Broken rabbit paw

Question
Hi,
I have a 1 yr doe, and she had a lill accident today with the door...her front paw was caught under the door while opening and her paw seems to be broken and there was a lot of bleeding too. I used diluted dettol solution to clean the wounds, and had applied soframycin ointment...but she licked it all away...and the bandage had also come off loose. there isnt a proper veterinary clinic in my locality that could give me proper rabbit care. Please suggest what i can do to help her and ease her pain. Thanks

Answer
Dear Kanika,

I would not recommend that you leave this paw unexamined and untreated by a veterinarian.  Wash it well with a dilute solution of povidone iodine (about 1 part iodine to three parts clean, lukewarm water), dry it well (even with a blow dryer on low, if it's very wet, and then wrap gently with (1) sterile gauze and cover with (2) VetWrap.   The latter is available at most feed stores in the area where they sell supplies for horse dressage, as riders wrap their horses' legs with it for jumping.  It's slightly elastic and self-adhesive, so the bunny should have a harder time getting it off her paw while you get her to the vet.  Just don't wrap too tightly, as cutting off the blood flow could have disastrous results.

If the injury is really serious, the vet may want to put her on systemic antibiotics to prevent infection.  She also will need pain management, and you should NEVER give a rabbit over the counter human medications, as some could be deadly.  Ask the vet about metacam and tramadol, combined, for pain.

You can find a good vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Please do the right thing and get her to the vet.  If your foot was crushed, you'd be at the emergency room in minutes.  Please do the same for your bunny.

Take care,

Dana