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Broken rabbit toe?

22 9:46:03

Question
How do I know if my rabbits toe is broken? My mom noticed that his toe on his front let paw looked kind of weird and i want to know what to look for.

Answer
Hi Jennie,

If a rabbits toe is broken it will often stick out to the side.  It will appear as though it doesn't line up correctly.  If you feel it between your thumb and pointer finger you can usually feel if it is crooked or not aligned properly.

Other than that the only way to tell for sure would be an X-ray which would be totally pointless because there is nothing you can do about it anyway.

Are you wanting to show this rabbit, is this why you want to know?  When judges are judging rabbits they often miss things.  Imagine judging up to 300 rabbits in a day.  It can get tedious and sometimes they make mistakes.  If you are showing the rabbit and want to know if its toe is broken, you can either wait for a judge to tell you or you could ask them after the show.  As unethical as it may be I still show my rabbits if they have broken toes.  Some judges find them and some don't.  I have one rabbit that has never had a toe-nail and he has gone on to win 14 shows.  With that you have to do what you feel is best for you.

If you are not showing him and are worried about him, there is really nothing to worry about.  Bunnies frequently get broken toes from being caught on the wire.  Whether he is on wire at your home or his previous home it could be an old injury.  The best thing you can do is make sure he has a resting board in his cage or if at all possible keep him in a solid bottom cage.

Good luck with your bunny

Pam