Rescued Rabbit

[fleafly]

I usually post on the cat board, but I need some help from the rabbit people!

My friend brought over a rabbit that he found laying in the middle of the road last night. We made it comfortable then this morning I took him to the vet. He didn't look like he had enough damage to have been hit by a car and it turns out he was attacked by a cat or something. He must have gotten away and collapsed in the middle of the road.

He has some wounds on his neck and his left eye is a little bloody. He is holding his head to the left and can only really move in a circle. The vet doesn't think he has any spinal cord or nerve damage and he doesn't have any fractures. He is on Baytril, gentomycin eye drops, and asprin. We are going to see if he can get better.

I know zilch about caring for rabbits. My vet gave me some alfalfa and I gave him some lettuce and carrots to eat. She also gave me a book about rabbits to read.

I'm not sure if rabbits need a bottle to drink out of or if they can drink out of a dish. None of the books or internet sites I have found say.

Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? Anything is appreciated.

[nern]

I'm so glad you found this poor bunny!

Yes, rabbits can drink out of a dish or out of a water bottle. The water stays cleaner in the bottle though. Water in a dish is easily turned over and tends to get lots of junk (hair, dirt, ect.) in it quickly so it does'nt stay as clean.
Do you have any pellets for the little guy? I used to give mine pellets and free feed him timothy hay (I used Alfalfa until he was an adult) and some fresh fruit and veggies.
Here is a list of safe fruits and vegetables for rabbits:

http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/packet/abcvegi.html

[Aqueous]

Hope your bunny feels better!

When I first got my rabbits I used a bowl until I could get a bottle. The only disadvantage with a bowl, as nern said, is that it gets dirty easily and it can be knocked over which could lead to a very wet bunny( although my bunnies became quite interested in finding different ways to knock the bottle off). I would also agree with the pellets and timothy hay. You'll most likely be able to find a good quality pellet at any pet supply store.

[OneWolvesDream]

awww tht is so sweet! good luck!

[fleafly]

He is very lucky that my friend saw him and stopped. He would have been hit by a car pretty quickly. The car before and after my friend almost hit him.

I got him some pellets at Wal-Mart. They have alfalfa and real veggies freeze dried and mixed together. Right now he has the pellet mix, some romaine lettuce, some celery, and some carrots to eat.

He can't move very well so he kept flopping on his water bowl and spilling it. I got a bottle at Wal-Mart, but I'm not sure he can lift his head to drink out of it. I put it in his mouth and held it there and he drank some. For the time being I guess I will make sure he gets water every few hours.

He is actually very cooperative. He is scared, but much easier to medicate and give water to than my cats! A wild bunny is easier to handle than my domestic cats, that's kind of sad!

I hope the little guy pulls through. He is eating and drinking so that is good. I just medicated him and he is resting right now.

[OneWolvesDream]

that would have been upsetting if it was runover!

[Trixiepoo]

awwwwww I am so glad u found him that would have been horrible if u didn't.

[fishy_chick]

Keep us updated on this bunny, I'm curious to see if he pulls through or not. By the sounds of things, he'll probably be ok.

[fleafly]

Well the bunny is done with his medicine, but his head is turned to the side. I can't remember what the condition is called. It actually seems worse. He keeps losing his balance then he gets rolls around and hits things and freaks out. I had him in a small carrier and he kept hitting the sides so I moved him to a bigger area and he is still hitting things. I am going to have to take him back to the vet tomorrow. He also has this weird scab that looks like it is connected to a black cord. It looks like if I pulled it the black thing would come out. I don't know what it is so I am leaving it alone until the vet looks at it. He deserves to make it he has fought hard so far.

[fleafly]

I am sorry to report that the bunny had to be put down today. His head never really got much better and he kept getting infections. He was on Baytril twice, and recently his foot got infected again. It was pretty bad and looked really painful.

I didn't want to do it, but I didn't have a choice, there wasn't any hope and I couldn't let him suffer anymore. I spent most of the afternoon crying. I really wanted him to get better and have a second chance at a happy bunny life.

[nern]

I'm sorry Fleafly.

{{Hugs}}

[fishy_chick]

You tried your best though, and that's what counts. If you hadn't of saved that bunny and made him feel comfortable, he would have been out on the street for who knows how long, and he would have suffered the whole time and probably not died from his injuries, but of starvation. You gave the bunny a home and kept it as happy and as comfortable as you could. I'm sorry that it had to be put down though, it's too bad there wasn't anything that could have been done.

[Aqueous]

Sorry to hear about the bunny, but remember that you did all you could have done.

[OneWolvesDream]

omgosh i am so sorry that is so sad.

[vene]

I'm so sorry fleafly. I know what you're going through. I cared for an injured wild rabbit once and had it die on me. I gave it food, water, but not vet care. I cried for days and still feel very sad when I think about it. You did the very best you could and it's in a better place now.

[sindri]

I am sorry about the bunny and I know this is too late, but he probably suffered from head tilt. It has a number of causes, but head injury is one of them... a definite possibility if the rabbit was attacked. One of my rabbits got head tilt a couple of years ago from another cause (E.Cuniculi) and did survive. It took a lot of effort though as she couldn't eat or drink by herself for nearly 3 weeks.