Something's not right with MooShu...long post.

[JimD]

This is how it started yesterday morning....

Day #1: Wednesday

I've got a bunnie having an off day ......I hope***crosses fingers and says a little prayer***

MooShu had left about half of her pellets and it didn't look like she drank much water since yesterday. It looks like she peed, but not much poopin...and what there is looks kind of soft or mushy.
When I fed her this morning, she ate all of her oats and a piece of papaya. Looks like she may have picked a little bit at her hay, too.
She was sitting kind of hunched up after her snack, but she does that anyway. She let me pick her up, which is a little out of the ordinary, and her tummy seems a little firm, but I didn't hearany gurgling or such.
I asked Danielle to keep an eye on her today. Maybe I'll ask her to set up a NIC pen and let her run around a little. Moosh is a bit of a "cage-clinger" and doesn't like to come out of it too often, but it might help get her system moving if need be. The vet is closed tomorrow so I'll need to get her in today if there's a problem. And it's waaaaay too hot to be syringing stuff into a bunnie....it's going to be over 100 today:shock:
Like I need this distraction, right.

&...later on in the afternoon......

When I got home in the afternoon, she had eaten all of her oats and about half of her pellets. She also drank some water. I couldn't tell it she had pooped, but it looked like she had peed a bit.

I'm not sure what's going. :? We may be going to the vet. I don't think we have a life-threatening situation, however I'm very concerned about myMoosh

As I stated above, Moosh it an obsessive cage clinger. She usually freezes and then stresses out until I put her back in her cage. We rescued her from the shelter when she was about 3 months old and she's now about 2+ yrs (I think). From the day we got her she was very shy and scared of her own shadow. Her owner had past away and Moosh was brought in with her mother (S'more..who we also adopted) and her siblings. There wassome confusion with the paperwork at the shelter and, due to a mismanagement issue, we're pretty sure she isn't spayed (long story).

I set up a NIC pen so we could let her out for some run time. We set it up in the den on the carpeting. First I clipped her nails and checked her over nose to tail. She looks pretty good....good weight, coat, eyes, ears, nose, tushie, etc. She was a good bunnie and let me do what I needed to. I put her in the pen where I had put all of her stuff...litter pan, sleepie box, toys, blankies, food bowl, etc. Surprisingly, she very cautiously checked everything out....LEAVING A TRAIL OF POOPS ALL OVERThen.....SHE PEED ON THE CARPET!!!

So it seems that her GI tract is working ok.
However, here's what we observed; When she was first in the pen she was kind of slinking/crawling/walking and I thought she was just doing a bunnie thing and being cautious. But as she got used to the area she started to move around more and we noticed that she is having problems with one or both of her back legs.
I picked her up and checked her out again, paying extra close attention to her back half. Everything seems fine. She didn't react as if she had any pain, and there was good range of motion and reflexes. I asked everyone if she may have gotten injured, butno one had handled her or seen anything happen.She could use a bit more muscle tone on her hind legs and haunches, and I think that due to the fact that she doesn't get enough exercise, and this is my fault.
When I put her back in the pen she started to explore and she stumbled and fell over twice. She got right back up and kept right on going as if nothing had happened, and then she laid down in front of her sleepie box. She appeared to be very alert, but relaxed and content at the same time.
She was out for over an hour and it looked like she was moving a little bit better by the end. I put her back in her cage, but I can tell she is still having problems moving around.

Day #2: Thursday Update.....
I checked on her this morning and she seems fine, except she's still having problems moving around. She had eaten about half of her pellets, all of her oats & papaya, picked at her hay, and drank some water. There were some poops and she had peed a little.

The vet is closed today, but I don't think we need to rush over there. Moosh still isn't showing any signs of stress or pain. Aside from being somewhat subdued by the heat, she seems ok.

I'm starting to wonder (and hope) that this might be attributed to the fact that she spends most of her time in her cage. In addition, it's been about 6 months since any of the bunnies have gotten regular exercise.
I'm going to let her out again this evening when I get home and see how it goes from there. Moosh will be gettingruntime every day, even if it's in the temporary pen, as will as many of the other bunsas possible.
I'm hoping that some exercise and activity will improve her condition.

Once we move them downstairs they will have easy access to a run area and will be able to get out every day.
Current run area = nothing (Tootsie is occupying the old area.)
New run area= 21 sqft
I will also be adding on to their cages so their living area will be almost tripledfor each bun.
Cage only = 4.5 sqft
Cage + NIC addon = 12 sqft

~Jim
very worried bunnie dad.
...this was taken a few months ago....

 

[bunnydude]

Very strange. I wonder if the GI problems are at all related to the mobility problems. Can she walk with her back legs at all? Does she respond if you touch or play with her feet? It sounds like it could be a lack of muscle tone, but a vet visit this week could at least rule out the possibility of injury of paralysis.

Praying for MooShu's speedy recoveryray:

 

[JimD]

She uses her back legs and isn't dragging them or showing signs of any paralysis.

She attempted a couple of small binkies last night and even flicked her back feet at me when I was bothering her too much.

Her reflexes and range of motion seem normal.

Her back legs aren't splayed...as far as I can tell.

She isn't showing any signs of pain, such as flinching or grinding teeth.

She just seems to be a little weak and unsteady....not lethargic. As if her muscles had atrophied due to lack of activity and exercise.
She seems to have the most difficulty manuvering in tight spaces. She kind of rocks back on her hocks and then pivots on them to turn around.

 

[pamnock]

Will be keep Moo in our thoughts!

I give a little Nutri Cal when our rabbits are "off". The vitamin E in Nutri Cal helps to sooth troubled tummies and NC also has complex B vitamins to stimulate the appetite.

The vet may want to recommend pain management if arthritis is suspected. Exercise does help.

Pam

 

[JimD]

pamnock wrote:

Will be keep Moo in our thoughts!

I give a little Nutri Cal when our rabbits are "off". The vitamin E in Nutri Cal helps to sooth troubled tummies and NC also has complex B vitamins to stimulate the appetite.

The vet may want to recommend pain management if arthritis is suspected. Exercise does help.

Pam

Thanks Pam,

I've got some Nutrical in the fridge . And exercise will be on the daily agenda from now on.

I was thinking she was to young for arthritis, but I could most certainly be wrong. Arthritis affect old and young alike.

I was wondering if Glucosamine and Chondroitin can be given safely to rabbits?

~Jim

 

[JimD]

bunnydude wrote:

Very strange. I wonder if the GI problems are at all related to the mobility problems. Can she walk with her back legs at all? Does she respond if you touch or play with her feet? It sounds like it could be a lack of muscle tone, but a vet visit this week could at least rule out the possibility of injury of paralysis.

Praying for MooShu's speedy recoveryray:

Thanks bunnydude!

I hoping that the inactivity caused her to be stiff and sore, and that she'll improve with some excercise.

 

[pamnock]

JimD wrote:

Thanks Pam,

I've got some Nutrical in the fridge . And exercise will be on the daily agenda from now on.

I was thinking she was to young for arthritis, but I could most certainly be wrong. Arthritis affect old and young alike.

I was wondering if Glucosamine and Chondroitin can be given safely to rabbits?

~Jim

Some forms of arthritis can strike at a young age. The Gluco/Chondro has shown some success in rabbits.

Pam

 

[JimD]

pamnock wrote:

Some forms of arthritis can strike at a young age.

Pam

Along with the excercise, I may try some light massage and maybe some lo-heat. Bunnie PT!!!

Way off topic, but........(hijacking my own thread??)

Brings SLG's RAto mind. I wonder how the little lady is getting along?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

I'm just catching up on this.

Hope it cools down for you. I wouldn't be able to handle the heat. And maybe MooShu will feel better if she is cooler too.

How much Glucosamine and Chondroitin would you give a bunny? Is it in a tablet form?

Rainbows! :expressionless

 

[JimD]

Pet_Bunny wrote:

I'm just catching up on this.

Hope it cools down for you. I wouldn't be able to handle the heat. And maybe MooShu will feel better if she is cooler too.

How much Glucosamine and Chondroitin would you give a bunny? Is it in a tablet form?

Rainbows! :expressionless

It's soooo hot....95 right now and it's after 4pm.
Luckily the buns are all inside inthe ac (us too!!). It's not as cool as I'd like, but we can keep the bunnie room averaging around 72 F.

We set the pen up in the den and it's a little cooler in there.

I'm anxious to get home so I can let her out.

On the Glucosamine and Chondroitin dosage....unless someone else here has an idea, I'd have to check with my vet. If Moosh doesn't start improving we'll be visiting the vet soon anyway.

 

[Pipp]

Exercise helps arthritis in the joints as well -- a lot. (Not sure about the spine, etc).

I think you're on the right track with keeping her cool and getting her moving. Hope she's right as rain soon!



sas and the gang:bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:

 

[pamnock]

JimD wrote:

On the Glucosamine and Chondroitin dosage....unless someone else here has an idea, I'd have to check with my vet. If Moosh doesn't start improving we'll be visiting the vet soon anyway.

I would definitely take her in for a check-up and get a diagnosis so proper treatment can begin.

Pam

 

[JimD]

pamnock wrote:

I would definitely take her in for a check-up and get a diagnosis so proper treatment can begin.

Pam

Definitely....

I'm taking her in today if I can, tomorrow if not.
I've tried to research everything I can find, and the only thing that describes it is Spondylosis or Arthritis. In either case, further diagnosis would be necessary.

I let her out last night and she displayed the same behavior as last night.
Her back legs are functioning, but not normally.
It looks like her hind legs are pulled in toward her body at the joint between her hocks and her hips.
Both legs are affected in the same way.
Every once in a while she makes a small hop, but generally she uses on leg at a time and does kind of a walking hop.
When she turns around it's more of a shuffle.
She seems reluctant to move too much.
Sitting and laying appear normal, and she has laid with her hind legs out toeither side without evident difficulty.
Her hindquarters might be a little sensitive, as she acted annoyed when I supported her rump, and kept trying to climb over my shoulder.
There's no sign of pain such as grinding teeth, hunching, flinching, etc.
She seems alert, content and happy.
She was exploring, sniffing, and chinning everything when she was out....and leaving a trail of poops.
Her "output" is proportional to her intake....both water and food. She's not eating everything, but she's only leaving about a tspn of pellets. Eats ALL of her oats and papaya.
She may have lost some weight, because I can feel her spine easier than I use to.
She's keeping herself clean, and can balance on her hind legs when she cleans her ears or face.
She has easy access to her litter pan and is using it.
She hasn't been using her sleepie box, so I took it out of her cage to give her more room to maneuver around.
I moved her water bottle out of the corner so she can get to it easier.
She has blankies so she can get off the wire bottom, however she doesn't seem to be bothered by the wire and actually prefers to lay on it since the weather turn hot.

Someof her behavior could be due to her picking up on my stress.....and the weather.

~Jim

 

[JimD]

She's still got plenty of bunnietude, too.
She oinked and grunted the whole time I was straightening out her blankies.
And she likes nose-rubs WAAAAAAY too much

For all I know, she might havehad this condition since she was born, just not as obvious. Maybe that's why she has always been such a cage-clinger.

We'll see what the vet says.

 

[flemishr2cool]

I've been giving my Flemish Giant Doe Nefertiti Chondroitin gluscosamine tablets for over a year now, and I have seen big improvements. I agree with taking her to vet first, Nefi sprained a muscle in her back leg and while the x-rays show that their was no damage to her bones or joints she still drags the leg or she won't put wait on it so. She gets a tablet a week, I just buy a bottle from walgreens, walgreens has a lot of buy one get one sales on their vitamins and supplements so I can get them for a really good deal. So if Arthritis is her problem I recommend the chondroitin glucosame .

 

[naturestee]

Jim, were you able to get her in today? How's she doing?

It does sound like arthritis or a similar problem to (unprofessional) me. Loki was extremely weak when I got him but he didn't have these symptoms. He had to hold his hind legs farther apart when he hopped to get enough force, he couldn't jump on top of things, and I don't think he could stand up without pulling himself up. He also got winded very easily. Moo Shu doesn't sound like that.

I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

ray:

 

[bunnydude]

How's MooShu doing?

 

[JimD]

Thanks everyone!

Things are about the same, or perhaps a bit better.

This weekend was very hectic around the house so I didn't get to let Moosh out like I wanted to. It was a toss up between that or having her subject to the puppy and a toddler....both of which she would prefer to have far far away.

I made some adjustments to her diet. I was giving her a 50/50 mix of timothy & alfalfa pellets. She was finishing everything a couple of weeks ago, but started to leave the timothy pellets. So I started giving her all alfalfa pellets again, along with an extra pinch of oats and some small pieces of dried papaya. I also switched out her timothy cubes for alfalfa cubes and she nibbled at them.
This morning I checked her bowl and it was empty for the first time in almost a week. I even made sure she hadn't dumped it. And maybe it's just my imagination, but she looks and feels like she may have put on a few ounces.

She's barely nibbled at her timothy hay, and more or less ignored the yummie Bermuda grass that I bought special for her.
She's eating & drinking less than normal (except for yesterday :woohoo), and her poopin & peeing are proportional.

I put a baby blanket in her cage yesterday morning and she seems to prefer that to being on the wire bottom. And this morning she was moving around a little better. She even managed some small hops using both of her back legs at the same time. She comes over for noserubs when the cage is open and has to inspect EVERYTHINGI do.

She let me inspect her without too much protest this morning. I didn't pick her up, but I got a good chance to compare her with the other bunnies. It was pretty funny to see me hobbling from one cage to the next feeling bunnie tushies and then going back over to Moosh to compare. Again, it might just be my imagination, but it doesn't feel like she's holding her legs as tightly against her body as the last few days.


I asked everyone again if they knew of anything that might have happened where Moosh might have gotten injured. The only thing the Mrs could think of was a thumping fit that she had over a week ago. Seems the puppy got into the bunnie room and Moosh wasn't too happy about it. The puppy doesn't bother the buns, and actually gets along okwhen playing "noses" with Tootsie and Binx. But Moosh wants nothing to do with her. She didn't go into a rage and race around, but I guess she had quite an aggressive thumping session.
This brought to mind the fact that a couple of her nails were broken off when I went to clip them last week. Now I'm starting to wonder if she caught her foot during her tantrum and somehow and broke them off. It didn't look like they bled, but they were broken right at the quick. Although her nails were a little long, they weren't turned or twisted.

I talked to the vets office, but haven't brought Moosh in yet. I have walk-in status with the buns.

~Jim

 

[m.e.]

Poor Moosh ray: She is fortunate such a caring and attentive owner

 

[lucylocket]

i hope moohshu is ok

lpts of hugs and kisses

varna tony adrian and lucy and snartie the hamster on friday the 11th

for 3 weeks

xxxx