ADVICE PLEASE!!!! Injured rabbit

beckyhuff314 · Nov 9, 2013

So I have 4, 7 week old ND babies. I went to check on everyone around 4:30 this afternoon and everyone was jumping around like normal. I went out like 30 min ago and the one little buck was laying there not moving. He is breathing and looking around but he can't move. What could of caused this? He is only able to move one of his front feet. I took him out and he is licking my finger.
What should I do? Please any advice would really be appreciated.

Northwinds Rabbitry · Nov 10, 2013

OH im so sorry

hes soooo cute. I would try to gently feel for anything broken and keep him warm.
Im sure the experts will be here soon!!

GOOD LUCK

-HRanchito · Nov 10, 2013

Remove the kit and put somewhere away from the others.

Could be weanling enteritis? Were they just weaned? If so, remove pellets and replace with rolled oats.

beckyhuff314 · Nov 10, 2013

They have been away from mom for almost 2 weeks. I put him in a kennel next to my bed. It is warm in here. My BF and myself felt him and neither of us feels anything broken.

Miss M · Nov 10, 2013

My first thought was that he had broken his back, but if you have felt it carefully and don't feel a break, perhaps he has injured it instead. Swelling at the site of injury, putting pressure on the spinal cord, can cause temporary paralysis.

You will need to tend to him, feed him or hold him in such a way that he can eat and drink. You don't want to move him much, though, to avoid further damage.

If things are getting worse, or, after a week or so, they're not getting better, I'd recommend putting him down.

DogCatMom · Nov 10, 2013

This is so sad (and alarming). In the hope that he's injured and will only be out of action for a short while, I've searched for websites on how to care for disabled rabbits. He'll be disabled until he can move independently again, whether it's a muscle pull, something with his joints, or something else. I hope the advice on these sites gives you some good ideas on how to help "Brownie" (my name for him, not very original I know).

how-to advice from the owner of a rabbit whose original diagnosis was hip dislocation
site established by the owner of a rabbit who fractured her own spine
everything from syringe hydration to (believe it or not) mobility carts for rabbits

Best wishes for the little guy; he looks pretty scared to me, so keeping him warm and close to you is probably helping his state of mind already.

Good luck to both of you! :clover:

beckyhuff314 · Nov 10, 2013

Thanks you everyone. Sadly he (Dr. Watson) did not make it. I checked on him around 4am and he was in a different spot. So I tried putting some water on my finger for him and he started having a seizure. I picked him up and he died in my hands. Now I have to tell my best friend. He was going to her on Monday.

Peach · Nov 10, 2013

Poor thing. If you can stomach it, open him up and the intestines and liver for parasites/ coccidia/etc. Ruling those out helps a lot!

I helped one of my friends by fostering her a litter of Jersey Woolies and they were both doing fine, hopping in and out of the nesting box, and then one day one of the babies was dead in the box. Nothing had seemed odd about the baby, I guess it was just a fader. The other grew up to be a perfectly happy and healthy as well as all the Mini Lop babies. I think a fader can be common in the dwarf breeds and I hear about it most frequently with them. Usually they occur between 5-8 weeks. __________ Sun Nov 10, 2013 9:41 am __________ Usually I'll start advertising between 6-7 weeks if I see a fault or just a quality I don't like. If I take reservations, I do pre-warn that anything and anytime can happen to the baby. It rarely happens, but it CAN happen. I think I've only had a baby die once when it was pre sold and it just had a random case of wool block. These things do happen, so I wouldn't make it a heavy burden on yourself because it did. I'd just replace it when you are able to.

Miss M · Nov 10, 2013

I'm so sorry, Becky!

MaggieJ · Nov 10, 2013

So sorry, Becky.

MamaSheepdog · Nov 10, 2013

Poor little guy!

Sometimes they can panic for no reason and hurt themselves. I'm sorry you lost him. It is always sad when they die at an older age when you think they are past the danger of dying in the nest.

I hope the other kits continue to be happy healthy little bunnies. :clover:

Northwinds Rabbitry · Nov 10, 2013

Ooohhhh I'm sooooooooooooooo sorry

AmysMacdog · Nov 10, 2013

Very sorry for your loss Becky.

beckyhuff314 · Nov 10, 2013

Thanks everyone. I have never lost one after 4 weeks before. He was a keeper. I have to many bucks for my few does so I figured let my friend have him so I could still use him. It took a lot to talk her husband into letting her have a rabbit. I have shown him all of my babies and this was the first one he has liked. Hopefully he will like another.

GBov · Nov 10, 2013

So sorry about your loss. I had one break its neck playing with its siblings once.

Marinea · Nov 10, 2013

So sorry to hear about Dr. Watson. He was a real cutie.

Don't beat yourself up over it. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and this sounds like he hurt himself.

DogCatMom · Nov 10, 2013

I'm so sorry he lost his life. Is there any way for you to discover what took him? If it was a freak accident, the other kits in the litter are most likely not at risk, so it might settle your mind to learn the cause. ::fingers crossed::

"The course of true love ne'er did run smooth." --Wm. Shakespeare

beckyhuff314 · Nov 11, 2013

So I am really at a loss here. This morning I went out to check on all the the bunnies and the 3 babies that were left all came up and we licking me through the cage. That was at 8:15am. Well around 9:30 something told me to go check them again and I found one more baby with the same symptoms as Dr Watson had. She is breathing and looking around and trying hard to move but can't. I moved the other 2 out of garage and into separate cages. Please someone what could this be???? I have looked online and can't find find anything that this could be. When/if this one passes I will cut her open but I don't know what to look for.

Zass · Nov 11, 2013

GBov":38mypzyf said:
So sorry about your loss. I had one break its neck playing with its siblings once.

I've had the same thing happen as well, just once.

Demamma · Nov 11, 2013

I find it odd that they are licking you. Could they have a mineral imbalance? Someone on here don't remember who almost lost her buck to it. Said he was always licking them. It's worth a try. __________ Mon Nov 11, 2013 1:42 pm __________ What are you feeding?

ADVICE PLEASE!!!! Injured rabbit

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