Wounded Rabbit

[IndigoStorm]

Hello,

I have a one year old female Satin Angora. This evening she some how cut her right hind foot, near the joint. I was disturbed by the blood at first, but it seems to be just a small cut. I stopped the bleeding and bandaged the wound with just the slightest amount of neosporin on it. She's now in her cage laying down. She seems pretty tired, but the injury occured after a brushing session (which is stressful for her because she doesn't like being held.) So she's probably just a little tired from that right?
My main question is how do I tend to this injury to make sure it doesn't get infected? Should I even do anything at all?

 

[Watermelons]

Can you provide a clear photo of the injury?

 

[IndigoStorm]

Can you provide a clear photo of the injury?

I don't want to pick her up and stress her out even more (she hates being handled) plus she has a lot of fur, so it would be hard to take a clear photograph. So probably not. It is just a small scrap/cut that is about half the size of a pinky nail.
She was up and drinking her water, then ate some timothy hay and is now laying back down. I don't think the injury itself is anything to be concerned about, but I don't want to run any risk of it getting infected. Should I keep it covered? Give it some air? Keep applying neosporin (in small quantities)?

 

[Maureen Las]

You don't have to cover it with a bandage . Just apply a thin film of Neosporin to it and she should be fine. No need to repeatedly apply Neosporin
Next time something like this occurs you can clean it with a cotton ball or Q tip with very diluted betadine solution ( so it is a very light pink solution ) and apply Neosporin.
Don't stress over this ; she will be fine . Just keep an eye on it.
it would be helpful to try to find out how she injured herself so that you can prevent it from happening again.

 

[tonyshuman]

Agreed, and keep an eye on her. You want to be sure the tiredness is not lethargy. You know best how she acts after you brush her; if she is not acting like she normally does after you brush her, then you will want to be more careful and/or take her to a vet. If you are concerned, you can take her temperature with a thermometer rectally. Use lube or vaseline and do not insert more than 0.5cm. If this doesn't bother your rabbit, it is probably not doing well. Temp should be 101-103F. Low temp can indicate shock due to pain or blood loss. It doesn't sound like she's all that hurt, but if you are concerned this is a test you can do to check if she's just sleepy or shocky.

edit: If she's feisty enough, she's probably taken the bandage off already. Most bunnies that are feeling ok will not tolerate a bandage.

 

[IndigoStorm]

Thank you guys for all of your help. I took the bandage off (she kept trying to eat it lol) and is now running around the house per usual. Still unsure about what caused her injury though. She was running around with our roommates dog (she loves to play with him) and I noticed the blood on the floor..maybe just caught the corner of something when she was running around.
Again, thanks for your help!

 

[Tauntz]

Question: I use on myself a product called "Skin Shield" when I have a little cut. It is a liquid that dries & acts like a bandage. I use it mostly on little cuts on my hands that hurts when I get them wet while washing dishes. Anyway I was wondering if there was a similar safe product that could safely be used on bunnies for minor cuts to prevent germs from getting in the cut. Once I put it on I don't notice so thought maybe bunny wouldn't notice either & leave the boo-boo alone. Anyone know? Or are bunnies likely to get an infection in a minor cut? Anyway thanks for any replies, I'm just trying to learn things that may be helpful in the future. I want to be a better bunny mom & be better prepared for any injuries or other problems needing attention.

 

[Maureen Las]

The problem with liquid bandages is that they burn intensely when initially applied and the rabbit would need to be restrained for the period of time that it takes to dry. A rabbit also may chew off the protective coating Some folks have used these products for sore hocks including myself.

I used New Skin on a rabbit for sore hocks but regretted it later after further investigating the product. ( although the rabbit was fine)
There may be new products (liquid bandage type) that are safe for rabbits but I am not aware of them.
There would be no need for an ongoing antiseptic for a simple scratch or irritation.
Do you think that the dog's teeth/mouth caused the injury? Saliva from another animal and the bacteria in it is a cause for concern with rabbits. This is especially true with cat saliva which is teeming with bacteria.
If you do think that the dog caused the injury continue to monitor the injury as you have been.

 

[IndigoStorm]

The problem with liquid bandages is that they burn intensely when initially applied and the rabbit would need to be restrained for the period of time that it takes to dry. A rabbit also may chew off the protective coating Some folks have used these products for sore hocks including myself.

I used New Skin on a rabbit for sore hocks but regretted it later after further investigating the product. ( although the rabbit was fine)
There may be new products (liquid bandage type) that are safe for rabbits but I am not aware of them.
There would be no need for an ongoing antiseptic for a simple scratch or irritation.
Do you think that the dog's teeth/mouth caused the injury? Saliva from another animal and the bacteria in it is a cause for concern with rabbits. This is especially true with cat saliva which is teeming with bacteria.
If you do think that the dog caused the injury continue to monitor the injury as you have been.

My roommate suggested using liquid bandage, but I refused. Glad I did lol
It didnt seem like a bite wound, it was more like a scrape. It was on her back leg, and she's the one who always chases him (the dog) so I highly doubt he was the cause. I noticed a bit of blood on a broken printer we had sitting next to the trash, I think she may have kicked it while playing. It is now out of the house so we don't have to worry about it anymore.
She is doing perfectly fine, her wound is scabbed over and she doesn't even seem to notice it. I thank all of you for you imput!! It really eased my mind

 

[Tauntz]

So glad your bunny is doing okay!

Angieluv, thanks for the info on the liquid bandage question. Yes, I did forget how it does burn initially when you put it on a human boo-boo.