Rabbit with brain damage/ possible spinal injury?

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thetwobunnies

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I found this rabbit available but they said when it was a baby it fell out of the nest and onto it's head and that he has slight brain damage as well as small spine damage - he has trouble with basic motor skills, and lacks self-preservation instincts. Other than that they say he is healthy and growing normally.

They say it's not terribly serious but how exactly does a rabbit like this act? Is this just a hopeless cause in that this rabbit can not function correctly and the spinal damage will eventually lead to paralysis? He isn't paralyzed but just A GUESS, as he grows older and bigger his injury could interfere and paralyze him... Which is just painful for everyone.

Has anyone had a rabbit that's been dropped / has fallen as a baby?
 
Its hard to say how this rabbit will be. I do not have personal experience with a rabbit like this, but this situation is almost exactly like my cat, so not sure this story will help.

My guy was 4 weeks old when he was run over by a 30lb pug, fractured his skull, brain injury. The owners of the litter of kittens took him to the vet as soon as the incident happened, nothing the vet could really do, it was either put the cat down or wait and see what happens. They decided to wait, he got some meds like anti inflamatorys and etc. He Couldn't walk, all he could do really was squirm in one spot, so the little guy lived in a box for the next 2-3 weeks. Eventually he re-learnt how to crawl and was able to sort of walk again, as long as he was against a wall.

I found an add on an internet classified for this "special needs" kitten 9 weeks old, and decided I wanted to "Adopt" him. The owners wanted to ensure he went to somebody who was prepared for long term medical costs.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/Lolaandthecrowd/Crash%20-%20Kitten/CrashsRads011.jpg

He always fell over, always. But this cat enjoyed life to its fullest. He would play with the dogs, attack the dogs, attack his toys, he was determined to do everything a normal cat could do. He couldn't do stairs until he was about 4-5 months old. Couldn't jump. Couldn't run. Sometimes he would get so excited he would try and run and run right into a door or wall. And could only walk in a straight line if he was against a wall.

[ame]http://youtu.be/IQ7oj9y38Wk[/ame]
(apologize for the background noise from the TV)

This eventually all got better as he learnt to adapt.
However when he was 5 months he fell so hard he gave himself an 'Aural Hematoma'.
I think that was about the worst of his "issues" in regards to the original injury itself.
Our other cats all hated him because when he was first brought home all he would do was fall on them.
Got his x-rays re done when he was about 6 months to see how his fat little head was healing.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/Lolaandthecrowd/Crash - Kitten/IMG_9646.jpg

He's 3.5 years old now. Most awesome cat ever.
He still cant jump up, uses his upper body to pull himself up to places like the couch, bottom level on the cat post, my bed, etc. When he runs he sort of deer hops and gets overly excited, odds are he will run into something, its really funny actually, he knows he's done it and totally acts like "you saw nothing!" then runs away. When he shakes his head like a normal animal, he falls over. When you try and pet him or scratch his head, again he likes to shake after, so he falls over and you have to hold him up, same thing happens when he tries to scratch his own head with his foot. His old broken ear is always due for a good scratch. He can do the stairs, but 1 at a time and has to do them right against the wall. If somebody puts something on the stairs near the wall in his path, he stands a good chance of falling down the stairs. He is SOOO much better then when he was a kitten. I got him a kitten a year and a half ago so there is 1 cat in the house who likes him since she grew up with his 'issues'. He is brave beyond all belief. He is best friends with my 50lb pittie. When food is involved he can almost fly down the stairs. He pushes our 3 dogs out of their bowls to steal their food. He still walks with his back legs out a bit like in that kitten video, helps with his balance. But hes... Normal. He thinks hes normal, hes just the biggest goof ever. No other issues have arisen from his head. No seizures, no paralysis, nothing. Best cat ever!
http://www.petcurean.com/for-cats/go/daily-defence-chicken
(yes that's him on the bag)

So I guess I'm saying given the opportunity, I would see what the animal can do and how they learn to function. Given the situation odds are it wont react the same as another animal with the same issue, if you're prepared for the possibility of endless vet bills, I don't see a reason to not give this little bunny a shot.
Did they do x-rays and see spinal damage or was it just the head injury and their assuming spinal damage due to the motor skills issues?
It really all depends how it heals.
 
wow thanks, so much helpful insight and very inspiring, disabled or not all animals are great! I don't think they took x-rays, doesn't seem to be too serious they said, they said they think he might have mini seizures (1-2 seconds, occasionally) and has trouble jumping…

thanks for the great help, I will still think about it. True there might be numerous vet visits and can be costly, but also very rewarding. thanks again!
 

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