urgent question

[earthy]

My 5 year old lop, Molly, started losing weight even though her eating and drinking habits have not changed. Just in the past few days she has started falling over on the one side and she cannot get up on her own and has to be helped up. Also, she lost her belly fur.

We are taking her in to the vet tomorrow but I was wondering if anyone can tell me what we are facing here. My kids are heartbroken and we want to be able to prepare them if Molly needs to be euthenized.

Any insight would be very much appreciated.

 

[Yurusumaji]

Is she peeing and pooping normally? Weight loss happening while the rabbit is eating regularly could mean a blockage.

I hope the vet has good news for your bunny tomorrow. Good luck!

 

[earthy]

Yes, she's still peeing and pooping normally. Thanks, I hope, hope, hope that there is good news tomorrow. We love her so much.

As far as the falling over goes, she only falls over on her left side and she will kick her legs furiously to try and get up but she just can't. She has no injuries that we can ascertain. Her best buddy and pen-mate for the last 5 years, Turbo, has become very protective of her and butts our hands away when we try to pet Molly.

 

[Happi Bun]

Inner Ear Infection is a possibility and would cause loss of balance and even weight-loss. For her to lose weight her eating habits have to had changed in some way, I would think. Definitely have the vet check her ears for signs of infection.

 

[tonyshuman]

She may just have an ear infection, but she may have something more serious going on. It will likely be expensive to figure out what is wrong, and also to treat it. You will have to determine what your limit is.

I would assume she needs x-rays, which will usually cost around $200 (including anesthesia--they have to be under anesthesia to sit still for the x-ray). Blood work is another $100+. If it is not an ear infection, it is probably a brain tumor, which would not be operable and it would be kindest to have her euthanized. It depends on how comfortable you are spending money on the diagnostic, then depends on what they tell you, whether it is curable or not. You will probably have to spend upwards of $500 just to figure out if it is treatable. I don't know if you are comfortable doing that.

If money is not an issue, the concern becomes whether she has something treatable or not, and I would say there is a high likelihood that it is not just an ear infection--it sounds like a more extensive injury to the brain since she not only falls over, but has difficulty getting up. Possibilities for this include a brain tumor or advanced e cuniculi disease, both of which, at this stage, are not treatable. E cuniculi can be treated in early stages, but the treatment does not reverse brain damage--just stops or slows its progression. Most ear infections are treatable with oral and/or injectible antibiotics, but she may have some residual movement or postural problems, even if the infection gets totally cleared up. I will be hoping for you guys that it is something simple.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Is she still eating cecels? Rabbits who stop eating cecels for any reason will suffer malnutrition. I would spend extra time with Turbo. If he loses his mate it will be terribly hard on him.

 

[earthy]

Thank you so much everyone. I can't tell you how much I appreciate these responses. I appreciate knowing what sorts of things to ask and look for. Also I dearly appreciate knowing the cost involved with everything. Our budget is very limited so this was very helpful information. We hope its something simply and easy but at the same time it seems like something is very wrong for poor Molly.

Thanks for the response about Turbo also as we've been worried about how she might take the loss of Molly. Turbo is 7 years old (we do not know her breed) and she bonded immediately with Molly when we brought Molly home 5 years ago. They are always together, snuggling, grooming, eating, sleeping.

Can I ask...if Molly's illness is serious and we lose her...what is the best thing to do for Turbo? Do we keep her in the same pen that they shared (they've always been indoor rabbits)? Would this make her 'mourning' process last longer? Or do we get her a new living space altogether? Is it appropriate to introduce another rabbit or is it best to let Turbo live alone from then on?

Again, thank you so much for the great information.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

A lot of people have said that if one bunny passes that it is best to allow the bond mate to have some time with the body. Then they can take in what has happened to there friend. I would think it would be OK to adopt a new bun soon after so Turbo is not alone. I am unsure about new living quarters though.

 

[earthy]

The vet has some answers for us. He spent an hour with Molly and was very, very thorough. He specializes in bunnies and this helped us have confidence in him. He said that his findings shocked him because it is incredibly rare to see it in rabbits but Molly has severe scoliosis. He did some mobility tests and discovered that she doesn't have any sense that her hind legs are there anymore and this is why she keeps falling over. She isn't paralyzed, he says its more that her nerves are pinched. However paralysis of her hind legs is a possible outcome. He said that she shows no signs of having cancer and doesn't have any tumors that he can feel however he suspects there may be a growth in her spine that has dramatically worsened the scoliosis. He said it would cost $5000 to $6000 to fix the problem and because of her age there isn't a vet who would do that to her.

He could not find any reason as to why she has lost so much weight. There are no blockages and again, no tumors. He said he believes it is something major happening but it doesn't fall into any of the "simple answer" categories. They could do a battery of tests but he said it most likely won't provide the answer.

After thoroughly checking her out and observing her he told us that he is positive that she isn't in any pain yet. She displays absolutely none of the characteristics of a bunny in pain. He sent us home with an anti-inflammatory which may or may not help out her back so that she can stand without falling over. It's worth a try. However, he said that at this point he believes it is palliative care and will simply help her to feel more comfortable while she lives out her life. He has no guesstimate as to how long that might be but he felt, and so do we, that for right now she should stay with her bonded mate and be allowed to live out her life with Turbo as long as she doesn't start to feel pain.

So there are some answers, some relief in that we know what we're facing now. We feel sad for Molly but we are so happy she's not in pain. She was very happy to get back to her best buddy and they are snuggling as I type this.

Thank you again for all of your quick replies from yesterday and your help with this.

Oh, I almost forgot to add that he checked for an ear infection and she doesn't have one and he also said that she does not have EC.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We'll keep you in our thoughts. Blessed be. ray: