EMERGENCY - injured newborn - RIP

[kukupecpec]

My lady had a litter this morning and I found one of the newborns out of the nest box with some injuries to his hind end (I'll call him a him, but I haven't looked, I don't want to injure him further). The tip of one back foot is gone, and the other back leg looks broken at the ankle (is it called a hock in rabbits? Where the leg turns to the foot) and there looks like a slice on the side of that foot and possibly some missing toes. He kind of looks like someone chewed on him, but he also has a slice along his butt right near his leg. I'll post photos in a minute I just want to get this up right now.

Anyway I don't know what to do. I have a rabbit with no use of his back legs and I think he lives a pretty full and happy life. What should I do for it? Feed it and raise it on my own? Bandage it (how do I bandage a newborn kit??) and give it back to mom to eat and just keep an extra close eye on him changing his bandages etc? Just put it back in and leave it alone and see what happens? Does it's injured foot need to be amputated?
Or does it need to be put down? If so, how do you do that for something so small?

If it's possible to save it's life I would love to try, he will have a forever home here with me and we wouldn't keep him alive if he was suffering from pain or anything else. I know the split between save it and put it down because of lifelong suffering opinions will be a pretty big split, I just need some advice

 

[kukupecpec]

************GRAPHIC!!!*********

 

[HiddlesKenway]

There isn't much you can do put it back in the nest and see what happens, check on it regularly make sure it's still getting nourishment and if it isn't honestly you have two choices intervene or let what's going to happen, happen. It looks like it was an accident, first time mum? Is the kit newborn or a day or so old?

The vet wouldn't waste their time putting it down and if they did they'd be wasting your money. I think the kit will thrive but that back leg does look broken and I don't think the vet would be able to do anything about the leg but you can call and ask, I see no harm in that but really I think only time will tell as long as the wounds aren't bleeding and it's still nursing it should be okay and if the kit makes it to two to three weeks take it to the vet, I think it looks to have a big fat belly might be a wheel chair bun but I have a three legged bun and he's leading a pretty happy life, doesn't notice it's gone until he falls over from running too fast!

 

[HiddlesKenway]

I forgot to add if the kit makes they will probably have to amputate but they'll probably wait until the kits eight weeks or so.

 

[kukupecpec]

That's why I wondered about amputating now when he's tiny, sorta like pinioning (sp?) bird wings at a day old.
He was born during the night, so less than a full day old.
His legs continue to bleed, is there any way to stop the bleeding before putting him back in the box? I don't want to puthim back and just have him slowly bleed to death, I'd rather kill him quick than that.

 

[HiddlesKenway]

You could cornstarch. I'm not entirely sure that would work on a wound like this although but I suppose it could be worth a shot.

If you are concerned about an infection or something from the nest box you could always take him out and have him in a nice warm nest, with a heating pad on low or a hot water bottle underneath the nest with a book or something between it so he doesn't get too hot and then just nurse him on mum by holding her upside down and letting him suckle like that once a day or twice if he isn't getting enough nourishment and then just getting him to go to the toilet after and/or before but if you are concerned call your vet.

 

[majorv]

We were able to splint a newborn kit's leg but it was a simple fracture...this is more complicated. With both back legs compromised the prognosis isn't good for this one. If it were me, I'd put him down...but that's just me. Is it possible a cat or dog got to him?

 

[Kati's Holland Lops]

Make sure to wipe the area 5 times a day with a baby wipe, make sure to keep an eye out for swelling. Keep Me Posted!!!!

 

[kukupecpec]

The rabbits are housed over the chickens, the chickens have been known to eat dead kits if they wander out and freeze at night, I suspect that one of the chickens pecked him through the wire floor if the mother didn't nibble off his feet. Definitely no way anything else could have gotten to him unless it was a mouse that came through the wire on the sides of the cage.

Unfortunately he didn't make it =( we decided to keep him inside and try to care for him on our own, but we couldn't get the bleeding to stop. We were trying to come up with a way to cauterize his missing limb but we were too late, I'm fairly certain he bled to death =( Thank you so much for trying to help!!!

 

[majorv]

Yea, I'd suspect the chickens. It's possible that if Mom had nursed them that this one was latched on and came out with her. I know dogs can do what your chickens did.

 

[BunnyandMoi]

Oh my poor baby feel bad

 

[kukupecpec]

The chickens are all enclosed so it wouldn't have been a dog, but the chickens can be vicious.
Thanks for all your help though guys! I'll have more things to try if anything like this ever happens again

 

[woahlookitsme]

I would have humanly euthanized him. Poor thing. He wouldn't have had good chances especially if he wouldn't stop bleeding. I would try to fix your cage situation if you're going to continue to have babies

 

[BlueMoods]

I too suspect the chickens. Mine eat mice so, I would think they would eat a pinkie kit too. Move the chickens and, if you want them to have the rabbit poop, just haul it to them.

Sorry about the kit but, it would not have had a good life so, it's best this way.

 

[kukupecpec]

Under the hutch is part of the chickens run. When they had free run of the whole yard all they did was hang out under the rabbits lol So we penned it up for them. I think we are just going to revise the nest box. The chickens are only a problem if the kits get out. This and the last litter have both had problems with kits getting out of the nest box way too early. We aren't really sure what changed, her other litters never had a problem like this, we only occasionally lost a runt that just wasn't strong enough, and they never came out of the box like this. We built this one ourselves so I'll start looking into buying a real one and see if that helps.

 

[lovelops]

My chico lost the front of his front left paw when 4 days old. I took him to the vet, we were able to stop the bleeding and he is now going on 2 years old this June. I'm so sorry to see that happened to this kit.. it's sad when something medical happens and you can't get something done in time...

Vanessa