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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Has anyone ever had a rabbit with a broken leg?

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    • Yuki Kathleen
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        This morning I woke up to find my bun, Milo, flopped over funny with his head resting in the food bowl. I picked him up to make sure he was alright, but when I set him down, he toppled over. I am afraid he may have a broken leg.

        I have already called my local rabbit society and also our vet. 

        Does anyone have an info on this?


      • Sarita
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          Hi Yuki, I hope he is okay.

          It really could be a couple of things and the absolute best thing to do is to get him to the vet as soon as possible to have him examined. I’m sure if it’s broken, he is in tremendous pain and needs to be seen immediately – don’t wait for calls back, gather him up and just take him into the vet. It’s an emergency that requires swift action rather than waiting for calls back or answers from a forum.

          It’s really too soon to know what is problem is and if it is indeed a broken leg, so much depends on which leg, if it’s a crack, a fracture, etc…

          Please get him to the vet asap and keep us updated.


        • Yuki Kathleen
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            We have called the vet and I was told to have my parents call back tonight, and the doctor would be able to figure out what the next step should be. My mom absolutely LOVES Milo, and has agreed to pay for the expenses. (About $350) i was so happy. Hopefully we will be able to set up an appt for tomorrow to get his leg set. Currently I have him in a box with blankets and hay/food etc. He hasn’t eaten yet, so I am now looking for places I can get critical care. Milo is very strong and is holding up well at the moment.
            Thank you!


          • Sarita
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              Please keep us updated. Vibes to Milo. Try hand feeding some greens that he likes and see if he’ll eat that way. Maybe try breaking them to release some fragrance.


            • Yuki Kathleen
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                I am so torn apart right now, Milo passed away. Im glad he is out of his pain though. My close friend who also has a rabbit is coming over soon, i’m glad I will be able to be with someone, because both my parents are at work.
                My main concern now, is that my other two rabbits are healthy, so I will be taking them both in to the vet asap, incase Milo had an illness that they could get. I am worried that Bugsy will become lonely, because he grew up with his brothers, and after I adopted him, he has always had Milo right by his side. They were really close.

                Thank you so much for all the help and support, I will keep you updated on how Bugsy and Maybelline is doing.


              • Sarita
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                  Oh Yuki, hugs to you. I’m so sorry. The only way to know what caused Milo’s death is to do a necropsy…you would have to get his body to the vet asap though. That might be the best way to see if there is anything he had that the other 2 could possibly catch. Call and ask the vet’s office about this.

                  I know you mentioned bonding a trio but perhaps because you now have Maybelline, Bugsy will be responsive to being with her if that is any consolation.


                • Beka27
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                    I’m so sorry. They can go so fast.

                    Binky free, Milo!


                  • Yuki Kathleen
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                      Thank you<3

                      Bugsy is eating and drinking, and is still decently active. He does seem abit lonely and sad, but he seems healthy. Maybelline is fine. They interacted a bit today, and It went alot better than the other times, i think I will try again soon, but I am going to give Bugsy some time. My mom will be calling the vet tomorrow to set up an appt. This weekend we will be burying Milo at our cabin, and having a small funeral for him.


                    • smoggy
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                        Hi Yuki
                        I am so sorry to hear about Milo, what a terrible shock you must have had and so sad.
                        I may be wrong and i can understand you saying that you’d like to give Bugsy some time, but personally i would be inclined to get started straight away trying to bond Bugsy and Maybelline as much as possible…I reckon that this would be benefical, not only a welcome distraction but if it works then its a kindness too. Perhaps you could take them to a bath together (without the water), bring treats and a yummy peice of banana which they can nibble on together if you hand feed them. The bath makes them feel insecure and they are therefore likely to look to each other for comfort and it might bring them closeness and get them to cuddle and groom each other. Loads of praise from you, stroking and kissing really helps! (I did this exercise with our bunnies who were fighting in our kitchen. They didn’t like this area as it has slippy tiled floors, so they huddled together and successfully bonded.) They is lots of bonding stuff you can do daily to give them a kick start. There is plenty of bonding advice out there if you wish to check it out.
                        Best of luck with your funeral and with the vet appointment for the bunnies, it would be very interesting to know what Milo died of (will you take Sarita’s advice and bring him in with you for a necropsy) and see if it was contagious. Best of luck, as said…
                        Jackie


                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                          I just want to offer my condolences on the loss of little Milo. ((((((hugs to you and your other bunnies)))))

                          ((((Binky Free Milo))))


                        • Sarita
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                            I agree about staring the bonding – it may be the best thing to do at this point if you are concerned about loneliness. Sometimes that is better for rabbits rather than waiting as we humans do since we grieve in a different way.


                          • smoggy
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                              Thats what i was thinking re the grief, even if the Buns don’t manage to bond as you may wish, then i think it is no harm giving it a shot and in doing so, it will hopefully distract the little ones from their loss and i am sure everyone agrees that bunnies do feel sadness and are capable of getting depressed just like we do…


                            • Yuki Kathleen
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                                Thanks for the advice, I will be starting bonding today then! Bugsy has been doing very well, I checked up on him a lot yesterday, and he is now regularly eating and drinking. Also I have been offering him pieces of papaya and parsley, and he still loves to come to me for them. I gave him a stuffed rabbit toy that I had as a child that looks really realistic. I wasn’t quite sure if it would do anything, but so far I have noticed him spending alot of time sitting next to it. At any rate, until he can bond with Maybelline, at least he will have something to snuggle up to.
                                My mom is calling the veterinarians office today to set up an appointment, I would like to get a necropsy on Milo, but we had to put him in a freezer yesterday as it was extremely hot out yesterday, and he was already attracting flies I dont think it would work after he has been frozen..

                                Thank you to everybody for your support, I have been feeling better today. I think the hardest part is having to come home and see Bugsy all alone, but I am getting used to it. Thanks again!


                              • Sarita
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                                  It may Yuki – just ask the vet.

                                  Keep us updated on everything.


                                • Yuki Kathleen
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                                    I just called my mom to have her ask the vet if it is possible


                                  • Yuki Kathleen
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                                      So we have gotten back from the vet, and here is what I found out.
                                      Milo did not die from a broken leg, in fact, there was nothing wrong with his legs, or any other part of his body on the outside. The problem had been in his stomach. Milo had eaten more hay than a rabbit could handle, and was having trouble digesting it. The doctor had me switch from orchard grass (which he said was too dry) to alfalfa, and increasing their pellet intake . I wasn’t exactly jumping at the thought of giving my rabbits alfalfa and more pellets, but he told me that the alfalfa held much more moisture, and was easier on a rabbits digestive system. Along with (Not as much) hay, the bunnies will be getting most of their nutrition from veggies now on, so I would say they will get at least 2-3 cups a day. It will be more work, because veggies run out quickly and are expensive, but my mom and I are going to start a vegetable garden. Bugsy so far is not to keen on the alfalfa, but i mixed in a tiny bit of orchard grass so he could get used to it, Maybelline on the other hand loves it!


                                    • Sarita
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                                        I have to question whether your vet is familiar with rabbits? Grass hay such as orchard and timothy is the largest portion of a rabbit’s diet and it aids in digestion. What your vet said as well about the pellets is going against what most vets who are familiar with rabbits suggest for digestion. Pellets should be the absolute smallest part of the rabbit’s diet. I know you mentioned you got Maybelline from a rescue – I would discuss this vet’s findings with them since you know them personally trust them.

                                        Did they refer you to this vet?


                                      • Yuki Kathleen
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                                          Yes, my vet is very familiar with rabbits. They are the same place I had the neutering done, and the doctor has been working with animals (including rabbits) for a very long time.


                                        • Sarita
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                                            How is Bugsy doing?


                                          • Monkeybun
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                                              I have to agree, sounds like this vet doesn’t really know what rabbits need regarding hay and pellets.


                                            • LBJ10
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                                                I’m sorry for you loss of Milo. I too am concerned about what the vet said. Alfalfa isn’t really recommended for adult rabbits because it is so high in protein. What your vet said it the complete opposite of what most rabbit vets would say. With the symptoms that you described Milo having, I would push for some tests to make sure your other rabbits don’t have something. Unless there is more to this than what I am reading. Did he have a loss of coordination? Did he seem dizzy or partially paralyzed? That is what I think when I read what your wrote in your first post.


                                              • smoggy
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                                                  Hi, so the vet found all this undigested hay in Milo’s stomach? Isn’t the ratio supposed to be 70% fibre and 30% pellets/veg, something like that…Is the reason the vet has suggested LESS hay (usually its unlimited amounts) is because this was all Milo was eating and this became harmful to him. What about fresh water, had you noticed whether he had stopped drinking or pooing? Perhaps it is a balance the vet is aiming for…


                                                • Yuki Kathleen
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                                                    Bugsy seems fine, he looks a little bored, but he is still eating and drinking and comes for a treat or his salad


                                                  • Yuki Kathleen
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                                                      I am a bit worried about if this would be the correct diet too…the doctor seemed very sure that alfalfa would help to make sure that the rabbits digestive system to make sure that any of the old orchard grass would not be clogging them up. I think maybe the reason the orchard grass i was giving them was bad, is that it was fresh from a farm, and so it was very course and tough. The store bought hay might be easier for a bunny to digest, because it is made for them…what do you think? Maybe I could feed them store bought timothy or orchard, with alfalfa as treats to help their digestion??? Im not sure….but I will be increasing their veggie intake like he said, because he said another reason Milo could have been plugged up was because the hay was very dry, and veggies are very moist and will also help with digestion.
                                                      Bugsy is doing very well.


                                                    • LBJ10
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                                                        I’m not understanding what you mean by “easier to digest”. Fiber is extremely important in rabbits. Not just any fiber, but the long fiber strands that are found in hay. Alfalfa is lowest in fiber out of all the hays (it isn’t really a grass) and can also lead to an “overdose” in calcium and protein. So that is why I’m not understanding the logic your vet was presenting. I don’t see how alfalfa is easier to digest. In rabbit terms, anyway.


                                                      • Yuki Kathleen
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                                                          https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/120766/Default.aspx

                                                          Ok, so I did alot of research and talking to other people. Above is a link to another forum post I just did about what I am thinking for the rabbits new diet…also I am planning on switching vets because, yeah, i’m not really sure what he was thinking…
                                                          Anyway, would you mind taking a look at it and letting me know if you would think its healthy?


                                                        • RabbitPam
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                                                            Saw your other post about diet earlier and I think it’s good. You have several replies there now.

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                                                        Forum BEHAVIOR Has anyone ever had a rabbit with a broken leg?