Hind leg paralysis

[Izhang]

This afternoon Shadow was all fine, running around the dining room. All of a sudden, as he was sitting up on his hind legs, he fell over and stopped moving. I didn't notice at first, since he was sitting in the "loaf bread" position that he likes to do, but when I prodded him he started dragging his hind legs.

I called the vet and she estimated the bill would be around $400 for the emergency fee and all the tests, but would be a bit cheaper if I brought him during the day tomorrow. I plan on doing that, but between this and the $285 I paid just this month for his dental procedure, I have no idea how I'm going to afford it.

Everything had been going so well. I was reading some prognosis on hind leg paralysis and some of them don't seem to be too good. My bun's pretty old (9 years) and is dwarf-sized as well. Should I prepare for the worst?

 

[Pipp]

Keep him still and confined. An x-ray will tell the tale.

I don't know that there is much you can do other than pain/anti-inflammatory meds. Do you have Metacam or even some Ibuprofen? I use Baby Motrin. I don't normally condone self-medicating without a diagnosis, but I think the anti-inflammatory properties will help in this case, and he may need pain control.


sas :clover: ray:

 

[Izhang]

Thankfully I had some leftover Metacam and Tramadol from his dental procedure two weeks ago. I gave him .5ml of the painkiller and .2ml of the anti-inflammatory. I plan to administer the anti-inflammatory again in 12 hrs. By then I should be at the vet's.

He's no longer paralyzed, just sitting very still. He tried moving when I offered food. He can move, just very wobbly.

 

[Pipp]

Metacam is a pain reliever, really could have done with just that one I think, but I'm not sure about that. He may be wobbly with that much medication in him.

But if he can move it sounds good, but still don't let him. He could still have a fracture that isn't a bad one but can get much worse with movement.

Hopefully its just swollen and/or bruised and he will get over it. Does he have bladder and bowel control?

Here are some excerpts with more info:


Merck's Vet Manual:

... Initial signs of paralysis may resolve within 3-5 days as swelling around the cord diminishes. Supportive therapy includes anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids (eg, dexamethasone) to reduce damage from swelling. Paralysis after 1-2 wk or incontinence indicates a grave prognosis and warrants euthanasia.

And Veterinary Partner...

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=490

Cause: Damage to a rabbit's back by any kind of trauma can lead to partial or complete paralysis of the hind limbs.

Diagnosis: The damaged vertebrae can usually be seen on a x-ray. Occasionally the vertebrae will "snap" out of place during the injury, cause damage to the spinal cord and then go back into place by the time the x-ray is taken. These cases can be difficult to diagnose unless high detail x-ray film is used or a myelogram is performed.

Treatment - If the spinal cord is completely severed or seriously bruised, there is no treatment that will return normal neurological function. Euthanasia should be considered for these patients because their quality of life will be very poor. Cases that have only mild to moderate damage to the spinal cord or that still have sensations in the toes and maintain bladder or bowel control have a chance of healing. These rabbits should confined to a cage for a period of 6 to 8 weeks to facilitate healing of the fractured bones. Corticosteroids may be used for the first few days after the injury. Many of these rabbits will regain at least partial if not total neurological function and live a fairly normal life.

Copyright 2001 - 2010 by Susan Brown, DVM



sas ray:

 

[tonyshuman]

Does he seem "there" mentally? Definitely keep him in a smaller space. He may feel better with the meds but they may make him want to get up and move which he shouldn't do until an x-ray has been done.

Any chance he fell off something?

 

[Izhang]

I read both of those, and I'm really hoping he hasn't fractured his spine permanently. Only x-ray will tell.

I'm not sure what signs to look for in terms of losing control of bowels/bladder. He used to be litter trained pretty well but recently he's started pooing/peeing outside his litter box. I thought that was just because he lives on carpet, and his litter was Carefresh, so he was confused about where to potty. I just placed some thin pegboard on the floor of his pen last week, and have been trying to correct his behavior by soaking up the pee w/ paper towels and placing it in his litter box.

Just yesterday he peed on me while he was sitting on my lap. I thought this was consistent with his behavior (he likes to pee on soft places, such as blankets, beds, etc.)

Anyway, there may be a possibility he fell. He has three 'shelves' in his pen that are just upside down cardboard boxes that he likes to jump on. (I was worried about him hurting himself but they are not that high and he loves jumping on them). But there's really nothing he can jump on in the living room and that's where he seem to have thrown his back.

 

[ra7751]

Most likely he is a bit drowsy both from the injury and the Tramadol....we use Tramadol quite a bit to sedate head and/or spinal injuries. As far as the Merck Manual and the other vet's published comments on using steroids....the general feeling in the veterinary community today is that steroids are inappropriate in these types of situations. We haven't used steroids in several years with traumatic injuries in wildlife....including a cottontail with total hind quarter paralysis that was released successfully.....but instead use a combination of anti-inflammatories and sedatives. Steroids also suppress the immune system and that really isn't something you want to do with a rabbit unless it's absolutely the last shot.

Quite honestly, it sounds like something like a "pinched nerve" or a disc problem (using common human terms). A good quality digital rad should give a good look.

Randy

 

[Izhang]

As far as being "there" he seems to be eating still, just not moving around too much. He's making some funny noises though, like a balloon deflating. I dunno how else to describe it.

 

[tonyshuman]

Is he straining to breathe at all? That's worrisome...

 

[Izhang]

I don't think so. How can I tell?

 

[tonyshuman]

I just thought the deflating balloon sound could be a wheeze, like he couldn't breathe. Is he sitting normally? Is he putting his nose up in the air, or elevating his head above the rest of his body in an awkward way?

 

[Izhang]

He sits in a "loaf of bread" position. I don't think he's having trouble breathing. I just observed him trying to move again and he seems to fall over on his side a lot. I'll try and see if he favors one side over another.

 

[Maureen Las]

You are taking him to the vet on Tues?

 

[Izhang]

Yes, that's what I plan on doing. I just walled off his pen further with another pressure-mount barrier. He was hopping around normally earlier but I think that's just the meds kicking in. At least it doesn't seem to be paralysis, yes?

 

[Maureen Las]

If he is hopping around then it isn't paralysis but it is best to keep him quiet in a small space. Good luck at the vet
let us know...

 

[Izhang]

Good news! This morning when I woke up, Shadow was running around his (much smaller) cage, begging to be let out. He seems to have fully recovered! I'm not exactly sure what seems to have happened to him last night, though. We're still going to the vet on March 4th to see how his teeth are progressing, so I'll ask for an x-ray then. Phew.

 

[tonyshuman]

He may have had a pinched nerve in his back or a bruise on the spine that the anti-inflammatory made stop swelling.

 

[Maureen Las]

That is great but I would still limit activity and it would stillbe a good idea to follow up on this ; I would have still have gotten an x-ray today to make sure that further damage won't occur