Tuesday 26 May 2009

Miss Eve's mystery

I have been to the vets in April with both bunnies for their vaccination (they need a myxi and VHD jab twice a year, just as a precaution even if they are houserabbits, because the UK is sadly a country where both illnesses make many victims among bunnies every year) - this is what happens then:

Miss Eve is definitely the boldest of the two when it comes to leaving the safe environment of the house - she hates car rides and travelling, but she needs to check what is happening around her. Neville, on the other hand, is a bundle of fur, all scared, squeezed at the bottom of the carrier and no ambition to see what is that place he's been brought to.

Before the vaccination both were checked, weighed and got a clean bill of health. This was on the 20th of April.
For almost three weeks now, Miss Eve has slowly changed her behaviour: she seems to have problems in turning her head towards the back to groom her upper back, and sometimes she is reluctant to stand on her hind legs to groom her ears. At the beginning it wasn't so obvious, but it has become so more apparent last week, in addition to a general lack of mobility - she still does binkies every now and then when playing with Neville, and runs like the wind when there's banana or pear or apple on offer, but she was less in the mood for "explorations" in the house, running up and down the stairs, and in general preferred to stay near to the crate and groom her legs and paws, or just lay down stretched. She didn't look like being in pain, but we all know how buns are masters of disguise, so off we went last Friday to the vet.
Because of her behaviour it was obvious to me that unless the vet could find out something whilst listening with the stethoscope, not much could have come out of the visitation - I had gone through all the pages of Frances Harcourt-Brown's Textbook of Rabbit Medicine, but found nothing that would resemble Miss Eve's change. The vet who saw her was not a resident one, but he also had treated rabbits and was very interested in listening to everything I said. He tested her gait on the floor, and surely there's nothing wrong with Miss Eve's gait - she hops and walks as usual on a hard floor with no wobbly behaviour, as it could be if she was affected by EC. He agreed with my suggestion, that it could be the beginning of arthritis, and prescribed some Metacam to give orally once a day, and asked to see her again in two weeks time. By then, if there is going to be no improvement in her condition, he would be taking some x-rays of the spine and joints and see further.

Metacam is so far not changing Miss Eve's behaviour - in fact, it looks to me as if she is getting even less mobile in terms of happy behaviour, although there is no change whatsoever in her appetite or her "output". We will have to wait until next week to see what happens - please do send your "get well" vibes to Miss Eve and hopefully there's nothing sinister with her.

"I made the salad - it got my fingerprints!"

10 comments:

RoadBunner said...

Sending out good thoughts for Miss Eve!

PJ said...

Miss Eve has all my best wishes, as do you.

d. moll, l.ac. said...

We have a candle going for her! Check your Email for a picture.

RG said...

Indeed a mystery ... metacam is pretty much our "drug of choice" for a bunny who seems pained in some way.

Come on Miss Eve ..........

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Be well, Miss Eve! We love you!

YowlYY said...

Many thanks everyone - this is very appreciated both by myself and of course Miss Eve and Neville, who is a bit like her shadow.
I am sure that all these vibes from the bunny-blogosphere will be having an impact :)

Deb Cushman said...

That is very strange. We hope Miss Eve is back to her normal self soon!

Crafty Green Poet said...

oh all my good thoughts to Miss Eve. Poor thing, lets hope she's hopping like normal again very soon

Anonymous said...

Miss Eve, we're all thinking of you over here! Quadruple doses of bunny vibes coming your way ;) We hope you get well better soon.

Anonymous said...

We're so worried about Miss Eve. But we hope Miss Eve will get back to 'herself' soon. Get well, Miss Eve!