Paralyzed (?) rabbit

Question
Hi,

I have a huge problem with my garden rabbit (he lives outside in the same
enclosed pen as my three pet chickens and they've been sharing their home
for the last 2 months). He lost all of his balance, does not move his back legs
at all, and barely moves one of his front paws. He has a slight discharge in
both eyes, medium milky white discharge from his right nosedril, his poop is
not in pellets but in long soft mass, he doesn't really pee on his own, but
when we pick him up out of the box - he squirt out a large amount of
white/slightly yellow discharge; if we gently massage his belly - more and
more liquid comes out and  he grunt and kind of burps a little. When laying
on his back we massage his belly and gas passes out.  He eats as normal - no
pellets, but fresh leaves from our garden (broccoli, collyflower, herbs) - and
reaches for food with his head. Like I said he doesn't really move at all and his
neck is a little tense to the left. He also feels a little bloated, but that gets
smaller each time he poops or discharges liquid. There is also yellow stuff
built up in his ears, which we clean out with saline solution and small dull nail
tool.

We cannot take him to the vet (for too many reasons to go into), and looked
up herbs for indigestion and bloating - parsley, lemon balm, fennel - that's
what he's been eating for the last two days. This has been going on for three
days now. We feed him herbs soaked in water and drop water in his mouth
regularly throughout the day. He seems to be getting better and then worse
and then better...

Please let us know if there are any other holistic things we can do for him and
what do you think is going on. Like I said, we cannot take him to the doctor.
Please advice as you can.

Thank you very much!

Answer
Dear Valery,

I wish I could tell you there was something you could do without a veterinarian's help here, but I cannot.  This is a very serious condition, and you can read more about it here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/paresis.html

The ear gunk may be ear canker or mange:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

which is not going to go away with saline. It needs medication such as Revolution (selamectin) from the vet. That's the simple fact.

Rabbits with multiple health problems also usually develop GI tract problems, so please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

and

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I know you say you "can't go to the doctor," but I would be negligent if I told you your rabbit will be fine without one.  He will not.  He needs professional medical help, and I hope you will be the one to get it for him.

I hope this helps you do the right thing.

Dana