rabbit illness?

Question
Hi. My lionhead dwarf rabbit is 7 in December. Lately he has started to tilt on his back legs a bit and has pulled the fur off them so they are nearly bald but with no open wounds. He is leaning against his mate a lot but still eating and grooming his mate as well as drinking. His pellets and urine seem fine. He is used to be a very active aggressive rabbit until i got him a mate (she has been spayed) but lately he has seemed even more relaxed. He still runs ok but he tilts on his back legs when he is sitting. Could this be a sign of old age? What i am most afraid of is if he is in pain and i cant tell as he doesn't make any noises (except grunting when he is in a bad mood!) He is now in his run in the shed with lino on the bottom of the run to keep him warm. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer
Dear Lauren,

At the age of seven, some rabbits who have been harboring a parasite known as E. cuniculi start to show signs of active infection. These include things like hind limb weakness, kidney problems, head tilt, and even cataracts (of a particular type). Some rabbits show only one sign, others several, and none at all.  But if your bunny's problems are partly due to E. cuniculi, it would be very wise to have him seen by an experienced rabbit vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The baldness may be due to more than just his pulling fur.  He may be walking oddly and going bald on his back end because of urine burn due to urine leakage.  This can be caused by a number of different urinary tract problems, which are described here:

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

The vet will be able to do some diagnostic tests to see if a urinary tract infection, bladder sludge, or uroliths (bladder stones) are to blame for his condition.  These are sometimes linked with E. cuniculi infection, but sometimes are bacterial in origin, requiring antibiotics.

If the main problem you see is hind limb weakness, please also see:

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

I hope this helps get you started on the road to his recovery.

Dana
P.S. - When he goes to the vet or stays for any treatment, be SURE his mate stays with him.  Bonded bunnies should never be separated, *especially* when one is not well.