Disabled Netherland dwarf rabbits

[Momoftwinbunnies]

Hi I have 2 twin 8wk old rabbits they are Netherland dwarf rabbits. I rehomed them from a neighbor who stated they had the mom and she just happened to have 2 disabled babies that they couldn't care for.. they are blind, I think bc they have a cloudy white spot on the middle of their eyes and their back legs look broken or deformed they can't hop. They have eye crust and it's bad bc their eyes are starting to close shut due to it. I think their eyes are infected. Is there anything I can do at home? I'm calling around to find a rabbit vet but all the ones I've called only accept cats and dogs. I'm a new rabbit mom help!!

 

[Maki_p29]

Wow that sounds serious! Glad those bunnies have you to look after them. Eyes crusting shut sounds like a eye infection. I hope your able to find a vet that treats rabbits in your area.

When I had a disabled bunny this website was helpful. I’ll post the link.

https://www.specialbunny.org/disabilities/
It’s even possible to contact them and they could help you find resources/contact others that have bunnies of their own that have the same disabilities as yours do.

what enclosure are you keeping them in? Are they eating, pooping and drinking?

 

[Catlyn]

Oh dear. Taking care of disabled rabbits is a hard thing to do, eapecially since they're still babies. How bad are their deformations?
There has been floating around, a list of rabbit savvy vets in usa and uk, i'll try to find it for you, so you can see if any of them is near enough for you.
Don't stress if you have to drive further away though, our savvy vet who can do anything useful besides the half-annual myxo-vaccine is a 2hr drive away.

 

[Catlyn]

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/Here it is.

 

[Momoftwinbunnies]

Wow that sounds serious! Glad those bunnies have you to look after them. Eyes crusting shut sounds like a eye infection. I hope your able to find a vet that treats rabbits in your area.

When I had a disabled bunny this website was helpful. I’ll post the link.

https://www.specialbunny.org/disabilities/
It’s even possible to contact them and they could help you find resources/contact others that have bunnies of their own that have the same disabilities as yours do.

what enclosure are you keeping them in? Are they eating, pooping and drinking?

Thanks for your reply!! Yes they are eating grass from outside for some reason they love it more then the other leafy greens I give them like spinach, celery, and Cilantro. But I also have pellets and a water bottle. I keep them in a( litter box for now but of course doesn't have litter in it. ) They like to be under me most of the day so I don't want to get them a cage. I want it to be easy for me to pick them up since they can't see or move as much I want to be as calm as I can around them and keep everything simple. They are eating and using the bathroom just fine no issues at all with that. They are very playful. I just want to make sure the eyes aren't getting worse bc it looks like they are.

 

[Momoftwinbunnies]

Oh dear. Taking care of disabled rabbits is a hard thing to do, eapecially since they're still babies. How bad are their deformations?
There has been floating around, a list of rabbit savvy vets in usa and uk, i'll try to find it for you, so you can see if any of them is near enough for you.
Don't stress if you have to drive further away though, our savvy vet who can do anything useful besides the half-annual myxo-vaccine is a 2hr drive away.

Thanks for your reply!! Both of them have a back leg that is deformed and the foot just hangs like it has no bone in it so it drags when they move. I have to clean them a few times a day bc they gt their foot caught in everything and it starts to Matt their hairs.

 

[JBun]

Until you can get them into the vet, I would try and pick up some Terramycin ophthalmic antibiotic eye ointment. Some farm stores like Tractor Supply carry it, or it can be bought online. And just fyi, those babies look to be 3-4 weeks at the most, at least in those photos.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/pfizer-terramycin-opthalmic-ointment-1-8-oz
With them being netherland dwarfs, there's a strong possibility they're max factor babies. It's a genetic defect that can cause them to be born with their eyes already open making them more susceptible to developing eye problems, and they also usually have hind limb defects. If they have this genetic defect, it would explain the hind limb and eye problems that you're describing.

http://dwarf_info.tripod.com/maxfactor.html

Kits born with this defect will take a lot of extra time and care throughout their lives. If they are max factor kits, they will likely need to have daily eye drops because of eyelid issues affecting their eyes, and caring for any skin issues that occur because of their hind limb problems. So you'll need to keep this in consideration when you speak with a rabbit vet and what the best course of action is to help maintain a good quality of life for them. It is possible to provide them with a good happy life if you have the time to dedicate to providing that for them.

 

[Momoftwinbunnies]

Thank you and yes I def have the time. I'm going to take good care of them no matter what. Thx for your reply and information.

 

[JBun]

The other possibility if they aren't max factor kits, is a regular eye infection causing the eye problems, and spay leg causing the hind limb problems.

Medirabbit: splay leg