Dead end with what's wrong with my rabbit

[Tracy Fletcher]

Hello, I live in the Uk and in June my Rabbit cocoa was suddenly weeing Blood, he was taken to the vets straight away and given Metacam & Baytril. He had a urine test which was normal and no crystals were there. He got better

Through August though he starting to lift his back legs up really high into the air higher than normal and his droppings were getting mushy and very smelly. Took back to vets on 21st August, vet cleaned his bottom up as his bits looked slightly sore and inflamed.
Was given more Bio-Lapis and Metacam.
:happybunny:
On 27th August Pure Blood was pouring from his bottom opening, not watered down like before, thick Blood. Rushed him to vets, was given antibiotics, he had x-ray the next day and was all clear except the bladder was inflamed, so no stones were present. Had another course of antibitoics and continued on the medacam. His system is back to normal and he is fully alert drinking and eating fine, has his own lawn off grass and eats plenty of hay as well. He still chases me like crazy and is very happy, though he seems to struggle on his back legs now and now is continuing again to lift his bum up so high in the air it looks unreal. It's almost like something is hurting, he has been given a green light healthwise just 2 weeks ago on his last check up, heart/ eyesight/ears and weight all ok, he is a very tiny rabbit though and is under average size and is 4 1/2 months old.

There is nothing on the internet I can find that say's anything on bunny's lifting their bums to high in the air even when they are not doing their business.

I am happy all tests came back clear and his personality is unchanged, though I joined a forum in hope someone might beable to help me as I have spent a lot of money now in which he is very every penny, but it is really getting frustrating now.

thanks to whoever reads this and might have some insight

Tracy & (cocoa)

 

[JBun]

Does the problem completely clear up after medication or do you still see blood or the bum lifting? I would imagine the bum lifting and difficulty with his back legs that you are seeing, would have to do with pain and/or discomfort from whatever medical issue is causing this.

This link has a list of things that can cause blood in the urine.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/Differentials/Blood_urine.htm

If you aren't already seeing a rabbit specialist, that may be a good next step. I know there are several good rabbit specialists in the UK.

 

[Millinex]

Did the vet do an actual culture before giving Baytril? Any vet who doesn't do a complete culture before prescribing that is a terrible vet.

It could possibly be some sort of side effect made WORSE by Baytril, it's a really nasty antibiotic that sometimes does a hell of a lot more harm than good. I personally will not use Baytril ever, because I've seen some horrible stuff come from it.

Get cultures done, if your vet won't sit down and test properly, find a new vet.

 

[Tracy Fletcher]

Hi JBun, there has been no more blood since 27th August,he is doing alright but he seems to now keep struggling on his back legs and at times wants to keep the weight off them. Mum & I think he may even have a spot of arthritis. All urine tests were clear, there were no crystals like in the info you sent me. X-Ray was clear, he is no longer on antibiotic's or Medacam. He still keeps lifting his bum up high at times, so its' hard to know it the problem had any effect or if he is just getting on a bit in his age. He is very small for a rabbit and compared to my pervious rabbits he is very much undersize as he didn't grow much after I bought him at 10 weeks old. But he is pretty alert and eating drinking ok. It's just so hard when all tests show nothing, which is good as you don't want anything to show, but there must have been something to trigger this, I have had my vet for 20 years now. Thanks for the info you sent it was always worth asking as you never know there might be someone out there who has had the same problem and knows what it is. Thanks from Tracy

 

[Tracy Fletcher]

Hi Millinex, i'm not sure what a culture is?

 

[Azerane]

This is very strange, to me it almost sounds like he could have something in there which is causing irritation and flares up every now and then, like a little piece of plastic or something not causing a full blockage but not getting passed either. However you said he's had an x-ray, and I would think anything foreign would have shown up in that.

I think a culture is just short for blood culture, which basically means sampling the blood and testing for any infections etc.