Disabled wild bunny in my yard

[WolfGirl]

We have several rabbits living in/around our yard which we've always welcomed year after year. I noticed recently that one young one leaned over to its right when running, but since it appeared to move reasonably well, just thought it was a birth malformation or postnatal injury. Now I just startled it in the yard when I took out the compost, and it's definitely worse; the bunny fell over when trying to get away from me, had a hard time righting itself, and then oddly turned its head to the right and back over its side. There's clearly some neurological pathology going on here. My question is, do I do anything about it? I might be able to catch it if it falls over again when I surprise it. But...do I bother to take it to a vet? In the past we've saved half-dead baby squirrels and families of ducks, not to mention numerous stray cats, but I'm not sure I'm prepared (and certainly know I'm not, financially) to deal with a bunny with a brain tumor.

[KnottedYet]

Rabies isn't pretty. Please don't touch the bunny, and don't let your animals touch it either. Call animal control and tell them about the symptoms.

[Eden]

Totally agree with Knot - the bunny very well could have something catchy. Don't touch the bunny and do call animal control.

Seems this is pretty well studied in bunnies... but has a lot of causes..
http://www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

[WolfGirl]

Wow, thanks, guys...I didn't even think of rabies...was just concerned with the little guy. I called animal control and left a message, then read the link for head tilt. It brings up a lot of what I was thinking; vestibular issues or neurological. Now I feel a little bad about calling animal control, if that's it and not rabies. oh well. Poor little thing...

[KnottedYet]

Rabies is neurological.
It is a viral infection of the brain.
Rabies effects motor control and coordination.

The stereotyped "foaming at the mouth" only happens as the animal is on the verge of death and can no longer swallow (and they are producing a lot of saliva and tears).

Rabbits get rabies.
I used to work with a woman who did CDC rabies surveys. It is best to have animal control deal with the rabbit, whatever is going on with him.

[WolfGirl]

Thanks, Knotted...you'd have found the call I just got from Animal Control interesting though, because the woman swore up and down that rabbits cannot get rabies. Some brief searching (I'm trying to get some housework done) brings up that they maybe _can_ but typically _dont_?

At any rate, I won't be touching it any time soon, my cats are indoor beasties, and AC won't come to get it today anyway. I'll just keep an eye on it and see what happens.

[Zen]

Now I think I have rabies.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I noticed recently that one young one leaned over to its right when running....the bunny fell over when trying to get away from me, had a hard time righting itself, and then oddly turned its head to the right and back over its side.

Sounds just like e.cuniculi parasite, common in rabbits. Doesn't sound like rabies to me. Cuniculi causes a peculiar head tilt and falling over, loss of balance, spasms. My friend's outdoor cat caught it last year and even though she recovered the poor cat has a permanent head tilt now. I have another friend with an outdoor cat with a weird tilted head and my friend said she thought the cat had been struck by lightning (yeah right) but I am pretty sure it was the work of the very same rabbit parasite. Here's where you can read up on it
Call your vet for more info, I bet they've treated cats with it, though treating a wild rabbit doesn't seem practical.

[KnottedYet]

Thanks, Knotted...you'd have found the call I just got from Animal Control interesting though, because the woman swore up and down that rabbits cannot get rabies.

The first rabies vaccines were developed using blood from infected rabbits.

Whatever infectious agent is messing up that bunny, don't you catch it and don't risk your cats catching it.

[tiva]

I don't want to sound heartless, but putting the rabbit out of its misery quickly is probably the kindest thing you can do.

[pumpkinpony]

I agree with Bleecker and doubt it's rabies. I used to raise rabbits, and wry neck/ear problems do happen. I'd catch it and take it to a vet, if only to get it euthanized.

You might check too with a vet. In Denver the vet clinics are required to take in wildlife at no cost to you. I took in a couple of rabbits one year, one with a broken leg - can't say the clinic was real thrilled and warned me they would euthanize vs treatment due to the cost, but better than seeing the animal suffer.

[OakLeaf]

Most states require you to have a wildlife rehabilitator license before you could even take the thing to a vet. The vet, I'm sure, would be required to comply with whatever laws apply - including possibly turning you in. One of those situations where they might not want to, but it's their license to practice veterinary medicine at stake.

Call animal control. It's shaky enough trying to diagnose each other's ailments over the Internet. Trying to do it with an animal that can't speak for itself and of which you've had limited observation ...

[WolfGirl]

Yep, I called them yesterday...they won't do anything until it's either severely non-functioning or disruptive, neither of which it is. I haven't seen it since my original post yesterday. I'm keeping an eye out, and am prepared to throw a laundry basket over it if need be (meaning, I won't be trying to pick it up) so that animal control can come get it.