Hi all, my first time posting very thankful for this place and I sincerely appreciate any help.
My 8 year old Flemish giant big bunny boy Stannis just had surgery for a broken leg on Monday. Clean break high up on the femur. Our amazing renowned rabbit doc put a pin in with wire wrapped around it. It was risky for sure but Stannis being such a big boy it was our best option for him to continue living a healthy happy life. It wasn't his time he is very healthy it was just a freak accident, otherwise I would never let him go through this and suffer just to keep him around. Luckily my big little bro took it like a champ, he was under for over an hour and his heart rate never even fluttered they said, everyone in the vet office was relieved and happy myself especially. The moment they brought him back into the room with him still half asleep was one of the happiest moments of my life I'll never forget it!
Okay so we got over that big hurdle but not out of the woods yet obviously. The biggest problem now seems to be Stannis' pride and independence. As sweet and loving as he is he definitely does not like anyone doing anything for him. At the moment he's relegated to pretty much laying on one side and scooting around every now and then. Poor guy can't make it to his box so his good side that he's laying on was pretty soiled yesterday morning, my little sister came over to help and we washed, brushed and dried him best we could while trying not to go anywhere near his incision or the bad foot, luckily he's not getting anywhere close to the incision dirty and the incision looks great. Today wasn't as bad I gave him a dry bath which seemed to work out well and I've just been monitoring him all day keeping him clean, which stinks because he hates it but it's for his own good of course.
He doesn't like me taking him and supporting him up in his box to go and he doesn't like me cleaning him obviously. He's not necessarily combative this is my big little bro here we are best buds he's never even bitten me before even if deserved it, never bitten anyone ever actually, he's just not happy about it and after I set him down he wants to move away from me....like he's upset that I did that to him, might sound silly but it seems like his pride. But regardless he's been in good spirits, very alert, eating well, wanting attention and affection but I need to keep him clean and give him breaks from being on that side all day. It's only been a couple days and it is what it is right now i suppose that's just something he is going to have to deal with, the leg healing is the most important thing.
So tonight I plopped him on the bed with me for a couple hours, that's something we would normally do every night and I want to keep his spirits high. It went really well, he's such a great friend and such a tough sweet guy.
What happened after is what worried me.
After I set him down he got himself up on one foot in his room and peed on one of the pee pads I've put in his room. You would think this isn't a bad thing but what I'm worried about now is him actually trying to go and hop around or at the least move around more than just scooting here and there since it's only been two days and he's already feeling well enough to do that, we only have one chance to get this leg healed.
This is a rabbit that has never been confined in his life. He has always had his own room and his entire run of the house, it's his house. Talking it over at length with my doc and the amazing woman who runs the local rabbit rescue we concluded that it didn't make sense to put him in a small pen where he may hurt himself trying to get out or even just on the pen itself, also affecting his mental health. His room isn't overly large but still obviously bigger then a pen.
What do you guys think? Should I confine my guy to a pen? Do you think there is a difference between him trying to stand or get around in a room vs doing that in a smaller pen?
I would sincerely appreciate any thoughts on this, I'm open to any and all criticism or advice I just want to get my big bunny healthy and happy again.
Thank you sincerely!
My 8 year old Flemish giant big bunny boy Stannis just had surgery for a broken leg on Monday. Clean break high up on the femur. Our amazing renowned rabbit doc put a pin in with wire wrapped around it. It was risky for sure but Stannis being such a big boy it was our best option for him to continue living a healthy happy life. It wasn't his time he is very healthy it was just a freak accident, otherwise I would never let him go through this and suffer just to keep him around. Luckily my big little bro took it like a champ, he was under for over an hour and his heart rate never even fluttered they said, everyone in the vet office was relieved and happy myself especially. The moment they brought him back into the room with him still half asleep was one of the happiest moments of my life I'll never forget it!
Okay so we got over that big hurdle but not out of the woods yet obviously. The biggest problem now seems to be Stannis' pride and independence. As sweet and loving as he is he definitely does not like anyone doing anything for him. At the moment he's relegated to pretty much laying on one side and scooting around every now and then. Poor guy can't make it to his box so his good side that he's laying on was pretty soiled yesterday morning, my little sister came over to help and we washed, brushed and dried him best we could while trying not to go anywhere near his incision or the bad foot, luckily he's not getting anywhere close to the incision dirty and the incision looks great. Today wasn't as bad I gave him a dry bath which seemed to work out well and I've just been monitoring him all day keeping him clean, which stinks because he hates it but it's for his own good of course.
He doesn't like me taking him and supporting him up in his box to go and he doesn't like me cleaning him obviously. He's not necessarily combative this is my big little bro here we are best buds he's never even bitten me before even if deserved it, never bitten anyone ever actually, he's just not happy about it and after I set him down he wants to move away from me....like he's upset that I did that to him, might sound silly but it seems like his pride. But regardless he's been in good spirits, very alert, eating well, wanting attention and affection but I need to keep him clean and give him breaks from being on that side all day. It's only been a couple days and it is what it is right now i suppose that's just something he is going to have to deal with, the leg healing is the most important thing.
So tonight I plopped him on the bed with me for a couple hours, that's something we would normally do every night and I want to keep his spirits high. It went really well, he's such a great friend and such a tough sweet guy.
What happened after is what worried me.
After I set him down he got himself up on one foot in his room and peed on one of the pee pads I've put in his room. You would think this isn't a bad thing but what I'm worried about now is him actually trying to go and hop around or at the least move around more than just scooting here and there since it's only been two days and he's already feeling well enough to do that, we only have one chance to get this leg healed.
This is a rabbit that has never been confined in his life. He has always had his own room and his entire run of the house, it's his house. Talking it over at length with my doc and the amazing woman who runs the local rabbit rescue we concluded that it didn't make sense to put him in a small pen where he may hurt himself trying to get out or even just on the pen itself, also affecting his mental health. His room isn't overly large but still obviously bigger then a pen.
What do you guys think? Should I confine my guy to a pen? Do you think there is a difference between him trying to stand or get around in a room vs doing that in a smaller pen?
I would sincerely appreciate any thoughts on this, I'm open to any and all criticism or advice I just want to get my big bunny healthy and happy again.
Thank you sincerely!
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