# Problems with back legs after spay.



## Flashy (Jun 25, 2009)

I'm after any thoughts or suggestions. I know what I think, but I also know there are far more knowledgable people than me on here, hence why I'm throwing this out.

Ok.

In February this bunny, let's call her Lola, goes in for a spay.

From coming out of the spay she seems to have hind leg weakness. she never showed any problems before (she's maybe about 3, I think?)

Since the spay the owners have really tried to solve the problem, but their vets are not the best (We've already had the vet conversation).

They have had her on Metacam which made no visible improvement. She is very active, eats, drinks, poos, wees, etc and shows no sign of discomfort.

However, when you watch her, she is incredibly weak in her hind legs, and also her litter habits have changed somewhat too. She still has control, she has just stopped using litter trays (which she can still get into).

She tries to jump and can't, she tries to stand up and falls over, she can't easily sit up to clean herself. Her legs don't drag like if there was no control, but they sort of drag in the sense of not keeping up with the front end; which is completely fine.

Also, her tail went bald, although the fur has now sort of regrown. She also seems to lack hair on some areas of the insides of her back legs. 

When having her on your lap, and feeling her legs, they feel like they are in the wrong position, and they both sort of seem to be turned in at the hips and knees, although the feet don't point inwards.

Gah, I'm not explaining myself well. I don't know the bunny well but spent an hour with her recently and she's adorable, a right lovely lady, but if I can get any sort of anything that might help the owners, then that would be great.

They have not had her GA-ed again so no x-ray (that's due to the way the vets practice is set up and the fact that the x-ray machine is a long way away from their house), although I have suggested a different vet (my vet) with an x-ray machine on the premises.

The owners say the rabbits legs are improving, but, to be honest, if this is an improvement, then that's incredibly sad for the rabbit. I was the one who picked this up initially after I met her in February and said she isn't moving right, and the owners just thought she was recovering from her spay. They are ace owners though and so did take her back and have really done their best.

I think that's garbled, so I am sorry. I'm just wondering 

a, what could have happened during a spay which might have caused this-if that did cause it.

b, any thoughts on what tests/meds, etc, might be useful?

She's a dwarf lop, by the way, not sure if that's relevant, but I'll throw it out there just in case.


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## PamsWarren (Jun 25, 2009)

Hi.

Did the vet use ketamine or any other injectible for the spay by any chance? From http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/spay.html - "Sometimes inexperienced vets hit a nerve in the hind leg when using injectable anesthesia (like ketamine) and cause the bunny to be paralyzed in that leg -- a *tragic* result."

Re: the balding tail...could the bun be barbering herself due to pain or localized discomfort? I see from your message below, the bun shows no signs of discomfort, but I have seen buns chew at parts of their body as a pain response (no other signs of pain or discomfort). Does she have feeling in the area around her tail? 

If this were my bun, I would want the vet to do xrays as a first course of action. Based on the results, I may opt for other diagnostics.

I hope the bun's condition improves. She sounds like a lovely little girl.


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## Flashy (Jun 25, 2009)

Thanks for the reply. I've not come across that ketamine info, so that's really potentially helpful, thank you.

I did raise to them about the barbering issue, but as far as I know, they've not seen her do that. That doesn't mean it's not a possibility though. 

In terms of the discomfort thing, I can only take their word for that. We did have the conversation about how they are prey species and hide their pain, but she doesn't look like a rabbit in discomfort in the short time I saw her, and she is very definitely eating, hungry, lively, interested.

They have said she does just sit sometimes and lacks interest in toys, and that, to me, might be an indication that maybe its uncomfortable, or an effort, or that she is tiring easily, but, as she is not my rabbit, I can really only go on what they say, and in some cases, add my own interpreation or thoughts.


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## PamsWarren (Jun 25, 2009)

<<I did raise to them about the barbering issue, but as far as I know, they've not seen her do that. That doesn't mean it's not a possibility though. >>

Years ago, a friend of mine had a rabbit who routinely used to badly barber herself to the point of needing vet care. The owner (very rabbit savvy) never caught the rabbit in the act. We never figured out why she barbered herself, either, but one of the "theories" was that something happened during her spay. The rabbit was a rescue (so we had very little background info), but we always wondered if the vet who did the spay used an injectible which caused some nerve damage. 

Again, best wishes to this bunny and her family. If you figure it out, please post, ok?


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## Flashy (Jun 25, 2009)

Thank you, that's sad, but very interesting to know. I'll definitely post if they get to the bottom of the problem  Thank you so much for your help.


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## Maureen Las (Jun 25, 2009)

I found this in rabbit references; your friend could find out what anesthesia was used on their rabbit and how it was administered 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12001340?dopt=Abstract


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## Flashy (Jun 25, 2009)

Thank you. That's really useful.


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## Flashy (Jun 25, 2009)

Does anyone know if this kind of nerve damage would cause the rabbit pain?

I have some permanent nerve damage that now is past the event hurts very little, if at all. Might that apply here?


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## PamsWarren (Jun 25, 2009)

I don't know if it would hurt or not, but personally, I just had abdominal surgery that has left the area of my abdomen around the incision feeling somewhat numb, a bit tingley and well...just weird. The doctor said the feeling has to with cutting through the nerves in my abdomen. Don't know if this applies at all, but maybe it isn't so much that her leg hurts as it just feels numb and odd? Sometimes, it would be so helpful if rabbits could talk. :?


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## tonyshuman (Jun 25, 2009)

I think some good info has already been said about possible nerve damage. I wanted to add that it might be good to consider EC. Hind leg weakness combined with urine scald (due to changes in the urine caused by the parasite acting in the kidneys) can be early signs of EC. It's something to consider, at least.


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## nora123 (Aug 15, 2013)

Hi the stress of being in the vets could have brought on e cuniculi which can cause weakness and paralysis in the back legs if so she could be given panacur i only say this because recently one of my rabbits showed weakness in her back legs she had not had any traumer but she had been to the vets for a teeth check soon after she showed these signs she was put on panacur rabbit paste for 28 days and she made a full recovery stress can bring this illness on just a thought you can buy the paste on line and it will not do her any harm but in a lot of cases back leg paralysis is caused by the e cuniculi hope this helps.


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## Mushroom (Aug 16, 2013)

My bun, Mushroom, is in the middle of a 30 day course of panacur and doing great! His first sign of EC was a small loss of mobility in his left hind leg, so I definitely agree with the above two posts that EC could be a possibility.


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## JBun (Aug 16, 2013)

Just fyi, this thread is more than 4 years old.


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