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Rabbit with broken front leg

soolloo1

New Kit
Hi, my poor rabbit (who is 10 months old) broke his front leg in two places 2 weeks ago when the hutch lid fell down. He is a Netherland Dwarf. One bone pierced the skin but the wound has now fully healed. The leg has been put in a double splint and bandage which was quite difficult as he is still quite small. The bandages are changed twice weekly. He was examined during the week and vet thinks there is too much "play" in the leg and the bones are not healing. I am trying to avoid having the leg amputated. My rabbit is a house rabbit and is used to a lot of attention. I am keeping him in his hutch and trying to restrict his movement and keeping him quiet, although I am talking to him/stroking him throughout the day because he likes company. Does any one have any suggestions/how long to keep trying to get the leg to mend itself. He seems happy in himself and is now eating OK. He is on pain relief and antibiotic. Many thanks.
 
Parsnip broke his elbow and my bunny specialist referred him to a specialist orthopaedic vet. It might be worth doing the same in your case.

Before going down the amputation route, it might be worth seeing if the leg can be pinned and plated - there's a great article in this month's Rabbiting On magazine from the Rabbit Welfare Association.

But if all else fails, rabbits can do exceptionally well on three legs. I had a bunny with a hind leg amputation and you'd hardly have known - she was just as active as a four-legged bunny :D. Sorry I can't answer your original question as I'm not a vet but I really hope your bunny makes a full recovery.
 
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I think pinning it sounds like a good option too.
If you're ever unhappy with a vet's opinion it's always a good idea to get a second opinion. An exotic specialist might be better in this case as they are usually better at pinning smaller bones.

Sometimes people go for amputation because it is easier on the rabbit rather than having weeks and weeks in a cast.
 
I'm sorry to hear about your bunny. :( My rabbit, Alfie, dislocated his hock 18 mths ago, so I know the sort of worries you will have been going through.

Has your vet mentioned the possibility of pinning? It's not always possible depending on the type of break and especially with a small bunny but it may be worth getting a second opinion as already suggested.

Just wanted to add too that bunnies often do really well on 3 legs so, if it does come to that, it's not necessarily a bad thing and he can still enjoy a good quality of life. :)
 
Rabbit with broken leg

Thank you so much for your replies. My vet has suggested the possibility of having the leg pinned but as the bones are so small, there is concern that the bones may crack and not be able to hold a pin in place. Pin and plate would seem a sensible option however, I was quoted over £1,000 for this sort of procedure. I was wondering if this procedure is successful in small rabbits (Netherland Dwarf) and if this sort of price is correct?? Also, my rabbit has become a little aggitated today at having the splint on and is trying to chew it off and shaking the leg a lot. I am hoping he is not causing himself further injury! I have moved him into a pet carrier to try to restrict his movement for the time being and will pop him back in his hutch tonight.
 
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but you have been given painkillers to take home?
 
Rabbit with broken leg

Hi, yes I've been given painkillers and antibiotics. He needs one dose of each once a day via syringe. He was so good two weeks ago at taking his medicine because he was quite poorly but I can tell he is feeling better as it is much more difficult getting it down him now!! I've been so worried about him - he is a little character. He wouldn't eat last week and I had several trips to the vet which finally sorted him out (had to syringe feed him every hour for a day) and got him eating and pooing again and he really perked up. As I said, he just seems to have become a little aggitated with it today. Am obviously very worried about taking him back to the vet next week and the prognosis.
 
Is Baytril the abx they've given you? You may find it easier to mash it in with some banana. I have one rabbit who I can NOT syringe, she hates anything by her mouth so that's what we do for her. Baytril tastes quite yucky as well so for Baytril with all of them we put it with some narna.
 
Hi, I've just checked and it is Baytril that I have been given as well as Metacam. I have tried him on banana in the past and he hasn't touched it but it is definately worth giving it another go. Many thanks for your help!
 
The other trick that sometimes works is syringing it into a bit of bread. :) As a general rule they shouldn't have bread, but the odd bit for meds is ok.
 
Baytril is quite bitter (I've tasted it :oops:). As Schuette said, if you can hide it in food they will often take it that way - and it helps if your bunny is a greedy pig!

£1000 doesn't sound too badly priced for a pin and plate. Alfie is around 1.6kg, so still on the small side, and has a pin running through the bones in his foot (from ankle to toes), so it is possible to do but quite a complex procedure.
 
Mini's op to repair her dislocated hip was £250, it wasn't as major an op though, they just broke a section of bone so that it would naturally make itself a new joint. I'll be honest, I didn't listen to the ins and outs, I was too busy trying desperately not to faint, I don't do well with joint talk. :oops:
 
Hi, thank you so much for your reply. Ive had a lot of positive feedback and its nice to know I am not alone. I feel rather helpless but am trying to do the best I can by him. He has broken two bones in his front leg just above his paw. I am reassured that this sort of procedure can be done albeit complex and obviously more difficult on a smaller rabbit. I hope Alfie and Mini made a full recovery and there are no obvious after effects from having surgery/a pin put in (ie joint pain etc). How was the recovery process - obviously I am playing a waiting game at the moment. I was wondering how long I wait to see if the bones will mend themselves - if at all possible. He is going to vets next week for further x-rays.:wave:
 
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Hi, thank you so much for your reply. Ive had a lot of positive feedback and its nice to know I am not alone. I feel rather helpless but am trying to do the best I can by him. He has broken two bones in his front leg just above his paw. I am reassured that this sort of procedure can be done albeit complex and obviously more difficult on a smaller rabbit. I hope Alfie and Mini made a full recovery and there are no obvious after effects from having surgery/a pin put in (ie joing pain etc). How was the recovery process - obviously I am playing a waiting game at the moment. I was wondering how long I wait to see if the bones will mend themselves - if at all possible. He is going to vets next week for further x-rays.:wave:

Sorry, I should say Mini's op was very different. She dislocated her hind hip joint and they didn't put a pin in, they just broke part of the joint which allowed her body to naturally create a new joint. You wouldn't know it though to look at her.
 
I was told that the bones would heal quite quickly; if they aren't lined up though, then I would imagine that isn't going to happen.

With Alfie's op he had a pin inserted from his ankle to his toes, to stablise the hock and he was on cage rest for 6 weeks or so afterwards to allow new bone growth to form all around the pin.

After that, he was re-introduced slowly to gentle exercise and allowed back outside (although the little horror had other ideas and decided to do mad laps around the run the first time I put him in it :roll: :lol:).

He has recently developed a sore hock on the other back leg (most likely as a result of uneven weight bearing) so we have introduced soft flooring to help but apart from that you wouldn't even know.

Mackers has a bunny who had a pin and plate, so would be able to give you more info on that procedure. Her rabbit had to have the plate removed some months afterwards because of some problems but is an elderly bunny and still doing very well.

So much depends on where the break is and the extent of the damage so I would be guided I think by the vet's opinion on what would be for the best. Do let us know how you get on. :love:
 
Thank you so much for all your info - its the first time I have had a rabbit and I am obviously devasted he has had such a nasty accident. I want to do all I can to make sure he is comfortable and happy!! I am reassured that there might be other options. He has to go back to the vets next week for further X-rays. :wave:

Parsnip broke his elbow and my bunny specialist referred him to a specialist orthopaedic vet. It might be worth doing the same in your case.

Before going down the amputation route, it might be worth seeing if the leg can be pinned and plated - there's a great article in this month's Rabbiting On magazine from the Rabbit Welfare Association.

But if all else fails, rabbits can do exceptionally well on three legs. I had a bunny with a hind leg amputation and you'd hardly have known - she was just as active as a four-legged bunny :D. Sorry I can't answer your original question as I'm not a vet but I really hope your bunny makes a full recovery.
 
I don't have any advice, I just wanted to say lots of positive vibes for your little one and a big hug for you.
 
Hi

we have had a bun with a complex break to his right hind leg.

It was a very bad break indeed and needed two plates (or was it 4??? cannot recall now) and 26 pins (internally); which were then taken out again some months later.

the cost was quite high (in fact £3,800 just for the initial op) BUT this was because our usual vet surgeon was on holiday so he had to be referred on to a specialist vet centre that charged a lot more than our vets. At our own vets it would have been nearer £500 plus £100 plus for the following ops and then consults etc on top of that.

However i would say that it is a tricky op (even more so for a little one) and I would ask up front how many ops like this your vet has done and if the answer is not many then search out another more experienced vet.

We are in Cambridge and can thoroughly recommend our surgeon (who is not on hols now:)) but there will be other around the country as well.

good luck and PM me if you need more info as I do not usually re-check threads.

PS Bun is very well and frisky and leg is fantastic 3 years on . . he was walking on it quite quickly afterwards and has no problems at all now.
 
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