Possible leg injury

[sk2890]

Hello, my 6 month old rabbit randomly started to limp about 4 days ago. She isn’t putting too much weight on her back leg, and initially she would hold it up to her body. She isn’t showing any obvious signs of pain – she still is eating and drinking the same. I’ve since confined her to a smaller area to prevent her from injuring the leg more. It happened over the weekend and no emergency vets/hospitals in my area are treating rabbits. I’ve tried calling more vets in my area, and the ones that are treating rabbits don’t have any available appointments until about 3 weeks from now. Would it be fine to wait that long?

[Wick & Fable]

I would not wait that long. The longer you’re seeing it not improve, the more likely it is something serious, like a bone-break, and that is painful. I would suggest re-calling the rabbit vets in your area and outlining what’s happening and ask if they have emergency appointment slots, or if they could see you briefly enough to prescribe your rabbit pain medication for a potential broken paw in the mean time.

Restricting space is good. Make sure there is no jumping platforms and such in the restricted space as well. My Wick was confined to restricted space for a full month as he recovered from a broken finger.

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.

[sk2890]

I’ve tried recalling and explaining that I would need an earlier appointment as it could be an emergency. However, all they did was suggest I call other places to see if they could see me, but when I did call I was told that they don’t have any available slots until the end of the month. I’m not really sure what to do.

[Wick & Fable]

I’d say keep your rabbit to a restricted space that’s flat. Keep monitoring appetite, poop, and energy. It’s pretty important to get an x-ray to understand the situation, as well as get a hold of pain medication. Is it possible for you to extend your search radius and perhaps be willing to go a bit further to find a vet? The other option, while not ideal, is going to a dog/cat vet who is willing to see a rabbit. Ideally, your rabbit doesn’t need to be put under in order to have an x-ray taken, and if they prescribe medication, it’d likely be meloxicam (oral) for pain and inflammation management. With the x-rays taken, you could perhaps then easier send these to a rabbit vet for consult and recommendations for at-home treatment in the meantime. If there is an infection of the bone, an antibiotic may be prescribed, like enrofloxacin.

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.

[LBJ10]

I’m surprised they won’t even let you drop her off so she can be seen between appointments when the vet has time. That’s what my vet office does if it’s an emergency and they are booked up.

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