Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > Rabbit Posture

Rabbit Posture

22 11:32:13

Question
Hi! My 1 yr old Dutch rabbit seems healthy but there is one unusual thing I've noticed about him.
Sometimes it looks as though his hind quarters have simply melted into a puddle. Does this mean he is having spinal problems? Should I take him to the vet? He is able to stand on all four legs and have a good long stretch though. I am somewhat worried. Thank you for your advice.

Answer
Dear Staci,

This does sound a little bit unusual for such a young bunny.  Does he ever show signs of weakness in his hindquarters, or difficulty in balancing or standing up?  Are there certain circumstances under which you see him take up this posture (for example, after a nice, long stretch?)  Does he keep up the posture for long periods of time, or does he do it only for short periods?  When he has this posture, is he lying down or sitting up?

It's a little hard for me to picture this, so if you want to try to send a photo of this posture, you can mail it to dana@miami.edu

There are various things that can cause hind limb paresis in rabbits, and you can read about them here:

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

If you'd like to have him looked over by a good rabbit vet (a *must*, if you want an accurate diagnosis), you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I'll wait to hear back with the answers to my quesitons, but I hope this helps get you started.  It might be nothing at all, but it's good to be safe.  He's lucky to have such a caring, attentive "mom!"  :)

Dana