Club foot??

[BelleIce23]

Hello, I recently rescued 3 cotton tails. I know everyone will say that I need to put them back or take them to a vet, but I can’t! Their original nest was destroyed by my dog. It was horrible. There was blood and fur everywhere. Since we don’t have any idea where the original nest was, we can recreate it and put it back. We know that there used to be other kits that were killed too . Secondly, we called the rehabilitation center but it is closed for the next two weeks. These babies are just starting to open their eyes and are drinking 5cc’s of goats milk (2 1/2 cc’s twice a day). We are keeping them under a heat lamp in a small bin with several towels. No vets around will take them either. One of our rabbits has a strange hind leg that he doesn’t use. It is tucked under him and looks underdeveloped. He gets around pretty well but is unable to use his leg. I will try to post a picture once I get home. Do you guys have any idea what it is?

 

[Mariam+Theo]

If your dog got into the nest it is very likely that the dog broke the rabbits leg. I would put the babies back in the nest and see if the mom comes back. Here is a link on how to care for baby rabbits: Orphaned Baby Bunnies: Wild and Domestic | House Rabbit Society.

 

[BelleIce23]

The right leg is the strange one. When he hops, it is curled up under his belly and is turned to the inside. I felt it and couldn’t feel any breaks nor see any.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

It is probably broken. Is he acting like he is in pain?

 

[Catlyn]

It is probably broken. Is he acting like he is in pain?

It may or may not be. Might just be a sprain or a twist. But it's no use speculating, so i'll ask, have you seen the mum around?

 

[BelleIce23]

The mom hasn’t been around. We used to see her daily when she had a nest there before (before we got my dog), but she has disappeared. He doesn’t seem like he’s in any pain at all.

 

[Catlyn]

If the mum hasn't come to check in the yard for her kits then i guess there's not much you can do other than to take care of the kits until the rehab center opens or some vet will agree to take a look of the odd one's leg.

 

[JBun]

It could just be a birth defect. So you would just need to monitor the baby as it grows, to make sure it can get around fine and no other issues develop due to the malformed leg.

 

[BelleIce23]

Thank you everyone! They are gaining weight and looking healthy so far.