Rabbit Inquiry

Question
Hi,
    My rabbit is on a no pellet diet due to being overweight. She has just lost a claw while running. I don't know if the diet has caused this, I thought you might have some ideas. Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks again!


Answer
Dear Paula,

It's not really possible to say whether her no-pellet diet is causing enough malnutrition to make a nail break, but I *really* doubt it.  She'd have to be showing other signs of protein deficiency, too, such as fur loss.  She probably just broke it in a moment of high spirits, as rabbits often do.

Keep an eye on the nail for any sign of swelling or inflammation of the toe.  If you see that, the off to the vet immediately:  infection from a nail bed can rapidly spread to the bone, causing extremely serious problems.  It's rare, but it's good to be aware.

Hope that helps!

Dana