Will a rabbit die if it breaks a leg?

Answer 1

Not necessarily, not if the rabbit is treated by a vet with experience and knowledge in rabbits.

Whenever a rabbit is hurt, pain medication is an important part of recovery. A rabbit in pain can rapidly decline in health and die within a couple of days. The cause of death is GI stasis, because a rabbit in pain often chooses to stop eating, which is deadly.

For the broken bone to heal, the rabbit might also need a splint or restraint of some kind. Don't try to splint an injured rabbit at home: you can make the injury much worse. Instead, put some cushions (or towels, blankets) in a carrier, gently put the rabbit inside, and go to the vet. If the rabbit feels cold, put a hot water bottle or heating pad under the blankets (but not directly against the bunny).

Rabbits need to see special vets because they are very different from cats and dogs, but many vets don't understand that, and this can lead to deadly mistakes.

If a rabbit's broken bone heals improperly, it could suffer from pain and/or disability for the rest of it's life, which can easily lead to other health complications. A rabbit with a badly healed broken bone should see a vet for a close examination: the bunny may need special therapy, equipment, pain management, or even amputation.

A really bad, messy broken bone may need amputation right away. A rabbit with an amputated leg may need a specially-fitted "wheelchair."

See the related questions below for more info and links about rabbit vets and health.

Answer 2

If something has a broken back, they would be paralyzed, so no, a rabbit couldn't run with a broken back.