Pet Forum / Mammals / Rabbits / September 2008

Hi to all, I am new to this group. Did not know it existed til I did
some research over the weekend concerning my pet bunny "Gracie".
Yesterday when I went to feed my 2 bunnies,( the other one is
"Bugsy"), Gracie would not get up to eat, which is highly unusual. It
did not take me long to figure out that she could not move her back
end too well. I say "too well" because, yes she could still move her
legs. I have had pet bunnies in the past and my vet, nor any of my
local vets are knowledgeable concerning the health of pet rabbits. I
will be honest also and say that this rabbit and I have not shared a
real close bond. She has always grunted and pawed at me come excercise
and feeding time. She is not the cuddly kind, however, I want to do
all that I can for her because, after all, I took her in for life, so
it is my duty for as long as her life may be. I have been reading up
on antibiotics and pain medication with the hopes of getting her back
on her feet, preferably on my own without the help of a vet. The last
rabbits that I took to visit my vet ended up being euthanised. I'm
hoping to help her all that I can and if all else fails, yes, I will
take the euthanasia route. First of all, while excercising on
thursday, she escaped her excercise pen and I had to run her back into
her cage. While she was running, she seemed fine. It wasn't until
Saturday that I found her in that condition. Today, I have taken the
necessary steps to see to it that she gets the best care possible. She
has gotten the proper dose of baby aspirin along with doxycycline in
which I found the proper dosage online during my research. I dry
bathed her to keep her bottom clean and provided banana, millet tops,
carrots, and apples. Pretty much anything I read in which I had on
hand, she got. She also has a great supply of hay to eat and to bed
on. Do you think that I can provide the necessary care till she gets
back on her feet? I read that it may take 4-6 weeks for healing if she
has broken her back.Any suggestions for home care? Thanks in advance!
Also, could she have hurt herself Thursday and it show up on Saturday?