older rabbit care

Question
Hi
I have 2 rabbits, one is about 5 years old. Last year she hurt  her back leg, the vet examined it & recommended rest, which she did herslf anyway. It took quite a few weeks to heal.We notice that, in this colder weather she is becomming a bit of an 'old girl' lying in the hutch, rather than comming out when the door is opened for them in the morning, and sometimes she seems a bit stiff. I wondered if their is any type of medication that I can give her regularly to help stiff joints. We do wonder if arthritis may be setting in, in her back leg. Appart from that she is a lovely rabbit in very good condition.
Many thanks
Helen

Answer
Dear Helen,

She may have some arthritis in the injured joint, and there are several things you can try to help relieve her discomfort.  Metacam is safe for rabbits, though long term use might not be great for her kidneys.  Many people have sworn by glucosamine, and you might want to ask your vet about that.

Warmth applied to the joint will help circulation and loosen things up so it's easier for her to move.

At the age of 5, she's not at all old, and may have many years of good, happy life ahead of her.  I hope you can find a good, experienced rabbit vet who can prescribe the best things to help her be more comfortable:

www.rabbit.org/vets

It's also best if she's indoors, which is much safer and warmer, and will probably be more conducive to her comfort, as long as the floors are not too slick for her to get good traction.  Please see:

www.rabbit.org

for information on litterbox training and all the best house rabbit information.

I hope this helps.

Dana