Please help: Bunny hind leg pointing out

[KarenlovesRichard]

Hi folks,

My bunny’s left hind leg has been pointing out for two weeks (Please see the pic).

I took him to the vet the minute I found he was walking funny. He was X-rayed, but the vet said she could find nothing wrong with his bones. From her experience, she thought the reason was some kind of spiral injury. I keep my bunny free-roam, so he may probably hurt himself. The vet gave him Meloxicam, 2 doses of 0.5ml per day.

Besides that, he is eating and pooping fine. He looks active, he can run and jump now. Every now and then, he can collect this leg and sit in a normal position, but the pointing-out leg still troubles me. I’m not sure if he is in any kind of pain with Meloxicam given.

I’m wondering if anyone has been in the same place, please, please, please share with me any suggestions or insights 🙁

Thanks a lot in advance!

[KarenlovesRichard]

BTW, my bunny is 2 years old.

[Wick & Fable]

Was the vet who looked at the x-rays rabbit experienced? If your rabbit seems fine in all other cases and doesn’t seem to be in pain,  it may be there was an injury that has healed itself crooked but in a way that is OK moving forward. For example, one of my rabbit’s broke his middle finger and it healed pointed up and rotated, so it’s always sticking up.

If the vet who reviewed the x-rays was not rabbit experienced, I would recommend getting a second opinion. Perhaps there is a bone callous or something on the x-ray that may indicate a past injury.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[KarenlovesRichard]

Thanks a lot for your reply！

I think the vet should be experienced considering she’s the primary veterinarian of the clinic. But I’m considering to visit another one if the situation doesn’t improve.

The vet mentioned my bunny was in a good state. In the past two weeks, he even flop a lot.
It rings a bell when you say your bunny’s finger healed rotated. Actually that also happens to my bunny. His leg is not horizontally pointing out, it seems a bit rotated towards his side. I suspected it was a sprain because of that but was denied by my vet.
I can see some improvements during the past weeks. First few days he could barely raise his leg, but now he can scratch using that leg. So I’m thinking he may be healing in some way. But I’m wondering if that means his leg will always be that way. Is that what happens to your bunny?

[Wick & Fable]

For my rabbit, his toe will always be that way; however, it’s important to identify where the injury is and it’s nature. It healing a certain angle may rub up and cause issues somewhere else.

Is the clinic an exotic veterinary clinic or a dog/cat clinic? These are two different specializations.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[KarenlovesRichard]

The clinic is literally named “allpet” 😯 , I checked its reviews on Yelp, apparently my vet treats both cats, dogs, and small critters. So I render she’s not a rabbit specialist then.

I took my bunny there because this clinic was the first that took rabbits after so many calls had been made. Now I really doubt my choice. 🙁

[Bam]

I dont quite understand what the vet meant by spiral injury, did your autocorrect perhaps change the word spinal to spiral? Because a spiral fracture would show on x-rays. It would also require intervention such as a cast or at least a splint. (By spinal injury my guess is she could’ve meant a pinched nerve root).

I  dont quite see why the vet ruled out a sprain. A sprain (partially torn ligament/s) isn’t really seen in normal x rays, since ligaments are soft tissue.  A big (=complete rupture of ligament/s) would cause significant swelling due to bleeding into the tissue, and could also be seen in  normal x rays because there would be a bigger gap between the relevant bone endings – but a minor sprain doesnt necessarily have to cause significant swelling. Minor swelling would be difficult to see in a bun since the legs are very furry.

I asked a hoomin-physiotherapist, who has some rabbit experience. She suggested a soft tissue hip- or possibly a knee injury, involving the ligaments.

It seems to be healing up since your bun is regaining function of his injured leg, which is great. The foot position might not return to fully normal though, and as Wick says, problems could arise down the line, due to uneven distribution of body weight. It will for example be important to often inspect the paws for signs of sore hocks.

In order to find out if your bun is pain, you can try to observe his activity, or rather, when in the day he’s active. Metacam generally takes effect after 20-30 minutes. It is short lasting, esp in rabbits. If he is more physically active shortly after being given the metacam and markedly less active near the time when the next dose is due, it could mean that the injury is painful.

It is practically always better to see an exotics vet when you have a poorly bun, than an “all pets”-vet, because exotics vets have special training. Rabbits don’t seem very exotic, but they still fall into that category.

[KarenlovesRichard]

Hi Bam, thanks a lot for your insights, greatly appreciated.

Yes, I meant spinal injury, sorry for the misunderstanding (and thank you, autocorrect).

You are quite right, I’ve noticed there’s a potential sore in my bunny’s right hock. It’s not a sore yet, but the area is less furry due to the increased weight on the leg.

As for the method for pain check, he doesn’t seem in pain then. He follows his schedule, sleeps during the day, plays during the night, and eats all day, not particularly active after medication, but is generally active the whole day.

I’ve already scheduled an appointment in an exotic clinic listed on the House Rabbit Society website as mentioned by Wick, first thing in the morning. Hope it’s not too late now.

Will update after the appointment.

[Wick & Fable]

If you live in the US, the House Rabbit Society website has chapters nationally and their sites typically have rabbit experienced vets listed. The HRS website also has a general list in the US and select countries as well. Again, these are all rabbit experienced exotic vets.

You could potentially have your vet email your x ray and then you can send it somewhere for a second opinion!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[KarenlovesRichard]

Hi Wick, thanks again.

Yes, I live in the US. I found a vet in my area on the HRS website and scheduled an appointment (They are so kind to add me to their fully-booked schedule).

I phoned my former clinic for the x-ray email, they said they would send ASAP.

Taking my bunny to the new vet tomorrow, will update after that.

[DanaNM]

If the vet mentioned they treat small critters, you might clarify exactly how many rabbits they treat. I have typically had a very hard time finding a vet that is truly classed as “exotics”, but the vet could still have lots of rabbit experience (one of my favorite vets had training with horses but end up being great with rabbits after being trained by another rabbit vet). I agree with Bam though that it could be a soft tissue injury, esp since it seems to be healing on it’s own.

Have you restricted her space at all?

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[KarenlovesRichard]

Hi Dana, thanks a lot for your reply.

I got an appointment with an exotic animal vet, hoping for deeper insights this time.

As for the restriction, I didn’t strictly enforce that, because my bunny becomes really sad when he is not allowed to go out. So I kept him in his playpen half of the time, but also let him come out every day.

[DanaNM]

hopefully the other vet can give some more insight!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bam]

Please do keep us updated, we’d appreciate it very much! It’s of course very promising that he is regaining use of the foot (being able to scratch himself with it means he has both sensation and proprioception, as well as the required motor skills). It’s also very good that his activity level doesn’t drop as soon as the metacam starts to wear off. Even if he is not in pain, metacam can still be useful since it has anti-inflammatory properties, similar to ibuprofen for humans.

[KarenlovesRichard]

Hi folks, my husband took our rabbit to the new vet today and I’m here to update. BTW, my rabbit’s name is Richard.

The new vet clinic looks more professional than the old one. The vet x-rayed Richard’s swollen back leg and find the left ankle dislocated. I quote from the instruction: “There is still a significant amount of swelling in the area. As rabbits have strong back legs at his age and the injury happened 2 weeks ago, it may not heal”. (We found him walking funny on Jul, 19th and brought him to the old vet the day after, so more than 2 weeks.) She suggested strict rest for 6-8 weeks in a very small cage. “And if the ankle isn’t healing, the only course of action is to amputate the leg”. More Metacam was prescribed.

Richard is now restrained and his new cage of the size of 21’*18’*11′ will arrive on Saturday. He ate and pooped and peed. He’s not as active as usual back home, maybe because he’s terrified today and he’s limited to a very small area.

I called the old clinic several times yesterday for the x-ray to be emailed, they promised to send it by the end of the day, which never happened. I called in the morning again (My new vet also called 3 times) and they claimed their system was down so they could not send the x-ray any time soon. Therefore the new vet wasn’t able to review the old x-ray today to say how things have developed during the past two weeks.

Nothing can be done now besides restraining him and giving him medication. We’ll take him back for a recheck after 4 weeks, hope the ankle would heal and he can keep his leg.

Richard was adopted 2 months ago from the shelter. He was brought in by a kind samaritan. So I know little about his youth. He is the first pet both my husband and I have ever had. He is a sweet brave boy, as also described by the vet today. He brought so much joy to me like an angel. I would still look after him if the worst thing happens, but I imagine that would be a hard life for Richard. It’s not fair, he’s done nothing to deserve that and I find myself the only one to blame. The only thing he’s ever been is nothing but a treasure in my depression, I do hope he will get better.

Enough for the useless emotional talk, I do hope my experiences would serve as some kind of reference for new bunny parents. It is just crucial that you get a trustable vet in advance. We thought we were quite prepared that we did lots of research considering the diet, the habitat, etc. But I guess we ignored the most important thing—-the medical care when necessary. You just can’t be too prepared and it’s always better to prepare than to react.

Most importantly, if there’s anything you think would be helpful or any insights on the situation, please please do share that with me. I can not be more appreciated. Thank you again in advance.

[Bam]

I’m glad you got a proper diagnosis so you know what you are dealing with.

Amputation sounds a bit drastic to me, especially since he doesnt seem to be in pain, and he has regained quite a bit of function in the affected limb. It may be that the foot will always point out to the side, but that doesn’t have to be a disaster. Did the vet and you discuss a cast or splint at all?

It is unfair when accidents happen. They do happen though, both to children and animals. We can never prevent every possible bad thing that can happen.

It is important now that Richard doesn’t become depressed when he can’t do much. He will need your company extra. Maybe you can sit next to his cage and read or listen to music. You dont have to interact all the time, just be there.

 

[KarenlovesRichard]

The vet implied that if we could have brought him in earlier when we first noticed the problem, she might be able to apply a cast or splint. Or if Richard were younger, that would also be a choice. But her hands are limited now.

Thanks for your advice. I noticed Richard is very upset with the restriction, he even eats less. I will try to keep him accompanied.

[Hazel]

So they did pop the joint back in, right?

Agree with Bam, he should have a cast or something to keep the joint still and in place so it doesn’t keep popping out or moving while it’s trying to heal.

[KarenlovesRichard]

No, they didn’t.

The vet told us that the joint couldn’t be put back in and we could only keep his leg rested waiting for the bones to grow and heal. I feel a bit confused now.

[Wick & Fable]

Metacam should help with the swelling. As Bam mentioned, accidents do happen. Actually, I’m going through a very similar experience. My Wick, due to mishandling on our parts, broke his middle finger in late April. He was brought to the vet the next day and received the same instructions and prognosis: cage restriction, and if things don’t heal up well, then his paw needs to be amputated. There were some complications in healing (i.e. weight re-distribution caused him to injure another finger on that paw), so he is actually on cage restriction long term now– no more free-roam. Extra company is important to give your rabbit the best days while in cage restriction! I sit in Wick’s pen often, try to make food time “light” games, and try to give him more food variety to spice things up for him.

Did the vet mention anything about flooring considerations? If your rabbit is not a floor digger/chewer, I do a combination of 0.5in memory foam with a fleece fabric on top for Wick. This gives a little cushion. It was originally to keep his sore hocks in check, and is now fortuitously nice cushioning for his paw (I believe).

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[KarenlovesRichard]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Yesterday I was a bit too emotional, the word Amputation itself made me freak out completely.

Besides Metacam, I also ordered the Oxbow joint support supplement (not from the vet’s suggestion, just think it may help), but Richard dislikes it, he refused to eat even with the supplement soaked with fresh juice.

The vet didn’t mention flooring. We applied yoga mats and carpets for Richard when he was kept free-roam because we have hard floor. He is now kept in the playpen before the cage is delivered. I applied absorbent mats as a liner and then a layer of bedding mixed with litter. I applied his hay just on top of the bedding litter mixture to avoid his extra moving needed for a litter box.

I’m wondering if it is the right thing to do because the mixture can be wet with Richard’s discharge and with limited space, he may end up resting on wet stuff.

[Wick & Fable]

Re: a cast/splint, I know the recommendations can be mixed based on the nature of the injury and the rabbit’s healing progression. For Wick’s case, they opted not for a cast. While a cast might have led to it healing as a weight-bearing finger, we decided it would probably have actually caused him to pick at it and potentially worsen/aggravate the paw during recovery, versus leaving it alone and letting it heal in whatever direction it wanted to (but heal without being disturbed). This may have been the thoughts of your vet. Who knows.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[KarenlovesRichard]

Yes, maybe that’s the reason for my vet’s decision. But like you said, who knows. Just hope your Wick and my Richard would stay strong and recover soon.

[DanaNM]

I’m very glad you saw a more competent vet, but I’m sorry the news wasn’t better!

I do hope (and am optimistic) that a long rest period will help him heal in a way that helps his leg stabilize. I’m sure that’s what the vet is looking for. It makes sense to me that vet can’t do much now to put the joint back into place with such a long period between the injury and the treatment, as I’m sure there has been a lot of scar tissue build up. I’m guessing amputation would only be an option if the joint never stabilized, or did so in a way that caused worse problems with the leg down the road. So hopefully with less movement the leg can calm down and heal.

I know of a rabbit who had a serious leg injuries that was never treated (a bun brought into the shelter), who got around just fine (he looked like he had a “kick stand” leg). I also know of “tripod” buns who get around just fine. So whatever ends up happening, it’s good you are on a path to treatment and making sure he isn’t in pain any more!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[KarenlovesRichard]

Thanks for your kind words Dana. Fingers crossed for little Richard. I presume he may always have a pointing-out leg, just hope him not in pain.

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