Elwoods behaviour is breaking my heart, don't know what I can do.

As the title says really. I am at a loss as how to help him

For those of you that don't know Elwood, he is a wonderful REW lop with neurological problems, is blind and has hearing difficulties. He has abscences but no proper fits. It use to make him the most happiest carefree rabbit you could ever find. He is more like a toddler than a bunny and needs constant supervision when free ranging as he would get in to all kinds of trouble left alone despite his problems.

Elwood has always been a loving happy rabbit, who would like nothing better than sitting on the sofa with us, or chasing cats so he could wee on them:lol:

He did have phases of aggression where he would attack our legs when we walked around. I felt the movement unsettled him so we picked him up to cuddle him every time and eventually this stopped as he seemd to feel more secure.

This then changed to him occassionally attacking inanimate objects, like chair legs and walls but it never lasted long. He would always return to being happy and relaxed most of the time.

Last Monday he went completely out of control, attacking walls, radiators anything really. He was really upset and when I went to comfort him he was terrified and ran from me. Which was a completely new thing. I thought it would pass so went to bed and left him out with Steve. I could hear him charging about so badly the house was shaking, radiators were vibrating. We got him in his crate and he was going mad in it. He was so scared he could hardly breathe and was partially mouth breathing. I gave him Metacam it's all i could think of to do and held him tight until he settled.

The next few days he was exhausted, but now his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic. He either attacks walls when he is out. He is terrified if Steve or I approach him and will run up the stairs in 2 bounds to get away from us. Yet when I do pick him up and cuddle him he settled straight down for some nose rubs and purrs his teeth. Other times he wont come out of his crate at all. It is heartbreaking to see. I'm having nightmares about it as I don't what to do for him. I don't think the vets will be able to help him.

He is still relaxed when shut in his crate and he still loves his food.In the mornings he does still jump on the sofa to steal cereal out of my bowl

I am so worried that I will have to make a decision about his future, it is such a big responsibility. I really don't know what to do, he's not even a year old yet. He is the most special bunny in all the world, he is so unbunny like I almost see him as the child I will never have But this is so sad to watch

Sorry for the long post, it's just so hard to explain easily. Any opinions and ideas are welcome

awww hun im sorry i have no idea what you should do for the best.. but im really sorry hes not doing to well xxxxxx

Aww hun (((Hugs))) I have no advice but just wanted to let you know im thinking of you He sounds like a lovely little bunny, so sorry he poorly at the moment Im sure hes in the best place with you, and it sounds like you doing a great job looking after him xXx

Oh sweetie....I don't know what to say. If he is very unhappy and his behaviour is causing him distress and the vet cannot help then you will have to have a long hard think about what you want to do.

It's something no-one can help you with, but I know you will do what's right for Elwood. I'm so sorry for you that it's so hard
xx

I'm so sorry
He really sounds like a special bunny. I feel very strongly about making decisions that are right for the rabbit in terms of welfare. I feel that this may be a welfare issue. I also know that you only have a rabbits welfare in mind, and I know that you will make the right decision for Elwood whatever that may be.

I had to let THumper go a couple of weeks ago and it was the most horrible decision....mainly because I could have let him live, put him on permanent pain relief, meds etc but he wasn't the same bunny anymore. He was only three, but I know he wasn't happy. I had to wonder who I was keeping him alive for, and to be honest it was for myself. His problems were only going to get worse so I like to think I did the kindest thing for him. If long term welfare is an issue then it's time to think about what is right for the bunny. xx

Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I don't have anything useful to say to help but just wanted you know I'm thinking of you both. Sending lots of love and nose rubs for Elwood xxxxx

Aw gosh......
I really dont have advice, but poor you and poor Elwood....*hugs*

xx

Lspacehopper said:

Oh sweetie....I don't know what to say. If he is very unhappy and his behaviour is causing him distress and the vet cannot help then you will have to have a long hard think about what you want to do.

It's something no-one can help you with, but I know you will do what's right for Elwood. I'm so sorry for you that it's so hard
xx

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I'm thinking about nothing else at the moment

Deciding a bunnies future is always such a big reponsiblity but when it is more physically based eg kidney failure or dental problems it is often easier to make that decision.

Making a decision based on his behaviour so hard, where do you draw the line?

I use to work with teenagers with autism and severe learning difficulties. One of the girls use to have hallucinations and his behaviour reminds me so much of her I wish I knew what was going on in his head

Hugo's There said:

I'm thinking about nothing else at the moment

Deciding a bunnies future is always such a big reponsiblity but when it is more physically based eg kidney failure or dental problems it is often easier to make that decision.

Making a decision based on his behaviour so hard, where do you draw the line?

I use to work with teenagers with autism and severe learning difficulties. One of the girls use to have hallucinations and his behaviour reminds me so much of her I wish I knew what was going on in his head

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Anything neurological is bad enough in humans, but in animals it's a nightmare as they can't talk to us.
I hope someone can offer some hope for you ~~hugs~~ xx

Oh no, how awful Can you get his eyesight/hearing more accurately tested? It may be that he has become pretty much completely blind and deaf, which I would imagine would be very frightening for a prey animal, and may explain why his default reaction is to attack anything and everything :?

Poor little lad, I do hope you manage to get to the bottom of this

What a terrible time for you and Elwood. I do hope he gets better.

Hugo's There said:

Making a decision based on his behaviour so hard, where do you draw the line?

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I guess you have to draw the line at the point where we're keeping an animal going for us....for our selfish reasons.

I hope that doesn't sound too hard Liz. I just mean that animals don't know what is going on and when it's scaring them and leaving them freaked out for a period of time afterwards then when do we have to be cruel to be kind?

I hope the vet can do some tests and determine what's going on for you xx

AlisonA said:

Oh no, how awful Can you get his eyesight/hearing more accurately tested? It may be that he has become pretty much completely blind and deaf, which I would imagine would be very frightening for a prey animal, and may explain why his default reaction is to attack anything and everything :?

Poor little lad, I do hope you manage to get to the bottom of this

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He can definately see light and dark and can hear his name when called loudly and high pitched. This doesn't seem to have changed. He does have more abscences now, where his eyes sort of roll upwards

Lots of people on the forum have met Elwood and will agree that his disabilities have never held him back and that he is unique in many ways. He never had any fear or anything and I would find him in the most precarious places. He was a nightmare to watch in the garden. He once used a sack of carrots to stand onto see if he could get his head down the drain :roll: he had no interest in eating the carrots like a normal bunny :lol:

Lspacehopper said:

I guess you have to draw the line at the point where we're keeping an animal going for us....for our selfish reasons.

I hope that doesn't sound too hard Liz. I just mean that animals don't know what is going on and when it's scaring them and leaving them freaked out for a period of time afterwards then when do we have to be cruel to be kind?

I hope the vet can do some tests and determine what's going on for you xx

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I know, I understand what your saying and completely agree or I wouldn't even be thinking about it now. Its just when you see him trying to steal your cereal or flopping in his crate with his nose twitching as he dreams its nearly impossible to consider taking that away. I'm just trying to work out whther the bad times are now out weighing the good times and it is so hard to know. I think if he was older and had had more time it would be easier to decide. There is no way I want him to suffer i love him too much for that

Hugo's There said:

He can definately see light and dark and can hear his name when called loudly and high pitched. This doesn't seem to have changed. He does have more abscences now, where his eyes sort of roll upwards

Lots of people on the forum have met Elwood and will agree that his disabilities have never held him back and that he is unique in many ways. He never had any fear or anything and I would find him in the most precarious places. He was a nightmare to watch in the garden. He once used a sack of carrots to stand onto see if he could get his head down the drain :roll: he had no interest in eating the carrots like a normal bunny :lol:

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Angel has a place in my heart because of her funny little ways. There are times I think she sees better than she does......sometimes it's just so hard to gauge with them x

Hugo's There said:

I know, I understand what your saying and completely agree or I wouldn't even be thinking about it now. Its just when you see him trying to steal your cereal or flopping in his crate with his nose twitching as he dreams its nearly impossible to consider taking that away. I'm just trying to work out whther the bad times are now out weighing the good times and it is so hard to know. I think if he was older and had had more time it would be easier to decide. There is no way I want him to suffer i love him too much for that

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If it was me, I'd be clutching at everything Liz....I know exactly what you're talking about.

Speak to your vet and see if they can do some tests to give you something concrete to go on. Everything is crossed for you xx

So sorry hope you can get it sorted. Sending hugs to you.

Does he have the 'panics' in his crate?
When out and about can he smell other Rabbits/Cats?

Random idea - try putting something with your smell on it in his crate - he might find it reassuring. Buns are so smell orientated, maybe more so if he is deaf and blind.
Just maybe, if something has suddenly deterriorated about his blindness or deafness then he might be panicing but will adapt in a few days.
I really sympathise - it is so hard to know

Hi, sorry I have no advice but just wanted to say am thinking about you xx