Rabbit Injuries

Humans have affection for rabbits and keep them as pets. It is a wonderful hobby that involves lots of care and attention. Inquisitive nature of rabbits makes it susceptible to damages and wounds. Thus, injuries to rabbits need precautionary measures for its proper care.

An average life span of rabbit is approximately 5-8 years that require good care of rabbits. During this period, any kind of danger is probable to the animal as it is a social animal that lives in groups. If kept in a cage, rabbits get anxious and they prefer to play outside the cage. This leads to damages to its body parts and causes wounds.

Injuries may be caused by fighting, particularly amongst bucks or by laceration on nails or wire. The fur should be clipped away and the wound cleansed with a diluted antiseptic solution. After thorough cleansing an antiseptic ointment ortincture of iodine should be applied. In some cases of extensive wounds, stitching may be necessary. If abscesses form these must be lanced and cleaned. Abscesses should be lanced in such a way that further drainage from them is possible.

Types of rabbit injuries:
Rabbit is a fragile animal and easily susceptible to injuries. There are various types of damages to rabbits that can be classified as under:

• Skeletal and footpad injuries
• Fracture or paralysis to legs and bones
• Major illnesses and disorders
• Severe brain and rodent teeth injuries
• Complexity in breathing and uncontrollable bleeding
• Diarrhea
• Distress due to wound

Causes of injuries to rabbit:
There are various reasons that cause damages to rabbit. For example crisis lead severe wounds that are sometimes not easily identifiable. Moreover, a variety of other reasons bring pain and distress to rabbits. These are:

• Fighting with peers in groups
• Crowded cage enclosures
• Chewing of electrical wires that are poisonous
• Fracture to bones when they fall from a certain height

Handling of rabbit wounds and damages:
Rabbit is a delicate creature that is easily vulnerable to damages and wounds. It is obligatory for rabbit owners to have a well-equipped medical kit to give first-aid. Timely safety measures also help to avoid such unpleasant incidents since prevention is always a better thing.

Frequent veterinary check-up is a good practice that can be followed in a disciplined manner. An appointment with the veterinary doctor can be scheduled to diagnose the condition of rabbit. It helps to understand the root cause of the problem to give proper medication.

In severe condition rabbits need admittance at pet care centers. They provide detail and advance treatment to heal the wounds. Extensive fractures require limb replacements. A veterinary surgeon easily repairs the damage if the injured rabbit is admitted in time.

Various organizations like ‘House Rabbit Society’ provide valuable information on veterinary assistance to rabbits. This support can be carefully utilized to get maximum rabbit care facilities. Further, association like National House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, Education Board Member for Rabbits, Friends of HAWS, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), etc. contribute a lot to rabbit welfare.

Treatments options available for rabbit injuries:

Out of the major types of rabbit damages, jaw fractures involve special treatment. It requires a careful approach as proper alignment of rodent teeth is clinically difficult. Handling of rabbit jaws need caution to avoid misalignment of teeth. For this, various animal dentistry and oral surgery clinics offer treatments for rabbit care. These can be accessed in case of emergencies. On the other hand, traumatic injuries to rabbits require an altogether different approach. Immediate and early access to the veterinary clinics helps to avoid further pain and distress to the animal.

Occasionally an eye may be severely injured during fighting.A veterinary surgeon may be able to repair some of the damage,but blindness sometimes results. Fractures of limbs may in frequently occur, particularly amongst young stock. Simple fractures may be treated by placing the limb in a splint, but in the case of multiple or extensive fractures, the animal is best destroyed.