vets appointment not good! U/D I have lost my gorgeous boy!!!!!!!!

Went out to check and feed bunnies before tea tonight and found Bramble sitting funny in his run and not eating his food. His right back leg was at a funny angle. Rang vets and got him there asap. My gorgeous lovely and charming french lop has broken his femur. I dont know how but this has happened, THe vet says it could of been due to different reasons.

He has given him big painkillers and told me to think about the options.

1. Have an exfixiator placed and see if this works but it is very costly.

2, have an xray and see if they can take the leg off.

3. PTS!!!!!

What am i going to do I cant afford the money for number 1.

2 he will be in pain for a while.

3 cant even think about but if it the right thing to do then i will think about it.

Please people help me out. I am in tears and feel alone. He is my best friend and is always there to give me hugs and cuddles.
He is just lying there tonight in the carry box as the vet doesnt want him to move much. I need to ring the vet in the morning and tell him what i want to do.

I know what i want to do, turn back time and hope this didnt happen. I want someone to tell me it will be ok but no one can and its horrid.

I am in tears writing this as i dont know what to do, it is soooooo hard.

i am so so sorry you are both going through this.
i have no experience but i have seen bunnys with 3 legs that adapt fine.
somebody will be along soon with more experience.
again i am really really sorry.

First just to say i am really sorry - I know how you feel as our bun Parsley broke his leg very badly a while ago.

You need to sit down and really sort through your options now.

Presuming that .3. is NOT an option - can you get a price from the vet for 1 and 2. Also ask about on-going/future costs of each. For example plating and pinning may mean that in a few months time you have to have a major op. to have the plates and pins out again. However a leg off may mean in the longer term more treatments for physio to help other limbs/back etc cope.

You will also need to ask vet about what is best for the bun (apart from PTS one presumes) so that you can take that into account.

Armed with this better idea of costs can you think of any way of getting the money OR borrowng the money OR asking vet if you can pay back over an agreed amount of time?

We re-mortgaged again for Parsley (long story but it was a disastrous break and our specialist vet was away so he had to go to a major referral hospital - it cost £3,500 in the end plus later ops) but it may be that you can get a loan or help from members of the family?

I wish you the very very best with this - and never forget - it could have been worse. . .

PS arsley made an absolutely full recovery with 4 workinglegs - however i have also had a 3 legged bun who was very happy and active.

Would your Vet agree to a payment plan (payment in installments) for treatment ?

im so sorry to hear about this
i agree with others, most vets will organise a payment plan with you

Hi everyone thanks for your support.

The vet said option 1 would be aroun £400 then all the other appointments on top.

option 2 is £35 for xray and then about £150 for op and then follow on appointments.

Dont want option 3 at all. Bramble is looking so sad tonight and looking at him makes me cry. I love this bunny with all my heart and wish there was something i could do. When i open his travel crate thing he just lies there looking at me with his big brown eyes looking like he has had enough.

What am i going to do? wish someone could tell me but i know you cant.
I can see a very sleepless night happening tonight for me.

Thankyou all for your advice and support xxxxxxxx

Will the vet let you pay by payment plan?

You have to decide soon as for the best chance of healing it has to be done soon, and also because of the pain.

With a break many vets recommend mending now rather than amputation but it is a very difficult situation.

Can you get any help from the local PDSA/RSPCA?? (although again as time is of the essence it may be best not to try and wait while they sort out means testing or whatever)

Try sleeping next to your bun tonight to keep him company and re-assured.

What an awful thing to happen, i'm so sorry, i really feel for you I don't know which of options 1 or 2 to recommend but obviously option 3 is out of the question so i hope you can sort something out moneywise to get the little fellow sorted out. Take care xxx

i really don't want to say this, i am hesitant, as i know it might not be well received. but i will say it anyway, as it would beat the bun being PTS if the OP cant afford the first 2 options

if you cannot set up a payment plan with the vets (and i don't see why you couldn't, because most vets are very understanding. if you speak to them, i am sure they will understand and help) and you don't have the funds to get him the treatment he needs.
there is also option 4

give him to a rescue who will get him the treatment that he needs.
(i know, it takes a space in already overrun rescues. but i think it beats bun being PTS if the OP cannot afford the treatment)

then you could help them out when you have money by giving them donations in the future, or arranging a fundraiser for them.

but that is a last resort. obviously. because rescues are already overrun with bunnys and struggling for money.

whatever you decide to do, i hope that everything goes well

I have made an appointment at the vets today for Bramble to get more pain relief. I am going to get him xrayed and then most prob the operation to take the leg off. I can give him away i love him too much. He slept in my room with me last night and i kept waking up and talking to him. Wish he could talk and tell me what he thinks. The vet said on the phone he most probs can have it done later today. because having him wait will keep him in more pain.

Thankyou everyone for your support and i will keep you informed on what happens.

He looks so sad today. its heart breaking.

Only just seen this. So sorry. I will be thinking of you both today.

I don't know what the success rates are for Op 1 vs Op 2 so it may also be worth discussing that with your vet too.

Basically there is approx £215 difference between option 1 and 2. Is there anyway you could borrow this or ask the vet if you could pay half now and the other in installments if you and your vet through Option 1 would be more successful.

Sending lots of vibes to Bramble.

My parents have said they will lend me the money for option 2 so that is weight of my mind. i just want my boy back. he is so quiet and down. wish i could turn the clock back and wrap him in cotton wool.

cooldarls said:

My parents have said they will lend me the money for option 2 so that is weight of my mind. i just want my boy back. he is so quiet and down. wish i could turn the clock back and wrap him in cotton wool.

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Ah, even cotton wool is not enough sometimes. These things happen. You are doing all you can for him and that is all any of us can do.

Only just seen this, sorry to hear he's broken his leg. Having been an owner of a 3 legged giant bun (british giant) I can offer a little advise.

Mine came into rescue with a leg broken in 3 places. He was collected along with 5 other giants from the same place, I have no idea how he did it. This was the same leg as yours.

I was given the same options as yourself. Obviously I didn't have the attachment to him, so looked at it differently. I decided that having him pts was not an option as he was only a young rabbit (approx 10 - 12 months) so decided to go for one of the other options.

I decided to have the x-ray done to see adsactly what was going on with the leg and see if it could be saved. At the time we knew it was broken but not where and how many times. Obviously the x-ray revealed 3 breaks. The original quote was to fix it (thinking it was broken in 2 places) and that was cheaper than removing it. I can't remember the prices, it was a fair few years ago now, but I remember the fix was cheaper, which I found odd at the time.
Anyway, the only option we had was removing it as the break at the top was in an awkward place and unlikely to heal. I never have legs removed lower down, leaving a stump as I find that it's sometimes caused pressure points when they lay down (I've had 2 cats and a dog with legs removed as well, all rescues, I don't maim them myself) so asked for the leg to be taken off at the socket. He did take a while to recover, but lived a happy life with us. He did hop around fine, but would generally lay down for a bit longer than the other rabbits. Expect he got tired easier. He lived a happy life, but did develop arthritis in his back remaining leg later in life, even though he was a house bunny in winter. Please bare in mind that although yours in a frenchie, he was alot bigger than a frenchy being a british giant.

Obvious thing to watch is his weight, he will need to be kept lean so that the added weight doesn't put pressure on the remaining leg. Hope that helps.

Any good vet will let you set up a payment plan. A good vet will want to help you and your pet out, and not just make a quick buck (excuse the pun).

Hi Everyone. Took my gorgeous boy to the vet for the xray and they said it was a clean break. Cant figure out how he has done it. We decided that were it was on his leg it was going to be hard to fix it so taking the leg off was the better option. They decided to do it this afternoon as they didnt want him to be in pain. My vet said a payment plan was fine as i could pay him back by washing the windows lol.

Left bramble there to have his op. Got a phone call to say they had done the op but Bramble wouldnt wake up for the op. I think the big boy had made his own mind up. To go through all the heart ache last night and for him to go today is horrid.

I am in tears as he was only 2 years 1 month and 6 days old. The most gentle thing i have ever met but the funniest too. Binky free Bramble, love ya millions xxxxxxxxxxxx

Thankyou everyone their support xxxxxxxxxxxx

Just read this and I'm in tears for you I'm so so sorry

Sorry to hear this such a shame and so young.

He must have seen how it was affecting you and decided himself what was for the best.

Big hugs for you.

I am so sorry to read this. Binky free bramble x

I am so so sorry, I remembering reading your story yesterday. You did your very best. Bramble was a beautifull boy.

Thanks everyone I have been in tears all day. Think he had made his decision. just wish he hadnt cos i loved him soooooo much. Keep looking over to his hutch and run and its wrong that its empty.