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haunted by old rabbit's death

Candiflare

Mama Doe
I'm being haunted by my old rabbit's death when I was younger again. He's the one who died when my parents wouldn't let me take him to the vet. He was ten years old.

Can anybody tell me - when a rabbit goes into shock, can they still feel pain? He was falling over and unbalanced and after he died my parents told me that they found maggots burrowing into his bum. Obviously he had flystrike and something else.

But I just feel so sad and I'm searching around for something which might tell me he was in less pain than I've always thought. Futile, I know. :cry:
 
Don't torture yourself, you obviously looked after him well for him to live until 10 years old and sadly lots of is have been in similar situations where we know we should have done more. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and do our best for the ones we have now. I'm sure he's binkying at the bridge x x
 
I'm being haunted by my old rabbit's death when I was younger again. He's the one who died when my parents wouldn't let me take him to the vet. He was ten years old.

Can anybody tell me - when a rabbit goes into shock, can they still feel pain? He was falling over and unbalanced and after he died my parents told me that they found maggots burrowing into his bum. Obviously he had flystrike and something else.

But I just feel so sad and I'm searching around for something which might tell me he was in less pain than I've always thought. Futile, I know. :cry:

:? I think without meaning to sound harsh he would have been in pain, that would have resulted in shock - how much he was aware of then is anyone's guess, the falling over etc is all symptomatic of shock and losing consciousness. Whatever way you look at it, you were clearly too young to have gone over your parents decision, he had reached a really good age and sad as it is no amount of beating yourself up will bring him back, he would have known it wasn't your fault as such, it's very sad but, you really shouldn't feel haunted as such, animals won't haunt you, they don't feel resentment and all the petty negative human emotions - their souls are pure and innocent, he wouldn't have known he was going to die either and if he did he wouldn't have feared it after a long life like he had. Seriously remember all the good times and the love you felt for him, light a candle but, don't think negative thoughts - he wouldn't wish that on you, they are such forgiving gentle little animals, he would feel stressed knowing you are miserable, maybe his presence is more of a warning to be vigilant for flystrike who knows, what I am sure of is it's not to 'haunt' you in a negative sense. x
 
Ten years is a good age. He could have gone to another home and only lived two or three. Don't hold yourself responsible for something that happened when you were a child and that wasn't your fault anyway.

It can be hard to let things go, but you need to for your own sake. Don't torture yourself by going over it again and again - you obviously looked after him very well and you need to think about the many happy years he had with you not the brief time when he was ill.
 
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