I have 2 New Zealand Red rabbits about 10 months old, they are both brothers and live together in a hutch but go out in a run every day they eat Supa rabbit food and get veg daily. when I let them out this morning 1 of them seem unable to move its back legs. it is still eating and drinking and front legs are okay. Any ideas.
2007-11-16 21:31:36 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Thanks everyone for advice he has been euthanized by the vet who thought its brother is most likely to have caused the damage by trying to mate.
2007-11-16 23:32:03 · update #1
nope..im not a vet...take it to one!
2007-11-16 21:36:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
That definitely sounds like a broken spinal chord. It is not a good idea to keep rabbits together. And this is one reason why. The one rabbit probably started chasing the other rabbit around. As the rabbit got excited and started running around the pen in a frenzy it probably ran into the cage wall. When it ran into the cage wall it probably broke its spinal chord.
It sounds like your vet gave you a good assessment. Keep your rabbits in separate cages from now on. Also, you may want to keep a radio playing 24/7 out around your rabbits. Rabbits can get excited easily due to sudden sounds or sudden movements. My dad and I raise a large number of rabbits. And we used to have trouble with the rabbits getting excited whenever a storm hit, neighborhood dogs came around, or when we would unexpectedly walk into the barn a little too fast for them. If you keep a radio playing 24/7, it gets them accustomed to sound and they don't scare quite so easily, reducing the risk of a rabbit running around the cage and breaking its spinal chord.
You'll hear many people mistaking the symptoms of a broken spinal chord for what they call a heart attack or stroke or ceisure. Broken spinal chords can happen easily in rabbits, but there are ways you can reduce the risk such as keeping the rabbits separated and keeping a radio playing around them.
After a rabbit gets a broken spinal chord, there is really little to nothing you can do to save them. You did the right thing by having the rabbit euthanized, otherwise it would have possibly gone on suffering for up to a week before it died.
2007-11-19 13:00:47 · answer #2 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Please take him to the vet, people on here can give advice but on such a serious issue like that I wouldn't waste time on here. It sounds like he has possibly damaged his spine or is suffering from something like e.cuniculi. Please take him to the vet this morning, leaving him like that is just going to cause further damage. Rabbits will still eat even if they are in pain because it's the instinct to carry on so they won't be eaten. Don't take it that as he is eating and drinking he is fine, if it were any of my rabbits showing these symptoms I would have had him straight to the vet, no thinking about it.
I'm so sorry to hear about that your rabbit had to be put to sleep. I know of other rabbits having broken their back the same way. I hope this makes people even more aware of how important it is to neuter your pet, no matter what sex or even if they appear to get along fine. They have to be neutered.
2007-11-17 07:14:55 · answer #3 · answered by angela s 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hello my name is Robi from The Philippines and one of rabbit experiencing the same situation his back leg can't move and he still eats and drink milk and i don't know what to do and i think we don't have vet here for rabbit i'm suffering for about 2 weeks because i'm always watching him can someone tell me what to do i'm crying while watching him cause he's suffering also. actually i tried to give him amoxicillin just a little miligrams.
2014-07-17 09:26:19 · answer #4 · answered by Robi Bautista 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get to a vet immediatly the rabbit may be drinking and eating fine but there is clearly something wrong get it checked out now!
2007-11-17 07:18:09 · answer #5 · answered by Dee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either the rabbit has damaged it back and unfortunately they aren't repairable or he has first signs of myxi, which isn't great news either unless he has been innoculated.
Take him to a vet and they will let you know what is going on the fact he is still eating is good though.
2007-11-17 05:44:19 · answer #6 · answered by twinkletoes 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
likely a broken back. Rabbits a very prone to this and they self traumatize easily. The symptoms you describe a classic. Get him to a vet immediately, this is very painful
2007-11-17 06:53:06 · answer #7 · answered by dogwhisperer16 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have had this problem with a rabbit & a guinea pig. may result from a fall or bump. can be cured or will get better on its own. best take to vet or ask vet opinion.
2007-11-17 06:25:38 · answer #8 · answered by Solusia 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm really sorry to hear that. You did the right thing. Disregard remarks about cooking pots; they're neither helpful nor particularly intelligent.
2007-11-17 10:27:01 · answer #9 · answered by BW 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
sounds like its back has given way my neighbour had that sadly they had to put rabbit down take straight to vet
2007-11-17 05:40:32 · answer #10 · answered by starlight 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it could of had a stroke take it to vets
2007-11-17 05:55:20 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋