For an injured rabbit, keep things quiet, place it in a towel-lined box, and seek a vet or licensed rehabilitator right away.
You found a hurt bunny, or your own house rabbit just had an accident. The goal is simple: keep the animal safe, limit stress, and get expert care fast. The steps below give you calm handling, clear triage, and practical first aid you can do at home or outdoors while you arrange help.
Helping An Injured Rabbit Safely — First Steps
Start with your safety and the rabbit’s breathing. Panicked handling can lead to scratches, bites, and spine trauma. Move slowly. Speak softly. Dim the light. If the rabbit is in a risky spot, slide a towel over the body, lift with the body close to yours, and place in a ventilated carrier or a sturdy box with air holes.
| Sign You See | What It May Mean | What To Do Now |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid, shallow breaths | Pain or shock | Keep warm, dark, and quiet; call a vet |
| One leg hangs or won’t bear weight | Fracture or sprain | Confine in a box; limit movement; arrange transport |
| Bleeding wound | Laceration | Apply gentle pressure with clean gauze |
| Burned whiskers or mouth | Electrical bite on cord | Unplug power; call a vet; offer no food |
| Hot ears, drooling, weak | Heat stress | Cool with damp ears and airflow; seek care |
| Head tilt or rolling | Neurologic issue | Pad the box; keep level; phone a vet |
| Airway gurgling | Fluid in mouth or nose | Keep head slightly down; no syringed fluids |
Wild Or Pet? The First Split
House rabbits and wild cottontails or hares need different next steps. A tame rabbit with a guardian should head to a rabbit-savvy clinic. Wild species must go to a licensed carer. Many regions restrict private care of wildlife. If it’s wild, contain the animal with a towel and a box and phone a local rehabilitator right away. If you’re unsure, treat as wild until a professional confirms.
Baby Wild Rabbits: Leave Or Help?
Nestlings often lie still in shallow grass hollows with no adult in sight during the day. That can be normal. True trouble signs include flies, visible blood, a cold body, or a pet attack. If any of those show up, containment and expert help are the next steps. If not, stand back and watch from a distance; the mother may return at dusk or dawn.
How To Contain Without Adding Stress
Use a towel or light cloth over the head and body so the animal feels less exposed. Place into a hard carrier or lidded box with air holes and a non-slip towel. Keep the box dark and steady on the car floor. Avoid heat, smoke, and strong smells. Do not hug, hand feed, or let children handle the rabbit. A blanket over the box keeps things dim and calm during transport. Guidance on safe capture and transport for wildlife appears in the RSPCA injured wildlife advice.
Hands-On Basics That Prevent Bigger Injuries
Safe Lifts And Holds
Keep the chest against your body, one arm under the front, the other under the hindquarters. Never grab by the ears or the scruff. Keep the back curved in a natural line. If the rabbit struggles, lower gently into the box and close the lid. A light cover over the box keeps things dim and calm during transport.
Air, Heat, And Calm
Rabbits handle stress poorly. Quiet and darkness help. In a car, set cool airflow; skip blast-cold. Avoid direct fans on the face. On a hot day, place a cool pack under part of the box with a towel between pack and the animal so the body can move away if it gets chilly.
Reading Pain And Shock
Pain shows as tooth grinding, tense posture, narrowed eyes, or a hunched stance. Shock shows as pale gums, weak pulses, glassy eyes, cold feet, and a drop in body temp. Keep the rabbit level and warm with a light towel. No hot water bottles on bare skin. Phone ahead so the clinic or carer can prep.
What You Can Do Before You Reach A Clinic
Stop Mild Bleeding
Press clean gauze or a cloth for two to three minutes. Lift, check, and repeat. Do not apply sticky bandages to fur. Deep, spurting, or soaking wounds need urgent care.
Handle Possible Fractures
Skip makeshift splints. They slip and cause more harm. Confine movement in a box with rolled towels as bumpers so the body stays still during turns and stops. Keep the trip smooth and short.
Cooling A Heat Case
Move to shade. Wet the ears with cool tap water. Lightly dampen the body and set up airflow. Keep water away from nose and mouth. Offer a small drink if the rabbit reaches for it, but never force fluids. Heat stress can look better, then crash later, so a vet visit still matters. Step-by-step cooling guidance for rabbits appears in the PDSA heatstroke steps for rabbits.
After A Chewed Cord
Unplug power. Look for mouth burns, drool, or odd breathing. Do not feed hay or pellets yet; mouth pain and heart rhythm issues can follow. Place in the carrier and call a clinic. Many home chew incidents start with loose phone or laptop cables, so tidy those routes once the rabbit recovers.
When Food And Water Can Wait
Skip food and water for any wild rabbit. For a pet rabbit, offer hay only if the animal sits upright and reaches for it. No pellets or greens until a vet checks the mouth and belly. No syringe feeding unless a vet guides you later.
Deciding Who To Call First
For a pet rabbit, phone your regular clinic or an exotic-savvy vet. For a wild rabbit, ring a licensed wildlife carer in your state or region. Many states and countries publish public lists, and humane groups or veterinary schools can route you to the right number fast. If you’re stuck after hours, call the nearest emergency clinic and ask for the name of a rabbit-savvy vet or a permitted rehabilitator.
What To Say On The Phone
Give the species (pet rabbit or wild cottontail/hare), location, time since injury, current breathing and bleeding status, body temp if known, and any first aid you already did. Share any toxins, heat exposure, predator contact, vehicle strike, or electrical bite. Keep your phone on. Stay parked where the team can find you fast.
Calm Transport That Protects The Spine
Place the box on the car floor, not the seat. Wedge with a bag or towel so it won’t slide. Drive smoothly and skip loud music. Keep dogs and cats away from the carrier. Bring a photo ID and your phone so the team can reach you while you wait curbside. If the team asks you to wait outside, keep the car cool and the box shaded.
What Not To Do
- No water or formula by mouth for wild rabbits; aspiration can be fatal.
- No milk for any rabbit; cow milk and kitten milk replacers cause gut trouble.
- No syringed fluids for any stressed rabbit unless a vet guides you.
- No human pain pills; many are toxic to rabbits.
- No wire ties, tape, or sticks to “splint.”
- No free run in the car; contain at all times.
- No scruff lift or ear lift; lift with the body close to yours.
Table For Fast Decisions After The First Hour
| Symptom | Go Now Or Call | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bleeding that soaks gauze | Go now | Keep gentle pressure during travel |
| Open fracture or limb at odd angle | Go now | Do not splint; pad in box |
| Breathing fast with belly heave | Go now | Keep head level; no fluids |
| Heat stress signs | Cool and go | Dampen ears and body; airflow only |
| Mouth burns from cord | Call, then go | No food until vet checks |
| Mild limp but alert | Call same day | Strict rest in a box |
| Tiny scratch, no bleeding | Home care | Clean with saline; monitor |
Common Situations And What To Do
Dog Or Cat Attack
Puncture wounds can seal on the surface while bacteria seed deep. Even tiny bites need fast antibiotics. Confine, keep warm, and go.
Trapped In Netting Or Wire
Cut the net or wire away from the rabbit rather than pulling limbs through. Leave tight loops on the body for the clinic to remove. Pad the box to limit thrashing. Keep the animal dark and quiet during the ride.
Hit By A Bicycle Or Car
Even if the rabbit hops away, internal injury is likely. If you can safely collect the animal, box and transport. If not, mark the spot on your map and call a carer with a pin. Stay a short distance away so the rabbit does not dash into traffic again.
Heatwave At Home
Bring the rabbit inside to a cool room during peak heat. Offer fresh water and shade. Swap out cool packs as they warm. Never leave a rabbit in a parked car, even for a few minutes. Plan vet transport for early morning or late evening when temps are lower.
Smoke Or Fire Nearby
Move the rabbit to clean air. Keep handling short and calm. If you see fast breathing, blue tinge to gums, or weakness, head to a clinic. Soot on fur and whiskers can hide burns of the lips or mouth.
Aftercare For A Pet Rabbit Back At Home
Follow the plan set by your vet. Keep the room quiet, with steady temp and dim light. Set up a recovery pen so the rabbit can turn and lie flat but not run or jump. Offer hay and fresh water. Clean the litter tray often so you can track stool and urine output. Use any meds on time. Call the clinic if you see fewer stools, low appetite, labored breaths, or new swelling.
How To Give Medicines
Read the label. Draw up the dose with care. Lift the lip at the corner and aim the syringe across the tongue, not straight back. Go slow so the rabbit swallows. Praise with a calm voice. If dosing fails or the rabbit spits, call the clinic for a different form.
Prevention Tips That Pay Off Later
Make The Space Safer
Cover cords in chew guards or run them through cable sleeves. Use baby gates and block tight gaps behind fridges and sofas. Keep dogs away during free roam time. Secure balcony rails. In the yard, add shade, fresh water, and sturdy fencing with a roof panel to stop aerial predators. Bring the rabbit inside at night where hazards are lower.
Heat, Travel, And Handling
Limit car time on hot days. Pack a frozen water bottle wrapped in a cloth for the carrier. Lift with calm, steady hands. Teach every family member the same method so the rabbit gets the same handling every time. Keep a carrier near the door so you can load fast during a crisis.
Gear You Can Keep Ready At Home
A simple kit helps you deal with scrapes while you arrange care. Stock a small hard carrier, clean towels, gauze pads, blunt-tip scissors, a digital thermometer, sterile saline, and a spare phone power bank. Add a freezer pack for hot months, wrapped in a cloth when used. Label a card with numbers for an exotic-savvy vet and a nearby wildlife carer. Run a drill with the family once so everyone knows the routine.
Printable Mini-Checklist
- Cover with a towel, lift gently, and box the rabbit.
- Keep dark, quiet, and cool with light airflow.
- No food, milk, or syringed fluids.
- Call a rabbit-savvy vet or a licensed carer.
- Transport in a steady box on the car floor.