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Question
hi, I have just recently got my sisters rabbit as she can no longer house him
and I had him outside tide up for a few minutes while I cleaned his cage and
while I had my back turned something happend to him and he made alot of
screaming noises in a rabbit way and when I ran to him he was off the string I
had tied him up to the post with and I noticed him limping, he hadnt pood all
day untill tonight, Should I still be concerned about shock? Please help I love
my new bunny, Kind regards, Katrina.

Answer
Hi Katrina,

you need to get him to a vet right away.  Something scared him and he injured himself trying to get away but being tied up, he hurt himself (as you note).

You can't tie up rabbits with just with a rope around the neck.  They can strangle themselves and/or break their necks.  If you ever have him outside he needs to be in a caged area (with a top) - ie in a big cage that has bars he can't squeeze through, and with some kind of hidey place in it he can go if he gets scared by outside animals.

I never recommend that domestic house rabbits ever be placed outdoors.  I will recommend this to you for the very reason this occurred with your rabbit.

You need to read up on rabbits a lot because you can't just do things that would be normal to do with a dog and cat.  You need to get the House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman, and also Rabbits for Dummies (excellent despite the title).  Further you need to spend some time at the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) and learn about their nutritional needs (lots of proper hay), their behavior as a prey animal, how to relate to them, and how to bunnyproof your house for their safety and yours.  The site is www.rabbit.org.

So:

1. Go to the vet and have your rabbit examined as he is now injured.  In addition, ask the vet if he has been neutered and if not, discuss future plans to do so.
2. Don't ever tie him up just around the neck again.
3. Don't tie him up exposed outside ever again - this is a 'meal on a rope' for some predator.
4. Don't keep him outside, period.
5. Start reading up on what their needs are and how to set things up for an inside (safe, member of the family pet) house rabbit.

Lee