Help, rabbit broke both his rear legs.

[hotwire73]

My rabbit got scared of a dog today and ran fast across a tight extension cord. I can only guess he went to fast and caught his rear legs on it, as both just dangle and rotate around. I used a paint stick and some ace bandages to make a makeshift splint. Now with 2 people and rabbit not moving much, it was near impossible to make it so the legs are close to the body closed; so they are around half extended. I have to question how its possible for her to use the bathroom without it soaking the bandages constantly? Need advice as to what position is best to place her rear legs so they may heal correctly. Also, rabbit didnt seem in pain till I wrapped them, then she was shaking; so advice on what liquid meds I can get. Think I seen someone advise pedialyte, do you put in bowl or administer with dropper? Also since both legs are messed up, do I place her so shes up all the time so she can use the bathroom or what; and what can I use to make a cast (has to be better than the bandages that will act like a sponge). There are no skins tears or any bones etc protruding from the body.

 

[Nyctra]

Don't know the proper route to take, but it sounds more like a spine problem, not so much the legs.

 

[Bad Habit]

This is the type of injury where I would advise to either put the rabbit down, or seek the help of a vet. At the very least an x-ray to figure out what, exactly, the problem is, and then go from there.

 

[Zass]

Actual broken bones aren't as common as joint or spine damage, which can also make a rabbit drag it's rear legs.
If it's not an actual broken bone, splinting things could make things much worse for the rabbit.

Also, rabbit didnt seem in pain till I wrapped them, then she was shaking; so advice on what liquid meds I can get.

This makes me fear that wrapping was unnecessary and perhaps very uncomfortable for your bunny.

I've seen people on here describe situations where a rabbit has lost control of it's real legs and later recovered, so I'm not convinced things are hopeless. You will want to keep the rabbit on a solid surface with thick bedding for comfort and sanitation.

Is bunny still eating and drinking? You have to make sure the bunny continues to eat and drink, or gastrointestinal stasis can set in, and be fatal. Pedialyte is for dehydration. It can be given in a bowl, or dropper fed if the rabbit refuses to drink.

 

[akane]

I would lay her in a relatively small cage on towels or old blanket with any bare strings removed and put some moistened pellets on a low container like a lid to something nearby for the night. In the morning see if she has improved and if she hasn't eaten try to get food and water in her. Moistened pellets with pureed banana often go over well or if you can get parsley, cilantro or dandelion greens and wet them before feeding. If there isn't improvement and attempts to eat by the end of the day then start deciding on putting them down or seeing a vet. I have had rodents damage their spine and drag their hindlegs for a few days followed by recovering over a week or 2 as swelling went down but they were semi mobile and eating on their own.

 

[hotwire73]

Havent seen her drink lately, but he was using the upper part of her legs. It seems shes tore the joint apart. As stated he was running fast and the only thing on the ground was a ground wire to power a blow up christmas display. It was tight on the ground and from the way it looked she wiped out when she went across the cord fast. The feet just flop out. I originally thought the neighbors dog bite her, but theres no places on the rabbit showing anything. She seems fine thus far.
As noted theres no swelling, even on the legs that can be found, also as others noted to put in a pet carrier to minimize movement. Shes in there, and moves from the front to back still. Shes still active.
Also just confirmed shes still eating her normal pellet fruit, and vegetable diet. Hard to tell earlier since they just ate their daily large meal. The two rabbits eat around 8 ounces each of the diet food and then tim hay. They eat as much as my dogs.
For those that suggest pedialyte, do you mix it in the water bottle or just give them from a dropper 100% or diluted? Heard childrens aspirin, like to confirm. Vet should be open back up in the morning, I can see if they will cut a deal on an xray alone, but as a disabled vet, with one child in the hospital, and a new born, I dont have the luxury of a 500-1500 dollar vet bill that seems average for these injuries. As for the just shooting comments, until shes stops eating completely, and wasting away; I believe in giving her a chance and researching what I can. Its easy to say what you think yould do in the same situation, and how its better to shoot them instead of them in pain. I live in it every day, and with a1c's so high they pulled me from my scheduled artifical knee surgery. My rebuilt ankle and elbows on top of the other issues while painful, and for years no pain meds, I still would chose to live as long as theres a chance, and want to do the same for the animal. Until you have lived though the odds, and been their yourself, you shouldnt suggest what you dont understand fully. I have saved several animals even when the vet wanted to quit. Ive only lost one out of 6 that Ive found in extreme poor condition, and the five after up to 6 months of care, had normal lives.
For those that think this is a spinal injury, would you suggest laying her on a hot or a cold compress?
While it does seem its possible to have sprung or torn the ligaments if they got caught on the cord, its possible the dog got a bite on the spine. Ive looked and separated the fur, and see no bites, no swelling, nothing to show spine injury from external trauma. Theres no swelling anywhere, thus making it hard to figure out. Ive been trying to move her tail a little to the side to see if she moves it in any direction, thus showing at least the nerve is still intact; while I can move it to another area, it seems to always end up back in the same place. But my normal rabbit kinda does the same. As stated she is eating, and she just peed. If any suggestions please advise accordingly. no more shooting comments I hope. For those that have made suggestions, thank you.
Also for those thinking spinal injury, any suggestions outside xray to confirm, and mainly would you suggest hot or cold compress; I dont want to chance making it worse using the wrong form of compress. Spine is more sensitive to these types of treatments than a pulled muscle.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi Hotwire,

I am so sorry that this happened to your rabbit.

I agree with the others that she most likely injured her spine.

As Zass mentioned, some rabbits do recover, but none of my rabbits have been so lucky. I have had several rabbits with back injuries that had to be put down because they could not urinate on their own.

As for hot or cold compresses, according to this article http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclope ... entID=4483, both may be effective, but for different reasons and at different times.

Cold slows down blood flow to an injury, thereby reducing pain and swelling. Cold therapy slows circulation, reducing inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain. It should be used if the area is swollen or bruised.

Heat opens up blood vessels, which increases blood flow and supplies oxygen and nutrients to reduce pain in joints and relax sore muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The warmth also decreases muscle spasms and can increase range of motion.

From that information, I would think that cold compresses should be used for the first eight hours or so (not continuously!) in case there is any bleeding in the tissues, so that there is less blood flow and the blood can coagulate and stop any bleeding. After that, hot compresses can probably be used.

For those that suggest pedialyte, do you mix it in the water bottle or just give them from a dropper 100% or diluted?

You can give it straight. I personally prefer the ingredients in the recipe found here homemade-electrolytic-solution-t14844.html which you can make at home.

Heard childrens aspirin, like to confirm.

That should be okay, but I am not sure of the dosage. If you have access to willow leaves and branches, I would suggest offering her that instead. Willow (especially the bark) contains salicylic acid, which is the active ingredient in aspirin. Many of our natural feeders use it as a regular part of their rabbits diets, so you don't need to worry that she will "overdose" on it. If she isn't accustomed to greens, give her only a leaf or two and all of the twigs or branches that she wants.

If she isn't grinding her teeth, she probably isn't in pain. The willow (or baby aspirin) would still be helpful for swelling and inflammation though.

with one child in the hospital, and a new born, I dont have the luxury of a 500-1500 dollar vet bill that seems average for these injuries.

Most of us here raise rabbits predominantly as livestock and do not take them to the vet. Not only is it cost prohibitive, but there are very few vets that specialize in rabbits, and those that do not often do more harm than good.

We must also be realistic, especially with human family members needing care. Your children must be your primary concern.

Congratulations on your newborn, and I hope that your older child will be better and home soon! :clover:

as a disabled vet

Thank you for your service to our country! I appreciate the sacrifice that you made for us.

As for the just shooting comments, until shes stops eating completely, and wasting away; I believe in giving her a chance and researching what I can.

Perhaps I missed something, but I saw no comments about "just shooting" her. :? Are you posting about this on other forums or a FaceBook group?

If you are referring to Bad Habit's comment to "put her down or take her to the vet", I can assure you that no offense was intended.

As stated above in regard to taking rabbits to the vet, many of us prefer to provide all medical care, up to and including euthanasia, to our rabbits. Taking a rabbit to the vet is very stressful for it, and often the most humane thing is to end its life yourself, in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

As stated she is eating, and she just peed.

Those are both very good signs.

Make sure that it is a normal urination, not just leakage. If she can't express her bladder willingly, I doubt she will recover.

Also for those thinking spinal injury, any suggestions outside xray to confirm

You can try pinching her toes a couple of times a day. If/or when she begins to react, you will know that she is recovering sensation in her limbs.

Honestly, I wouldn't get an xray. I doubt there is very much a vet could offer treatment wise either way. If she does have a broken back, the best option would be to have her euthanized. If she doesn't, time and rest will heal her.

If she stops urinating on her own, loses her appetite, is listless all of the time, grinds her teeth continuously, or shows other signs of worsening condition, you will know that it is best to end her suffering.

I hope that with your supportive care she will be able to recover. :clover:

 

[user 3309]

My MR doe who hurt her back made a nice recovery! She has some control with her legs and can stand on hard solid flooring. Normal bowel and bladder functions but will never be back to 100% and uses her front paws to move around.

 

[hotwire73]

Thanks mama sheep; so far she soaked my sofa last night with urine, so she seems normal there so far. She has been eating still just fine, seems it never stops. Just hard to make the correct call on the feet that just flop out like they are dislocated. As of this morning, she is still eating, and drinking water from her bottle just fine. No changes noted to her rear legs. Her poop seems stickier and bunches up. There is no notation of her grinding her teeth, just her front paw shakes some when I lay her on her back.
Actions for now, would you suggest removing the ace bandages? Really frustrating when you cant find any tears, no swelling, nothing to give an idea what area is really injured. I can only assume that she caught her legs on that cord and injured her back. Ill give her a warm bath later today to clean her up, and update if anything new shows up.

 

[Miss M]

so far she soaked my sofa last night with urine, so she seems normal there so far.

That's good news, though not fun cleanup. There's nothing quite so pungent as bunny urine. You may be able to save your sofa with liberal application of damp borax.

she is still eating, and drinking water from her bottle just fine.

Great to hear!

No changes noted to her rear legs.

If she's going to recover, it's going to be a while. Measure week by week, rather than day by day.

Her poop seems stickier and bunches up.

You're probably seeing her cecotropes. Often, a rabbit owner will never see these. Every healthy rabbit makes them. They are not actually poops, but incompletely digested food. The rabbit eats these to finish getting the nutrients it needs. Like a cow chewing cud, except instead of the cud coming back up to be reingested, it goes all the way through to the other end to be reingested.

Cecotropes are sticky and smell strongly, unlike regular poops. They look like mulberries, or small bunches of grapes... like small, somewhat squished poops that are stuck together. They can come apart into small, individual bits.

Usually, a rabbit will be eating them, and appear to be grooming itself.

Definitely try to keep these from gumming up in her fur when you can.

just her front paw shakes some when I lay her on her back.

This is normal.

Actions for now, would you suggest removing the ace bandages?

I would remove them.

Really frustrating when you cant find any tears, no swelling, nothing to give an idea what area is really injured. I can only assume that she caught her legs on that cord and injured her back.

I completely understand the frustration. It's like trying to figure out what's wrong with a baby. All you know is that there's something wrong, but what it is can be very difficult to ferret out. With rabbits, it's even worse. As a prey species, they will hide anything that is wrong with them to the best of their ability... sometimes showing symptoms only when it's too late to save them.

It is probable that she has injured her spine and has swelling that is pressing on her spinal cord, causing the limpness in her legs. It doesn't take much swelling at all to accomplish this, and it could all be contained within the spine itself, where you can't feel it.

Ill give her a warm bath later today to clean her up,

I would not do this. Baths can be very stressful for a rabbit, and can actually send them into shock. The movement involved could also cause further swelling in the spine. A bath that gets the rabbit wet to the skin should be done only if the rabbit has gotten itself really, really messy. Then you have to get the rabbit dry and warm as quickly as possible. I have done it with a kit that flipped itself into a waste gutter.

If possible, just take a moist rag to the area that needs cleaning.


I would wait a couple of days, if possible, before administering willow or baby aspirin, to prevent further bleeding in the spine. If she's not showing signs of being in pain, wait. After a few days, willow or baby aspirin will help reduce the inflammation.

Good luck, and keep us updated!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Ah! Miss M "beat me to the post"!

Well, here are my thoughts anyway:

so far she soaked my sofa last night with urine, so she seems normal there so far. She has been eating still just fine, seems it never stops.

Sorry about the sofa, but those are good signs.

Just hard to make the correct call on the feet that just flop out like they are dislocated.

I would remove the bandages. If when you flex her legs there is a grinding sensation, it would indicate broken bones- otherwise it is hopefully just temporary paralysis of her hindquarters.

Her poop seems stickier and bunches up.

That is probably just her "cecotropes", a special type of poop that they pass during the night or early morning, which looks like a little cluster of grapes.

They usually eat it- it has more nutrients available than normal poop. It is similar to cows chewing their cud. Cows have two stomachs and start digestion in one, then regurgitate their food, chew again, and continue digesting it in the second stomach. Rabbits only have one stomach, so pass these special "night poops" and eat them again to get all of the available nutrients out of them.

Ill give her a warm bath later today to clean her up, and update if anything new shows up.

I would just use a very fine toothed comb to get as much of the mashed in poop out as possible, and then use some damp paper towels to get as much off as you can. You could also pour a little bit of hydrogen peroxide on the poopy area to help loosen it up. You may even want to carefully trim the hair of the area to make future cleanup easier.

Rabbits don't tolerate baths well, and if she is in shock, getting her wet to the skin can be very dangerous because she wont be regulating her temperature correctly.

I actually "killed" one of our cats by bathing him. He was in the advanced stages of cancer, and very thin. He had lost bladder control, so I had him in diapers- we couldn't bear to put him down, which was very selfish of us!- but it was Christmas day and I wanted him to be clean and handsome, and he was used to being bathed regularly throughout his life, so it wasn't an emotionally stressful event... anyway, he was so emaciated that once wet he couldn't keep warm, and he died while I was blow drying him.

I know how you feel about wanting her to have the best care possible, which includes keeping her nice and clean, but just wait and let her get better first.

 

[hotwire73]

K ill just try to get out what I can with a baby wipes. They use to be in the home for about 8 months and just in the last month went outside. I never really had issues with baths for them, but they had them since a baby. Ill skip anyway in case it does cause stress thats not been seen. Removing bandages now, my wife nearly pucks when she sees the rabbits legs danglingly.
On a side note, this rabbit was extremely skinny a few months back from what seemed like malnutrition. She has a decent weight, but probably only 2/3rds her partner. Do they get worms like other cats dogs? If so what do you recommend thats safe from the tractor supply place. I got her back to a decent weight by keeping her separated, but it still took over alot of time just giving unlimited food. She was eating constantly and pooping constantly, just didnt ever get weight and thickness as the male. The two have done fine for the lsat 4 months with 16 ounces a day in diet and a large portion of timothy hey. She still has never got as full figured as the male. <br /><br /> -- Mon Dec 01, 2014 5:13 pm -- <br /><br /> Update, gave her a bath since she was over 25% saturated in it. She let me lay her on her back for about 10 mins in the warm/hot water, then another 5 mins rest on my hand while her back was in the water. She was breathing regular, wasnt excited or anything. I use to give them a bath about once every 2 weeks when they had urine smell, so guess shes use to it. Keep her wrapped up in the warm towel for about 30 more mins, she just laid there seemingly comfortable. Gave her some greens, she really likes that; and as stated eats as much if not more than before. Considering the amount of urine she had on her, she has no issues there yet. Im aware it may take a day or two for those signs to show up. Thanks again for the advice, I probably wont post again until I note some form of change.

 

[Miss M]

Update, gave her a bath since she was over 25% saturated in it.

If you have to, you have to... it's good she was already used to it. That probably saved her a lot of stress.

I don't know what you are using for bedding, but pine horse stall bedding works great for rabbits. I use some of that (enough to cover the floor of the bin) and mix it with pine shavings a couple inches deep. Change it every week or so. You can use it below a wire floor, or the bunny can be directly on it (I have rabbits in both situations). The pellets soak up urine very well, and will do it even better if you mix it about every day or so. They slowly turn to sawdust, and can go into your compost pile or trash. The shavings help keep the rabbit mostly off the sawdust. You can get both at a feed store for $10 - $12, in amounts that will last a while. You can get them at Walmart (the pine pellets you'll probably find as a cat litter, though), probably for a bit more money... and probably for a smaller amount. Just make sure they aren't cedar or cypress pellets or shavings, just pine, and that they have no other additives, like essential oils.

Im aware it may take a day or two for those signs to show up.

You're right... it is quite possible she may get worse over the next couple of days, before she gets better. The swelling might not be done. If you notice a continued drop in her motor and elimination control, you might want to continue cold packs over the next day or two, even perhaps alternating with warm packs.

my wife nearly pucks when she sees the rabbits legs danglingly.

I haven't seen this personally, but it has to be upsetting. Hopefully, she'll get to see the rabbit start to recover again. :clover:

On a side note, this rabbit was extremely skinny a few months back from what seemed like malnutrition. She has a decent weight, but probably only 2/3rds her partner. Do they get worms like other cats dogs? If so what do you recommend thats safe from the tractor supply place.

Yes, they most certainly can get worms and other parasites. There are several ways you can treat them.

1. Pumpkin seeds. I'm not sure what the regimen is on those, or whether they have to be raw, dried, or roasted, but they work. You can do a search on here, or maybe someone will pipe up with the info.

2. Ivermectin 1.87% horse deworming paste. About $12 at a feed store, for more than you will ever need. Give a pea-sized amount every 10 days for a total of three doses. Vary the size according to the rabbit -- small rabbit, think about the little peas you see. Big rabbit, bigger pea. But still pea-sized. Some put it on the lips for the rabbit to lick off. I put it on my finger, and stick it in the side of the mouth, behind the front teeth, somewhere in the back.

Do NOT use ivermectin on Dutch rabbits. Many of them cannot take it, for some reason. You can do a search on Dutch rabbits to see what they look like. Their pattern is very distinctive.

3. Safeguard (fenbendazole), dosed at 10 - 20 mg/kg. This can be bought as a paste or as a medicated feed. I was told at the feed store that dosing it for a rabbit with the paste would be very difficult, because you'd need such a tiny amount, it would be difficult to accurately measure. They recommended the feed, so I bought 1/4 pound for about $1. I was following a wry-neck regimen that called for 40 mg/kg, and was giving .32 oz. of the feed (based on the weight of the rabbit) per day for weeks. You wouldn't need to do that, but I don't know the regimen for worms. I'm sure someone on here does. If the rabbit refuses to eat the feed, you can soak it in a little pineapple juice, applesauce, or whatever... after it breaks down, you can even mix it with banana, or a little molasses and oatmeal.

 

[hotwire73]

Think I had some of the horse stuff somewhere for the dogs. I was told though horse and dog mix, cat and rabbit remedies usually mix; not the other. Anyway rabbit still can not hop, but does keep one foot turned frontward, and the other out sideways. There never was any form of swelling, and did hot soaks, and compress for 5 days. Shes been back in her cage with her companion for a past 3 days, still eats and all just as usual; just cant hop on her back legs. Even though she was use to baths since we kept them in for 80% of their lives, it was getting tasking to do every night. The pet carriers give no way for urine to go anywhere so she was just soaked in it with all her waste stuck to her underside. Ill post if I see her hop any, and if this place allows, Ill try to get a pic of her leg positioning.

 

[Zass]

The only cat product I've ever used on a rabbit was the Advantage flea drops.

Out of curiosity, what horse product would you give to dogs?

 

[Miss M]

Thank you for the update! It sounds like she can move around some on those legs?

It wouldn't take much swelling within the spinal column to press on the spinal cord and temporarily paralyze the rabbit. If it never swelled outside the spinal column, you'd never notice the swelling.

So good to hear she is eating and drinking normally! That is good, and if she is moving those legs even a little, she's got a good chance of significant recovery.

 

[hotwire73]

Ivermectin for one. Anyway she uses her butt to push up with not her legs, she does get around, just never seen a rabbit hop using their bottom. Itll be next spring but in the process of a 30 foot by 12 foot fenced in area that will go with my property for them to play in freely. When I had them outside for the 2 months, I let them out to hop around and eat plants and grass for 10-15 mins a day while filling their bowls with their diet food. Guess thats a no no from now on.
Zaas, from what I was told at the tractor supply store, I believe flea meds and worming meds followed that protocol (horse, dog). Usually cat flea meds are good on either, but in most cases the dogs has an extra ingredient that can be lethal to cats. While I had a ph.d, this isnt my area of expertise. Thus why I ask before giving anything to reconfirm. Theres is about as many opinions as you know what in the world. Ivermectin paste 1.87% is what I have, and Im almost certain there was another med for worms I was suppose to rotate at the time, and just cant remember. The Ivermectin does alot of treatments, only reason I still have it.

-- Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:29 am --

Update, gave her a bath since she was over 25% saturated in it.

I don't know what you are using for bedding, but pine horse stall bedding works great for rabbits. I use some of that (enough to cover the floor of the bin) and mix it with pine shavings a couple inches deep. Change it every week or so. You can use it below a wire floor, or the bunny can be directly on it (I have rabbits in both situations). The pellets soak up urine very well, and will do it even better if you mix it about every day or so. They slowly turn to sawdust, and can go into your compost pile or trash. The shavings help keep the rabbit mostly off the sawdust. You can get both at a feed store for $10 - $12,

Ill have to look into this for sure, Im using all natural kiln cedar bedding for time. Im not the biggest fan since Ive seen so many issues with respiratory on alot of small animals with this. If you know the name of the pellets that soak up that urine post it please and if its tractor supply, etc. I would like to just keep them in the home for the time since its winter and cold will only slow her healing process.

 

[Miss M]

Ill have to look into this for sure, Im using all natural kiln cedar bedding for time. Im not the biggest fan since Ive seen so many issues with respiratory on alot of small animals with this. If you know the name of the pellets that soak up that urine post it please and if its tractor supply, etc. I would like to just keep them in the home for the time since its winter and cold will only slow her healing process.

Here's one of the kinds Tractor Supply carries: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/t ... ding-40-lb

It costs about $6 here.

Yes, the cedar and cypress beddings contain resins that will cause respiratory issues in rabbits and other small animals. Pine does contain some similar resins, but either they aren't the same or there isn't nearly as much of them, since pine bedding does not cause problems for most rabbits.

We have a wry-neck pet rabbit who lives in a carrier (when he's not in someone's lap). We put a wire floor in it, and we keep the pellets and shavings under the wire. Another rabbit, a lionhead, has a cement mixing bin with the same mixture in it, but no wire floor (yet). He uses it as his litterbox during the day, and is confined to it at night.