Winston Smith broke his leg.

[WinstonSmithsMom]

Hey, everyone! I’m new here on the BinkyBunny Forums! I am the bun mom of a 5-month-old split-Chin Netherland Dwarf. He is such a sweet little man, but he is in distress right now.

Last week, Winston Smith broke his leg. I’ll admit, I did not stay calm…I panicked. I immediately started calling vet after vet to find a) a vet that sees rabbits and b) a vet that would see me as soon as humanly possible (it was late afternoon/early evening so a lot of places were closing/closed). I was finally able to get an appointment for first thing the next morning.

I was having financial difficulties, so I explained that to the clinic before I even came in and they did what they could to help out with costs. They were able to feel the break in his leg without X-rays, so they did confirm. Then they gave me 4 options. They could do surgery and put pins in the leg ($700-900, which wasn’t an option for me at that moment). They could amputate, but it was something they highly discouraged in such a young bun (amputation isn’t even something I would consider, except in the most extreme case), they could do the X-rays, manipulate the bone, put bun under anesthesia, and splint it ($300, which I couldn’t pay at that exact moment), or they could send him home with Metacam and I could put him in a tiny crate with almost no area for movement and let it heal on its own. Due to my limited funds, I got the pain meds and I brought Mr. Smith home.

By the next day, I realized that there was no way this was going to work. First and foremost, Winston is just like any other baby…He’s curious and restless and he DOES NOT WANT TO SIT STILL!!  Even with the tiny crate (he’s literally in a milk crate), he is finding every way that he can to move. I put towels in to take up some space….he moved the towels to a position that he could move around more. One day I found him lounging, completely flat on his back, giving himself a bath!! Thank goodness his sweet spirit hasn’t been broken by any of this. Also, I couldn’t stand the thought of him being in there for 3 whole weeks with that little leg broken like that. So, after doing A LOT of research, I applied for an Urgent Care grant from RedRover (bless their souls…donate to them if you are looking for a great organization!) and I started a GoFundMe account. By the next day, I had enough money to get his little leg set and splinted and all of the subsequent follow-up care visits. The only problem is, they can’t get him in until Thursday. I’m still giving him his Metacam every day and he is still in his little space, just so that he doesn’t further injure himself before Thursday.

He seems to me to be a little bit depressed the last day or two. Like I said before, he is NOT happy about not being able to explore and play. I got him out last night and let him sit on my chest for some cuddles.  He gave me a bath….little bunny kisses all over my chin, neck, and arms.  Such a sweet little dude! Any advice on how I can cheer him up without moving him around, other than snacks? Has anyone else dealt with a bunny with a broken leg? Any advice on that front?

Sorry my first post is so long…I had a lot to say!

[Bam]

I’m so sorry Winston broke his leg! It’s good if you give him lots of attention and affection now, it disperses boredom plus it adds greatly to a bun’s wellbeing. That’s important for the immune system. Rabbit bones as a rule heal very well, and Metacam isn’t a strong painkiller, so the break is probably well aligned or he’d be in more pain.

You do have to keep him confined to his cage for the nearest couple of weeks, because he cant put weight on his leg until new bone has formed and hardened. If you can get him apple twigs from trees that havent been treated with pesticides, he might appreciate that. Twigs function rather like bones do for a dog – it’s both food and an activity. My Bam likes chewing the bark of apple twigs. It’s healthy, so it’s not an unhealthy treat.

You could try giving him a plush bunny, unless he’s the type of bun that eats stuff like plush toys. Get one for small children, they’re often the most durable and don’t have buttons for eyes etc. Some bunnies can really like a stuffy “friend”. I have an IKEA stuffy bunny for my Bam, it was inexpensive and has embroidered eyes.

[Luna]

I would’ve panicked too! He sounds like such a sweetheart, and his attitude seems great so hopefully his leg is not bothering him too much. If it helps calm him, then taking him out of his space for cuddles is fine . Just make sure you continue trying to keep him from hopping around too much so that he doesn’t do further damage to the break.

[Bam]

Yes, Luna is right, I was being unclear, taking him out of his cage for cuddling is fine, it’s running around that isn’t. So, no playtime or free roaming, but lots of cuddles.

[WinstonSmithsMom]

Thank you! We are *almost* there and I know we can make it another couple of days!! We had some really sweet cuddles last night. He had a little broccoli snack and then immediately started trying to hop away, so I put him back up. I feel so sorry for the little guy!! Can’t wait until he is all better and I can see those cute binkies again!!

[Luna]

Glad to hear he is still in high spirits .

[Author]

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