Found a bunny with a broken leg!

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

(Not sure if this should go in MPSIMS or IMHO)

So this morning while heading out to the car, Husband found a small white bunny in the parking lot. The bun had his right rear leg out at a bad angle from his body. Husband was able to catch him and he’s currently chilling at our house, safe from dogs, coyotes, cars, raptors, etc.

He’s cute as a button, but we can’t keep him. :frowning: I called around and talked to as many exotic animal vets as I could find, and it seems that it would be a minimum of $200 to have him seen/treated, which we can’t afford, especially for an animal that we’re not keeping.

Poor little hopper. Seems to be about half-grown.

There’s no blood and, other than the unnatural angle of the leg, no sign of injury. He doesn’t seem to be in pain - he lets Husband touch the wonky leg and doesn’t flinch about it - so we thought maybe he had just been born with it - but the leg seems to be strong and well-muscled, and if it were a birth defect it would have atrophied, right? It’s possible that it broke some time ago and has healed in position, maybe?

Tomorrow we’re going to contact a no-kill rabbit rescue group and see if they can take him. Hopefully he can find a home and lead a long and hoppy life.

Pics when I get home!

#2

Poor bunny and lucky bunny - lucky that your husband found him! I hope he finds a good home.

#3

Thank you, Maggie!

Rabbits are incredible pets.

#4

I hope you can find him a place. Let us know.

#5

I guess that foot wasn’t so lucky after all.

#6

Good for you for taking care for him. Could it be hip dysplasia, a dislocated hip?
http://www.fuzzy-rabbit.com/fuzzyleg.htm

#7

Exactly why can’t you keep him? :eek:

DIET
Ocelots are carnivores, they hunt and eat animals such as rodents, rabbits, young deer, birds, snakes and fish.

#8

I work for a Wildlife rescue whose focus is treating, rehabbing and returning wildlife to the wild.

If the bunny is all white, if is likely a domestic species and should go to a house rabbit organization. There are very few all white wild rabbit species. If it was born with the wonky leg, it has probably learned to use it, and such it would be muscular from use. If it is using the leg, it probably doesn’t have a recent injury. If it is not using the leg now, but as you say, has normal seeming muscle structure, it maybe dislocated or sprained.

If he is wild, it’s likely illegal for you to keep him (though most likely no one will find out or care). If he is someone’s pet, he may be missing and you should check with the local shelter. I volunteer at my local shelter, and they take all pets including rabbits, domestic doves and pigeons as well as the obvious dogs and cats.

Contacting the rabbit rescue is probably a good choice, but I would definitely check with animal control in case he’s microchipped (yes, we can microchip just about anything these days).

#9

We had a couple of rabbits we couldn’t keep. Our local rabbit-rescue people never called us back. We ended up donating them to a retirement home, where they have a courtyard where they can run around and be “free.” The residents love them; they’d had rabbits before, but they died earlier in the year.

#10

Update:

So far all the rabbit rescues we have been able to contact have been full. The good news is, one of them looked at the pictures we sent of the bun and said that the leg seems to be splayed (a congenital birth defect) rather than broken. So he’s not in pain, he’s just disabled.

We’re still calling around to try to find a rescue with room. In the meantime we’re making flyers to post in the neighborhood, and I’ve put word out on Facebook to see if anyone can take/foster his little hoppy self.

He’s definitely been someone’s pet. He loves being held and petted, and isn’t afraid of people at all.

We’re concerned about taking him to the shelter, because of the risk he’ll be put to sleep either immediately for being disabled or if he doesn’t find a home in time.

Poor little hopper!

#11

Check at your job. Post an ad on their classifieds list or bulletin board.

Christmas is approaching. Someone will take in the bunny for their children.

Just make sure they understand it needs a hutch and fenced in area to play.

A simple hutch doesn’t take much room in a yard. This one has a small private area and a play area.

https://www.google.com/search?q=rabbit+hutch&client=ms-android-motorola&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiq8IPN8_zdAhXom-AKHX9VAvMQ_AUIEygC&biw=412&bih=604#imgrc=4P9EOqzwenpzTM

They do sell simple indoor hutches too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07C9XRH6R/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#12

I wouldn’t give the rabbit to someone unless they agreed to get a hutch, water bottle and pet food.

PetCo should have a nice selection with minimal cost.

#13

How is it possible that you haven’t posted pictures of bunny yet? Need to see cute bunny, please.

#14

Any ‘missing bunny’ posters in the neighbourhood? Maybe ask around if anyone has lost one?

#15

Check the lost & found on Craigslist, plus your local FB lost and found pets pages.

StG

#16

A rabbit I caught had a wonky leg.
I took him home and named him Peg.
Now I’m not sure exactly what to do,
His next owner may name him Stew.