Recognizing Arthritis in Rabbits: An Overview for Owners

[@matthewho9579]

Really informative, have a free roaming 4 yr old lionhead mix and I always worry about her as she gets older.

[@15Beaches]

Thank you for this great video! I have two elder rescues (about 8 and 10) and I appreciate these tips!

[@christinaruizgoldberg7342]

That was very informative. Thank you.

[@anthonybha4510]

Thank you for posting this

[@fluffynonnie]

I wish you all the best your are doing a wonderful rescue job ❤❤❤

[@fluffynonnie]

Awww babies❤❤❤❤ god bless them

[@sena-oral]

Great video

[@OnceSniper66]

Great vid, good tips thx

[@ismaeloswald.6054]

Thx. I rescued. Cielo my bunn and I believe she’s starting to have symptoms. She’s at CAEM please tell me more about glucosamine.

[@ronnieroo227]

Can l please ask for advice on a 15 week old bunny, who was found abandoned in a park. He was fine but has lost the use of his back legs, he drags them one seems worse than the other.

[@try2justbe]

Can I send you a video of my bunny hopping to help me determine weather or not she's developing arthritis? She hops but it when she turn that I noticed that she drags her feet sometimes, not all the time.

[@Sunset553]

My bunny is having a problem. I am so disappointed to find that place she’s gone her whole life doesn’t have a vet for exotics anymore. I’m hoping it’s arthritis because nothing else makes sense. She’s 10 years old and the signs come and go. when she stretches up to begin with, it’s usually ok, but yesterday she fell over. And she was having trouble using her hind legs. Ive been so down because I don’t know what to do that can help her. Her food and water are very close to her hidey box. When I went to check on her, she was hopping around. I hope we have more time together where she’s comfortable.

[@nicolemosholder5547]

Where did you find that low litter box in the video?

[@wiraarta2279]

Suddenly i realized my bunny walks without her front left leg 😭, what can i do for her ? But she still can jump to litterbox and runnings

[@raven4090]

I just now saw this video, and read your comment. I hope your bunny's front leg is better now. I wondered if maybe it was injured somehow, or one of her claws was growing wrongly. I don't know, but I hope you were able to get some help.

[@mwilliams1807]

My boy is doing this now, please what happened with yours?

[@wiraarta2279]

@@mwilliams1807 she was injured but i dont know how, perhaps when the time i left her

[@mwilliams1807]

My boy stopped doing it now and acting as if never had an issue 😂🙈😂😂🙈🙈🙈

[@caitlinirwin5222]

Hello, what is that machine near the end of the vid called? Is it a laser/heat therapy device? Thanks

[@michemackinnon7058]

Thank you! Adorable buns in this video. Do you have a Glucosamine recommendation? One of my bunnies doesn’t like Oxbow Joint Support.

[@lirrg]

Some alternative options to Oxbow Joint Support are Myristol Pellets, or Well Kept Rabbit makes a joint support tablet with Myristol pellets in them.

[@marcificht4013]

Thank you for the video! I have mild arthritis myself and I know how much it can hurt. I like knowing that there are various treatments that can help. My arthritis hurts worse in the cold and wet weather...is it the same for bunnies? The sad thing is that you can't tell that I have it. Which means that bunnies probably go through a phase where they have it, but we can't tell yet?

[@lirrg]

As a prey animal, rabbits are masters at hiding pain which is why noticing the very subtle changes is important :).

[@marcificht4013]

@@lirrg That's what I'm saying....by the time you pick up on the signs, they may have been in pain for awhile. I'm not talking about the overt signs in your video.

[@MAwYU]

What causes arthritis is rabbit? Can we avoid/ prevent it

[@Topdoggie7]

The back legs are sadly used far too much and deteriorate fast.

[@Downright_Iconic]

Unfortunately not really. By the time rabbits are 6 and older they most likely have some arthritis. Keeping them off of floors that are slippery and stressful on the legs is a good step to take though

[@jade4740]

I don't expect a reply. But I am desperate and need some advice. I've watched your videos and hope you can help. My beautiful little bunny coco passed away yesterday at the age of 7 amd a half years. She was a medium lop breed. I've had many bouts of bloat and stasis with her and she was not showing any of these symptoms. She had the same pellet feed since 12 weeks of age and loved it. Around 3 weeks ago she stopped eating her pellets. I immediately assumed stasis or bloat but she was still regularly munching on her hay and Seagrass house. I upped her hay intake and kept trying to invite her with her favourite leaves etc but she just wasn't interested. Like I say this has been going on for 3 weeks. I've just had a c section and have a 14 month old and a 5 week old so I've been heavily preoccupied looking after the babies. But I have been keeping a very close eye on her. She was still pooping up until the end. It was decreased in the amount but still a normal size and not concerning. In the last week before she died she was acting out of the ordinary. She never really bothered with my son playing around her (she was kept in a 2m by 2m pen) then all of a sudden everytime he went near her pen. She was darting towards him. Or she would constantly want to be let out after almost 2 years of living in the pen and being perfectly happy. She started chewing the flooring of the pen. The last day or 2 before she passed, she would have random bouts of running around her pen. Which didn't seem out of the norm either. Also on Sunday she kept sort of wedging herself between things like the pen fence and her tray. Almost like she was trying to hide away. Yesterday morning she was running around all through the night and all morning then just went to her litter box. Layed flat with her head pressed into the hay. Due to me caring for my 2 babies I didn't see to her straight away (had i known she was dying i wouldn't have lefther side 😭) in the mid afternoon when my partner got home from work I told him to watch the babies whilst i sorted coco out. My first port of call was to entice her with her favourite leafs. I put them next to her and she didn't even react. I knew immediately something was seriously wrong. I stroked her head and it almost flopped but she was still conscious and moved it back. There was hay on her actual eyeball and she wasn't even reacting to it. I tried to wipe it out amd just knew she was dying. I sat and stroked her in her favourite place and told her how much i loved her and how sorry I was I didn't do more. Minutes later she passed 😭😭😭😭 there was no scream. No seizure. Nothing. She layed quietly. I stroked and loved her and sort of rolled to her side and took her last breath. I haven't stopped crying since yesterday. I absolutely feel guilty as hell. I didn't know she was dying and if I did I would of scooped her up and just cuddled and kissed her till she went. I feel like I could have done more. But I left her there for hours as I was so busy with the babies and she was dying the whole time 😢😢😢 My question is. Do you think she died of old age? Like I say there was no signs of any ill health right up until the end. Her teeth were fine. She wasn't suffering from stasis or bloat. She didn't seem in any pain when she passed. What on earth caused her death?? Do you think she knew how much I loved her and she was at peace? Please I hope you reply to me. I am desperate for answers

[@MortonDana]

I'm so sorry for your loss. :( I know I'm not the OP on this video but I am a moderator on a rabbit forum and have had many house rabbits of my own. Rabbits hide their symptoms so well it's really hard to know what happened, as really her only symptom was not wanting pellets, and maybe acting more fearful. There are so many things that can go wrong, such as liver torsion or a looped portion of gut. If she was un-spayed I might also suspect reproductive cancer. 7 is considered a senior bun, so it could have been a number of things. In any case, it sounds like she had a very wonderful life with you, that she wasn't in pain in her final moments, and that she knew she was loved.

[@try2justbe]

I'm so sorry fir your loss 💔

[@anthonybha4510]

We are sorry for your loss.

[@fernandes1431]

Hi can I asked how did you know it was arthritis and not E.Cuniculi? Thanks

[@Topdoggie7]

Still energetic and active and not passing it to the others. Plus they have the normal appetite.

[@lunaargentum1743]

can a rabbit be arthritic only on one leg? my rabbit, 8 years old, is falling with her body to her left side, both when she's still and when she hops. when she's still, her right hind leg is obviously not supporting any or very little weight. she was like this a couple of months ago, but then she got better, but she's been like this for a week now again. today she started falling to her left side even while hopping and when she's still, she looks like the leaning tower of pisa. today was the first time ever that she was not able to sit up on her hind legs and reach for a treat i held above her. it all started after she twisted herself rather forcibly in my arms when we were cleaning her poopy butt. could it be also a spine injury? but she did get better afterward. but now it's happening again

[@lirrg]

Hi Luna, It is possible that arthritis can appear in one leg, but it sounds like something else may be going on. Please schedule a visit with your rabbit-savvy vet!

[@lunaargentum1743]

@@lirrg i will, we are just waiting for monday, thank you

[@itzonlyjames6423]

@@lunaargentum1743 how did it go? similar situation with my bun, hes now being treated for E.cuniculi

[@lunaargentum1743]

@@itzonlyjames6423 they found something completely different wrong with her which was causing her a lot of pain and we've completely forgotten about why we came there in the first place. but during our last check up, i reminded then of the former problem, but she either refused to show her limp or felt better, and the vet did some exercises with her legs but found nothing out of normal. i'm to take a video of her limp so i can show it to them the next check up. wishing your bun speedy recovery!

[@Topdoggie7]

It's called right or left leg weakness.