fannymanson
Well-Known Member
My poor boy.
I am writing this with tears in my eyes. My bunny, Big Brown, has become disabled. I posted a while back about his instability and falling over. At the time he was still able to hop and get around pretty well. Now his right hind leg is practically useless. He drags on his hip very badly and pulls his hind end along. He is not paralyzed, he can feel his leg, and I can tell he has muscles that are active in it, but it is useless to him. He lays on his right side constantly and the muscles are starting to atrophy.
Many people referred me to a vet and believe me, if I could afford it, I would take him. Since my last post, one of my cats got sick and passed away, and that was very costly. I am not made of money. I live paycheck to paycheck. In fact, my electric bill didn't even get paid last month. I almost didn't post this because I know there are always people who say things like "If you cant afford to pay the vet bill, then you shouldn't have pets". Maybe they are right. But it's too late now. I have several pets and I can't imagine a life without them. If you feel this way, skip this post and move along, because I am not interested in your remarks.
My concern is that I need to be able to take care of a bunny with a disability. I have made a modification to his cage and built a screened floor for him. I have also posted another earlier entry showing photos of his cage with carpeting to help give him traction.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=79691
That worked for a while, but as his disability has progressed, he became unable to get in and out of his litter box. After I found him wet with urine, I ditched the carpet and now his cage is lined with newspapers, covered by a couple inches of shavings, and then a screened frame which allows his droppings and urine to fall away from his body.
I turn him out in the back yard for 8-9 hours every day. He can graze and eat cecotropes and get fresh air and sunshine all day. In fact, he gets more turnout than his brother just because I can't bear the thought of him laying on a caged floor all day.
The screened floor was a last resort. I know rabbits need to be able to eat their cecotropes, and I generally don't feel that a caged floor is appropriate for animals. I am at a loss. I know he needs medications. I called the small animal clinic at the University and they said they would need to do bloodwork and radiographs and xrays and it would be over $300 for a diagnosis. Plus the cost of treatment. I could possibly afford the treatment, but I do not have $300 in my budget. I hate it, but it's the truth.
I am faced with a decision. Should I have him put down? I feel like he is maybe approaching his old age. He was born in November of 2008, so that would make him 6 years old and maybe this is the beginning of the end for him. We have built him a little wheelchair out of PVC but so far I don't have it rigged quite right for him to use it. Plus, even after I get it set up, he can only use it while supervised.
I bought a baby pool and I am going to carpet the floor of it so that when the weather is not cooperating, I can still get him out of his cage for a bit. I don't know how to take care of him. I don't know whether he is in any degree of pain. I don't know how much more time he has or would have if he didn't become disabled. I need any helpful advice that people can give concerning caring for a disabled bunny. It is heartbreaking to see what he is going through, and he is such a good boy. I hate that this is happening to him.
In addition to his disability, he had one of his front incisors break off in 2010 and it never grew back.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=80371
He also has a large number of sebaceous cysts on his testes.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=55213
I believe he may also have a chronic case of snuffles because he sounds gurgly and snotty although I never see any excess discharge. His disability may be related to that. I feel like such an inadequate bunny mommy because I can't afford to pay for his medical care.. This is rotten. After my two boys pass, I will never have bunnies again. This has been very discouraging.
I am writing this with tears in my eyes. My bunny, Big Brown, has become disabled. I posted a while back about his instability and falling over. At the time he was still able to hop and get around pretty well. Now his right hind leg is practically useless. He drags on his hip very badly and pulls his hind end along. He is not paralyzed, he can feel his leg, and I can tell he has muscles that are active in it, but it is useless to him. He lays on his right side constantly and the muscles are starting to atrophy.
Many people referred me to a vet and believe me, if I could afford it, I would take him. Since my last post, one of my cats got sick and passed away, and that was very costly. I am not made of money. I live paycheck to paycheck. In fact, my electric bill didn't even get paid last month. I almost didn't post this because I know there are always people who say things like "If you cant afford to pay the vet bill, then you shouldn't have pets". Maybe they are right. But it's too late now. I have several pets and I can't imagine a life without them. If you feel this way, skip this post and move along, because I am not interested in your remarks.
My concern is that I need to be able to take care of a bunny with a disability. I have made a modification to his cage and built a screened floor for him. I have also posted another earlier entry showing photos of his cage with carpeting to help give him traction.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=79691
That worked for a while, but as his disability has progressed, he became unable to get in and out of his litter box. After I found him wet with urine, I ditched the carpet and now his cage is lined with newspapers, covered by a couple inches of shavings, and then a screened frame which allows his droppings and urine to fall away from his body.
I turn him out in the back yard for 8-9 hours every day. He can graze and eat cecotropes and get fresh air and sunshine all day. In fact, he gets more turnout than his brother just because I can't bear the thought of him laying on a caged floor all day.
The screened floor was a last resort. I know rabbits need to be able to eat their cecotropes, and I generally don't feel that a caged floor is appropriate for animals. I am at a loss. I know he needs medications. I called the small animal clinic at the University and they said they would need to do bloodwork and radiographs and xrays and it would be over $300 for a diagnosis. Plus the cost of treatment. I could possibly afford the treatment, but I do not have $300 in my budget. I hate it, but it's the truth.
I am faced with a decision. Should I have him put down? I feel like he is maybe approaching his old age. He was born in November of 2008, so that would make him 6 years old and maybe this is the beginning of the end for him. We have built him a little wheelchair out of PVC but so far I don't have it rigged quite right for him to use it. Plus, even after I get it set up, he can only use it while supervised.
I bought a baby pool and I am going to carpet the floor of it so that when the weather is not cooperating, I can still get him out of his cage for a bit. I don't know how to take care of him. I don't know whether he is in any degree of pain. I don't know how much more time he has or would have if he didn't become disabled. I need any helpful advice that people can give concerning caring for a disabled bunny. It is heartbreaking to see what he is going through, and he is such a good boy. I hate that this is happening to him.
In addition to his disability, he had one of his front incisors break off in 2010 and it never grew back.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=80371
He also has a large number of sebaceous cysts on his testes.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=55213
I believe he may also have a chronic case of snuffles because he sounds gurgly and snotty although I never see any excess discharge. His disability may be related to that. I feel like such an inadequate bunny mommy because I can't afford to pay for his medical care.. This is rotten. After my two boys pass, I will never have bunnies again. This has been very discouraging.
