Treatments for Broken Legs on Rabbits

People keep rabbits for different reasons. Some keep them for economic purposes, others for food, and others as pets. Regardless of the reason, taking good care of rabbits is important no matter the age or the health status of the animal. Great care is particularly needed when the rabbit has a broken leg. Visit a veterinary officer before you can begin the treatment for it, to check for any kind of splints.

Wrap the Leg With a Cloth

• Wrap the rabbit in a cloth material, such as a towel, to keep it calm and prevent further movements. This minimizes the chances of the rabbit suffering more injuries. The rabbit should be taken to a veterinary officer for inspection and, if the legs are broken, for the vet to set them.

Keep the Rabbit in a Cage

• After visiting the veterinary and the broken leg is set, place the rabbit in a small cage to limit the rabbit's movements as it recovers from the injuries. Immobilize the leg as much as possible. If the leg moves or flops around a lot, this can interfere with the healing process and can also lead to an infection if the broken bone damages the tissues.

Antibiotics

• To prevent infection, use antibiotics. However; if the leg bone cannot heal, it is better to amputate it. A rabbit can live comfortably using three legs and, with time it can recover, especially if it is young.

Giving the Rabbit Milk

• If the rabbit is still too young and has not been weaned, feed the baby with milk from a kitten milk replacer. Begin with small volumes and, as the rabbit grows, increase the volume. The rabbit should be allowed to eat at its own pace to avoid suffocating it. After four weeks, you can wean the rabbit and begin feeding it materials such as oats and hay. During the recovery period, the rabbit should have enough food and water.

Move the Rabbit to a Larger Cage

• If you realize the rabbit's broken leg is recovering well, place it in a larger cage to allow it to exercises the leg. Before you release the rabbit back to the cage to live with other rabbits, take the rabbit back to the vet to ascertain whether it is healed completely.