Sherwood Health. (if you can spend the money, Sherwood Health has the best supplement. Oxbow is cheaper but it’s good too.) Anyway after making this change I noticed a huge difference! She was maybe 6-7 years old at the time and started acting like a bunny again! Made me wonder how long she had been in pain without me knowing. They hide it so well!

 

[bright_eyes]

You can always give pain medication a try and see if you notice a difference in him, then decide whether to continue or not based on his response (or lack thereof).

I've seen Adequan (basically injectable glucosamine) do great things for horses, but the liquid is fairly viscous and takes patience (on behalf of the animal and the human) to inject. It does not "directly" relieve pain, rather just helps lubricate the joints helping prevent further joint degeneration which provides more comfort for the patient.

I put my oldest rabbit on this supplement, it took a couple weeks to see a difference, but she definitely moves more fluidly than she did before. If she can absorb enough glucosamine by eating it, I'd rather do that than inject it. Ginseng and ginger are also well known as natural anti-inflammatories. She loves them too! When she hears the bag crinkle, she goes nuts:

https://store.sherwoodpethealth.com/prevention-tablet/