Bun avoids stepping on one of her hind legs

[Thumperina]

Today I noticed that my girl rabbit (6-7 months old, she is a heavy doe) hopping in a strange manner. First it looked like she kept her hind legs crossed but then I looked better and saw that she just avoids stepping on one of her hind legs. I have no idea how she could harm the leg -- I haven't noticed anything unusual. I will pick her up and try to have a better look but I am as well afraid I could harm it more.
My outdoor rabbits have a hutch but they can hop free in the backyard (we don't seem to have any predators around, living close to main streets intersection and the gas station). When it's too hot, I take them into the house during the day.
Any ideas about the leg? Thank you!

 

[Thumperina]

She is not eating her regular pellet food. She ate a bit of kale as she loves it. When outside, she was even hardly eating grass(((
I looked at the leg. Haven't noticed any wounds but it certainly looks strange (the position is not usual)

 

[Thumperina]

Also, my rabbits are offered unlimited hay but I can't say they eat it. Instead, they eat a lot of fresh grass in the yard. Is it the same for digestion as if they were eating hay?

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Thumperina wrote:

Today I noticed that my girl rabbit (6-7 months old, she is a heavy doe) hopping in a strange manner. First it looked like she kept her hind legs crossed but then I looked better and saw that she just avoids stepping on one of her hind legs. I have no idea how she could harm the leg -- I haven't noticed anything unusual. I will pick her up and try to have a better look but I am as well afraid I could harm it more.
My outdoor rabbits have a hutch but they can hop free in the backyard (we don't seem to have any predators around, living close to main streets intersection and the gas station). When it's too hot, I take them into the house during the day.
Any ideas about the leg? Thank you! this is something that has a way of getting ugly,--observation could net results,--it could be a result of playing,jumping hard,,a bite,,foot abcess-(requiring antibiotics/probotics)- ,--or a fracture--a rabbits scream is one you never want to hear,,---it would be a good idea to make quick trip for a radiogragh-(x-ray),--watch for other tale/tail signs,,--sincerely james waller--this post was not posted

:grumpy:

 

[LovinLops]

It could be bad, or it could be something that is easy to treat. There is no way of knowing unless you make a trip to your vet. I would also suggest an X-ray, and as soon as possible. If it's an injury, it could get worse quickly, and if she is heavy, it's not good for her to have added pressure on her other legs. Hoping everything works out well for you two! Let us know what you find out.

 

[LakeCondo]

This is minor compared with the immediate strain/sprain/break possibility, but I've been assuming that regular frequently-mowed grass doesn't have the fiber that hay does, but that the grass I don't trim & it gets long, is close to hay. I harvest it & give it to Honey. She especially likes the seed heads.

 

[Thumperina]

Took her to doctor. The vet examined her and hasn't found anything bad. She said there were no fractures, the leg didn't look swollen (she didn't think x-ray was needed).

The only thing that she said did not look very well about the hind legs (both of them, but the sore leg had more of it) - the kneecap had something that she described analogicallyto dog's luxating patella. But if with laxating patella in dogs the kneecap moves usually to the inside, my rabbit hadit moved to the outside - a little more on the affected leg.She saidshe was not sure how common that for the rabbits as they don't see rabbitsoften. They do neuter them though, but again, probably notoften. I will try to find the paper she gave me with exact name of condition. She had to get a book about rabbits deseases but hasnot found anything like that in the book. :confused2:

She offered Metacam as inflammatory and pain relief but I said I would rather keep watching and if the rabbtit doesnot get better I would come back and get some. The rabbit was a little stressed by visiting the doctor but didnt look like she was in pain.

 

[LovinLops]

The important thing is that she's not in pain. If I were you, I would look for a more rabbit savvy vet. I used RabbitOnline and found someone amazing. Make sure everything she needs is easy for her to get to so she doesn't hurt herself. Keeping you both in my thoughts!

 

[Kipcha]

Hmm, I almost wonder if she dislocated it? Sounds quite similar to Flynn, especially with how the placement of the leg doesn't seem straight anymore. I would put my money on broken leg or dislocated.

She's not eating as she normally does, she's favoring her leg and she's acting off, that's enough reason for concern in my books.

I would go for a second opinion from a different vet.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I'd also get the metacam and an xray.

 

[Thumperina]

Kipcha wrote:

Hmm, I almost wonder if she dislocated it? Sounds quite similar to Flynn, especially with how the placement of the leg doesn't seem straight anymore. I would put my money on broken leg or dislocated.

She's not eating as she normally does, she's favoring her leg and she's acting off, that's enough reason for concern in my books.

I would go for a second opinion from a different vet.

I will watch the bun a little longer and if things don't improve, I will get the second opinion. Not sure if I am finding rabbit savvy vet around here, but I will keep looking.

She is moving around the yard more today than yesterday.

Wecut offlegs that hutch used to stand on (it was pretty high from the ground so that buns had two pretty high steps to make it up). Now it's almost at the ground level.

 

[LakeCondo]

I'm hoping it's just a sprain.

You might want to try some massage. Look at catsandrabbitsandmore.com for that & other good information.

You probably can get more on massage, if you want, from a book or dvd amazon has. They're by the same person, but have slightly different names, The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage [etc].

 

[Thumperina]

Thanks all of you for advise and support.
Still wondering why she refusing to eat pellets but has hunger for veggies. I just brought them food, and the male rabbit came to eat while she just smelled it and kept eating pieces off the wooden hiding thing we brought from the park.
I am using Fiesta Max for rabbits. Know it's not the best, wont buy it again. But they both were eating before her problem occured.
Touching that boy doesnot leave her, she needs to stay where she needs to be - he is sitting by her side.

 

[Thumperina]

Nancy McClelland wrote:

I'd also get the metacam and an xray.

Do you think Metacam is a safe, good medication for them in this situation? I just don't have a lot of infoor any experience using it. I googled it, but some ugly articles poped up (that it's not for rabbits, that somebodydied, etc)

I would say that the main change is that she limits her moving activities but still is moving, just not as much. Otherwise, shestays calm.

 

[Thumperina]

LakeCondo wrote:

You might want to try some massage. Look at catsandrabbitsandmore.com for that & other good information.

You probably can get more on massage, if you want, from a book or dvd amazon has. They're by the same person, but have slightly different names, The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage [etc].

I am reading it and finding it very useful. Thanks!

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Thumperina wrote:

Took her to doctor. The vet examined her and hasn't found anything bad. She said there were no fractures, the leg didn't look swollen (she didn't think x-ray was needed).

The only thing that she said did not look very well about the hind  legs (both of them, but the sore leg had more of it) - the kneecap had something that she described analogically to dog's luxating patella. But if with laxating patella in dogs the kneecap moves usually to the inside, my rabbit had it moved to the outside - a little more on the affected leg.  She said she was not sure how common that for the rabbits as they don't see rabbits often. They do neuter them though, but again, probably not often. I will try to find the paper she gave me with exact name of condition. She had to get a book about rabbits deseases but hasnot found anything like that in the book. :confused2:

She offered Metacam as inflammatory and pain relief but I said I would rather keep watching and if the rabbtit doesnot get better I would come back and get some. The rabbit was a little stressed by visiting the doctor but didnt look like she was in pain.

 

 

if the rabbit is shifting her weight to other legs then the patella could be dislocated and added swelling=(pain)--perhaps from a bad hop experience/meloxicam or suitable inflamatory medication should be used as well as a wrap around the area and then see how she reacts..--a prey animal like a rabbit would rather die than divulge a problem to a predatory animal--sorry this is how they are hard wired..,sincerely james waller

 

[LakeCondo]

Thumperina wrote:

Still wondering why she refusing to eat pellets but has hunger for veggies. I just brought them food, and the male rabbit came to eat while she just smelled it and kept eating pieces off the wooden hiding thing we brought from the park.

Rabbits choose what they want to eat on who knows what, but it's not based on what they should eat.

I'd be careful about wood that you've picked up in a park. It could have been treated with pesticides.

 

[Thumperina]

LakeCondo wrote:

Thumperina wrote:

Still wondering why she refusing to eat pellets but has hunger for veggies. I just brought them food, and the male rabbit came to eat while she just smelled it and kept eating pieces off the wooden hiding thing we brought from the park.

Rabbits choose what they want to eat on who knows what, but it's not based on what they should eat.

I'd be careful about wood that you've picked up in a park. It could have been treated with pesticides.

hmmmm..... sounds bad. Itwas a wild habitat park with other animals living there, so probably not a lot of chance for pesticide (I hope).

I've heard that rabbits wouldn't eat what can harm them.....nottrue?

Picking up metacam today.

 

[MyBabyHasPaws]

^Yea, not true.

 

[LakeCondo]

Taking wood from a wildlife area has other dangers: mold, internal parasites from wild rabbits, etc.

It seems sometimes that all that rabbits want to eat are things that harm them, especially sweets.