Sick bun with spinal problems

[Mags]

Hi guys

It seems that my first post to the forum is not a happy one. I really hope some of you may be able to offer some advice.

My 1 year old bunny isn't well at the moment. He was diagnosed with an abscess on his spine. He had lost the mobility in his back legs totally, could pee and poop but no hopping or even standing up.

This was removed through surgery and he began to recover fairly rapidly. He was standing by himself and even hopping.

Recently his right back leg has become very weak. He is no longer able to stand up by himself. The left leg however remains fairly strong.

My fear is that the abscess has come back - is this likely after it has been surgically removed?

Also, having used all of our insurance cover it is very unlikely that we will be able to afford treatment further than meds. If the abscess has returned will meds be enough to see it off for good?

I can't bear the thought of having my bun put down. He's such a happy chappy and much his usual self.

Any advice will be hugely valued.

 

[squidpop]

Can you feel anything like a lump? I would say get him back the the vet. There are lots of threads on here about abscesses. I think the key on whether the antibiotics work is which antibiotic they try. If it where me based on what others have tried and had success with - injectable penicillins, or azithromycin, but every abscess seems to respond differently to different drugs.

 

[squidpop]

If the abscess has not come back, and he is experiencing partial paralysis there is a very common protozoan infection rabbits can get called e.cuniculi and one of the symptoms is hind leg paralysis. The treatment for that is 28 days of Panacur active ingredient fenbendazole. The protozoa is so common that some shelters are beginning to treat new rabbits coming into their shelters automatically. In the UK some believe 80% of the rabbits have it. So if its not caused by the abscess then it could be e. cuniculi. You can read about it here.

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/paralysis.html

E. cuniculi is the most common cause of head tilt (and often causes head tilt symptoms), but it can also lead to hind end weakness and/or partial paralysis.
What Are The Symptoms of Paralysis?
Paralysis can be a generalized condition, but it most commonly occurs in the hind legs. Depending on cause and severity, the symptoms of paralysis may include:
Inability to move the hind legs
Wobbliness or weakness in the hind legs
Trouble standing and staying upright
Dragging the hind legs
Falling over occasionally