Thousands of verified Experts are ready to answer your specific questions 24/7.
Satisfaction is guaranteed and you pay your Expert only if you are satisfied.
Just type your detailed question and click "Get an Answer."
In minutes you'll get a response from an Expert. You can always ask follow-up questions.
Happy with your answer? Just click "Accept" to pay your Expert.
Hi. My house rabbit has been acting strangely for about a week now and favoring her left hind leg. She was not particularly happy about me picking her up before this, but now she is frantic about me picking her up and will try to escape me. She will barely allow me to pet her and makes little growling noises the whole time I'm petting her. Today was the first time she tried to nip at me when I attempted to pet close to her hind quarters. She mostly avoids me and just wants to be left alone. However, there have been a few times she approached me for attention. The odd thing is that she is eating and drinking as normal. What to do? I know the answer is probably to take her into the vet, but funds are tight, and I feel x-rays will cost a bundle. Since she is eating well, should I continue to watch her, or does she need vet attention? Thanks!
Pet's Sex: FemalePet's Age: 3 Already Tried: Watching her.
Hello, Of course, the best thing to do would be to take your rabbit to a vet. The growling means she is in pain, so don't handle her unless you have to.. If there is anything swollen on her hindquarters, seeing a vet is really the only thing to do. however, if nothing is swollen, your rabbit continues to eat well, and is passing normal droppings, this isn't an emergency. You should try to restrict her exercise. If her cage has more than one level, close off part of it so she can't use both. don't let her climb on or jump off furniture. the more she rests, the better. It would be best not to even take her out of her cage for a few days. If this is only a minor injury, you should see some improvement within 3 or 4 days. If there's no improvement, or if your rabbit gets worse, it would be a good diea to find a way to take her to a vet. some vets will arrange weekly or monthly schedules of payment. Perhaps a family member would give you avet cisit as an early birthday or Christmas gift. Here is where you can find a rabbit vet: http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html If you have more questions, just let me know by clicking on REPLY. I hope your rabbit will recuperate quickly, and that a vet visit won't be needed at all. Anna
Hi Anna...thanks so much for your info. Since my bunny's been like this for a week basically, do you think she's ready for a vet visit, or should I continue to watch her for a few days since she's eating, drinking, and dropping pellets well. I am really upset by the way she is acting around me. She is normally so friendly and sweet. The growling, however, was something she did from time to time before this incident. She does that when she is "in a mood" and does not want to be messed with or picked up by me (when nothing is wrong). I concur that she might be in pain, but I do kinda think the growling is also her way of telling me not to pick her up or handle her....based on the fact, as I just said, that she has done this in the past from time to time.
Again, it's not an emergency, but after a week, there should probably have been some improvement. If there's any way she could have broken bones in her leg, that would take much longer to heal. Even without a vet, a broken bone would eventually mend, but it might heal crookedly, leading to permanent mobility difficulties. There are groups that try to help pet owners who can't afford vet fees. Many offer to actually pay vet bills for qualifying people, while others have low-interest loans. Witht he economy being down, many of them don't have as many funds available as they used to, but it can't hurt to see if you qualify. this link will take you to a list: http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navId=163#National_Organizations_with_Assistance_Programs Here is a list of ideas for people who can't afford vet care: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/what_you_can_do_if_you_are_having_trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html Anna
Pet Expert/Biologist
40 yrs.: herps, pocket pets, rabbits, poultry, dogs, horses. Biology degree. Vet assistant.