Quick help! Rabbit injured...

[Cottie]

We finished the tractor. We put all 4 in there to play. Then we removed two. Then we watched for an hour for fighting. Nothing happened. All was well.

In the meantime, we let my dachs mix try to break in. He desperately wanted to eat them but couldn't get in.

All was well. We went to dinner. Came back an hour later and there are tufts of fur EVERYWHERE. Open up the tractor, one rabbit is nomming happily on grass and the other has a face and paws covered with blood. Pulled her out, yup. She's ripped her lip open. No more active bleeding, but a lot of the skin has been peeled off and her lower teeth are covered.

I did notice one (probably this one) had been chewing on the 2"x4" wire on the bottom for whatever reason. I think that's what happened. I think she started chewing, got her teeth caught, and started freaking out. Doesn't account for all the fur, though. The other ML has absolutely no blood or apparent injuries. In fact, while the injured one huddled in the corner, the other used the light as an excuse to go graze some more.

Seem plausible that the damage was done by wire? What about the fur?

Right now, she's sitting in a cage on the porch. My options
- Put her back in the tractor and say good luck (fiancee's vote)
- Clean out what had been the turkey brooder and put her in there until she heals

Quarantine leaves the other ML alone (she never has been). Putting her back leaves the scent of blood.

 

[ladysown]

it's hard to say. I'd be tempted to put her back in if it's a normal thing for her.
I'd be hesitant to make more work for myself. Given time she'll heal.

Then again.... if she damaged herself in a new cage...is it smart to put her back in there?

I dunno.

Yeah...fine lot of help I am!

 

[Cottie]

LoL I can't decide!

She's getting really annoyed in the cage on the porch. It's kind of the "holding" area for animals of uncertain destinations, not exactly the most comfortable accommodations.

The only ONLY thing I can think of that would have inflicted that wound and caused flying fur is a rodent. BUT why was the other one totally uninjured and unphased? If a large rat or mink had gotten in, they'd both be dead. There's no way for a raccoon to reach in (2' of plywood on the bottom) to pull.

 

[ladysown]

what does the injury look like? She could have gotten nailed by the other rabbit but good. And it's quite normal if they did tussle for one to be basically unaffected and the other damaged. (I unfortunately DID learn this the hard way).

 

[Cottie]

I guess maybe the stress of a new environment could have caused a fight. The injury looks like part of her lower lip was peeled off. I even removed a piece of skin that was hanging there. It's not deep, just a surface wound. The only thing quarantine would do would let me monitor her more closely, but it WAS used for poultry just a few days ago and it IS wood so I have no good way of fully disinfecting it thoroughly and quickly.

 

[Bad Habit]

The other thing I can think of is if she got her teeth caught and freaked out, kicking forward to release herself caused her to catch herself with her hind feet and pull out fur. I have had some of my lionheads freak out and kick fur all over when I've first picked them up. There'll be little tufts of hair floating around me like snow

 

[GypsyTinker]

She could have met the dog half way.

 

[Cottie]

She could have met the dog half way.

LoL. We had him on a leash. He didn't get anywhere near them, try as he might. We wanted him to find the weak spots (while we could pull him back), rather than an opportunistic coyote or raccoon.

I put her back in. The bleeding stopped, she got herself cleaned up and started to get annoyed with being alone.

 

[GypsyTinker]

Annoyed is good Glad she is back at it!

Yarrow is a great thing to have around for wounds. Stops bleeding and helps prevent infection.

 

[Cottie]

They made it through the night. Woohoo!

Off to Walmart to get some drawers and figure out a better watering system.