Dropped my bunny when putting him back in the cage

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My little white dwarf bunny of 3 months was squirming in my hands when I was putting him back in the cage. I had opened the top cage door and as he was about an inch in. He wiggled out and landed on the ramp and the lower cage floor. I’m really worried he’s hurt and is scared of me now. Am I just overreacting? He seems to be fine just scared but was licking his paw. Could be just grooming himself as he usually does. I’m just super worried now and would love some reassurance
 
You do need to make an effort to assess if he has any injuries. If he's not moving around, try and get him to to see if there is any limping. You can also touch his limbs to see if there is flinching or signs of pain.

In terms of being scared of you, potentially yes, but it'll go away. If rabbits permanently became scared of their owners after a single scary experience, all rabbit owners would be doomed.
 
Likely he is just fine. That isn't much of a drop if he was already partway in. You were fortunate he wasn't higher up. Just keep an eye out for any signs of injury.

To prevent this in the future, please do not ever pick up your rabbit to get him back in the cage. The top door of a cage should not be used anyway. As for getting him in (or out) of his cage, it should not be done by picking him up. You can read more detail on the following page of my website. (scroll down on the page)
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
 
You do need to make an effort to assess if he has any injuries. If he's not moving around, try and get him to to see if there is any limping. You can also touch his limbs to see if there is flinching or signs of pain.

In terms of being scared of you, potentially yes, but it'll go away. If rabbits permanently became scared of their owners after a single scary experience, all rabbit owners would be doomed.
I have. He’s still moving and when I touch his paws or feet he doesn’t flinch or limp. He does run away scared and is hiding under his little ramp
 
My bunny didn’t let me touch his feet or “hands” before as he is still learning to be comfortable around me. I got him maybe 2-3 weeks ago. Should I pick him up and give him a look over? He keeps hiding when I come near so he could just be afraid of me now. I’m on the verge of crying because I don’t know what to do and I don’t know if he’s hurt or not. The fall wasn’t that high…

Give him some space, don't try and pick him up. If you're hovering over him, that is likely making him nervous. Try and watch him from a distance, so you don't make him nervous and want to hide, and watch to see if he's limping, having difficulty hopping, or if he's still eating, drinking, and pooping normally.

If he isn't hopping around normally tomorrow and/or not eating very much or at all, you need to get him seen by a knowledgeable rabbit vet, and you will probably need xrays done, sub q fluids and take home pain meds, gut motility meds, and syringe feeding mix. Or if you have any concerns, it's always best to consult with the vet.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
 
Give him some space, don't try and pick him up. If you're hovering over him, that is likely making him nervous. Try and watch him from a distance, so you don't make him nervous and want to hide, and watch to see if he's limping, having difficulty hopping, or if he's still eating, drinking, and pooping normally.

If he isn't hopping around normally tomorrow and/or not eating very much or at all, you need to get him seen by a knowledgeable rabbit vet, and you will probably need xrays done, sub q fluids and take home pain meds, gut motility meds, and syringe feeding mix. Or if you have any concerns, it's always best to consult with the vet.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
He’s still eating, drinking and pooping normally still. Im probably over reacting because I think I hurt him. Im probably making him nervous
 
Give him some space, don't try and pick him up. If you're hovering over him, that is likely making him nervous. Try and watch him from a distance, so you don't make him nervous and want to hide, and watch to see if he's limping, having difficulty hopping, or if he's still eating, drinking, and pooping normally.

If he isn't hopping around normally tomorrow and/or not eating very much or at all, you need to get him seen by a knowledgeable rabbit vet, and you will probably need xrays done, sub q fluids and take home pain meds, gut motility meds, and syringe feeding mix. Or if you have any concerns, it's always best to consult with the vet.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
He doesn’t seem to be limping either. He also only dropped a small distance. Maybe about an inch or two from the top of the cage. He’s still moving around and doesn’t seem to be limping. Just trotting along as usual. I think I’m just overreacting
 
There was no comment on my prior post, so I'm not sure if you missed it so I'll repeat it here.

To prevent this in the future, please do not ever pick up your rabbit to get him back in the cage. The top door of a cage should not be used anyway. As for getting him in (or out) of his cage, it should not be done by picking him up. You can read more detail on the following page of my website. (scroll down on the page)
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
Young rabbits tend to tolerate handling while they are still young but they will rebel as they age. It is a dangerous practice to pick up and carry your rabbit in your arms. Inevitably they will squirm and either be squeezed too hard (to prevent a drop) or be dropped (and potentially injured). The link will provide ways to safely get a rabbit into or out of his cage.
 
I hope you can put a towel over the side ramp of your small cage for your dwarf. I get nervous about small feet getting trapped in those grids.

-- The links provided for larger housing are excellent.

With a much larger housing unit you can also lay down a cotton sheet or safe digestible chew mat (if your boy is a chewer, unneutered at 3 months - and hormones are going to engage with spraying, etc.). Pet stores are quick to show & sell tiny caging units for rabbits. And may tell you don't bother with a litter box in the corner because you can fill the entire bottom surface with paper bedding.

https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/litter-training.html
My elder dutch mysteriously fx'd her femur one morning and I immediately knew a serious injury occurred. She huddled in a hidey spot, and her leg wasn't right when I picked her up. Normally she would hop over to greet me and periscope by her exercise pen. I immediately got her into our DVM for xrays that confirmed her fx'd femur.

Our sanctuary crew are familiar with being picked up. Only a couple of our sanctuary rescues despise the gentle, secure motion to our chest.

As @Blue eyes typed, we allow our sanctuary buns to hop out of their quads or housing units on their own nearly all the time. However we cared for many disabled rabbits with hind limb paresis and they got very comfortable with being picked up for butt baths, etc.
 
Our new foster girl, a captured stray, is gradually learning to be picked up and held. She has a large xpen space. Her hormones and hyper-activity from her lionhead mix (unsure of her background because she was likely a dumped Easter bunny purchase) test my patience so I need to give her lots of playtime. She also came in with two types of parasites and is getting meds.

We keep her in an xpen and she's gradually learning to trust us. She uses her litter box well, and the appropriate wood pellets or softer yesterday's news is in her litter box. We purchase those types vs. paper shavings or bedding. And Always, hay at one end of her large litter box.

An education tip I learned over 15 years ago from HRS edu' talks. Purchase a housing unit big enough that your boy/girl has options of laying down 5 different ways in their safe housing unit. Remember you need to have space for water crock, food bowl, litter pan, and enrichment & stimulation toys and hidey box.
 
Our crew is continually picked up and held so they've acclimated.

It was heartbreaking this past week to make the kindest act of love or a Quality of Life PTS call for our elder (former stray NZW) kidney-decline (kidney disease) gal. I had done multiple DVM trips for subQ fluids this past month.

She got very used to being picked up and held because of pain meds, oral syringes of water and critical care slurry mix at home, and being handled and camping out at our DVM clinic for subQs one afternoon. The DVM staff said she was easy to handle.

From our experiences we've found that some buns despise or do not like being picked up and held (and they will let you know) whereas rabbits who trust their parents, human handlers, or savvy DVM staff will be okay. Not squirm or try to escape.

Our FG boy needs to have his eyes covered. He will still talk to you with his sharp incisors to say "Put me down", "i don't like you holding me."
 

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