Will my rabbit give me signs that she’s hurt?

[Skeeternosky]

My rabbit has emotions, of course she does, but they’re sometimes hard to read.  I can tell when she’s hyper, happy to see me, hungry, and POed.  Every time I step into the pen area, she immediately comes to my feet (if her cage is open) and runs in circles around my ankles.  I’m tall, and quite a clumsy person…and unfortunately I wasn’t holding onto anything when I stepped over the two-foot tall crate…and she managed to get right under my foot.  Trying to catch myself, I ended up putting most of my weight onto one of her feet.

I feel horrible, but she didn’t seem to be hurt.  She still hopped around a bit, but I can’t help feeling worried that I’ve left it for too long…and maybe she was injured all along.  She seems alert, but when I touch that leg when she has it stretched out, she always pulls away.  I sort of figured it was just because they might not like their feet being touched…

GAH.

Some suggestions?

[Skeeternosky]

Er…help?

[Scarlet_Rose]

Ooo eek. Rabbits since they are prey animals will try to hide if they are hurt because a predator will single them out. It sounds like her foot might be injured (it could just be soft tissue damage) but a bone would be fractured or broken.  She’s putting weight on it though.  You might want to schedule an appointment with the vet to have it x-rayed just to be sure.  I would hate to see her foot heal incorrectly.

[Beka27]

i don’t know if she’ll be able to convey to you that she’s hurt.  i know dogs can be hurt for a long time and you won’t always know. 

[Skeeternosky]

I will try my best about scheduling an appointment, but the only vet who actually sees rabbits is out of the way.  I’ll save up money for gas and such…cause my rabbit is definately worth it. ^^

[BinkyBunny]

It is normal for a bunny to pull their leg away when you try to touch it, but IF her foot is broken she would do that too.   Rabbits are experts at hiding injury – it’s part of their prey instincts.

Have you noticed that she hops funny or is licking it more than normal?  Is she leaning towards one side more than another?  Is she eating okay?  Is she grinding her teeth?

How long ago did this actually happen?

One thing about a foot injury is if it is broken, and it’s not reset soon, it may never be able to be reset.  Do you have friends or family members that could help you out in this situation?  I am thinking that if you have to save for gas money, you may have a problem with the vet bill for this too.  Bunnies are not cheap patients.

I have a tip that may help those of us who are not financially prepared for emergencies.  Get a credit card for just this kind of thing – emergencies only.   Then get pet insurance.  I use VPI.  It’s about 11 bucks a month, but they will pay for about 70% of the bill (anything but parasitic diseases etc )  http://www.petinsurance.com   That way, you can pay with the credit card, put the claim in for the insurance and a few weeks later when you get the payment from the insurance company, you can pay the credit card bill with it.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Thanks Binky Bunny! You are such great help! I was wondering about pet insurance, but had heard from many people (on another rabbit forum based in the uK-maybe that is why?) that the insurer will pretty much deny any claim on the basis that it was “pre-existing” etc…

I figured I would rely on my ‘rents if something were to happen (About a year ago my brother’s brand new kitten required emergency vet care and the bill was in the four figure range-my parents defo had to help him out!!! :0 )…But pet insurance that works and is affordable is a much better option for me! I am going to look into that asap and get it! Thanks again for the help!!

[MsBinky]

Does she put weight on it? The best way to know would be to watch how she lands after a jump

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

Hey Binkybunny! Do you know any other animal insurance company that’s good? I just tried to get a quote at VPI but they don’t accept senior dogs. I’ve been looking for an insurance company that I can enroll ALL my animals. Many of them wont accept small animals.

[MooBunnay]

As some other people have mentioned, I think you will be able to tell if your bunny has hurt her leg because she will be hopping around funny. My bunnies also jump up and feetie flick me away when I get near their feet, so its not unusual for a bunny to not like that! How has your bunny been doing as far as walking and hopping?? Also, is your bunny eating normally? Sometimes bunnies have trouble eating when they are in pain.

[BinkyBunny]

Sep1118 – Aw! That’s such a bummer! Insurance companies in general can really drive me crazy! Epecially for seniors! Animal and human alike! Anyway…I got sidetracked there. I am sorry, I have used VPI for so long – even before they required a wait. You used to be able to just get your pets insured no questions asked, now I understand they require a waiting period. But VPI has always been good and timely about paying claims, so I never looked for another. I am sorry I don’t have another to recommend.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Starting a pet insurance thread…

[MarkBun]

Is it one of her back feet?  If so, you could try to have her raise up for a treat.  My rabbit loves to stand on her hind legs whenever a treat is about to be given.  If the back foot is injured, I’d imagine they won’t rear up, or have trouble rearing up.

If it’s a front foot, although people may be against this, what I do to check (because my bunny has done some silly things in the past) is to hold her and then lightly squeeze her front paw with a gentle pressure.  If it’s broken, I would expect a major reaction from her.

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