A rabbit's hind legs failed: causes and methods of treatment, prevention

A common pathological condition in rabbits is paralysis of the legs, with the hind limbs most often failing. When a rabbit's hind legs fail, there may be several reasons for this: injuries, impaired functioning of the nervous system, infectious pathologies, malfunction of the digestive tract, calcium deficiency. If the rabbit is raised for meat, then it is easier to kill it, if the pet is decorative, then the treatment is chosen taking into account the cause of paralysis.

Possible Causes and Necessary Actions for Rear Limb Paralysis

To properly treat a rabbit, you first need to figure out what caused the paralysis of the hind legs.The owner must remove the sick animal from the livestock, put it in a small cage that limits body movements, which can cause a deterioration in the condition. Next, you need to check if there are fractures of the limbs or other injuries to the body. If a fracture is detected, then the injured paw should be fixed with a splint.

The sick rabbit must be taken to the veterinary clinic in a well-ventilated carrier. Only a veterinarian prescribes treatment.

Lack of calcium in the body

If a rabbit eats food containing little calcium, then his body consumes the mineral accumulated in bone tissues. The skeleton becomes weak, unable to maintain muscle mass. Most often, calcium deficiency is observed in rabbits during the lactation period. The female gives a significant part of the calcium with milk to the cubs, which negatively affects the state of her skeleton. There is also a mineral deficiency in milk-fed rabbits, if the mother does not produce enough milk, or if the rabbit feeds the offspring irregularly.

Calcium deficiency occurs if the rabbit consumes a lot of fodder beets and cereal grains. These products provoke a rapid leaching of calcium from the body, resulting in rickets.

The first thing to do to normalize the calcium content in the rabbit's body is to change the diet. You need to add calcium-rich foods to it:

• crushed egg shells;
• bone meal;
• chalk.

Additionally give calcium supplements:

• gluconate (as a dietary supplement);
• glutamate (as a supplement);
• borgluconate (in the form of subcutaneous and intramuscular injections);
• gamavit.

Constipation or diarrhea

Disruption of the digestive tract, leading to the failure of the hind legs in a rabbit, occurs when poisoned by poor-quality concentrated feed or poisonous plants.Most often, poisoning, accompanied by failure of the hind limbs, occurs after the animal consumes fresh grass, which the owner forgot to dry. Some farmers try to prepare a lot of grass at once, pile it in a pile, but do not know that when it is left in it for a long time, useful compounds turn into poisonous ones.

The main sign that paralysis of the hind legs is caused by poisoning is the mass defeat of animals. Almost all livestock that have consumed poisonous food fall ill.

To eliminate the disease, rabbits are provided with a quality diet. They include compound feed with clover and alfalfa in it to prevent mineral and vitamin deficiency. Fresh grass is given after drying it.

Brain inflammation

In rabbits, the hind limbs are often taken away for infectious pathologies that cause inflammation of the brain:

• encephalitis;
• meningitis;
• encephalomyelitis;
• encephalosis.

Infectious diseases, in addition to paralysis of the hind legs, are accompanied by movement distortion, neck curvature, and the animal falling on its side.

The listed pathologies are dangerous, inflammation of the brain causes an early death of the animal. Therefore, a sick rabbit is immediately shown to the veterinarian. He prescribes antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunostimulants.

Listeriosis

Dangerous pathology, due to which the pregnant rabbit's legs fail, is caused by the microscopic parasite Listeria. Cubs die in the womb, but miscarriage does not always happen, sometimes it is partial.The embryos remaining in the uterus decompose, provoking an inflammatory process that spreads to the hind legs.

A sick rabbit is slaughtered. Treatment is possible, but is not used on farms, as the surviving animal becomes a carrier of the infection. In this case, the livestock is replaced, a thorough disinfection of the rabbitry is carried out. Before settling in new rabbits, they are quarantined for 2 weeks. The fur of dead animals is burned. Meat can be consumed, but after 2 hours of cooking. If a decorative pet is sick, then the veterinarian prescribes antibiotics and procedures to restore the sensitivity of the hind limbs.

Injuries

Rabbit feet are often injured from falls, fights, bad movements inside a cramped cage. Paralysis of the hind legs is the result of damage to either the spinal column or the brain.

In the first case, the transmission of impulses along the vertebral nerves to the limbs is interrupted.It can't be fixed. The pet will remain crippled. In the second case, the transmission of signals from the areas of the brain responsible for motor activity is interrupted. Not only are the legs taken away from the rabbit, but coordination is also disturbed.

If a rabbit has only one paw motionless, then most likely it has only a fracture. X-ray examination is required to confirm the diagnosis. With paralysis of the hind legs caused by damage to the spine or brain, the veterinarian prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, physiotherapy. The owner will have to give the rabbit a massage, buy a wheelchair for animals.

CNS dysfunction

Violation of the functioning of the nervous system is the result of stress, severe fright, as a result, the rabbit's hind limbs fail.

Rabbits are extremely shy animals. Paralyzing fear they can cause:

• transportation;
• noisy renovations;
• suddenly turning on intense light;
• approaching another pet;
• painful veterinary procedures;
• raising the ears or scruff.

If the nervous system is disturbed, the veterinarian prescribes a massage to restore the muscles. It is not difficult to conduct it: you need to hold the animal on its back with one hand, and bend and straighten one and the second hind paw with smooth movements with the other.

Decorative pets often undergo acupuncture and hardware procedures to restore numb muscles.

Other possible causes

Rarely do rabbit legs fail for the following reasons:

1. Pododermatitis - ulceration and injury of the soles of the paws due to unsanitary conditions or thin bedding on a slatted floor.
2. Deficiency of B-group vitamins provokes nervous pathologies, accompanied by impaired transmission of impulses to the hind limbs.
3. Oxygen deficiency as a result of pulmonary pathologies leads to impaired blood supply to the hind legs, causing muscle weakness.
4. Toxins released into the blood during coccidiosis, pasteurellosis, and other serious infectious diseases cause disruption of the brain and weakening of the muscles.

Prevention measures

To prevent paralysis of the hind limbs in rabbits, measures are taken to prevent infection, create optimal living conditions in the rabbitry.

Necessary preventive measures:

1. Holding purchased rabbits in 2-week quarantine.
2. Regular cleaning and disinfection of the rabbitry. Destruction of rats and mice carrying infection.
3. Vaccination of pets against listeriosis in a region with an unfavorable epidemic situation.
4. Purchasing quality food. The balance of the diet, the inclusion of dry concentrates in it. Reduce portions of root crops.
5. Recycling the last year's hay. Procurement of mixed fodder, herbal and grain food for a short period.
6. Supplement your diet with legumes that are high in protein and minerals.
7. Timely removal of manure.
8. Careful handling of rabbits during transport and relocation.
9. Arrangement of cages so that animals cannot be injured.

Can a rabbit live with paw paralysis

Survival depends on the cause of hind limb failure and endurance. A weak animal with an infectious lesion dies after a few days, a strong injured rabbit can live as an invalid for several years. Often, with a non-serious pathology and quality care, the animal recovers and returns to a full life.

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