Broken leg on bunny urgent

Question

Xray   Hi Dana I have a bunny with a broken right front leg. I am attaching the X-ray. I am a volunteer and board member with the New Mexico house rabbit society. I am following my rabbit vets treatment recommendations however since I work with so many rabbit savvy folks we all have different opinions on how my bun should be treated. Next to my vet I trust your opinion completely and was hoping you could give me any thoughts you have based on his X-ray. The biggest problem is the location of the break is too high up the arm which makes it difficult or impossible to cast or splint. What do you think? My boy is 10 and my vet feels that with the looks of the bone trying to repair with surgery and a pin would likely shatter the bone for sure loesing the leg. I feel like pain is under control and he lays in relaxed positions and is eating. He is on metacam and antibiotics just to be safe and prevent infection. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you so much. I listed this as urgent since every day that passes the bone is starting to heal and if you suggest something different I want to move on it before recalcification takes place.

Answer
Dear Victoria,

Yowtch.  That looks painful.  Poor boy!

I am no expert on broken bones, but if the vet thinks he sees evidence of calcification, then I'd go with that opinion.  A bunny that age is probably not the best surgical risk.  If the leg is somehow stabilized, that would be much better.

The edges of the bone are not meeting at all, so it remains to be seen whether they will knit.  An older bunny will also heal more slowly.

Do you have another vet who could give you a second opinion?  This is a really tough call, and it might need the eyes and brains of more than one good rabbit vet.

Sorry I'm not more help on this one.  I don't think there's one, single good answer here.  If only we could see into his future.  :(

Dana