Content

• Steps
• What you need

Regardless of whether your rabbit is wild or your pet rabbit is injured, do not treat the wound yourself. For wild rabbits, limit your exposure and take them to the vet or animal rescue center. With your rabbits, when you visit the vet, you can help them feel safer and more comfortable by checking the wound, cleaning the wound, and stopping the bleeding.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Take care of your injured rabbit

1. 

   Take the rabbit to the vet. You can treat small, shallow scratches or nail wounds on your own, but for other injuries it is best to see the vet. What you need to do is minimize injuries, keep your rabbit safe and comfortable on the go, and keep an eye on office hours and have a backup plan. If the veterinarian you know is not present for your rabbit's emergency after hours, you will need the phone number of another clinic or doctor.

   

   
   

   Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

   Veterinarian Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience in veterinary surgery and pet disease treatment. She graduated from Glasgow University in 1987 with a degree in veterinary surgeon. She has worked at a vet clinic in her hometown for more than 20 years.

   

   Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
   Veterinarians

   Veterinarian Pippa Elliott recommends that: "Rabbits are very susceptible to stress, so it's important to keep them safe and protected on their way to the vet." Use a carrier and cover it with a towel, the shadow will make the rabbit feel like he is in the cave and it will be more comfortable. "

2. 

   
   
   Watch out for signs of injury that are difficult to spot. If your rabbit bleeds, has been bitten or stepped on, you should take it to the veterinarian. However, rabbit wounds are not always easily recognizable, especially if the rabbit is in too much pain and instinctively trying to hide it. Unrecognizable signs of injury include:
   • Lie on your side for too long.
   • Fall.
   • Can't walk in a straight line.
   • A limp or a change in gait.
   • Having a strange posture,
   • Lick, rub, or scratch a body area.
   • Quit eating or drinking for 24 hours.
   • Do not go to the toilet for 8 hours or more.

3. 

   
   
   Examine and assess the extent of the wound. You need to rely on the condition of the wound to take care of your rabbit properly. If the wound isn't immediately life-threatening - your rabbit is bleeding heavily, is paralyzed, or is in shock - then you can have a quick check as follows:
   • Nose and Beard - The sides of the nose and whiskers need to be balanced. See if the rabbit's nose is draining and swollen.
   • Eyes - Blind or closed eyes are signs of shock. Please shine a flashlight in the rabbit's eyes to see if the pupil shrinks. If the white in the rabbit's eyes is yellow, then the liver is having a serious problem.
   • Gums and teeth - You will lift the rabbit's lips to check the gums and teeth. Rabbits' gums should be pink and have good elasticity when pressed with their fingers. Pale gums are a sign of shock. Make sure the rabbit doesn't have any broken teeth.
   • Head and neck - Check for lumps, lumps, or swelling in the rabbit. One side tilted rabbit head could be a sign of shock or spinal cord injury.
   • Legs - Check for red, hot, or swollen spots.If you do not see any of the above, use both hands to gently stretch the rabbit's legs from top to bottom and gently flex the joints; stop immediately when the rabbit is in pain. Cold feet are another sign of shock.
   • Upper Body - Swipe the rabbit's ribs and spine for swelling or unusual signs, then gently touch the rabbit's belly for swelling or redness. If the rabbit is breathing rapidly or has a fast heartbeat, that is also a sign of shock.

4. 

   Quickly take the shocked rabbit to the vet. Rabbits can die from shock. If the rabbit's eyes are frozen or closed, the nose is cold, the heartbeat and breathing is fast, then wrap the rabbit in a clean towel, place it in the transport cage, contact it and take it to the veterinarian.
   • Always keep the towel and the carrier by the side of the rabbit to minimize movement.
   • If you suspect your rabbit is shocked, stay warm and limit stress. If possible, keep a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel near the rabbit (so it won't burn) and place the rabbit in a lid with a lid so it feels protected. Feeling unprotected and vulnerable to attack can make your rabbit very stressed.

5. 

   Wrap your rabbit in a towel if you do not find a specific problem during the examination. Rabbits lose heat quickly from the stress of injury. If you think your rabbit is injured, especially kicked, trampled, or sitting up, gently wrap it in a towel and take it to the clinic.
   • Reduce stress by giving your rabbit a safe, dark place to hide. There have been cases where the rabbit died from stress, so while examining the wound or waiting for the results from the vet, make sure the rabbit feels as safe as possible.

6. 

   Take care if your rabbit has a fracture. You should not try to splint your rabbit's bones, as doing so may seriously injure him. Put the rabbit in a box so it cannot jump or run around. If the broken bone is protruding, wrap the protruding bone with a sterile gauze pad in the first aid kit. If you don't have a sterile gauze pad, you can use a freshly washed (clean) handkerchief over the fracture to minimize airborne contamination. If you do not have a clean towel or cloth, just leave the fracture intact, but notify your doctor so they can decide if you need to give your rabbit antibiotics or not. Either way, you absolutely must not push the protruding bone into the rabbit's body.
   • If one of the rabbits' legs hang abnormally or are unable to move properly, the rabbit may have a spinal injury. You will need to take extra care when wrapping the rabbit in a towel and placing it in the carrier.

7. 

   Clean shallow cuts or bites. If the rabbit is bitten, only injured skin and is not shocked, you can clean the wound before taking the rabbit to the vet. Dilute the iodine solution with warm water until the water looks like iced tea, then wash the wound. If you don't have an iodine solution, you can wash your rabbit's wound with antibacterial soap and warm water, or make a brine solution yourself by adding 1 teaspoon of table salt to a cup of boiled water.
   • Be careful that using warm, cold water may shock your rabbit.
   • If the cut is very small, you can clean and apply the antibiotic ointment yourself, then check it often to make sure the wound is healing.

8. 

   Apply pressure to stop bleeding. Especially when the bleeding from the wound is high and strong, applying pressure to stop the bleeding can save the rabbit's life. Use a sterile gauze pad or a clean towel or cloth if the sterile gauze is not gently pressed against the wound. Do not remove the cloth or gauze when it becomes soaked with blood, apply another piece of cloth / gauze and hold the wound firmly, then take the rabbit to the veterinarian as quickly as possible. .
   • If you need to drive to the vet and no one to help you, you can fix the bleeding swab on the rabbit.

9. 

   Pour cool water into the burn. If the rabbit has been exposed to boiling water or other corrosive chemicals on your body, pour cool water over the burn for at least 10 minutes. Do this before taking the rabbit to the vet, as this is the most effective way to reduce complications of a new burn.
   • Do not apply ointment to the wound to avoid interfering with your doctor's treatment.
   • If the rabbit bites on the power cord, the rabbit's mouth will burn or will drain fluid in his lungs. If the rabbit is breathing rapidly, it is likely due to fluid in the lungs. Minimize stress to the rabbit at this point and keep the rabbit in a well ventilated area while seeking help.

10. 

    Apply a decongestant, such as Quick-Stop, to the injured rabbit's nail. If your rabbit's claws are completely removed, you will need to take your rabbit to the vet, but if the nail is just broken or cut too close, you can treat it at home. Apply a hemostatic agent to stop the bleeding (it may take a few times) and check it often to make sure the nail is healing. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Take care of the wild rabbit

1. 

   Do not take care of an injured wild rabbit yourself. First, it is illegal to keep wild animals indoors unless you have permission from the local authorities. Second, caring for an injured wild rabbit requires skill and expertise, otherwise you will only make the rabbit's situation worse.

2. 

   Surely the rabbit you found was the wild rabbit. Most wild rabbits have brown fur and a white tail. If a rabbit has a different color in the wild - pure white, jet black, gray, striped, speckled, or colored - it is more likely that the domestic rabbit has been left out or released. These rabbits will need your help. Even if you are not injured, you should take them back and take them to the vet to see if they are sick. Then you can take care of the rabbit yourself or find someone to adopt them.

3. 

   Certainly the rabbit was really injured. In most cases we should not interfere with wildlife life. If you don't have experience, you will most likely break your rabbit's spine when you lift it. Furthermore, being caught could stress the rabbit and lead to death. If you intend to remove the wild rabbit from its natural habitat, make sure it is truly injured and needs help. Some signs of an injury include:
   • Lie on your side for long periods of time.
   • Falling or being unable to run in a straight line.
   • Bleeding or stabbing.

4. 

   Keep children and pets away from rabbits and leave them in place if the wound is not serious. If your rabbit is mobile and doesn't bleed a lot, it is best to leave it in place, and make sure children and dogs don't get close to the rabbit.

5. 

   Contact your veterinarian if your rabbit is seriously injured. If your rabbit is bleeding, lying on its side and cannot walk, or has been bitten by a dog or cat, contact your veterinarian. You will need to be sure in advance that a veterinarian is willing to treat wildlife, otherwise they will usually refer you to a local wildlife care or rescue center.

6. 

   Wear gloves when handling wild rabbits. Rabbits can become infected with tularemia, an infection that can be passed on to humans. Symptoms of the disease include: sores, red eyes, sore throat, diarrhea and pneumonia. It can lead to death if not treated promptly. To protect yourself, always wear gloves when handling rabbits and wash your hands with soap and water after handling.

7. 

   Be careful when handling rabbits. For a wild rabbit, being picked up by you is like being caught by a hawk or other predators and one of its reactions would be very frightening. Carefully lift the rabbit to minimize fear and serious injury:
   • Do not lift the rabbit by holding the rabbit's ears, legs, or nape. Instead, put one hand under your chest and one hand under the rabbit's belly, and hold the rabbit's head slightly higher so the rabbit won't kick or bite you.
   • Keep your rabbit close to the ground. In the wild, rabbits are only lifted into the air when caught by hawks and they don't like this.
   • Place the rabbit in the carrier as quickly as possible.Try to move the rabbit as close as possible. You can take the rabbit to the veterinarian by placing the rabbit in a basket, shoebox, or carrier. However, be careful not to use a carrier that has confined dogs or cats, as their smell can stress the rabbit.
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What you need

• Sterile gauze
• Iodine solution
• Antibiotic ointment
• Hemostatic drugs
• Cage
• Clean cloth
• Vet's phone number
• Vegetables (for domestic and wild rabbits as they may become hungry or frightened)