3am vet home visit to dying bertie bun

i cried on the doorstep willing the vets car to be there..indoors nikki was cradling berties head on her arm tears streaming down her face as he lay there unresponsive...panting.....getting weaker and weaker. It had been half an hour or more now....all we wanted was for him to pass painlessly asap.

i ran outside and saw headlights around the bend...i rushed out in my pjs and waved the vet down she was just getting her case out of the bag...when i heard nikki yelling.....

when the vet and i got into the lounge...was bertie dead? no hed got up:shock: tottered across the lounge and back looking for bluebell. :shock:

the vet checked his lungs etc..he was as fine as he ever is considering.....she was baffled.....so were we!!

she said maybe hed had a different type of seizure and had prolonged post ictal state.....she was just guessing. She said he didnt need any meds...and she wasnt going to take him in as it would stress him so much especially if it was a major seizure.

its odd cos hed layed on his side the other night..out cold..but he did respond to being touched.

last night well early morn..he was on his side again..one eye partially open...bluebell layed up against him then figured something wasnt right and she ran off to other side of the lounge...all 3 cats appeared and hid by the door on top of a plastic drawer unit containing pet meds etc.

once the vet had left and bertie was mobilising himself..all 3 cats went to see if he was ok..bluebell gingerly sauntered up to him and then licked his eye...he then washed her head.

what on earth happened?? weve seen many of our past pets pass away or be pts as they were about to pass etc...and esp bunnies..i can tell you the only difference in them and bertie was bertie didnt die!!

layed unconscious he was..he didnt respond to voice or touch or me lifting his head a little. Not like the usual bunny im playing dead either...this was him dying we swear......

how shocked..how pleased he didnt die...but still OMG

Gosh how frightening = hope he's okay - bless him x

Wow so frightening :shock:

Glad he's ok :thumb:

Oh gosh :shock: that must have been so scary!

I'm really glad that he's okay!

How horrible for you all. He must be such a fighter.

Oh Debbie I was dreading opening your thread.

What a relief for you, Nikki and especially Bertie.

I have only had a bunny die on me once. Once is enough. But I knew, I knew. Was the fit I saw first (not like Bertie), a squeal type noise, , the laboured breathing, floppyness and no response.

Bertie sounds like one of those temporary comas you get after a fit.

So pleased your gorgeous cuddly man is well.

thank you all so much.
jenova...he is indeed a fighter..a stubborn old man..just like my dad was too.

amanda hun..thank you....its horrible to watch any pet die......especially when its so traumatic it leaves you scarred mentally and know exactly what youre seeing when you see another pet dying too.

no he just was out cold and unresponsive even lifting eyelids!

his usual seizures are pretty like mine..true convulsive episodes. He has turned backwards on himself so his teeth meet his spine..he bit himself a teeny bite more like scratch but could just as easily paralysed himself.

he falls down usually on his side...his eyes roll back in his head..his feet all go stiff then paddle like crazy as his whole body shakes and contracts.....its terrifying to see but weve had one bun die like that except he did squeak toward the end..it was awful. the PDSA had dismissed him as having nothing wrong even tho his bacl legs had gone...he seemed blind and he was gasping for breath.
within the hour of finding him..getting to the vets..getting seen..getting home and me getting back from hospital....and get my poor dad to get his car out again..the garage was alongside bottom of my garden! within the hour he was dead...and we took his body to the pdsa and told them we would be complaining as the vet never listened to his chest!!

some animals dont have seizures but can have one or several when they die.

im terrified to go into the lounge each time as it is.

ive never encountered such a seizure as the one he had.....has anyone?

No I haven't really had any experience with seizures. Sunshines was more of what I thought was a stroke. Loss of balance, unable to stand up, then he very rapidly reclined and passed away within 10 minutes.

I don't know what it really was, as he was so ill before I could get him to the vets, as I had to wait for the 1st afternoon appointment.

Does Bertie get the human equivalent of epilepsy meds ? I know he has valium.

So pleased to hear he's okay.....bet that gave you such a fright! :shock:

Never heard anything like it!! Doesnt sound like fun, although youre relieved and giggling now.

Why cant they tell us whats wrong??!!!

Big hug...you have so much **** to live with constantly.xx

Good grief how terrifying! One cat that I had no way of getting to the vet or calling one out passed in my arms due to either stroke or seizure and I would not wish such a thing on my worst enemy. I know it must've been awful to go through this, but I am glad that Bertie is still with us.

I hope this doesn't happen again...what a nightmare. Big hugs for you and Nikki and snuggles for all your furbabies. (((((((((((((Debbie)))))))))))))

Munchkin died recently before I could get her to a vet. I knew she was dying and just stroked her. I was surprisingly calm, but I think that is because she was so peaceful. Watching a pet have a seizure must be terrifying. I have only ever seen one in a human - and that was scary as I was the only person around for a short time.

Bertie Bun isn't ready to leave you all just yet - he is certainly a character, bless his huge paws

bless you all so much xx

amanda hun that heartbreaking....only a post mortem could tell if it was heart..or stroke....not usually a seizure...but seizures at the end are very common

yvette..hunny...no more than you..karen..amanda and so many more if i list names id have half the forum at least!

amanda he has tubes of valium that when hes having a nasty or prolomged or multiple seizure..i have to squeeze the contents into his bum hole:shock: ive done it a few times now...how proud of that was i! He has an anti epileptic pill twice daily..phenobarbitol......i pop it in a treat with his bisolvon powder (bisolvon powder helps try and keep the mucus in his nose and chest clear and runny.....as opposed to thick n snotty or pus filled)

mimzmum..im sorry you too have encountered that...my cat died in front of us on the lounge floor..weird short fit..turned his head and made a terrible scream..then he was gone...he had heart trouble and was on meds but only lived till he was 3. Its a terrible thing to witness....

karen hun..yes him and his big paws i was going to call on your offer of help...but nikkis hoping to be able to sleep on her settee...and im giving her phone numbers to ring in an emergency..can i use yours? ill txt you in morning to ask again. im off down to casualty..the fall i had before xmas..the lump on my leg is now the size of a grapefruit and is agony despite ice that night..im off for an xray i hope!

berties the life blood of our lives.....he is THE DADDY..to all of us...stern...bossy...loveable and loving..but no more cuddles or picking him up....he gets too stressed. but he still likes a kiss on his cheeks and eyes and ears and to brushed...but laying on the floor right now i amazingly painful but i did it early this morning to tell him how much hes loved and im so happy hes still here and able to enjoy eating..drinking..bunny snuggles....etcetc.

my only worry is...has he had these all the time and i wasnt in the room to see it...and/or will he have more of them on top of his seizures?

heres the info on seizures in humans...some must apply to animals...

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizures/generalised

I'm so so relieved and happy that precious Bertie recovered. Big ((((hugs)))) to you as that must have been so heartbreakingly terrifying.

My Darcy has had multiple seizures and they are horrific to watch. A couple of times I have thought will he die now in front of me but thank heavens he has always recovered. I too have the rectal valium for him. So far he has only had one multple fit since starting the Panacur and I used the valium.

I totally understand you worry of is it happening when I don't see it. I fear this all the time too but I just have to trust and hope that it doesn't.

Big big (((((((hugs))))))))))) to you and nosey rubs for the lovely Bertie bun xxxxxxxxx

Having a rabbit die in your arms is awful, esp when they're unresponsive It happened to me with Izzy, who died partly from shock.

I'm so happy for you that Bertie was okay! I hope he doesn't have another seizure, if thats what it was.

I'm curious...wouldn't there be a way to keep Bertie on a low dose daily valium or other relaxant to head these off at the pass? Or do bunnies/seizures not work that way?
We had to use diazepam behaviorally on my huskies especially at July 4 and New Years, plus sometimes hunting season as fireworks and gunshots would work them into a lather. My younger dog would go so mad he'd tear the fence with his teeth and rip his jaws...it was horrifying.

Of course you can give Nikki my number, Debbie.

I hope you get on OK at A&E. I've had to wait ages every time I've been there - but then thankfully I've never been in a life or death situation which some of the patients were. Last time I was there I was given pain relief after I was triaged. Not sure what it was but it made the pain manageable and I was much more relaxed. They gave them to quite a few of us - I think it made us feel a bit spacey so we didn't compain about the long wait

Oh dear how scary that most have been for you sending lots of hugs

Oh no, how terrifying Glad he's OK now and I hope he doesn't have another episode like that. Sending vibes for Bertie and hugs for you xx