Our Baby: Rabbit Attacked by Dogs

Question
Hi, Hope you can ease my mind a little. Last week 06/08/08 our pet rabbit was attacked by two dogs. I came home and he was and still is alive. He is missing a lot of hair and has some surface wounds (marks that had broken the skin but no puncture wounds). These appear to be healed up with no redness around them. He is not tender when he is picked up around his tummy either. He was very shaken up. We cared and nurtured him and checked all his vital signs. Called the vet and as they are not knowledgeable about the rabbits suggested we keep doing what we are doing. It has been 6 days now and he is still with us. Main point being that today we noticed he has weepy eyes (like he has the flu). Good points being are that he is still eating ( all be it not as much as usual) mainly milk thistle and grass not much of his grain. He is consuming a lot of water also. He is a little harder in his breathing today but still managing to get around gently. He is urinating and passing poos ok also. His eyes (dispite the running) are still bright and his ears are still alert. We are in the middle of winter here also and we have packed his hutch with straw and hay for warmth.
Guess we are looking to see from someone if he is going to make it. He is the family pet and the love of our 4 year old life. We thought we were in the clear over the weekend but have noticed a slight change in him today. Would internal injuries have ended it by now?
We are in Tasmanina Australia and the only help I have got is from a local rabbit club member. Have called over 5 vets that have said they know not much about the animal.
We would appreciate any input that you can offer.
Thank you for your time.
Kind Regards
Kate Davie

Answer
Dear Kate,

Wow.  Your bunny is very lucky to be alive, as I'm sure you know.

If your bunny had internal injuries that were bleeding, you would most likely know by now.  If it's been six days, and he's slowly recovering, then I think his chances are very good, especially if he seems bright, is eating well, and is generally in good spirits.

I hope you can find a rabbit-savvy vet with the list linked here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

There is an international link, though I'm not sure I've seen any listings for Tasmania.  Can't hurt to check, though.

Weepy eyes may be a coincidence; I can't imagine that they are a result of the attack.  Runny eyes are often a sign of dental problems, and you can read more here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

It's possible that the stress of the attack caused his immune defenses to drop a bit, and he might be suffering from an upper respiratory or sinus infection that he was keeping in check before.  Perhaps one of the local vets would be willing to go online and join a listserve for exotics veterinarians, so s/he could at least *consult* with rabbit-savvy vets about the next course of action, if any.

It's a bit of a concern that he's drinking excessively, which can be a sign of kidney problems.  Physical damage to the kidneys would not likely cause a chronic renal failure problem, though, which is often worse than an acute injury.  Radiographs or ultrasound might show whether there was damage to the kidneys, but the damage would have to be pretty severe to show up this way.  Bloodwork would be a better way to assess his renal function, and if any vet you know can draw blood (the lateral saphenous vein on the outside of the rear leg is a good, safe spot), then the normal values are pretty similar to those of other mammals, and the vet can compare them.

The most important thing, though, is to bring your bunny inside.  If you truly love him and he's the light of your life, then he should be a house rabbit living inside as a member of the family, safe from predators and environmental extremes.  It's very easy to litterbox train a bunny, and you will be able to rest assured that he will be safe inside at all times, once you've bunny-proofed the house.

Please go to:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

for all the information you'll need to make him a pampered house rabbit.  It will also allow you to better monitor his behavior and health, and be sure he's doing all right.

I hope he continues to improve, and that he will be completely himself before long.

Take care,
Dana