A bunny on preloved was bought to my attention a week ago. Marked as 'disabled' having trouble with his back legs, but able to still get around. Not knowing what I was going to find I went to go and get him on Thursday. As soon as I saw him it was apparent something awful had happened to one of his back legs. Perhaps a terrible break that wasn't treated. It was confirmed not to be a birth defect by the lady I picked him up from. The accident had not happened whilst he was in her possession.
On Friday I booked him in with my normal vet. They have treated, spayed, vaccinated all of my rabbits since I moved to Essex. I asked for him to be vaccinated and to book him in for an X ray to see what we were dealing with with regards to his leg and spine, and to see what options may be available to help him, surgically or otherwise.
As soon as I removed Toby from his carrier, the vet said; This rabbit needs to be put to sleep to end his suffering. I offered to put him down on the floor to show one of his legs is functioning and it is just the other back leg we need to address. She said he wouldn't cope with 3 legs. He is a 1kg netherland dwarf who is 1 year old. He has everything going for him as a tripod bunny. If he was a 5 year old continental giant, I may have agreed with her. I said to her I have a lot of experience with rabbits and with all due respect to her as a vet, I do know what a rabbit in pain looks like, and how one behaves. This is not one.
She took him out the back and said she would refer to a colleague. She came back and said they agreed, there was nothing that could be done for him. I said to her I want to get a second opinion before making any decisions. The vet said she would call the RSPCA as this was a welfare issue about his quality of life. They had not bought Toby back out to me at this point. I had to ask 3 times and wait nearly an hour before they would return him to me. The vet says she is waiting for a call back from the RSPCA about this. I finally had Toby returned to the consulting room, and was asked not to leave. After another 15 minutes I instructed my boyfriend to leave with Toby and go immediately home and stay with him. Do not answer the door and do not leave the house. He snuck out the practice whilst reception were busy with Toby.
I waited another 15 mins and no one at the vets came out to update me. I politely informed reception that I had been there an hour and a half and I would be going now. I advised they were welcome to pass on all my contact details to the RSPCA and I would cooperate with anything they wanted to do.
Then the real work started. Toby is bright, eats well, moves, is curious about his surrounding, and he even gives grooms to humans. He does all the things I would expect of a normal rabbit, just a bit wonkily. He is not in pain. It was decided, with a friend, that we would move Toby to her house and the next morning he was booked in to see a vet at the Cambridge Veterinary Practice. We could not see exotic specialist Ian Cope but we felt it was important to get a second opinion asap and have him vaccinated for protection.
We spent the evening setting him up in her spare room, putting down mats so he could get traction and giving him space to move, things to climb on, all with the aim of building muscle in his good leg as he has been kept in an indoor cage recently and goodness knows what he was kept in before that.
This morning we visited Cambridge veterinary group. If they had assessed him and agreed with my vet, I would have of course done the humane thing for him. We were up front with the vet about why we were there and what happened. She thoroughly examined Toby, something my vet had not even attempted to do. She believes the back leg was broken very high up, and then healed twisted underneath him. He allowed her to examine and manipulate the leg without showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Without x ray yet, she believes we may be looking at an amputation to make it easier for him to get around, as currently he often catches the leg on things. She says he had a very full tummy! She agreed Toby does NOT need to be put to sleep. She agreed we should investigate further, allow him to build up strength in his leg and allow Ian Cope to assess him when he is back (only another week). She also, most importantly, said she would report the findings of her assessment to the RSPCA if asked. Most importantly for today, he was vaccinated.
I am expecting a call or visit from the RSPCA next week. Toby will not be here and I will not tell them where he is. He will be seeing Ian Cope in the next couple of weeks to assess him again and so that we can start to formulate a treatment plan for him.
No, Toby's life expectancy may not be that of a normal rabbit. But he fought through a terrible injury, alone, to survive. I am not giving up on him now. Always advocate for your rabbit.
If your heart tells you the vet is wrong, then LISTEN.
On Friday I booked him in with my normal vet. They have treated, spayed, vaccinated all of my rabbits since I moved to Essex. I asked for him to be vaccinated and to book him in for an X ray to see what we were dealing with with regards to his leg and spine, and to see what options may be available to help him, surgically or otherwise.
As soon as I removed Toby from his carrier, the vet said; This rabbit needs to be put to sleep to end his suffering. I offered to put him down on the floor to show one of his legs is functioning and it is just the other back leg we need to address. She said he wouldn't cope with 3 legs. He is a 1kg netherland dwarf who is 1 year old. He has everything going for him as a tripod bunny. If he was a 5 year old continental giant, I may have agreed with her. I said to her I have a lot of experience with rabbits and with all due respect to her as a vet, I do know what a rabbit in pain looks like, and how one behaves. This is not one.
She took him out the back and said she would refer to a colleague. She came back and said they agreed, there was nothing that could be done for him. I said to her I want to get a second opinion before making any decisions. The vet said she would call the RSPCA as this was a welfare issue about his quality of life. They had not bought Toby back out to me at this point. I had to ask 3 times and wait nearly an hour before they would return him to me. The vet says she is waiting for a call back from the RSPCA about this. I finally had Toby returned to the consulting room, and was asked not to leave. After another 15 minutes I instructed my boyfriend to leave with Toby and go immediately home and stay with him. Do not answer the door and do not leave the house. He snuck out the practice whilst reception were busy with Toby.
I waited another 15 mins and no one at the vets came out to update me. I politely informed reception that I had been there an hour and a half and I would be going now. I advised they were welcome to pass on all my contact details to the RSPCA and I would cooperate with anything they wanted to do.
Then the real work started. Toby is bright, eats well, moves, is curious about his surrounding, and he even gives grooms to humans. He does all the things I would expect of a normal rabbit, just a bit wonkily. He is not in pain. It was decided, with a friend, that we would move Toby to her house and the next morning he was booked in to see a vet at the Cambridge Veterinary Practice. We could not see exotic specialist Ian Cope but we felt it was important to get a second opinion asap and have him vaccinated for protection.
We spent the evening setting him up in her spare room, putting down mats so he could get traction and giving him space to move, things to climb on, all with the aim of building muscle in his good leg as he has been kept in an indoor cage recently and goodness knows what he was kept in before that.
This morning we visited Cambridge veterinary group. If they had assessed him and agreed with my vet, I would have of course done the humane thing for him. We were up front with the vet about why we were there and what happened. She thoroughly examined Toby, something my vet had not even attempted to do. She believes the back leg was broken very high up, and then healed twisted underneath him. He allowed her to examine and manipulate the leg without showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Without x ray yet, she believes we may be looking at an amputation to make it easier for him to get around, as currently he often catches the leg on things. She says he had a very full tummy! She agreed Toby does NOT need to be put to sleep. She agreed we should investigate further, allow him to build up strength in his leg and allow Ian Cope to assess him when he is back (only another week). She also, most importantly, said she would report the findings of her assessment to the RSPCA if asked. Most importantly for today, he was vaccinated.
I am expecting a call or visit from the RSPCA next week. Toby will not be here and I will not tell them where he is. He will be seeing Ian Cope in the next couple of weeks to assess him again and so that we can start to formulate a treatment plan for him.
No, Toby's life expectancy may not be that of a normal rabbit. But he fought through a terrible injury, alone, to survive. I am not giving up on him now. Always advocate for your rabbit.
If your heart tells you the vet is wrong, then LISTEN.
Last edited:
