# Taz update:



## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

Taz is doing a lot better, however, I noticed that she seems to be elevating her leg a little more, and obviously, when she stops hopping, she kind of falls a little to the side. When I go to feed her, she always jumps to the front of the cage to greet me. I can pick her up without her squirming or giving any indication that she's in pain, but I still don't want to hold her too much just in case. i will try to get links to pictures/videos of her so you can see


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

Just in case you didn't see my last post, Taz recently broke her leg, and I think she's getting better


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## agnesthelion (Oct 8, 2012)

I hope it is healing as it should! Sounds like progress. Yay for taz!


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## Nancy McClelland (Oct 8, 2012)

ray:


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

I have a video of her leg, it's not very good, but maybe you can kind of see how she moves. My poor baby


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

I'm going to put it on my photobucket, and then post a link here.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

Here's the video, let me know if it works!


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

In order to see the video, click it and it will take you to my photobucket  Again, sorry it isn't great quality, but hopefully you were able to see her leg!


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## missyscove (Oct 8, 2012)

Did she ever see a veterinarian for this injury? Was the leg put into a cast or splint? It looks like the leg is not bearing any weight at all.


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## cerigirl (Oct 8, 2012)

I agree with Christina> It doesn't look like she is putting any weight on it at all. I would get Taz to the vet asap if you haven't already.


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## ldoerr (Oct 8, 2012)

Agreed get her to the vet. That kind of an injury should have seen a vet a while ago. It looks like it might have to be amputated now.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 8, 2012)

? i read that it was GOOD that her leg was up. We really can't afford to take her to the vet, and please don't be harsh, i've got a lot to deal with


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## Bunnylova4eva (Oct 8, 2012)

ldoerr wrote:


> Agreed get her to the vet. That kind of an injury should have seen a vet a while ago. It looks like it might have to be amputated now.



Please, try to keep this encouraging here. Ideally any sniffle or strange behavior would go straight to the vet. And, even more so, a broken bone would. However, clearly Christina cares alot about her buns, is doing her best given the circumstances, has alot of feeling to work through and really doesn't need people dumping or accusing. 

Praying your Taz gets better easily and soon! ray:


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 9, 2012)

Thank you so much Mia! Believe me, I want othing more than to be able to take her to a vet


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## FallenRabbit (Oct 9, 2012)

I agree wiith Mia, if you don't have the money or whatever situation your in do the best with what you can. It probably is better to have it raised up (less swelling?). Sorry I don't have much information to give you! Look up all articles on GOOGLE about this and see what they say? Many other people have had this problem.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 9, 2012)

I have read tons, and I thought it was better that her leg was up. I felt sick when someone posted she might have to have it amputated! I read that tons of people have had rabbits survive and breed even with broken legs, and the legs healed themselves, and the bunny was fine. I'm just hoping this is the case with Taz! THank you all for your help, and if anyone has any advice, please post!


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## missyscove (Oct 9, 2012)

Whether or not a fracture heals at all depends a lot on the positioning of the ends of the bone. Ideally they should be fixed with the two ends as close together as possible to facilitate healing. Without seeing your rabbit and/or radiographs in person, there is no way of knowing if the bone will heal. With growing animals there is an added concern that a fracture may be across the growth plate.

In my opinion this should have at the very least been splinted and I imagine the rabbit would have benefited from pain management as well. Without knowing how the fracture happened, I would also have concerns about damage to the surrounding tissues. The fact that she's not dragging her leg may be a good sign for her proprioception but I'm worried about whether or not she'll be able to bear weight on it in the future.


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## Watermelons (Oct 10, 2012)

*Hyatt101 wrote: *


> I have read tons, and I thought it was better that her leg was up. I felt sick when someone posted she might have to have it amputated! I read that tons of people have had rabbits survive and breed even with broken legs, and the legs healed themselves, and the bunny was fine. I'm just hoping this is the case with Taz! THank you all for your help, and if anyone has any advice, please post!


Having a leg up when you're resting is a good thing, however an animal that refuses to put weight on the leg while moving means it is causing them pain to do so, which is not a good thing. Taz is also holding the leg at a very odd angle which doesn't look good.

With out seeing a vet you have no idea how the bone has broken, if there are small bits and shards floating around the area that can cause sever pain.Not all breaks are capeable of healing on their own, never mind any muscle or nerve damage that has happened as a result. 

Taz really should see a vet and at least have an x-ray taken to see what is going on in there. Pain meds would be helpful too.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQD2cGOjIcodYK5FpBxh_yLA8AdqKAjt_Will36-p-n2iHXwe2gXjaKiLWcMQ
Heres a few examples of SOME types of breaks.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 10, 2012)

Taz used to drag it when it first happened, but now its the elevated leg. Is there a way for me to splint it on my own?


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## Watermelons (Oct 10, 2012)

You still need to find out where and how its fractured. Helping taz keep it immobilized is helpful, but its obviously causing her pain and we dont know if it will cause her pain for life because of the type of break it was or if there are little bone shards floating around in the leg, etc. Splinting can be tricky if you have never done it before, especially on a growing bunny, and a bone should ideally be splinted back in the proper place. At this point the leg may just be dead weight to her if she cant use it at all.

She really should see a vet, and should have been taken as soon as you realised the break happened. The fact that she is a young growing bunny makes it all the more important to fix the break properly as this can seriously impact her development, growth, and function of that leg. 

Yes there are lots of stories out there of breaks that are healed on their own, most in adult bunnys that are not growing any more. But there are also a lot of stories of bunnys whos legs didn't heal properly, bunnys in a fair amount of pain and having complications because of the previous issue. 

Part of being a good bunny parent and breeding is the willingness and ability of taking an ill or injured animal to the vet when needed. Please do Taz a favour and have a vet look at the leg. This is something that will impact the next 10+ years of her life.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 10, 2012)

If you had read the top part of these posts, you would have seen that we do not have money to go to the vet, and I really don't like the vets in our area. I do not think she is in pain. Rabbits usually show in SOME WAY that they are in pain, and she is just her happy, usual self.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 10, 2012)

Okay: so I'll do a kind of overview on how I think Taz is doing, and you guys can give opinions. 
Taz's leg is still elevated, and I thought it was good, but after reading the comments here, I'm lost. I always feel so discouraged when reading some of these comments, and then i go out to feed Taz and she's bouncing around and all happy and fun, and for a minute, I can forget that everything happened, and I can take a breath because she looks great. And then I get back on here, and all that goes down the drain. 
Please mind my previous posts about not being harsh (you can read the first couple posts) and i thank those of you who have been helpful, but still encouraging. Obviously, I don't want people telling me Taz is fine if she's not. But I don't want or need harshness in the comments. 
So please, comment away!


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## buns_of_fun (Oct 10, 2012)

Well, think of it this way. If you broke your leg, you would need to be taken to the hospital. Odds are, if you didn't go, things wouldn't heal properly, you'd be in a lot of pain and would have a complicated life down the road. 

Your bunny might be acting okay, but bunnies are very good at hiding health problems. She's still in pain. There is no way that she can have a broken leg and not be in pain. She needs to see a vet. I know that you mentioned you don't have the funds to bring her to a vet, but maybe you can rehome her to someone who can take care of her? I'm just thinking for the bunnies sake, I'm not trying to be harsh or mean in anyway. I know that bunnies can be expensive but I don't think that the rabbits health should be sacrificed. Again, I'm not trying to be mean, but those are just some things to think about.


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## MarisaAndToby (Oct 10, 2012)

Some vets offer payment plans as well. Plus, the fees may end up being a lot better than you expect! I would say call around a bit, I know you said that you don't like the vets in your area, but I mean it could be worth a shot. Talking to animal/rabbit rescues in your area could be an idea too. 

I honestly don't think she looks like it's healing at all, and that is probably very uncomfortable for her and likely painful as well.  I'm sorry you're going through this... I hope you can find a solution.


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## Bunnylova4eva (Oct 10, 2012)

What is the cheapest vet in the area? Have you called around at all? Maybe just take it one step at a time. First, just if you can find the money for the initial visit, and see what the vet thinks. Then you can save more, and hopefully do Xrays as soon as possible.

Have you looked around for an animal welfare league? SOmetimes they offer at least in-expensive wellness visits-you could see if they would at least see Taz.


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## lauratunes12 (Oct 10, 2012)

Or humane societies/animal shelters will sometimes let your animal get checked out by the on-site vet for cheaper. (assuming they have a vet, ours does.) Or if you have a college with a vet program near you, they might do it for cheap as well.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 11, 2012)

There was a topic on RO, i think it was from 2011, and it was called "help broken leg" and they had a baby same age as mine, broken back leg, same thing. She took it to the vet, and the vet said because she's so young he couldn't set it properly, and to let it heal on its own. It worked, so does this sound like a possiblity for Taz? Are there any regualr pain meds i can giver her? 
Thank you all!


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## Watermelons (Oct 11, 2012)

This is harsh, but its reality. 

Every fracture is different. You need to stop looking at other situations and focus on what is best for Taz. She is in pain regardless of what we see. Rabbits are designed to hide pain, she is not using her leg at all and is holding it at a very odd angle. That's not good. Think about what you would do if you broke your leg? 

At this point we've waited so long to do something its probably permanent damage, but you still need to take her in and find out exactly whats going on, if the break is even still open and maybe can be set properly. Get her some proper pain killers like metacam. You have to be VERY careful with what medications you give a rabbit and at what dose. Often a lot of what you can find online is incorrect, its best to ask a vet. 

Please just take her to a vet, or take her to somebody else who can vet her. There are tons of vets out there that allow payment plans, there is care credit, there are rescue societys that will help, ask a family member, etc. Can you re-home the other babys and use the money from them to fund Taz's vet bills? I would suggest not breeding any more until you're able to have something set aside in case of emergency. I would look into rescues that offer discount spay/neuter in the area as well. This kind of stuff does happen and Taz's case is proof enough. She needs help. She need more then to be in pain for the rest of her life.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 12, 2012)

I don't want to rehome the others, but I understand why you would say that. We wouldn't even want to breed again until warm weather comes, let alone while we have this with Taz. As far as I know, there aren't many good rescue places that could look at her in our area, and I'm afraid that what most of them are:
They'll look at the rabbit for a fee $$
They'll say she needs such and such for a fee $$
Then, they'll say that they can't splint it right because she's so small and young. 
$$$$
I'm just concerned about this because I have seen this before! I know it may not be the case, but I'm still concerened. I purposefully didn't look up any pain meds online because I was scared that they might not be right. I was hoping if someone on here had this situation, they could say what meds would be best. 
Question: If I were to go to a vet and just TELL them what was going on, could they maybe give me some pain meds for her for a very small fee? Could they give me any advice?


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 12, 2012)

I was wondering if i could go speak to the vet, and see what he says, and then take it from there?


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 12, 2012)

btw Watermelon, I do appreciate your honesty, because it would be worse if someone told me Taz was in no pain and was fine. 
I really didn't think she was in any pain, but you do have a good point about how rabbits hide their pain. Thank you!


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## Bunnylova4eva (Oct 12, 2012)

Most vets are legally required to see a bunny before perscribing meds-and at least have seen it onec before at SOME point. 

I tend to feel like Taz is in pain. When I've broken a bone, it hurts SO badly until you get it taken care of. Its miserable. It's probably best to get a vets oppinion at least, whether you can do the xrays or not; a office visit shouldn't be more that I think $40-60-some vets even will do an initial visit for free for new patients. I would check into that.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 12, 2012)

Thank you! i don;t think my parents like the prospect of taking a rabbit to the vet... Is there anyone i can call to just ask for inital advice and take it from there.


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## missyscove (Oct 12, 2012)

Dosing long-term pain meds for younger animals can be tricky since their organs are still developing. There are some medications that you can buy over the counter that are intended for humans but can be safe in rabbits. I'm not sure what the dosage would be in this situation though. 

My recommendation at this point is that you at least call your vet and discuss your options. If your parents were not prepared to prevent an animal from suffering, then they were not prepared to add that animal to their household.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 12, 2012)

I think I'm going to look around and CONTACT someone, and take it from there. Thank you all!


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## agnesthelion (Oct 12, 2012)

There is a new member on RO who is a vet. His name is Geoff I think???

I know he can't physically see taz but maybe he would be willing to give you his opinion on the matter. You could PM him??? He just joined a few days ago if I remember correctly....


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## Bunnylova4eva (Oct 12, 2012)

YOu could look on the HRS for a rabbt-savvy vet in your area, and then call them and explain the situation. Ask, for an oppinion, their costs, and maybe what 1 office visit would cost you. Chances are they won't be willing to diagnose/treat it over the phone, but if you go in an appointment they can probably give you some different options. 

Also, Lisa's idea of asking Geoff here on RO is a good idea- I would see what he thinks.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 12, 2012)

Thank you!! i'll ask Geoff!


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 13, 2012)

This was the article i found, I know it may not be my exact situation, but does this seem realistic to you guys? Sorry i just copied it on here:


This is the article:

Having a bunny break a leg can be traumatic for both you and your bunny. Treating can be very expensive. Heres an article describing what we decided to do for our bunny, and her excellent recovery from her broken leg.

Our Broken Leg Story
Having a bunny break its leg can be a very traumatic experience for both the bunny and for you. We raise holland lops, and the tort color often does well on the show table. We have had several colored rabbits with big wins but wanted to add tort to our herd. So we purchased a tort. The rabbit was rather skittish. The day after picking up the rabbit, our oldest daughter took the doe from her cage, the doe freaked out and jumped from her arms, unto our carpeted floor.

My daughter called me over and said I think there's something wrong with the rabbit. Her left hind leg was dangling as if she had no control over it. At first I thought she may have dislocated her hip, but upon feeling that area found no dislocation. My next thought was a broken leg. I felt her leg looking for a break as there was no visible sign of a break. Again I found nothing. I decided to check again for a dislocation, and that's when I found a break on her femur, near the hip.

Vet Costs for treating a Broken Leg
I began my search for a veterinarian that could possibly reset the leg. We finally found a vet about an hour away that would be able to do it. The cost would be from $500 - $1500 to set the leg, depending on the x-rays they would need to take, and if surgery would be necessary. The cost was out of the question, and we decided to look for answers elsewhere.

What We did for Our Rabbits Broken Leg
We received many suggestions, including putting the rabbit down, to trying to reset the leg myself. Since neither of seemed to be options that we wanted to take. We decided to treat the bunny ourselves without resetting the leg. This was a difficult choice as this beautiful doe would no longer be showable, but we would be able to use her as pet, or if all went well a brood doe.

The biggest concern in treating a broken leg is mobility. It is important to stabilize the leg as much as possible and keep the bunny from moving the leg. We decided she would have to stay in a carrying cage for the 6-8 weeks it would take for her leg to heal. We considered putting a towel next to her to further reduce her ability to move within the carrying cage, but decided against it for sanitary reasons.

Being immobilized for such a long period of time also gave us other health concerns. We constantly monitored her food, water and hay intake. We also checked to make sure there were ample droppings in the wood shavings.

We were prepared to give her pain medications in the beginning. However, she never showed any visible signs that she was in pain. Of course everyone wanted to hold and comfort her while she spent the 7ÃÂ½ weeks in the carrying cage, but she was simply off limits. Her leg needed to heal and the more she was moved around the longer it would have taken for the leg to heal.

Finally we took her out, and moved her into a regular sized cage after 7ÃÂ½ weeks. Surprisingly, she was in fairly good flesh condition. She was getting around well on the healed leg, despite the fact that the leg didn't heal completely straight. It turns out slightly away from her body, as though it is twisted.

Update of Our Rabbit With a Broken Leg
We have bred her three times now. She needed a little assistance in lifting for buck during mating on her first try, but did real well with it. She is now an excellent bunny producer. Yes, the broken leg eliminated her chances of being shown. But it didn't eliminate her value to our rabbitry. If your rabbit breaks its leg it can still be an excellent part of your rabbitry.


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## Hyatt101 (Oct 13, 2012)

Sorry the article is super long! please read though


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