We have a 1year old rabbit,female. 2 days ago it went lame, it cannot move its hind legs, seems paralized. no injury is visable and it appears to be eating hay and pellets and drinking as far as I can tell. Any ideas?

-- Tom (Calfarm@msn.com), November 20, 2000

Answers

Response to rabbit

More than likely it has a broken back, it happens. Do what you have to Grant

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), November 20, 2000.

Response to rabbit

Tom, I agree, seems that something in her spine must be broken, or badly inflammed, if she doesn't appear to be suffering at all, give her sometime for her to heal if it is not broken, say a week, then decide what to do. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), November 21, 2000.

Response to rabbit

Agree with broken back. Happens fairly often around our place; they just play and jump around, next thing they're scooting on their butt. The first time, we left the rabbit for a while, but it died after 2 days, so now we just butcher.

-- Teresa in TN (otgonz@bellsouth.net), November 22, 2000.

Response to rabbit

I raise Angora rabbits and also have three others who are simply pets. I would not butcher an animal that I wasn't sure what was wrong with! (As a matter of fact, we don't butcher any of our animals anyway!)

If it is a pet, take it to the vet. If it does not appear to be suffering, just feed it and keep it seperate from other animals for a few days and see what happens if you can't afford to take it to the vet. Suzy

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), November 24, 2000.