Rabbit Leg Injury

[sk97157]

Hello, my 5 month old rabbit suddenly started limping last night. I noticed that when she attempts to walk, she wobbles a bit and has her back leg pulled up. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this with their rabbits, and if so, what the issue could be? Could it be a sprain or a broken leg? Is there a way to tell the difference between the two? I do have an appointment with a vet, but unfortunately the only available opening I could find is 3 days from now. There's no obvious signs of bleeding/swelling and she doesn't appear to be in too much pain as she's still eating and drinking just fine. Any advice/suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[John Wick]

It's good that you have a vet appointment. I would recommend restricting exercise space for now to ensure the injury doesn't get worse by excessive jumping/running. Rabbits can be very good at acting through pain. One of my rabbits had completely broken a finger last month (complete bone break), and he continued to eat throughout it.

 

[sk97157]

It's good that you have a vet appointment. I would recommend restricting exercise space for now to ensure the injury doesn't get worse by excessive jumping/running. Rabbits can be very good at acting through pain. One of my rabbits had completely broken a finger last month (complete bone break), and he continued to eat throughout it.

Thank you for the suggestion! If I may ask, how was your rabbit's broken bone treated? I hope he/she is feeling better now!

 

[JBun]

Yes, restrict movement. If it's just a strained muscle, by the time of your vet appointment it could be completely better. And if it's not, then it's a likely break or more significant injury, and you'll be seeing your vet by then anyways.

Just keep a close eye on eating, drinking, and pooping. If your rabbits appetite decreases too much or stops, you'll need to contact your vet about pain management and syringe feeding to prevent GI stasis setting in before you get in for your appointment. Rabbits shouldn't go more than 12-24 hours without eating or eating enough to keep the GI tract moving well. Otherwise it's considered an emergency.

https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/

 

[John Wick]

Thank you for the suggestion! If I may ask, how was your rabbit's broken bone treated? I hope he/she is feeling better now!

He was assigned to flat cage rest, in that it was a small pen with nothing he could climb on, and he was kept there with no free-roam for 1 month straight. He had pain management throughout. Notably, it was a finger on his front paw, so obstruction to general movement and weight distribution might have been much easier for him than your rabbit.

I will say, if funds allow, I recommend an X-ray. Based on how my rabbit reacted to the exam and his behaviors, the vet said it was "likely just a muscle sprain", but said we could do an X-ray just in case--- thankfully we did, because he broke his finger completely. This informed us to make sure we were routine in pain management and re-taking x-rays to check on bone healing progress.