Broken leg :(

Question
Hello Dana,

My sweet 7.5 yr old doe has managed to break her left hind leg on Sunday in a way that is a mystery to us.  She was in her playpen (chain link fencing) like she and Lily have been hundreds probably thousands of times before, and when I went to bring her in, I noticed her leg held high and blood.  We immediately went to the vet and the x-ray showed that she had avulsed the calcaneous bone and it was protruding through the skin, and the 'ankle' bones were crushed.  The concern is that for her to have done this herself seems impossible, yet she would have had to because it was just her and Lily alone.  Could this be indicative of an underlying issue such as bone cancer?  How do we know before we take the drastic step of amputation (which is scheduled for this weekend)?  Is amputation the only solution with this type of injury given the fact that pinning is impossible?  In the meanwhile, she is on Metacam and Zeniquin and is eating really well.  Thank you so much for your input.

Caroline  
(sad mom)

Answer
Dear Caroline,

How awful!  I am so sorry about this tragic accident, and hope you're right that there's no way a predator could have gotten to her.  If it was a cat, then it's good that she's on zeniquin, as there could be worse consequences (fatal systemic infection) than just the broken leg.

If the ankle bones are shattered and the leg bones are not in a position to be stabilized or pinned, then truly the kindest option sounds like amputation.  I know this sounds drastic, but I have done the heroic thing a few times, trying to save a leg that could not be saved, and I've always wanted to beat myself over the head afterwards, putting the bunny through so much pain and suffering for no gain in the end.

And this is especially true because most bunnies do so well after an amputation.  Surprisingly, a hind leg is not as bad as a front leg, and bunnies tend to adjust quite well in most cases.  You'll have to clean her ears (or at least the one on the side with the missing leg) for her, but other than that, I'm betting she'll do just fine.

She may be acting happy and well, but that leg is definitely causing her pain.  All the amputees we've had have been *relieved* once their source of pain was gone, and they just get on with life as if nothing is wrong.

I hope you have that same experience, and that your dear girl will adjust well and heal quickly.  Rabbits are troopers!  They don't mourn the past nor what might have been.  They just live and love.  :)

I hope this helps take away a tiny bit of the worry and sadness.

Take care,

Dana