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Concerned about referral

GrahamL

Wise Old Thumper
This single niggley thought has entered my mind and i can't get damn well shot of it, no matter how hard i try.

I know i'm naieve to think that a vet can fix every problem in the world.

"What if there's nothing that can be done?"

:(

Just want her all better, for her sake. She can't like all of what is being done to her. :(
 
Wishing you all the very best for her. You are doing so much for her...she is so lucky to have you! I think as long as you can keep her stable and happy then even if there is no permanent 'cure' then at least she has the best quality of life that she can have. The most important thing is that you are so in tune with her that y are able to spot the small things and deal with them as they arise :)

Lots of vibes...when is the appointment?
 
i thought snuffles was curable??? She just needs a vet who has seen the problem so many times treatment used is a habit, im sure the referral vet will be able to help :D

when it comes to the point of nothing can be done you let her tell you when shes had enough, thats all you can do really.... fight alongside her as long as she wants you to :love:
 
Honestly? There is a strong likelihood that she's NOT going to get better, but she can be comfortable, she can be happy and she can be healthier than she is now.

You can't cure her or make her better, no one can; she is just too messed up for that (sorry Ginger).

If you're trying to make her 100% better than you're going to be doomed to 'failure' because she can't be made better, you can just make her healthier, which is what, in my opinion, you should be aiming for.
 
Honestly? There is a strong likelihood that she's NOT going to get better, but she can be comfortable, she can be happy and she can be healthier than she is now.

You can't cure her or make her better, no one can; she is just too messed up for that (sorry Ginger).

If you're trying to make her 100% better than you're going to be doomed to 'failure' because she can't be made better, you can just make her healthier, which is what, in my opinion, you should be aiming for.

I guess i just want "something" for her and i dont know what that 'something' is going to be.

I think, in my heart of hearts, i'd rather just be told "there's nothing we can do, lets just make her comfy" and if thats the case, i think 'fine'.

I think part of my mind is sat in a place where i think she can be 'well' but the other knows she can't.

Probably over thinking things again, but just can't shake this one and its annoying me!

I so cant wait for the 30th, i just want someone to tell me either way.
 
Honestly? There is a strong likelihood that she's NOT going to get better, but she can be comfortable, she can be happy and she can be healthier than she is now.

You can't cure her or make her better, no one can; she is just too messed up for that (sorry Ginger).

If you're trying to make her 100% better than you're going to be doomed to 'failure' because she can't be made better, you can just make her healthier, which is what, in my opinion, you should be aiming for.

I think these are very wise words.

Gray we all know how much you want to make it all go away for Ginger, and bless you for it (without sounding patronising) but you can only make her more comfortable and healthier, like Sky-O said.

I don't know much about snuffles but know it can be made better/cured.
All I can do if offer good vibes and thoughts to you and Ginger. x
 
Sometimes you have to draw the line with bunnies and accept they can't be brought back to full health. My Snowdrop was reffered to FHB who did lots of tests and found she has a stomach condition. We were offered operations to look at the problem further and try and "fix" her but we didnt want her to go through anymore.

Snowdrop is happy and we can control her pain from home. If her eating goes downhill we dont whisk her straight to the vets as we would Strawbs or Bungle as the stress makes her worse. We moved her outside away from the stresses and noise of the house and where it is cooler as the heat makes a big difference to her and she has never been healthier.

She has bad days or weeks, but as long as she remains bright and happy we will keep going with her. She doesnt need constant medication, if she did we wouldnt have carried on as she hates being handled and having it.
 
Things I always try to remember with veterinary investigations, whether they are referrals or regular vets, is a) the animal doesn't know its sick - they simple deal with the way they feel at the time. b) they don't know that they can get better or worse - they don't have a concept of chronicity or deterioration c) giving a problem a name doesn't actually change anything for the animal.

I don't know Ginger's full history, but if she is chronically very ill and most conventional treatments haven't worked, chances are they won't find something novel that will cure her. But as others have said, she can probably be made more comfortable, either by pain relief if needed and/or making her more able to comfortably function and express normal behaviours. Others disagree, but I always thinks its better for animals to have a shorter, more comfortable life then go suddenly than battle on for a long time in a gradually deteriorating state. Animals don't know how long they are supposed to live, they don't have regrets or mourn for the life they could have had. Only we do that, so if she's comfortable and able to act fairly normally that's the best you can hope for, even if its not for very long.
 
I guess i just want "something" for her and i dont know what that 'something' is going to be.

I think, in my heart of hearts, i'd rather just be told "there's nothing we can do, lets just make her comfy" and if thats the case, i think 'fine'.

I think part of my mind is sat in a place where i think she can be 'well' but the other knows she can't.

Probably over thinking things again, but just can't shake this one and its annoying me!

I so cant wait for the 30th, i just want someone to tell me either way.

I'm sorry, I'm still getting that 'niggling' that I told you about before, that whilst I know you're doing this for Ginger, it's not all for Ginger, I think this is for you too. I think that maybe this is somehow some sort of long term grief, or acceptance/hope journey for you.

Thing is Gray, no one CAN tell you either way. Well, they can, but in these situations, things change regularly and morph and adjust and what may be true now, is not necessarily going to be true in a day, week, month, etc. You're never going to get your concrete answer; with something like this (i.e. a chronic and varied illness and also a rabbit anomaly), it's just not possible.
 
Things I always try to remember with veterinary investigations, whether they are referrals or regular vets, is a) the animal doesn't know its sick - they simple deal with the way they feel at the time. b) they don't know that they can get better or worse - they don't have a concept of chronicity or deterioration c) giving a problem a name doesn't actually change anything for the animal.

I don't know Ginger's full history, but if she is chronically very ill and most conventional treatments haven't worked, chances are they won't find something novel that will cure her. But as others have said, she can probably be made more comfortable, either by pain relief if needed and/or making her more able to comfortably function and express normal behaviours. Others disagree, but I always thinks its better for animals to have a shorter, more comfortable life then go suddenly than battle on for a long time in a gradually deteriorating state. Animals don't know how long they are supposed to live, they don't have regrets or mourn for the life they could have had. Only we do that, so if she's comfortable and able to act fairly normally that's the best you can hope for, even if its not for very long.

:thumb:

*squishes Gray*
 
Thanks.

You're right, all of you.

Ginger doesn't know, but when i sit here, watching here sneeze, struggle to stop and then collapse in a big bunny shaped heap, i find that hard to believe. But it's probably true all the same.

Think maybe i can't cope with the fact that i know that somewhere, deep in my mind, i know there is **** all i can do for her.

I don't want to admit that.

I don't want to admit that i can't help her.

I want this little bunny to live forever, but know she wont :(
 
*squishes tight*

It's just because you love her that you feel like that. We all get those moments and we get so desperate to be able to solve anything, fix anything, make them better and give them the life they deserve.

Sometimes we can't, although we can improve things (which you have already done, in infinite quantities).

But she, Gray, she is only interested in being happy.
 
Things I always try to remember with veterinary investigations, whether they are referrals or regular vets, is a) the animal doesn't know its sick - they simple deal with the way they feel at the time. b) they don't know that they can get better or worse - they don't have a concept of chronicity or deterioration c) giving a problem a name doesn't actually change anything for the animal.

I don't know Ginger's full history, but if she is chronically very ill and most conventional treatments haven't worked, chances are they won't find something novel that will cure her. But as others have said, she can probably be made more comfortable, either by pain relief if needed and/or making her more able to comfortably function and express normal behaviours. Others disagree, but I always thinks its better for animals to have a shorter, more comfortable life then go suddenly than battle on for a long time in a gradually deteriorating state. Animals don't know how long they are supposed to live, they don't have regrets or mourn for the life they could have had. Only we do that, so if she's comfortable and able to act fairly normally that's the best you can hope for, even if its not for very long.

Very well said. Doing our best for them sometimes means doing nothing.

Gray, you don't need us telling you all this, you already know it. Now what you need is to be able to accept it.:?
 
Think maybe i can't cope with the fact that i know that somewhere, deep in my mind, i know there is **** all i can do for her.

I don't want to admit that.

Gray I know exactly how you feel Bluebell will never be cured and it breaks my heart even if by some miracle he fights off the infection the scar tissue is always going to cause him some discomfort.

However I also know that once you accept that possibility it will be much better for you and Ginger. I know its hard, I too wasted too much time fretting about it, feeling guilty etc but it stopped me enjoying the time we do have together and one day I decided I don't want that. Whilst daily meds are not ideal, as I see it, it is no different to me taking my daily medications, whilst he's comfortable we are just making the best off it.

((HUGS))
 
Sending prayers for Ginger
If she can't be cured, then let's wish she's comfortable to act like a rabbit :)
 
I remember when I agreed with my vet that there was nothing more we could 'do' for Grim. When we said it's just a case of making him comfortable now. And do you know what I felt? Relief.

I felt, now we can relax. It's done. No more experiments and trying things that might make it worse. Just keep on doing what I'm doing. if his eyes flare up, start the injections, if he looks uncomfortable give him painkillers. There is no cure as such but that doesn't mean he can't be happy. Grimlock gets his baytril on bread. He gets excited about it. He runs around my legs and can't wait to have his baytril! He is a very sick bunny, but he is a very happy bunny. Yes, he sneezes and sometimes he sneezes very violently and for long periods of time. I told you about how he sometimes poos in the kitchen because he can't control it when he's sneezing. But if I see him doing it, I just go over and sort of lie over him. I stroke his head and cheeks and he calms down and stops sneezing. His eyes run and get infected, but his lovely Smoo spends hours cleaning him up. He's happy. He's not well but he is happy.

I've had Grim a lot longer than you've had Ginger. I have come to terms with him dying twice. And twice he's beaten the odds and lived. So perhaps it's different for me. I've been upset, I've cried and hugged him, thinking I was going to loose him. But do you know what he's taught me? That bunnies are fighters. They live in the here and now, they live for the moment. And in the moment he has snuggles and bread and Smoo and lying in the sun. In the long term he has quite a few serious illnesses, but that doesn't matter to him. I deal with the long term, I give him medicine, I make him comfortable and he doesn't see it.

You do all you can for Ginger and that is enough. I can see she's happy. She lives in the now with Biscuit and cuddles and treats and everything else she loves.


When Grimlock dies he will go to Valhalla with the great warriors who died fighting. My favourite song by my favourite band Manowar is called the Hymn of the Immortal Warrior and I love it because it reminds me of Grim.

"A hero was he
Touching all our lives
As if he lived and died
In a single moment"
 
i thought snuffles was curable??? She just needs a vet who has seen the problem so many times treatment used is a habit, im sure the referral vet will be able to help :D

when it comes to the point of nothing can be done you let her tell you when shes had enough, thats all you can do really.... fight alongside her as long as she wants you to :love:

It was'nt in Basil's case, but then he also had underlying kidney probs etc:cry:
However, I think that in many cases it is controllable if not curable:)
 
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