Special Needs Bunny Recs

[Lis]

Hi!
We have an 8 wk old congenitally deformed bunny. (Mom & Dad live with us too and are fine). His hind legs are rotated so the face inward (the pads of his feet are facing his stomach). This creates a potty night mare.
He uses the potty area, most of the time, but gets soiled. His brother who had the same malformed legs, just died of what we think was an infection (maybe urinary).
I’m racking my brains on how to keep this one clean and dry. Right now he’s on a foam mat with a small cardboard box with paper shavings. The box is changed 2x a day and the mat is wiped down 2x a day. He still soils his legs (since he drags himself around) and we end up having to wash him off (vet recommmendations) and dry him with a blow dryer. He’s super sweet and gives lots of kisses.

I’m thinking of subscribing to the doggy potty and just having fresh grass there, but I’m concerned it will be moist. I’ve thought about putting a wool blanket down to decrease some of the moisture when he urinates. I’ve also thought about putting him in a wheelchair to keep his body off the ground (he drags himself around).
Any suggestions? I want to be able to keep his area as clean and dry as possible.

[Bam]

I’m very sorry your little bun has this deformity. Puppy pee pads could perhaps help him stay a bit dryer.

Most of our members here have little experience with baby buns, because we’re more of an adopted-bunnies-website. We simply might not have the expertise you seek. The forum RabbitsOnline has a section called The Rabbitry and Showroom, where you can find bunny breeders who may have raised bunnies with problems similar to your little guy’s. http://www.rabbitsonline.net/

There is a really good website for disabled bunnies called Disabled Rabbits. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/ It has lots of tips on how to make life comfortable for special needs buns.

[jerseygirl]

Have you looked into something like vetbed? The moisture is wicked away and collected in towel or puppypad or whatever is used underneath.

Are the hind legs rotated at the “knee”?. Im just curious if the vet has mentioned corrective surgery would be an option at some point.

[OverthinkingBun]

I saw a book called “When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care: Traditional and Alternative Healing Methods” available, which got really good reviews from rabbit owners. I haven’t read it but made a mental note that it exists for future reference (my bunny is currently healthy). This might be a good resource you could look into for your little guy.

I’m sorry to just mention a book and not have any real advice, but it sounds like maybe not a lot of people here know what to do in this case (myself included). Good luck!

[Mikey]

Im another user with a rabbit, Badger, who has deformed legs (splay leg) and other disabilities (cant gain or keep fat and muscle).

Dog potty pads can be very helpful as long as your bun doesnt like to dig or chew on flooring. Along with potty pads, a few layers of fleece blankets can really help keep bottoms dry, but youll need to wash them atleast once a day (possibly more often, depending).

I agree that getting a wheelchair made for him can help a lot! My Badger is going to need one as he gets older due to his disabilities.

[LittlePuffyTail]

OverthinkingBun- I have that book. It’s a really great resource for all bunny owners.

[SuperBunnyto]

Posted By OverthinkingBun on 10/25/2017 11:03 PM

I saw a book called “When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care: Traditional and Alternative Healing Methods” available, which got really good reviews from rabbit owners. I haven’t read it but made a mental note that it exists for future reference (my bunny is currently healthy). This might be a good resource you could look into for your little guy.

I’m sorry to just mention a book and not have any real advice, but it sounds like maybe not a lot of people here know what to do in this case (myself included). Good luck!

I have that book, and it has a lot of good information. It’s worth having it around. Also, while I don’t have disabled bunnies at the moment, I would think that a bunny wheelchair would be very useful, not just to help him with the poop situation, but for mobility. 

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