One leg paralysed and incontinent after spay

[Gayle]

Hi my daughters bunny midnight is 5 months old and lives in a run in her bedroom. She is jet black, friendly, cuddly and used to do the cutest mid air bum wiggle when she jumped. Last Friday she was spayed and had been left with her right hind leg paralysed and is incontinent. The first few days she was huddled and miserable but is now eating and drinking fairly well. At times I can see her cheeky personality back. The vet says he thinks the nerve damage may have been from a blood clot, I think he’s trying to say it’s not his fault. At the moment I’m thinking it’s from the injection of aesthetic into her thigh, She is on antibiotics and we’ve just started treatment for EC parasite today just in case. Has anyone had any experience of anything similar? Any ideas? The vet says he’s never seen anything like it and is giving her a 50/50 chance of recovery. My daughter is devastated, the first time I’ve heard my 10 year old use the f word... repeatedly. To make it harder my daughter has spina bifida with no feeling in her right foot either and uses catheters so we know a bit about nerve damage, etc. Is there any chance of recovery here?

 

[JBun]

I have had a rabbit with hind leg paralysis but hers was from old age and spondylosis.

There's always a chance of recovery. I've known of rabbits that have fully recovered from partial paralysis. If only the hind leg is affected and not the front leg on the same side or the rabbits facial muscles on that side(indications of stroke from a possible blood clot), then I would be less inclined to believe a blood clot was the cause. With there also being incontinence and this happening right after a spay surgery, I would be more inclined to think that a spinal injury was more likely. And for that steroids are usually needed within hours after the injury to help reduce swelling.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/paresis.html

At this point though if steroids aren't being used, if you aren't already giving meloxicam(anti inflammatory), that is what I would want to be giving in addition to the other meds, in case there is any inflammation contributing to the problem. It might also be worth going to a rabbit specialist or more experienced rabbit vet for a second opinion, if your vet isn't very experienced with rabbits. The specialist/rabbit vet may be able to determine what the actual cause of the paralysis is, though the treatment that you are currently giving may not change. There are a couple recommended rabbit vets near your location, but the RSVM in Edinburgh might be a better option if it's not too far a journey.
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/ve...wners/copy_of_county-or-city/scotland/glasgow
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/ve...ers/copy_of_county-or-city/scotland/edinburgh
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/rabbit-friendly-vets/rabbit-friendly-vet-list/

 

[zuppa]

Wondering if there's any responsibility on vet's side or only there will be no charge.

Horrible news hopefully she will recover soon, fingers crossed

 

[Gayle]

Thank you so much for your replies, to know there is hope for her means a lot. This is day 6 and no improvement on the paralysed right hind leg or incontinence. She is still eating and drinking well although not many pellets but this may be because I’ve filled her run with herbs, hay and treats. The vets I’ve used for about 4 years with my dog and found them pretty good. The vet that did the op was new up the practice and when I collected her he said she’d lost blood so had to put her on a drip and ran out of time for internal stitches and to bring her back next morning for a check up. He said she’s okay so many times he made me think she wasn’t, I even joked about that. Next day I told him she was dragging a leg and he said she was just uncomfortable as I’d done the poppers up at the bottom of the baby vest he’d told me to put on to stop her eating her stitches and she was fine. On Monday first thing I saw a different vet at the practice and said I thought her leg was broken. She took one look and kept saying sorry, I felt sick, they agreed to put it right at no extra cost and to bring her in to see the owner on Tuesday. They did a leg and back X-ray, found nothing wrong and put her under again to give her internal stitches as she’d opened them. When I saw the owner next day he said they’d done nothing wrong, no idea what’s happened, probably blood clot, wait and see, no need for painkillers. I asked about EC and he agreed to treat her for that just incase. No apology no ownership. Yesterday after researching for hours I thought she needed anti inflammatories and she was clearly in pain so went to the vets where he charged me £42 for Metacalm. I’ve lost faith in the vets. I have an appointment for her at the PDSA hospital next Thursday as after speaking to a vet there she said they wouldn’t do anything different for the next week, just metacalm, anti biotics and EC treatment. The metacalm dose is 15 drops, do you think this is enough? She managed to pull her vest off last night and the wound looks ok so I’ve left it off as she hated it and I’ll keep an eye, do you think I should put it back on to be safe? When she’s cleaning herself I bend the leg in and out to get the blood flowing but the paw feels colder, she doesn’t seem to notice when she pees but does then groom herself. I am obsessed and check on her constantly, she gives pathetic wee gentle squeals sometimes if I move her, it’s just heartbreaking

 

[Sissy]

Poor little mite, I do feel for you all. Fingers and everything crossed for your bun.