Rabbit foot injury - whats best for the rabbit?

Question
Hi Kelly,

I noticed yesterday that my rabbit was not putting any weight on her front right paw.  I took her straight to the vet, she thinks that there might be ligament damage, she could not feel an obvious fracture.  She gave her an anti-inflammatory injection and gave me some in liquid form to give her today.  We're taken her back tomorrow for a review and possible x-ray.

The vet felt that it was probably a serious injury and would not be easy to treat.  What I'm really wanting to know is what would be best for my rabbit.  Obviously I don't want to have her put down, but also I don't want to put her through surgery, or an amputation if that's the only option, if there's little hope of success and would result in a poor quality of life for her.  Putting my feelings aside I want to know what is best for my rabbit - would surgery cause unnecessary suffering and reduce her quality of life, or can a potentially three legged rabbit lead a full, happy and pain-free life?

Thanks

Lorraine

Answer
Hello,

First, I apologize for the delayed response. I thought I had my vacation setting on, but apparently I did not.

I'm concerned that the veterinarian had you come back for an x-ray rather than do it the day of your first visit. You certainly have some legitimate concerns, but it is next to impossible for me to help you out without knowing what is wrong with your rabbit.

I will say -- If your veterinarian cannot determine what the issue is, I would recommend getting a second opinion. If you went to the doctor and he "thought" you had a ligament  injury and treated it as such without any further investigation you would probably feel uneasy (as you should in that situation). Personally, I would feel the same way in this situation.

Since it has been a day or so, if you have any follow up information from your return visit I would be interested in knowing what happened so I can better help you. Putting a rabbit down is never an easy decision, so I hope it does not come to that!