Baby rabbit back leg problems

Question
Hello, I bought a new bunny yesterday, who is 7 weeks old. I have spent a lot of time with him already and he has been running around the house with me. I have noticed that his hind left leg doesn't work like the other one, and he rarely puts weight on it when hopping. When I touch the leg, he doesn't seem to be in any pain or struggle, and casually moves the hind leg back to where it was, so I know he can move it! Is it possible that because he is a baby he just isn't walking correctly yet, or is it likely that this is a medical problem? Thank you

Answer
Dear Selin,

Rabbits rarely show obvious signs of pain, even when they are hurting quite a lot.  This is because they evolved as a prey species, and individuals who showed obvious signs of weakness/illness/injury were more likely to be picked off by predators.  This means that the "parent" of todays' companion rabbit must be especially vigilant for any subtle signs of trouble, since the bunny will not always tell you clearly that he's ill.

If the hind leg is not working well, he may have injured it.  If he doesn't put *any* weight on it, it could be broken.  I would recommend that you get him to a good rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can examine the leg and find out whether this is just a soft tissue injury that will heal on its own, or whether it's something more serious that requires treatment.

A baby rabbit can walk correctly very early, if all things are normal.  So you are a good bunny parent to notice this problem and have it treated as soon as possible.

Hope this helps.

Dana