broken claw

Question
hi, i have a jet black miniature lop living in a house with 2 dachshunds, and a black lab. they usually all run and play together in my backyard. the other day however, it got a little out of hand and one of the dachshunds attempted to hump my rabbit as my black lab began chasing him. by the time i got out of the pool i noticed that they had my bunny cornered behind a wood pile. when i pulled him out, i noticed his fron paw ring finger claw was broken at the base and kinda dangling there. he was bleeding pretty good, but not rediculously. i held napkins on his paw firmly until the bleeding stopped, then ran it under cold water, poured peroxide on it and wrapped it in gauze with tape. i put him back in his cage with a towel to lay on and thoroughly cleaned his cage with disinfectants and new bedding. he didnt appear to be in pain, what should i be looking for or what should i do next.

Answer
Dear Andy,

The dangling claw should be removed by a vet.  As long as it's hanging there, it will be painful every time it moves, and once it's nipped off, it should heal uneventfully.  You can find a good vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

You probably realize that you have just had a VERY close call, and your bunny is lucky to be alive.  

The dogs seem to have just now recognized that this is a prey animal, and they cannot be trusted alone with the rabbit again.  PLEASE do not risk your bunny's life again by leaving him with the dogs if you are not there to supervise every second.  It takes only an instant for a fatal accident to occur, even if the dog thinks he's playing.  He's much bigger and stronger than the rabbit, and the rabbit skeleton is fragile.  Don't take any chances.

For all the best information on rabbit care, including rabbit and dog interactions, please visit:

www.rabbit.org/

and see:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/dogs.html

I hope this helps.

Dana