Help!! - Broken Leg

[Hyatt101]

So, my rabbit Taz broke her leg a few days ago. She isn't in any pain, and she's eating/drinking/eliminating normally. We REALLY don't have money for a vet, and they can be pretty nasty as they will say, 'well, she'll need this and this, (which would cost a lot), but oh wait, if she gets this, she'll want this and this..." $$$$$$

Please help, and i really do not appreciate nasty comments. Not everyone can afford to go to the vet. So please, be considerate, because i am very stressed and upset, no nasty comments or harsh words. I really need helpful advice based on my situation.

Thank you very much and please respond soon!

 

[mdith4him]

How do you know she broke her leg? It's good that she's still eating/pooping regularly--is she limping or having trouble moving around?

I've never had to deal with broken anything for rabbits, but I would guess that if it really is broken, you might not have too many options other than the vet. Is it possible that your vet would allow you to do a payment plan? Put some money down, then pay the rest off over several months? I know vet fees are really high sometimes. I teach for a living (not exactly big bucks) and my husband is in grad school. When Crispin was sick this past month two separate times, our bill was nearly $800, which is a lot for us. We had to draw money from our savings account to pay for it. Now, though, we're putting aside money each month into savings so if we have another emergency we'll have money for it. I would definitely suggest doing that so that next time something comes up, you don't have to stress over the money aspect.

I hope Taz comes out of this okay. Keep us updated!

 

[agnesthelion]

So sorry this happened to Taz

I have been all over the Internet lately researching bunny stuff myself I actually came across TWO stories where an owners bun had broke it's leg and it heeled on it's own.

With that being said I'm not a vet and I still think a visit to the vet might be needed no matter what you decide. You might be able to turn down expensive surgery or procedures like these two did, but I still think you'll need to find out what type of break it is.

Here is one of the stories I read. I can't find the other....scroll down to the broken leg part. And obviously I can't personally speak for this story so decide on your own because of course we can't believe everything we read on the Internet

http://www.welshrabbitry.com/health.html

Now with all that being said obviously each rabbit is going to be unique in their injury so you need to decide what is best for your rabbit.

Also keep in mind that rabbits don't always show pain. In the wild, the rabbits that act injured or hurt are more likely to be killed. They need to act as resilient as they can. So your doe might not look to be in pain, but could be. Although it is a good sign that she is eating and drinking.

Anyway, again sorry for your situation. It has to be so stressful to not haventhe financial means. But i still think you'll have to at least have a vet look at her to completely assess her injury.

Best of luck to you and your bun. Keep us updated!

 

[Hyatt101]

Thank you lisa and Meredith. I know she broke her leg because she is limping and favoring that leg, but she still gets around well, just not that fast. I have heard when people just keep the bunny non stressed and keep it moving as little as possible for around 8 weeks, and the leg is healed, the bunny might just have the slightest limp or the leg might just look a little different. There aren't any NICE vets in our area (we've tried lots with our dogs), and i'm hoping she isn't in pain. I have read that if they act normal, they usually aren't in pain.
She seems okay, she lets me pick her up (though i try not to hold her too much in case i hurt her leg) and she really isn't acting any different. I'm so relieved she doesn't have to compete for food with her sister, since they still have to share a cage until my NIC cage is done. Will Taz be able to climb a ramp if i have one in her cage?

 

[Hyatt101]

And yes Lisa, I agree, its hard to research, because who knows if the site is reliable or not!? its a little frustrating since i just want Taz to be okay!

 

[Hyatt101]

do you guys know if there is any medication i can give her? I know its risky, so only if it 100% is safe and works, and is meds i don't need to go to a vet for? We've never had a rabbit break anything, so we're really worried!

 

[JBun]

Do you know where the break is- front or back leg and where on the leg or foot? I had a rabbit that broke one of it's toes and the vet couldn't do anything for a break like that anyways. It could be possible to splint it or I've read about some people keeping their rabbit in a smaller cage to restrict it's movements and the leg has healed on it's own. Ideally the best thing of course is to take it to the vet, but if that isn't possible for you, then maybe these ideas might help.

If she's still eating,drinking, pooping normally and hopping around acting normally, besides limping, then you may not need pain meds. Just keep an eye on her bahavior and eating/pooping and you should be able to tell if anything changes.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thank you! Its in her back leg, i'm 99% sure its her leg.

 

[JBun]

Those are the only ideas that I could think of. If the break is higher up on the leg then splinting might not be possible, that would be more for if it was the foot. Keep in mind that whatever you decide to do may cause her to stress, so you'll want to keep a close eye out for any changes with her.

 

[Hyatt101]

Right, she'll be moving to a new cage soon, like in a week or two. Will that stress her? We really need to move her to the new cage, it will be so much better for her, but will that initial moving process stress her? She'll also be separated from her mother for the first time. Do rabbits get attached to their mothers? She'll still have her sister with her though.

 

[Hyatt101]

Ugh this really couldn't have happened at a worse time!

 

[JBun]

Oh, I didn't realize this was one of your babies. Separating her right now from her mom would probably be stressful, but since you're doing it in a couple weeks and she'll still be with her sister, she might be alright.

 

[Hyatt101]

Okay. i really really don't want her to be under more stress, as that will be one of the key things in her recovery. I am aware that the leg will heal, but probably she'll still have the slightest limp to it or something. Do you think that is a possibility? I'm alright with it because it won't cause her pain, but i just wish none of this happened

 

[woahlookitsme]

How old is taz? She might not limp but probably hop weird and it definitely wont be straight. Do you have pictures? If those might help

A broken leg can heal on its own. We actually just had a momma bun break her ankle and dislocate her toes. The radiograph made it look much worse. She was put on metacam confined to a small cage for a week and is now in a regular cage with a bunch of tiles.

A splint is possible but it really depends on where the break is. If it is on a long bone you could but if it is in a joint you cant.

The best thing would really to get a full picture from a radiograph and exam but i understand not everyone can do that. Whiskeys foot was extremely swollen and we wanted to know if she could still be used for breeding so we had to get it looked at.

 

[Hyatt101]

A picture wouldn't show you because its not a wound or anything, the skin was never broken by her leg. If there is a way i could post a video of her hopping, that would show you better. Can we post videos on the forum?

 

[Hyatt101]

Sorry, i forgot to answer your question: Taz is around 9-10 weeks old.

 

[woahlookitsme]

at 9-10 weeks old it would be much harder to splint because they are always moving and im sure would tear it apart. You can post a video either through youtube or a link. I was just wondering since you said it was swollen. Our vet dosed out liquid tylenol for one of my bunnies once. You could call and get one as i forgot what it was. That could help with pain

 

[JBun]

I read somewhere that you absolutely do not give rabbits Tylenol. I've read rabbits can sometimes have baby aspirin but I don't know dosage or anything, especially for a baby bunny, and if she's acting normally and not like she's in pain, don't risk doing the wrong thing.

 

[Hyatt101]

I don't think I'll give any meds unless she 100% NEEDS them. Sorry sarah, maybe you got confused, but her leg was never swollen. Thank you all for your helpful comments and comforting words. I feel a little better about her now!

 

[woahlookitsme]

Oh sorry I misread. Just limping. Keep us updated with how the little one is doing

I researched it and found some opinions that say do not give it or your rabbit will die. Juliet was given it in her water for a week and she did not die of tylenol. (She was humanely euthanized for E.C.) I found this that is a .edu website and give a dosage for acetaminophen in rabbits http://www.msm.edu/files/analgesic_drugs_05.pdf
but since i'm finding so many articles I probably won't use it again. I'd rather use metacam