Our family bunny jumped from my sons hands Saturday and landed on her back. We brought her to the vet and confirmed through x-ray that it is broken we just don\'t know if the spin is severed or not. She is only 6month and very affectionate as well as tolerant of human handling. She is eating and drinking as well as moving her bowels this morning but we still have yet to see her urinate. It could be because she has not really drank any thing until today. The vet was not trained to specialize in Rabbits and was referring to her injury as though she was a cat or dog.
My question is if any on has heard of a rabbit living through this type of tragedy and if so if they were able to have a good quality of life with lots of care?
Our bunny is paralyzed from the imd back down but both my son and I have seen her move her tail and stretch her legs slowly. We are still questioning if this was just nerve spasms.
Oh I\'m so sorry about your bunny\'s accident. I\'m sure you and your son were so scared and still very nervous. I am going to let the experts on this board handle this one because they are so much more knowledgeable, but I wanted to let you know that we are hoping for the best for your bunny.
In wondering what we would do in this situation, I am reminded of our recent ordeal with our 17 year old cat who was in a similar situation. Our vet reminded us that sometimes the most humane thing you can do for an animal is to put it down. It about killed us, but we felt it was the right thing. Best of luck to you and keep us posted.
An devastating injury such as a broken spine is a hard thing to deal with. Rarely I have heard of bunnies living for some time following such an injury, but often there are complications that will occur as a result.
This is a personal decision you and your vet will have to make.
Best wishes...
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
Thank you very much for both of your replies. We are still researching for information on this sort of injury and all comments are welcome. Last night we met with a specialist who reviewed our bunnies injury it appears through the x-ray that she does have a severed spinal cord but most likely do to her age and some miracle she is still able to eat drink and move her bowels normally. Last night she also started to urinate on her own. She is still happy and not in any pain so we have decided to find her some wheels to help her get around. Until we are able to do so she has opted to still move around the house freely by using her front legs and dragging her back legs till she gets to were she wants. The handicap does not seem to be slowing her down.
There will most likly be complications further in to her life and we will have to address them as they happen but for now we are happy we still have her with us.
I had a rabbit with a broken back and he was a happy little guy. Sometimes I would have to confine him to his cage because he would wear the fur off part of his butt from running around so much. He also had problems cleaning himself and would have problems with body sores. If I would have been able to attend to all of his need, I never would have put him to sleep. Good luck with your rabbit.
So sorry to hear that! Hope it get better soon. I have a book with a picture of a diabled house rabbit. It is ok and is 5 years old. I know your\'s will be ok.
Best Wishes.
HI there. Just let me say that you have the heart of a saint and are an inspiration. I know of a link that talks about disabled buns andhow to care for them, it is:
http://www.catsandrabbitsandmore.com/bijou_the_bunny
\"Bijou\" the bunny is disabled too but they are really making accommodations for her/him...it\'s so touching.
Also, I don\'t know where you live, Dutchess, but I know there are lots of websites available for help. I read of one with links to veterinary studies...called
http://www.veterinarypartners.com
Good luck and I hoped this helped or will help you find some of the answers you might be looking for!
Thank you so much for all your comments. It will help us tremendously with our Bunny. Currently She is happy as can be and all seams to be well. My son and I have been bathing her every day to reduce the risk of skin infection on the hind end that she is currently dragging. My son has been cleaning her cage morning and night. We have her on a bath carpet or old cut up blankets so that it lessons the risk of sores. So far so good.
Its great to hear about productive web sites on bunnys there are so few out there that really have correct and usefull information.
When I had my disabled rabbit, I used a dog cage with a pull out tray on the bottom for his cage. I got some hardwire cloth from a building supply store, the stuff they use on the bottoms of wire cages, and wired it in about 2 inches from the bottom to create a wire bottom cage. I covered the wire with newspaper which absorbed the urine, and because air could reach the bottom, his cage stayed dryer longer. I had to scatter some hay on the paper to keep him from destroying the paper.