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Odd bunny hop

Claire W

Claire W

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I was feeding the piggies their morning veg this morning and Ellen did a slight bunny hop whe running to the plate. Is this something to worry about or could it have been a one off

She’s turning 5 next month so I don’t know if that’s the correct age for arthritis setting in but hub said it wouldn’t have just come on over night?

Obviously I will take her to the vets if needed but does a one off bunny hop warrent a vet visit? I have a habit of going to the vets over nothing which is why I ask x
 
It of course could be the start of something like arthritis, or simply she was a bit stiff first thing.
I wouldn't worry at this stage to be honest.
Is her weight ok?

I think if she were in considerable pain continuously then you would 'see' this with her loosing weight and/or condition.
If it continues or becomes more frequent then it might be worth a vet check, but as a one off I wouldn't be too worried.
To be honest Harry is 2 and he often does little hops and I generally just attribute it to excitement.
 
Swissgreys said:
It of course could be the start of something like arthritis, or simply she was a bit stiff first thing.
I wouldn't worry at this stage to be honest.
Is her weight ok?

I think if she were in considerable pain continuously then you would 'see' this with her loosing weight and/or condition.
If it continues or becomes more frequent then it might be worth a vet check, but as a one off I wouldn't be too worried.
To be honest Harry is 2 and he often does little hops and I generally just attribute it to excitement.
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Thank you. No, she hasn’t lost weight at all. May be I’ll just keep a close eye on her then? x
 
That's what I would do.
You know your pigs well and pay close attention to them, so I think you will quickly see if it is just a one off or the start of an ongoing problem.
 
When you get time you might get her out for some floor time and get her to run a few feet back and forwards for some veggies, get a proper look at how she's moving?
We do this when lovely Ollie of the slightly disabled legs has a hoppy day, so far he's always stopped hopping and started running if there's a treat to be had a few feet away!
 
Claire W said:
I was feeding the piggies their morning veg this morning and Ellen did a slight bunny hop whe running to the plate. Is this something to worry about or could it have been a one off

She’s turning 5 next month so I don’t know if that’s the correct age for arthritis setting in but hub said it wouldn’t have just come on over night?

Obviously I will take her to the vets if needed but does a one off bunny hop warrent a vet visit? I have a habit of going to the vets over nothing which is why I ask x
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Hi!

It is most likely a mild sprain somewhere on one of the legs between the hip/shoulder joint down to the foot.

It can also be from pain in the spine, whether that is a bump/bad landing. Arthritis in the spine needs to be fairly advanced to cause hopping.

The fact that she is still pretty mobile and actively moving around means that it is not a serious issue. If it hasn't sorted itself out by the end of the week then have her checked next time you see your vet. If it is noticeably getting worse, see your vet sometime this week.
 
Jess does the same every now and again, normally after a long sleep when she’s suddenly woken up and hasn’t had a good stretch. I don’t worry too much as she’s always up on her hind legs at the side of the cage (or my leg when there’s food on offer!) and runs around like a loon at times without problems. Hopefully just a one off for gorgeous Ellen xx
 
Claire W said:
I was feeding the piggies their morning veg this morning and Ellen did a slight bunny hop whe running to the plate. Is this something to worry about or could it have been a one off

She’s turning 5 next month so I don’t know if that’s the correct age for arthritis setting in but hub said it wouldn’t have just come on over night?

Obviously I will take her to the vets if needed but does a one off bunny hop warrent a vet visit? I have a habit of going to the vets over nothing which is why I ask x
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It wouldn't come on overnight, but it has to be noticeable for a first time at some point. Hope everything's fine, I had a guinea pig with arthiritis in back legs and spine and he didn't bunny hop atall and he was 7. I've seen dot bunny hop before but she's fine
 
My Ted did this once, I assumed he must have pulled a muscle or been sat funny. It lasted a couple of hours and then he was back to normal. Hope Ellen is the same x
 
Claire W said:
I’ve just put Ellen down after a cuddle and she fell on to her side :( She soon righted herself but I’ve never seen her do that before :(
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Definitly a vet appointment needed then, could be arthiritis, my old boar with this fell over a few times with it. Does this girl get Cystease?

Could just be a little injury that's weakened her legs though of course
 
I’d get her to the vet ASAP, check for E.cuniculi, one of the few illnesses I have experience of. When my rabbit first got it her legs gave out from underneath her, I was trying to clean her house and she tried to hop out, her legs just gave way, it didn’t happen again for a day or two but it got continually worse. It’s like a mini seizure, or stroke. It can be treated if caught early. Unfortunately Bella was very young, and even with panacur she still didn’t make it
How does her head look? Is it tilted at all?

*I will add that Bella was a rabbit, and it commonly affects rabbits, but can be transmitted to guinea pigs or even humans through contact, as it is a parasite that sites itself in the body, or brain, hence why it affects movement and causes a head tilt
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Definitly a vet appointment needed then, could be arthiritis, my old boar with this fell over a few times with it. Does this girl get Cystease?

Could just be a little injury that's weakened her legs though of course
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No, she hasn’t taken cystease for nearly a year now. Would it be worth trying her on it again? How is arthritis diagnosed?
 
Sophie B said:
I’d get her to the vet ASAP, check for E.cuniculi, one of the few illnesses I have experience of. When my rabbit first got it her legs gave out from underneath her, I was trying to clean her house and she tried to hop out, her legs just gave way, it didn’t happen again for a day or two but it got continually worse. It’s like a mini seizure, or stroke. It can be treated if caught early. Unfortunately Bella was very young, and even with panacur she still didn’t make it
How does her head look? Is it tilted at all?

*I will add that Bella was a rabbit, and it commonly affects rabbits, but can be transmitted to guinea pigs or even humans through contact, as it is a parasite that sites itself in the body, or brain, hence why it affects movement and causes a head tilt
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Oh gosh, I’m so sorry for your Bella :( Ellen looks completely normal. Just lost her balanced as she jumped back on to the settee
 
Sophie B said:
I’d get her to the vet ASAP, check for E.cuniculi, one of the few illnesses I have experience of. When my rabbit first got it her legs gave out from underneath her, I was trying to clean her house and she tried to hop out, her legs just gave way, it didn’t happen again for a day or two but it got continually worse. It’s like a mini seizure, or stroke. It can be treated if caught early. Unfortunately Bella was very young, and even with panacur she still didn’t make it
How does her head look? Is it tilted at all?

*I will add that Bella was a rabbit, and it commonly affects rabbits, but can be transmitted to guinea pigs or even humans through contact, as it is a parasite that sites itself in the body, or brain, hence why it affects movement and causes a head tilt
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I could be wrong but I dont think @Claire W has any contact with rabbits or random unquarantined animals @Sophie B ? So lets not worry her unnecessarily, it's worth a vet check but it could be a weak arthritic knee or ankle or hip that suddenly gave way when she landed rather than a scary brain parasite!
 
PigglePuggle said:
I could be wrong but I dont think @Claire W has any contact with rabbits or random unquarantined animals @Sophie B ? So lets not worry her unnecessarily, it's worth a vet check but it could be a weak arthritic knee or ankle or hip that suddenly gave way when she landed rather than a scary brain parasite!
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Thank you. No, I haven’t had any contact with rabbits or unqurantined animals.

Should I make a vet appointment specifically for that or keep an eye on her and mention it at her next nail trim and check up in a few weeks time?
 
Claire W said:
No, she hasn’t taken cystease for nearly a year now. Would it be worth trying her on it again? How is arthritis diagnosed?
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Well Kim at the cat and rabbit clinic, sort of flexed sky's legs and to see which one felt stiff, and one did and the other didn't and she felt his spine, that's all I know really. Then he was put on life long pain killer, and I tried him on glucosamine, which he didn't live long enough for to see if it really worked, he got diagnosed with cancer a few months after. Just see what the vet sais, it's probably something real minor
 
PigglePuggle said:
I could be wrong but I dont think @Claire W has any contact with rabbits or random unquarantined animals @Sophie B ? So lets not worry her unnecessarily, it's worth a vet check but it could be a weak arthritic knee or ankle or hip that suddenly gave way when she landed rather than a scary brain parasite!
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To be fair though, I in no way insinuated that that would 100% be the case... A mere possibility
 
But when sky was diagnosed, I didn't have a clue he had arthiritis really, the first signs was he was moving around less which made me take him in, he wouldn't eat as uch because he couldn't be bothered to move as much anymore, but let's be honest, he was late 6 going 7 then, and your girl is younger, so probably something else minor
 
personally I don't think after 1 bunny means 999. just see how she gets on next couple days . . .you are a fantastic piggie slave and over protective . .. course that's beautiful but see how next couple days are Ellen will tell you. x
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Well Kim at the cat and rabbit clinic, sort of flexed sky's legs and to see which one felt stiff, and one did and the other didn't and she felt his spine, that's all I know really. Then he was put on life long pain killer, and I tried him on glucosamine, which he didn't live long enough for to see if it really worked, he got diagnosed with cancer a few months after. Just see what the vet sais, it's probably something real minor
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Oh I’m sorry that he was diagnosed with cancer. Thank you, think I’ll keep an eye on her and mention it at their next nail trim and check up appointment in a few weeks time? It was just scary seeing her fall over
 
David Piggie Lover said:
personally I don't think after 1 bunny means 999. just see how she gets on next couple days . . .you are a fantastic piggie slave and over protective . .. course that's beautiful but see how next couple days are Ellen will tell you. x
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Thank you. Think I’m going to keep a close eye on her and mention it at their next check up in a few weeks time. Of course I’ll take her sooner should she get worse
 
Claire W said:
Oh I’m sorry that he was diagnosed with cancer. Thank you, think I’ll keep an eye on her and mention it at their next nail trim and check up appointment in a few weeks time? It was just scary seeing her fall over
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Yea keep an eye, you know what your doing 👍. You know your pig better than anyone. Hope she's fine.

Thanks about sky, he was such a healthy lad, no vet needed until late 6 for arthiritis and then cancer when 7 and that was it. Pretty good for a pets at home Mill bred pig. Best part is I rescued him myself from a primary school, Miss him alot
 
Claire W said:
I’ve just put Ellen down after a cuddle and she fell on to her side :( She soon righted herself but I’ve never seen her do that before :(
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Aw, hope she is alright, a vet trip will hopefully find out what the problem is, hugs it’s a worry x
 
Claire W said:
Thank you everyone. She stood on her hind legs at breakfast time and then toppled over :( could this still be arthritis? I’m wondering if a weak knee gave way or something
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Could be could just be a dif injury or. Balanace issue at a guess, I'd go to the vet
 
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