Preventing Cage Boredom

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xchr1stinax

xchr1stinax

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Aug 1, 2009
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Location
, British Columbia, Canada
My bunny, Nugget,fractured her left hindleg in multiple places. The vet said that because she is still young (3 months), he is confident that her bones will be able to fuse together on their own. If this fails, surgery or amputation will be used asa last resort. I've been instructed to confine Nugget in her cage for a week and to remove anything from it that she can hop onto to ensure that she does notinjure her leg some more.Any ideas on how to entertain her while she's confined? There's plenty of hay in her cage, I've been rotating her toys, I put her cage on the table so that she can watch me while I'm on the computer or making dinner, I talk to her alot, and I've been hand feeding her favorites because she seems to have lost her appetite. Any other ideas are greatly appreciated!
 
Is she on pain medication? That would be very important for her. What size space is she confined to? Was it a rabbit savvy vet you saw?

Really, there's probably not much you can do because it will all make her active (things like hiding food on the floor in the hay, or in toys or toilet rolls), but if she is well enough to be bored that's a good thing.

And welcome to the forum :)
 
The vetNugget saw was recommended by a vet at the emergency clinic and he's listed on this website: http://members.shaw.ca/cocoasun/CanadianRabbitVets.htmso I'm confident that my bunny's in good hands. She's on pain medication that's administered orally every 24 hours, but I've caught her grindingher teeth on occasion.Her cage is 25" x 17" x 15". It's small, but I don't use it often since she has free-run of several rooms in the house. She's still her friendly self though. Whenever I stick my hand in her cage, she'll lick it. I've also lined the bottom of her cage with a bath towel and she seems to enjoy licking that as well. It just breaks my heart that time, something that I cannot control,is the main factor in her healing process : (
 
Its good she has something. I'm guessing Metacam? It does sound like she needs something much stronger though if she is still grinding her teeth even with pain meds.

Poor bunny. It is hard when its completely out of your control. How long does she have to stay as she is?
 
Yeah, the pain med will help a lot. I would give her paper towel rolls or tp tubes stuffed with hay, wooden chew toys, maybe some baby keys. These are toys she can throw around without having to stand up. I'd also give her some one-on-one time every day to keep her mentally stimulated. Poor girl. I'm sorry that she broke her leg--it sounds pretty serious! Good luck, I hope this week in the cage will help heal it. I've seen them put casts on bunnies before, did they do that or did they not because she'd just chew on it?
 
I saw this and responded on Craigslist. :)

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Poor bunny! The best thing is probably hay, hay and more hay. The more different types you can find, the more he'll be able to forage and munch. (Throw in some grass while you're at it).

For safe, quiet playtime, stuff an empty toilet roll full of hay and he'll throw it around and dig and chew at the hay inside.

I'd also suggest feeding him very small amounts of his dinner more often, ie: hand feed single strands of parsley or whatever rather than a clump on a plate.

And definitely talk to him as much as possible. It would be great if you could keep the cage with you when you're at the computer, watching TV or cooking in the kitchen.

Check out www.rabbitsonline.net for more suggestions, there will be a ton of them there.
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Nice to see you posting! Where in BC are you? Which vet? There are a couple vets on that list I wouldn't really recommend, but nobody terrible.


sas :)
 
Hi Pipp, thanks for answering on craigslist and directing me to this forum. I'm located in Vancouver and seeing Dr. Brondwin at the Arbutus West Animal Clinic

Claire, no cast for my bunny : ( Because her leg is fractured into so many pieces, a splint/cast would not be of any help.

I feel so bad for keeping her in the cage. Everytime I open the top to try to feed her or give her a headrub, Nugget tries to climb out. And even with the pain meds, she's frequently grinding her teeth. Do you think it's fair to leave her in so much pain while we wait for her leg to heal by itself? ='( I feel so helpless.
 
Dr. Brondwin is good.

You may want to talk to him about upping the pain meds -- stronger meds or a stronger dose. (Not sure which meds given her age or the usual treatment for a fracture, I've thankfully haven't had to deal with one).

But pain meds are meant to alleviate the pain and keep her quiet, they're not doing that job.

And she's got it good. Often they're confined to a carrier.

Nose pats for poor little Nugget.

sas
 
Wow that's a bad break. It also sounds like she's not getting enough pain relief from her current med. If she's on metacam (meloxicam), a narcotic could be added as well. Something like tramadol or buprenex could help. You might want to call the vet and ask them to call a prescription in for one of those. I know buprenex is also a human drug, so they would have it at normal pharmacies. It's a controlled substance, so they might be reluctant to prescribe it though.
 
Despite the pain, she's still a rambunctious little bunny. Everytime I open the top of her cage toreplace her food, she tries to jump out.:p I have to make sure that she doesn't fall backwards onto her broken leg. My mom commented today on how much weight Nugget has lost. She had about 8 pellets today along with some romaine lettuce and parsley. I'm checking her potty often though, and everything looks the way it should look.

She has alot of trouble cleaning her face and ears since she can't balance on one leg. Sigh* I've also noticed some urine stains on her behind. How should I clean it for her?
 
I worry that she may be having difficulty moving and not want to eat because of the pain she's in. You can clean stains with a wet cloth; I'd avoid doing a butt bath or anything until she's healed.
 
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