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Bunny having back leg removed

BunnyBekkie

Warren Veteran
Helen, a lady who helps a lot with the rescue has an elderly bunny who's having to have a back leg removed today :( It's very sad, but he's pretty much lost all his circulation to it, and has had hay wrapped round it a few times which just made it worse.

If you've had a bunny that's lost a hind leg, how did he/she cope?

I'm gonna email the replies to Mandy, who will pass them on to Helen :)
 
My Wispa had a hind leg amputation and coped exceedingly well. To be honest, you'd never really know she'd had it removed, aside from a slightly wobbly gait. The only thing she struggled with was having a wash because she couldn't sit up on her back legs and remain balanced. I made sure I became a substitute bunny and groomed and washed her - especially on the side she was missing a leg because that's the side she would fall to if she lifted her front legs off the ground. If I saw her starting to have a wash/groom, I would try to support her weight with my hand but she invariably scooted off somewhere and didn't want me helping!! She had no problems getting her ceacotrophs (sp) and in all other respects was a normal bunny. It took her a few weeks to recover from the op but she was soon hopping around as normal and jumping up onto walls in the garden etc!

Hope this helps.
 
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I have just rehomed Seymour to Jay who's back leg I had to have removed as it was that badly broken. You wouldn't even think he had had it removed. The day i brought him home he was off running about his hutch and I was in a state thinking he was going to harm himself. He was amazing how quick he adapted:D.
 
Lionel only has one back leg too, had to have it amputated because of abcesses, he is perfectly fine without it! Like Mackers said only problem is having a wash as he can't keep his balance sitting up on one back leg, he has learnt to lay down and do it instead now :love:
 
Harry had a hind leg amputation after he sustained a compound fracture.
But he was still a very young Rabbit (10 months)

If I had an elderly Rabbit with loss of use of a hind leg I dont think I would opt for amputation without first going through various diagnostics to ascertain the cause. For example if the problem were to be related to a spinal condition amputating the leg would, IMO, not be appropriate.

If a full blood profile were to reveal any abnormalities in major organ function I would not put the elderly Rabbit through such major surgery.

Neither would I do so if the Rabbit had any arthritic condition that would be exacerbated by the loss of a hind limb.
 
If I had an elderly Rabbit with loss of use of a hind leg I dont think I would opt for amputation without first going through various diagnostics to ascertain the cause. For example if the problem were to be related to a spinal condition amputating the leg would, IMO, not be appropriate.

Wispa was nearly 7 when she had her hind limb amputated (due to a tumor) and it was a 'do or die' operation. Thankfully, she was absolutely fine and adjusted perfectly well.
 
I have 2 with hind legs missing. Both cope completely fine:)

Tiffany had hers removed at 5 weeks and is now 2 years old. Brendan had his removed at 18 months and is now over 5 years old and has never had a problem.

I would think there is always the possibility that it would take an older rabbit longer to adjust to the change but if it was causing them discomfort hopefully it will give them a new lease of life :)

Let us know how she gets on :wave:
 
Wispa was nearly 7 when she had her hind limb amputated (due to a tumor) and it was a 'do or die' operation. Thankfully, she was absolutely fine and adjusted perfectly well.

I wasn't suggesting it should never be done. Just that IMO there are some circumstances (as suggested in my previous post) that would make surgery inappropriate. Each case is unique and I would follow the advice of my trusted Vet :)
 
I wasn't suggesting it should never be done. Just that IMO there are some circumstances (as suggested in my previous post) that would make surgery inappropriate. Each case is unique and I would follow the advice of my trusted Vet :)

Absolutely agree! Just thought I'd mention that Wispa was almost 7 and was fine but clearly you have to assess each case individually.
 
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