Cat brought in rabbit

Question
My cat brought in a baby rabbit this morning. It's fur is ripped off in some places. It is not bleeding but its ears and paws are cold. It ate a bite of a strawberry but wont eat or drink anything now. Is ther any thing we can do to nurse it back to health? We wanted to take it and have it euthinized but all the vets charge 40 dollars or more. Please help.

Answer
Dear Meghann,

Whether or not you can save the bunny depends on the extent of the injuries.  If they are not huge, then you might be able to disinfect them with a dilute solution of betadine (povidone iodine) in clean, lukewarm water.   Wash very well with cotton balls soaked in this, and then pat dry with clean gauze.

Believe it or not, if these are relatively small, superficial wounds, you may be able to close them with a very thin line of super glue (which was originally developed as surgical glue, and only later was marketed as "hardware")--but if the cuts are extensive (inches), then the bunny should be taken to a good rabbit vet for proper care:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If he was bitten by a cat, then he should probably also be put on a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (e.g., Baytril, ciprofloxacin), as a cat's mouth is teeming with potentially deadly Pasteurella multocida bacteria.  These are usually sensitive to the fluoroquinolones, and prompt treatment could save the bunny's life.

Please read this for further information on proper care and feeding:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/wildbabies.pdf

I hope it helps.

Dana