Jenova
Wise Old Thumper
Okay, first I should go into the context behind this. After I almost lost Grimlock a week ago I've been really thinking about everything he's gone through. Some people know his story, but for those who don't (in italics if you want to skip it.):
In July of last year his front teeth were removed and two jaw abscesses were found. The vet who did the operation phoned me up and suggested I let him go under the anaesthetic as it was too hard to treat, and that I should 'think about his quality of life'. Well I said no and another vet did some research and saved his life. We treated him with depocillin injections every three days for eight weeks which I did at home and they cleared up beautifully.
Since then his eyes have been playing up. I travel up to Manchester every few months to see my family and because Grim is how he is I always take him and Smoo with me. His eye got really bad one time I was there and I took him to rabbit savvy vets there. The vet I saw was really good but was shocked how bad his eyes were and mentioned 'his quality of life' and what I should do if they didn't improve...
So this is my point. What is Grim's quality of life? He has awful teeth that shock vets. I've been asked 'How is he still eating?' His eyes constantly run and are nowadays constantly infected. He's on medication pretty much every day, if it's not injections it's baytril or painkillers. He doesn't eat much other than pellets and anything else has to be chopped into tiny pieces. And he has to have excell as science selective are too big. His stomach is weird and he's doing all sorts of weird and wacky poos. He has molars growing sideways and falling out, he's going blind... and he's only coming up to four years old.
But... he absolutely loves his food. He goes crazy for his medicine and when I put baytril in bread he races out of his hutch and halfway across the garden to get to it faster. And then begs for more. He loves his Smoo (Samus) and the way she cleans his eyes for him and sits on his right side (the side with the bad sight). He loves to laze around in his hutch or in his plant pot in the sun. He loves to sneak into the house and hide under my bed. He loves to chase or be chased by Smoo up and down the stairs. He loves life.
And then I think of healthy rabbits and the sad fact that most of them spend their life trapped in tiny hutches with their teeth and nails overgrowing who die of diseases that their owners don't notice or don't care about. And I think to myself, Grimlock has a damn good quality of life!
He may be falling apart and be held together by metaphorical duct tape. We may call him a zombie bunny after he stopped breathing for five minutes under general anaesthetic. But he's a happy bunny, no matter what's wrong with him. So next time a vet asks you about your pet's 'quality of life' you can turn around and say that it's good thank you very much.
Now don't get me wrong, when it's time to let them go it's time. I had to have my Lopsie put to sleep and it was the hardest and most horrible thing I've had to do. But I know it was right. He couldn't walk, he wouldn't eat, or swallow recovery food. I still miss him. I'm just angry at vets who rush to suggest it when there's no need. So what's your rabbit's quality of life?
In July of last year his front teeth were removed and two jaw abscesses were found. The vet who did the operation phoned me up and suggested I let him go under the anaesthetic as it was too hard to treat, and that I should 'think about his quality of life'. Well I said no and another vet did some research and saved his life. We treated him with depocillin injections every three days for eight weeks which I did at home and they cleared up beautifully.
Since then his eyes have been playing up. I travel up to Manchester every few months to see my family and because Grim is how he is I always take him and Smoo with me. His eye got really bad one time I was there and I took him to rabbit savvy vets there. The vet I saw was really good but was shocked how bad his eyes were and mentioned 'his quality of life' and what I should do if they didn't improve...
So this is my point. What is Grim's quality of life? He has awful teeth that shock vets. I've been asked 'How is he still eating?' His eyes constantly run and are nowadays constantly infected. He's on medication pretty much every day, if it's not injections it's baytril or painkillers. He doesn't eat much other than pellets and anything else has to be chopped into tiny pieces. And he has to have excell as science selective are too big. His stomach is weird and he's doing all sorts of weird and wacky poos. He has molars growing sideways and falling out, he's going blind... and he's only coming up to four years old.
But... he absolutely loves his food. He goes crazy for his medicine and when I put baytril in bread he races out of his hutch and halfway across the garden to get to it faster. And then begs for more. He loves his Smoo (Samus) and the way she cleans his eyes for him and sits on his right side (the side with the bad sight). He loves to laze around in his hutch or in his plant pot in the sun. He loves to sneak into the house and hide under my bed. He loves to chase or be chased by Smoo up and down the stairs. He loves life.
And then I think of healthy rabbits and the sad fact that most of them spend their life trapped in tiny hutches with their teeth and nails overgrowing who die of diseases that their owners don't notice or don't care about. And I think to myself, Grimlock has a damn good quality of life!
He may be falling apart and be held together by metaphorical duct tape. We may call him a zombie bunny after he stopped breathing for five minutes under general anaesthetic. But he's a happy bunny, no matter what's wrong with him. So next time a vet asks you about your pet's 'quality of life' you can turn around and say that it's good thank you very much.
Now don't get me wrong, when it's time to let them go it's time. I had to have my Lopsie put to sleep and it was the hardest and most horrible thing I've had to do. But I know it was right. He couldn't walk, he wouldn't eat, or swallow recovery food. I still miss him. I'm just angry at vets who rush to suggest it when there's no need. So what's your rabbit's quality of life?