rebonding mother and child rabbit

Question
Unfortunately Sunday night my 3 month old boy baby bunny dislocated his rear right hock. He is currently at the vet and will be operated on tomorrow morning. I had to bring him home monday 3 am before he could be admitted to another vet in the morning to be operated on and I observed some heartbreaking behavior from the mother of the baby bunny. The baby hopped in the litter box and she started to pile drive him out of it. She would run into him as to steer him away from things. I had to separate them because of this behavior, and the childs fragile condition and so that night the mother and other child slept in the hallway and the injured bunny in my room with me.

The baby bunny is spending two nights in the vet now, tonight and tomorrow and I'm so concerned about what to do when he comes back. He will have a pin in his foot attaching it back to his leg but will never be able to bend his ankle again. When I mentioned the bonding issue, my vet told me its the mothers way of kicking the baby out of the nest because of his short absence.

What can I do to rebond/make the bonding better for all of them when he comes home? The vet wants him separated, or should I let them all interact while he's injured? They are all free apartment rabbits and I dont have cages for any of them at this point.

The other thing i'm thinking is the mother is due to get spayed in a few weeks at that time should I take all of them together and make the vet board them in the same cage? The vet really doesnt like doing this but should i do it anyway?

I'd rather do what will keep them bonded so your advice would really help.. What is your opinion? Thank you so much for everything!  

Answer
Hi Lauren,

sorry to hear about your boy's injury.

DO NOT put them in the same space.  He needs to heal properly.  That will not happen if he is with the mom given her behavior.

Further, he will be hitting sexual maturity soon and you should keep them separate from now on anyway.  

Please do not put them together.  They need separated areas.

No rebonding should even be considered (no attempts!!!) until he heals from his leg injury, and is neutered by a good rabbit vet (not all vets are good rabbit vets), and a month goes by after his neuter.

To rebond, you will need to re-introduce them together in a neutral area of the house neither considers their territory.  I suggest, instead of me rehashing it, going to the House Rabbit Society web site articles here:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-4/tough-bonding.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-4/marriage.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/rabbits-in-the-plural.html

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/introductions.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-5/ever-be-friends.html

Lee

PS - make sure the vet gives you post op antibiotics (baytril) to prevent post-op infections, and also several days' worth of pain meds (metacam) for your boy.  He needs his pain managed so he will feel good enough to move around and have enough desire to eat.  When rabbits are in pain they don't move and don't eat, and this can cause gi stasis to set in (deadly potential).