Bad Knees

Blaze_Amita · Jun 25, 2010

My little velveteen doe, Leah, was just at the vets today to get her hips and knees checked to see why she held her knee literally out sideways.

Leah's the Broken Black.

The vet said it was developmental in the Uterine. Her tendons were torn on the inside of the knee. Her left knee's tendons are also stretched adn strained.

Any ideas of what I can do to try and help her? The vet said there wasn't anything that could be done.

I am at a total loss here.

Maureen Las · Jun 25, 2010

I believe that this is a condtion called splay leg. Did the vet x-ray your rabbit? how did he know that the tendons are torn? What is your rabbits age?

I know absolutely nothing about splay leg , however , a friend of mine had avery young English lop with a mild case who actually improved without care.

Here are some articles ( if you rabbit indeed has this condition) but I would not try making any splints until you get more imput from other members and possibly a 2nd opinion form a rabbit knowledgeable vcet who has dealt with this condition \

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Bone_diseases/Genetic/splayleg.htm

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/splayleg.html

Blaze_Amita · Jun 25, 2010

Yes we tried everything(xrays, pysical therapy) and she's just gotten worse. you can literally twist her knee around, but the joint's not broken. I asked him about Splay and he said it wasn't that, this was definently uterine development, and she'll just get worse with age. Leah was born 4-2-10, so she's still a junior and I'm just owrried about having to put her down so young. She doesn't get to live the nice long life that her brother will. He was messaging the knee joints for a long time. At least she's got good hips! not that they will help her. I might try the cork thing but pulling her leg back into position where it should be puts her in pain.

Maureen Las · Jun 25, 2010

Don't do the cork thing until you talk with the vet about it.
This sounds like a sad situation

pamnock · Jun 25, 2010

Unfortunately, the surgery to correct the condition is very expensive (for our small dog, we were quoted a minimum of $5,000 per knee) - his case is not as bad as your rabbit's is.

You might consider a little cart/wheelchair (examples on Youtube):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FeDr3nSBd8&feature=related]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FeDr3nSBd8&feature=related[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hR82grZT2A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hR82grZT2A[/ame]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NJjdnbAvkk&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PzEqJHj_jY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PzEqJHj_jY[/ame]

SOOOSKA · Jun 25, 2010

Can I ask why you would have to put her down? Their are rabbits on here that have very happy lives with splay leg.

Also maybe you can put a blanket for her to lay on, those wire cages look so uncomfortable for the bunnies.

Both of your rabbits are beautiful. They look so soft and cuddly.

Susan