Hurt back leg, now losing weight - RIP

Phoebesmom · Jul 10, 2014

My 7 yr old bunny, Feebs, hurt her back foot somehow in her outdoor hutch. Her vet gave us pain meds and a week to see what happens. She really can't walk well, her eating is blah, and I just think there is no recovery from this type of thing. We are re-seeing her vet on Friday but has anyone had a rabbit recover from a back leg injury?

JBun · Jul 10, 2014

It really depends on the severity of the injury, but many rabbits have recovered from leg injuries. I have a bun that had two broken toes on a back foot, that recovered after 6 weeks with a splint. It sounds like your rabbit needs stronger pain meds on a daily basis, as the lack of appetite would be a result of your bun continuing to feel too much pain from the injury. You will also need xrays taken if they haven't been already, for the vet to see the extent of the injury and what the options are for the injury(eg. restricting movement, splinting, surgery, amputation) . If you aren't syringe feeding, then that is also something that needs to be done several times a day when a rabbit isn't eating well on it's own. You should be able to get a syringe feeding mix from your vet. A common one is Oxbow critical care mix.

If your vet isn't a very experienced rabbit vet, it will be a good idea to try and find one near you.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/
http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

Phoebesmom · Jul 10, 2014

Thank you so much! I agree with the pain meds, she seemed to do better with them than without. Her foot is not limp, so thats a good sign. I am giving her water through a syringe, just because she is now eating but not sure if she is getting enough water. My vet is very experienced with rabbits, she has 3 of her own as well. I am worried about the fact that most times she urinates just right where she is, where she lays. Might be too much work to get up and pee in the middle of the night. Thanks again for the advice! Wish us luck!

majorv · Jul 10, 2014

Normally, you restrict the rabbits movement to allow the break to heal faster. Was an x-ray taken?

Phoebesmom · Jul 12, 2014

Phoebe passed last night, she had pneumonia, fluid in her lungs, and was on a downhill spiral ever since her injury. Thank you all for reading/replies.