Bunny with dislocated or fractured leg! Help!

[Pikamoomoo]

So my bunny, Snowpea, started limping on one leg since yesterday. I cannot tell if it’s a fracture or a dislocated leg but there is Sedona something wrong with one or both or her hips.

I don’t have easy access to a vet and was wondering if I should leave it to heal on it’s own or get to one. Any help would be welcome, thank you!

 

[Shayna]

Could it be a back injury ? That can effect both legs. I would depend on the severity of the injury and what it is. Is bunny eating and drinking?

 

[gliderflingyj05]

So my bunny, Snowpea, started limping on one leg since yesterday. I cannot tell if it’s a fracture or a dislocated leg but there is Sedona something wrong with one or both or her hips.

I don’t have easy access to a vet and was wondering if I should leave it to heal on it’s own or get to one. Any help would be welcome, thank you!

OH NOOOO! poor bunny. I really recommend taking your rabbit to a vet since you are not sure of the severity or even what it is. If it is a broken leg it could heal incorrectly, and your bun may not be able to hop and walk again. I understand if your situation does not allow a visit to your veterinarian. Just make sure to keep track of her behavior and health until you are able to take her to the vet. Maybe you can call the closest rabbit shelter and ask for advice??

 

[Niomi]

Keep her calm and restrict her movements by putting her in a small cage. Give her time to heal. Don't let her jump up on things. I also think this could be a back injury.

 

[Watermelons]

Just take your rabbit to a vet. You need to know whats actually wrong so you know how it will be able to heal.

 

[bunnylove2024]

if you really can't get to the vet do as @Niomi said with the cage. also, look into this link... https://www.lbah.com/rabbit/front-leg-fracture/ see if you have the stuff to wrap it properly, the difference is you have to make an angle with the splint to support the back leg.

 

[Pikamoomoo]

@Shayna she is eating and drinking well, thankfully. I know for sure that one of her legs has a problem, I'm not sure about the other. Her other leg (the one she is mainly using right now) looks kind of weird, but that could also be because she is putting it directly under her body rather than having two legs at each side.

@Niomi thanks, I will do the cage thing. Was wonderingly if this actually is a back injury, should I still just let I heal by itself? I guessing that's more serious than a fracture or just one dislocation.

 

[Watermelons]

Seriously? We are not recommending just leaving an injured rabbit to sort itself out when nobody even knows what body part is injured.

If you do not actually know what is injured doing anything like what some of these members are recommending can result in making the injury worse.
Just take her to a vet please. If you cannot get her to a vet at least give her to someone who will.

 

[Shayna]

I would definitely restrict bunny’s activity and try to get in for an x-ray as soon as you can. Injuries in bunnies can start to cause digestive problems, pain can even cause them to stop eating completely . Hopefully it something that can be treated with meds and time to heal.

 

[bunnylove2024]

Seriously? We are not recommending just leaving an injured rabbit to sort itself out when nobody even knows what body part is injured.

If you do not actually know what is injured doing anything like what some of these members are recommending can result in making the injury worse.
Just take her to a vet please. If you cannot get her to a vet at least give her to someone who will.

that's a little harsh. Yes, the vet is the best option but not everyone has access to one right now. if you can't get to a vet, the people who "recommended" those ideas can help! Also, a lot of people don't have the money to take their pet to the vet every time, yes in a perfect world all animals would go to the vet for every need but it just isn't possible these days, I'm sure you can relate in some way or another. I don't mean to be rude but I do hope you consider this.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

A nearly 12 y.o. dutch who had multiple levels in her padded area ex-pen mysteriously couldn't hop properly. She may have caught her leg in a space that caused the break.

Our vet clinic said bring her over immediately! Xray showed a fractured (fx) femur.

Vet advice was: surgery, amputation, euthanasia - which I wouldn't do as there is NO Reversing a Gentle PTS and considering I view Disabled Rabbits FB forum, elder buns, etc., and my avatar girl healed from suspected caudal lumber injury years ago. The last option I took for the weekend was wait n see. I put our girl in a small confined padded space, no litter box, everything on one level in her 24x36 inch dog kennel crate and padded towels surrounding the spaces so her foot wouldn't get trapped. Pain Meds prescribed!!

A knowledgeable Vet Is Your Best Source and to diagnose the severity of injury! Acquiring a pet always comes with expenses for lifelong care. Our 12 y.o. healed well after pain meds, plus careful monitoring for 2-3 months. I consulted with knowledge bun parents on different forums, too, wrt their experiences with a fx limb. Her fx femur healed, she can hop and periscope, and the limb is just a bit abnormal (shorter) yet she has QOL (quality of life) to the max.

Hope this helps. Xray is always best.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

One of the DVMs at the clinic thought her fx femur would not heal, and surgery was essential. Our gal proved them wrong. I'm glad the other two partner vets listened to my concerns... there was no way I'd put my elder gal through amputation and three thousand dollar (or more) surgery. She would not have tolerated the hospitalization or amputation/surgery.

With meds and time to heal are my wishes for you and your girl.

Another experience. My bun friend adopted a boy from the shelter. The surrender person may not have known that the lop had a fx'd back. She recognized his off behavior and abnormal stance. He lived for many years after she adopted him and got him care - and the DVM she saw gave her an exact summary of what would happen as he aged.

Sending positive vibes for much TLC, pain meds, and doing everything you can for your injured girl.

 

[Niomi]

Surgery is expensive, and no elective surgeries are being done right now, so it is questionable if a vet can even operate. All protective gear used in surgery needs to go to hospitals. I have a male dog that can't get neutered until the covid-19 crisis is over. I had a foster rabbit that injured his left rear kneecap and had surgery to repair it. The surgery was a success, but later in life he got arthritis in that leg. It was the source of great of great pain. He couldn't put weight on it and he would sometimes fall over. I ended up euthanizing him because he couldn't be helped. Pikamoomoo might have to let the injury heal by itself. The rabbit would probably be a little disabled, but maybe there is a chance the pain would go away. Right now the rabbit might need both pain meds and something for inflammation. Call the vet back and ask what would happen if the injury healed by itself? Then reevaluate the situation.

 

[thevanguard6]

Vet vet vet! Right away.

Be sure to give your bunny carpet to lie on. Avoid slippery surfaces since, sometimes, a rabbit's feet will slide out to the side and it'll put a lot of stress on their joints. Lateral force on a rabbit's leg is a nightmare for them.