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Phantom(?) Paw injury

Truffton

Truffton

New Kit
Hi,

My bun, Daisy, has been holding her front paw up and avoiding putting weight on it. She puts weight onto it to hop but will pull it up when sat and only put it down at the last min.
She's let me examine it and I can't see or feel anything wrong. She's even let me put gentle pressure all along the leg and foot without any problems.
I know dogs use phantom injuries for attention, has anyone heard of rabbits doing this?! We're bonding at the moment so I don't really want to take her out for a vet visit :s (OBVIOUSLY I will if this continues though!)

Thanks
Hayley
 
It is highly unlikely that it is an 'attention seeking' ploy. There are other possible reasons apart from injury that may cause a Rabbit to display the behaviour you describe but only an examination by a Vet would be able to determine what is actually going on. Personally I would want to obtain help from a Vet sooner rather than later. Is your Rabbit eating and pooing OK and 'well' in every other way ?
 
Yep, totally fine in every other way.
She's usually pretty clear when she doesn't want me to touch her and I examined her leg without holding her so I'd normally expect her to run off if she didn't like it.
 
Truffton said:
Yep, totally fine in every other way.
She's usually pretty clear when she doesn't want me to touch her and I examined her leg without holding her so I'd normally expect her to run off if she didn't like it.
Click to expand...

How long has the problem been going on ?
 
My OH says it's been happening on and off for a little while but I've only noticed it since last night.
Her and the new bun had a little scuffle just before I noticed so I thought it was that.
She's still just as active, she's even venturing off get carpeted area onto our laminate which she knows she slips on so it's really not stopping her from doing anything.
 
Truffton said:
My OH says it's been happening on and off for a little while but I've only noticed it since last night.
Her and the new bun had a little scuffle just before I noticed so I thought it was that.
She's still just as active, she's even venturing off get carpeted area onto our laminate which she knows she slips on so it's really not stopping her from doing anything.
Click to expand...

Well if she were mine I'd ask my Vet to check her over even if it were only to put my mind at rest :)
 
I agree with a Vet examination but I had a rabbit which held one paw up. It was after she had lost her partner. Anyway the Vet concluded it was definitely a fracture so she had an x-ray which showed nothing. As time went by I was able to bond her with another rabbit and she stopped holding the paw up! :)
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Well if she were mine I'd ask my Vet to check her over even if it were only to put my mind at rest :)
Click to expand...

Yep, I think we'll be heading to a vet tomorrow, I want to take our newbie in anyway as he has a metal ring on his hind leg I want removed. A general check would be good for both too anyway.

Just wanted to check phantom injuries weren't a 'thing' with rabbits.
 
Last edited:
tonibun said:
I agree with a Vet examination but I had a rabbit which held one paw up. It was after she had lost her partner. Anyway the Vet concluded it was definitely a fracture so she had an x-ray which showed nothing. As time went by I was able to bond her with another rabbit and she stopped holding the paw up! :)
Click to expand...

That's really interesting as we lost her companion a few months ago and lost another bun two weeks ago during a bond.
We've got a pretty successful bonding going on now so maybe that will help.
 
Truffton said:
Yep, I think we'll be heading to a vet tomorrow, I want to take our newbie in anyway as he has a metal ring on his hind leg I want removed. A general check would be good for both too anyway.

Just wanted to check phantom injuries weren't a 'thing' with rabbits.
Click to expand...

Coming late to this thread, but I wouldn't think for a minute that a rabbit would hold a paw up in an attention seeking way! I did have a bun who did this for a while, and it was because OH trapped his leg in the door. OH didn't realise bunny was behind him when he pulled the door to. It didn't affect him in any other way and the behaviour stopped after a few days.

If it's continued longer than this/a reasonable healing time for a sprain, then let the vet have a look at it!

Good luck at the vets xx
 
No advice to add but ... awwwwwwwwwwwww ... what a pretty rabbit. Get well vibes coming her way.
 
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