My rabbit hit its head. What should I watch for and when to see a vet?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Oh dear, poor Ziggy! This case is a touch tricky, because my first advice is absolutely that if Ziggy seems the slightest bit off, he should go immediately and directly to the nearest veterinary clinic for emergency care. The fall from your kitchen unit could have injured either his back or his head - and such injuries require immediate attention from a veterinarian. However, extreme stress can also be dangerous for rabbits, and with the stress of the bath, the fall, and now being wet and cold, the best thing for Ziggy may be to have some quiet time in a safe, dark, quiet place to relax while he dries off and calms down. So, I recommend you watch him really closely. If he seems to be moving around ok and is acting mentally appropriate/normal, then keep him somewhere comfortable, quiet, and dark to relax and dry off. However, if he is sluggish, not moving normally, breathing abnormally, or in any other way is acting abnormal, then you should rush him directly to the vet. When in doubt, absolutely call your nearest emergency clinic and talk to someone on the phone, who can walk you through assessing Ziggy and can help you make the best decision about rushing him in versus letting him relax. I hope this helps!

It sounds like poor Bella had an abnormal episode. If she is currently acting normal I would not recommen doing anything at this time. However it is possible she had a seizures or even another neurologic even that caused this behavior. If you notice she is not eating,drinking or acting lethargic I would recommend taking her to the vet for a good exam. If she continues this behavior I also would recommend a good exam to dig a little deeper. i hope that helps

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you believe that Boston Bunnelby may have been injured by his cage, I recommend bringing him to your veterinarian. He/she can perform a full physical exam and look for evidence of soft tissue or skeletal injury and treat accordingly, if needed. If he is otherwise moving around as usual and acting normally (eating, drinking, urinating, defecating) normally, I would not be concerned. I hope this is helpful!

It would probably be a good idea to have him examined but allow him to calm down first. Hopefully, the blood is just a result of mild trauma. The veterinarian will be able to determine the need for further diagnostics based on exam.

Keep an eye on her mentation (is she acting normally, responding normally, she doesn't seem "depressed" or "dull"), the way she's walking (is she bumping into walls, does she have a wobbly or drunken appearing gait), and her desire and ability to eat and drink. Also keep an eye out for vomiting. If it gets to be 12-18 hours after the incident and she's showed no symptoms, you should be in the clear. I hope thats helpful! Thanks for asking PetCoach! Here's some good info regarding brain injuries in pets: http://download.skyscape.com/download/ota/5mvetcf5/documents/pdf/brain_injury.pdf

As long as the bleeding has stopped you only need to monitor the area in the next few days to make sure Boma is not developing an infection, if it starts to swell or if it looks infected you will need to find a vet in order to get it treated.

Being "woozy" may be due to illness or injury. If symptoms persist or worsen, consider an exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits. Make sure Nie Nie continues to eat. A rabbit that has stopped eating should be considered a veterinary emergency.