Injured toe

[ollitos]

It's kinda hard to see in the picture, but wow has my doe hurt her toe!! It looks like her toe somehow got caught in the wire when Greg moved the cage. It's exposed muscle for a good 2 cm, blood has leaked into the nail, clotting at the nail joint and I can even see bone in a tiny spot.

I sprayed it with no-sting iodine. She licked it off. I put some BluKote on it but she probably licked that off too. I don't have any vet wrap but I do have some non-stick bandages here at my house. I plan on taking them over tomorrow morning and wrapping the foot.

Here are my questions/concerns:

- Should I even wrap it? I'm thinking yes to keep it from getting infected and protect it while the skin grows back.
- She's going to try to eat the bandages, isn't she? What can I use to keep her from messing with it?
- If I bandage it, should I put any meds on it like antibiotic ointment?

She's eating drinking and moving around just fine. No grinding of the teeth or jumping away if I try to handle the foot.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I had something similar happen to three young rabbits- each had a completely skinned digit. When it happened to the first two, I wrapped their feet. They were good about the bandages, but they were dead the next morning. When it happened to another one, I think I just sprayed it with Vetericyn, and didn't bandage it. The skin and fur grew back- you would never know his toe was peeled like the finger of a glove.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I would just keep putting BluKote on it, that is what we did, and it will heal fine. If you bandage it, she will mess with it or soil the bandages.

 

[ollitos]

She chewed the toenail off. Doesn't look infected so I'm going to leave it alone unless I should be doing anything different. Any thoughts?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Smart bunny! We should have thought of that! It could have gotten torn out otherwise.

As long as you see healthy tissue growth, I would continue with what you have been doing.

 

[SterlingSatin]

I wrapped their feet. They were good about the bandages, but they were dead the next morning.

wait, the rabbits died or the toe died?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

The rabbits died.

I know how to wrap properly so as to not cut off circulation- they had cotton roll, gauze, and then Vetwrap. I think it was just the stress of it all that killed them.

 

[SterlingSatin]

oh wow! yes, must have been the stress. i can't imagine skinning the toe itself would somehow kill the rabbit :-( however, i heard from A VET that injuries to the toes cause A LOT of stress for rabbits. she said that if a dog takes any of a rabbits toes, the rabbit will die within 3 days. i'm not sure why this is or if its true... and not to discourage you ollitos. i hope your doe is fine! it doesn't look like a life threatening injury to me.

 

[Demamma]

Ollitos how is your Doe doing?

 

[ollitos]

She chewed her nail off but seems to be okay other than that.

 

[MaggieJ]

I think stress is the reason MSD's rabbits died after toe injuries. Toe injuries may be more stressful for them than other injuries because rabbits are prey animals and need to be able to run.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

however, i heard from A VET that injuries to the toes cause A LOT of stress for rabbits. she said that if a dog takes any of a rabbits toes, the rabbit will die within 3 days. i'm not sure why this is or if its true...

I have a Rex doe that lost a toe from a dog attack. She survived just fine and doesn't really miss the toe...I think it depends on how much they are stressed and if their heart can handle it.

 

[SterlingSatin]

have a Rex doe that lost a toe from a dog attack. She survived just fine and doesn't really miss the toe...I think it depends on how much they are stressed and if their heart can handle it.

i also know people who have satins that have been attacked by dogs and lost toes, and they survived. so obviously not true in all cases... interesting though.

 

[MaggieJ]

Makes you wonder why a vet would make such a blanket statement. If he had said "often dies" or may die" then I think it would have been a valid observation.