(RIP) Urgent-baby bunny stuck in glue trap

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Our bunny escaped cage and I set up her cage and looked all around for her. I had no idea there were any glue traps in the house. Anyway I found her this morning in one. I used vinegar and cooking oil to free her but she cannot hold herself upright and it looks like one or two of her front legs are broken. I syringe fed her and crated her but have no clue what to do. The vet told me to keep her crated for minimum six weeks and keep her immobilized until they heal. She advised me not to set it as the bunny is so little. Is there any chance she can survive? We tried to get the sticky stuff off her front paws but some is still there. I hate glue traps we have no pests so why one was even here I don't know! I am in tears, the cage was secure but she seemed to have bent the wire under the door to get out. I am switching to a C&C like my guinea pigs to prevent this. Sorry for the bad grammar but I really need help. Putting her to sleep is an option but if she can live happily....she can move her legs but it seems like she can't stand on them.


BREED: Unknown
AGE: young 5+weeks she's a rescue

 

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Update: I checked and he is going to the bathroom and standing but is breathing quite heavily. If anyone can give me any advice I really need some. Thank you.

 

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Also may I add he eats Zupreem Pellets (I find this brand suitable although I am looking for new ones), Timothy Hay, Meadow Grass, and doesn't seem interested in veggies besides romaine lettuce. He lives in a big pet store cage and soon will be in a covered C&C cage. I am a very experienced guinea pig owner but I am new to rabbits.

 

[kmaben]

To start 5 weeks is way to young for veggies. Stop those immediately. Push hay and water. Secondly the way those glue traps work are to suffocated small rodents. The harder they struggle the more their chest gets stuck and eventually it gets to the point they cant inhale or exhale. Did the vet do an x-ray? He may have broken/cracked more than his legs. If you have a small dog or cat crate that will also work and cover him to keep him warm and quiet. Yes sometimes their little legs cant be splinted but it sounds like something else is going on.

 

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To start 5 weeks is way to young for veggies. Stop those immediately. Push hay and water. Secondly the way those glue traps work are to suffocated small rodents. The harder they struggle the more their chest gets stuck and eventually it gets to the point they cant inhale or exhale. Did the vet do an x-ray? He may have broken/cracked more than his legs. If you have a small dog or cat crate that will also work and cover him to keep him warm and quiet. Yes sometimes their little legs cant be splinted but it sounds like something else is going on.

Well I think I found him/her when she had recently gotten stuck. Only it's legs and some of its tummy fur were on it. His face neck an torso area were not stuck. However the fur on his feet and legs has been mostly removed. How does it sound like something else is happening? Please explain. Also if you didn't see my update, she is now standing. However she is wobbly. I feel as if something is wrong with her legs. She could have hurt something else trying to escape. I am against the use of glue traps if that was not clear ^^. Please give me further advice, thanks for your time and consideration! Also do you suggest I keep syringe feeding? The rabbit is exhausted and slept but now is wobbling/walking. She is in a rabbit carrier I usually use dog ones but because I want to keep her from being too active I'm sticking with this.




EDIT: I mean that even when she wasnt using her legs- she could keep herself upright.

 

[kmaben]

The heavy panting and the way glue traps work is what had me worried about possible injury to chest or shoulders. If bun is not eating or drinking on his own then yes continue to syringe feed food and water. Watch him for about an hour and if he nibbles hay or drinks water on his own back off on the syringe feeding. It can be stressful to them. Watch how he's pooping too. For rabbits poop is a huge indicator on how they are feeling/doing. They should be nice, round, and frequent. If he stops pooping he's going into stomache issues and you have a whole new set of problems. Make sure you have critical care on hand as well as simethecone. They're baby gas drops you can buy over the counter. He may be to young for them but someone else should come along and be able to comment on that. They certainly dont hurt to have in the house in any case. Did you talk to the vet about pain managment? Sometimes hurting will throw a rabbit off of food for a bit too.

I know you dont use the glue traps or where they came from. It's just a horrible accident and believe me, these little buggers are very good at figuring out how to get into trouble.

 

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The heavy panting and the way glue traps work is what had me worried about possible injury to chest or shoulders. If bun is not eating or drinking on his own then yes continue to syringe feed food and water. Watch him for about an hour and if he nibbles hay or drinks water on his own back off on the syringe feeding. It can be stressful to them. Watch how he's pooping too. For rabbits poop is a huge indicator on how they are feeling/doing. They should be nice, round, and frequent. If he stops pooping he's going into stomache issues and you have a whole new set of problems. Make sure you have critical care on hand as well as simethecone. They're baby gas drops you can buy over the counter. He may be to young for them but someone else should come along and be able to comment on that. They certainly dont hurt to have in the house in any case. Did you talk to the vet about pain managment? Sometimes hurting will throw a rabbit off of food for a bit too.

I know you dont use the glue traps or where they came from. It's just a horrible accident and believe me, these little buggers are very good at figuring out how to get into trouble.

Thank you SO much! He isn't breathing as rapidly anymore but he makes high pitched noises often. His fur is still sticky and looks wet although its not. Should I give him a bath with Dawn? Also he is pooping and the pellets I put in earlier are completely gone. I added some more hay and a water bottle spout. Also I forgot to add he was born in the wild, it's mother was dead. Him and another do look like cottontails but have a domestic rabbits facial and body shape (more round). They think it's father was a feral agouti or some sort of ginger colored rabbit. The other babies in the litter look like domestic rabbits by their color (solid colored). I know cottontails are impossible to domesticate so I'm worried if his breed will lower his chances of survival. Also will the limbs heal on their own?

 

[JBun]

Domestic and cottontail rabbits, can't cross breed, so it sounds like you have a domestic rabbit.

Did you only consult with a vet or did a vet check him over and take xrays? If you only consulted with a vet, it sounds like this little bun needs to actually be taken into the vets and checked over right away, with xrays, to assess what is going on. If both front legs are broken, it is going to make it very difficult for them to just heal on their own without some sort of splinting, as the bunny won't be able to support it's front end without at least one good leg to stand on. Your bunny also needs some sort of pain management like metacam, or it may stop eating and go into GI stasis from the pain and stress of it's injury. Also those high pitched noises are worrying, and could be a response to pain, and/or from an internal injury. Bathing your rabbit at this point, may not be a good idea, as bathing can be extremely stressful for some rabbits, and this would not be good with the condition the bunny is in right now. Later after seeing the vet and stabilizing your bunnies condition, you may be able to use a wet cloth to clean your bunny, but if it does have broken legs or other internal injuries, you may not be able to do much cleaning up at this time. If your current vet isn't an experienced rabbit vet, here are some rabbit vet listings.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/
http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

You may also want to offer a water dish if he doesn't already have one.

 

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Domestic and cottontail rabbits, can't cross breed, so it sounds like you have a domestic rabbit.

Did you only consult with a vet or did a vet check him over and take xrays? If you only consulted with a vet, it sounds like this little bun needs to actually be taken into the vets and checked over right away, with xrays, to assess what is going on. If both front legs are broken, it is going to make it very difficult for them to just heal on their own without some sort of splinting, as the bunny won't be able to support it's front end without at least one good leg to stand on. Your bunny also needs some sort of pain management like metacam, or it may stop eating and go into GI stasis from the pain and stress of it's injury. Also those high pitched noises are worrying, and could be a response to pain, and/or from an internal injury. Bathing your rabbit at this point, may not be a good idea, as bathing can be extremely stressful for some rabbits, and this would not be good with the condition the bunny is in right now. Later after seeing the vet and stabilizing your bunnies condition, you may be able to use a wet cloth to clean your bunny, but if it does have broken legs or other internal injuries, you may not be able to do much cleaning up at this time. If your current vet isn't an experienced rabbit vet, here are some rabbit vet listings.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/
http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

You may also want to offer a water dish if he doesn't already have one.

He does have water dishes but his carrier is too small for them (they're gravity ones). My vet is cavy savy, the cross breeding was not insinuated by her actually. I know cavys and rabbits are different but I do trust her. I only consulted her but will schedule an appointment. I feel really inexperienced right now! But I did give her a bath because in her carrier the fleece and towels kept catching her fur. In the bath she hopped out and then walked around! But it looks like her left front paw is what is causing all this. It seems she steps on top of the foot (hard to explain) almost like its under her. She is eating on her own it appears but I will watch. She seems content and is moving around a little and nibbling on hay. The noises are scared noises I think. The bath seems to have made a difference in her walking (my guess is the glue on her foot would get stuck to her stomach fur). I towel dried her and she's in a room that I'm keeping warm for her. I will get her to a vet ASAP.

 

[hannaroo]

You need to take your rabbit to a rabbit sAvvy vet (exotics specialists) and get her looked at again. They may clean her for you and do xrays. I'm surprised your vet didn't do this. The vet can advice you on caring for your bun. X

 

[kmaben]

We all feel helpless sometimes. Even some of the more experienced rabbit owners. Just keep her warm and a sharp eye on her till you get her into the vet. Make sure she always has plenty of hay and water.

 

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You need to take your rabbit to a rabbit sAvvy vet (exotics specialists) and get her looked at again. They may clean her for you and do xrays. I'm surprised your vet didn't do this. The vet can advice you on caring for your bun. X

Cavy Savy is a good exotics vet usually. She was trained to treat small animals and birds. Thanks

 

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We all feel helpless sometimes. Even some of the more experienced rabbit owners. Just keep her warm and a sharp eye on her till you get her into the vet. Make sure she always has plenty of hay and water.

Thank you so much, will update.

 

[JBun]

If your vet is cavy savvy, then she is probably good with rabbits too, as they are both exotics and similar in some ways. It sounds like your bunny might be doing a little better. You'll just want to keep an eye on the eating, drinking, and pooping. If she stops eating and drinking, that is a sure sign she is in a lot of distress. Syringe feed if she stops eating/drinking or isn't eating very much, to keep food moving through his GI tract.

You'll also want to make sure she stays warm until completely dry. A warm pack made from rice in a cotton bag or sock, and microwaved for a minute, works well. Just make sure it doesn't get too hot. Or you could use a hair dryer on the low setting, but only if it doesn't seem to stress your bunny at all.

 

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If your vet is cavy savvy, then she is probably good with rabbits too, as they are both exotics and similar in some ways. It sounds like your bunny might be doing a little better. You'll just want to keep an eye on the eating, drinking, and pooping. If she stops eating and drinking, that is a sure sign she is in a lot of distress. Syringe feed if she stops eating/drinking or isn't eating very much, to keep food moving through his GI tract.

You'll also want to make sure she stays warm until completely dry. A warm pack made from rice in a cotton bag or sock, and microwaved for a minute, works well. Just make sure it doesn't get too hot. Or you could use a hair dryer on the low setting, but only if it doesn't seem to stress your bunny at all.

That's exactly what I was thinking! And I put some warm socks in with her but I'm 100% going to try the rice idea! I am only worried about drinking so I am syringe feeding her. She is still so young that I'm afraid she won't make it even to the vet ):

 

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UPDATE: I haven't noticed much pooping but I haven't looked, she has a lot of stuff in her carrier to keep her comfy. I am placing Timothy hay and meadow grass in her cage regularly as it does seem to be going away! She hasn't drank much but thats probably because I have syringe-watered her so much. Anyway she was squirming and suddenly jumped out of my hand and ran! She hid it took an hour to find her. I put her back in the carrier and she seems shaken up. She's extremely skittish-she was the most skittish in the litter but I chose her because she seemed healthiest.

 

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UPDATE: she's walking on all legs now. But there is a problem. I let her out of the carrier into the rest of the cage and she went crazy. I think it's because the cage was unfamilar (I have fleece instead of care fresh with a layer of grass) and she didn't have many places to hide... But she started trying to poke her face through the bars to get out and she has gotten out through the bendy bars at the front so I put her back in the carrier to adjust and because she still isn't fully healed. I'm wondering if this is a cottontail because it hates being caged??

 

[KeltonB]

I would keep her in the carrier at least overnight...she has been through a lot of trauma and stress today. Given that she may have injury to her legs, its probably best to limit her movement until she can be properly examined by your vet. I hope she continues to improve!

 

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I would keep her in the carrier at least overnight...she has been through a lot of trauma and stress today. Given that she may have injury to her legs, its probably best to limit her movement until she can be properly examined by your vet. I hope she continues to improve!

Thanks so much! Until the vet I am keeping her in the carrier! I may let her out for a few minutes though but she seems content.

 

[tonyshuman]

You may want to contact a wildlife rehabber as it can be very difficult to keep a cottontail happily in captivity. It is also frequently illegal to keep them without the proper permits.
http://wildliferehabinfo.org/
http://www.nwrawildlife.org/