For all of you with poorly bunnys.

:wave: When do you think, enough is enough with your poorly bunny? Your thoughts please.

Impossible to say as every case is 100% unique.

For example some Rabbits do not cope at all well with all the hands on care that may be required to manage a chronic condition. So their quality of life may be badly effected due to that. But another Rabbit with exactly the same condition may cope perfectly well with lots of hands on care.

I do think that there has to be more than the fact that a Rabbit is still eating as a guide to their quality of life. For me they need to still show interest in their environment/companions too.

But as I say, what is 'right' for one Rabbit will be 'wrong' for another. A generalisation is not possible or appropriate really.

When my gut instinct says that it's the right time. That varies bunny to bunny and situation to situation. I have written an article on this though if you'd like me to message you

:wave: Thank you. Of course, you are both right, but it's just so hard sometimes. I would love to read your article sky o, thank you. x

bunnybobby said:

:wave: Thank you. Of course, you are both right, but it's just so hard sometimes. I would love to read your article sky o, thank you. x

Click to expand...

Happy to message you (either e-mail or PM) but it says you won't accept PMs from me (either they are off or set to mods and suchlike only?). Whatever way you want is fine but would prefer not to post it publicly

Doughnut has been poorly for 3 months now, hopefully will get it sorted tomorrow. She's not in pain just seems a lot of discomfort every so often.

If the specialist said this would be her way of life forever and it is painful for her I would have to let her go. For me it's as soon as I know an animal's in pain and nothing you do is going to prevent that. I would keep her alive just for myself. It's upsetting when I know she is in pain and I can't do anything.

If they are poorly but going to improve then that's a different story.

Hi Sky 0, could you try again please. Computers are not my best skill.

Thank you cpayne. Hope your little ones visit to the vets sorts things out. x Unfortunately, I think my vet has given up on my bunny.

bunnybobby said:

Thank you cpayne. Hope your little ones visit to the vets sorts things out. x Unfortunately, I think my vet has given up on my bunny.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry your bunny is poorly are you able to find another vet ? If you tell us where you are somebody can probably recommend one for you :wave: you should start another thread about it x

bunnybobby said:

Thank you cpayne. Hope your little ones visit to the vets sorts things out. x Unfortunately, I think my vet has given up on my bunny.

Click to expand...

Please find another vet. I went to the specialist, she was in the hospital two nights and lots of xrays. She said she is fine. She is not, when the vet saw her she said she was so bloated she couldn't feel her stomach and it was something serious.

Since the specialist said she was OK I went to another vet, he saw the videos of Doughnut which are on this forum and said that is something wrong. I'm now going to another specialist tomorrow who is highly recommended.


Please don't give up on your little one, what's wrong? I know Doughnut is unwell, it's been ongoing for 3 months and the same symptoms even though she has had so many medicines, they are the wrong ones. Why don't you google rabbit specialists in your area or ask on this forum if they know anyone?

If someone had to walk into my house and see my Inca with her spine curved, back leg sticking right under her, falling on her hip when she moves at times, on the skinny side, loads of muscle wastage at her back end and legs and very often wet down below then they would probably think that she shouldn't be here.......but I know my girl and she is a happy girl who loves attention from me and her Herbie and she gets super excited for her food. She also is easy to manage meds and cleaning wise as she never struggles when being cleaned and she takes most meds straight from the syringe.

So I know that she is not ready to go....I think she will let me know when she is (which I hope will be ages away!)

Thank you for all your comments. I thought I had found a good vet but his treatment has shocked me. He said that my bun had ?growth on her kidney. She is 8+ years and blind. She has lost a fair bit of weight and was getting unsteady, but I put this down to age. He said she would not tolerate any investigations and did not want to do bloods. She was already on Panacur and had had a course of baytril. He gave me some Metacam and asked about her quality of life!! I can identify with some of your comments. She does go round in circles and falls onto her side sometimes,and I do have to keep an eye on her btm. She loves her oxbow recovery and is eating ss and redigrass, not much hay though. She has a strong bond with her partner and I don't think she is in pain. I am trying to build her up and then get a second opinion. Some of you have given me hope. I think she is happy at the moment. Its just having the courage to do what you think is right is not always easy.

bunnybobby said:

Thank you for all your comments. I thought I had found a good vet but his treatment has shocked me. He said that my bun had ?growth on her kidney. She is 8+ years and blind. She has lost a fair bit of weight and was getting unsteady, but I put this down to age. He said she would not tolerate any investigations and did not want to do bloods. She was already on Panacur and had had a course of baytril. He gave me some Metacam and asked about her quality of life!! I can identify with some of your comments. She does go round in circles and falls onto her side sometimes,and I do have to keep an eye on her btm. She loves her oxbow recovery and is eating ss and redigrass, not much hay though. She has a strong bond with her partner and I don't think she is in pain. I am trying to build her up and then get a second opinion. Some of you have given me hope. I think she is happy at the moment. Its just having the courage to do what you think is right is not always easy.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you are doing all you can but I would definitely get a second opinion.

I went to the specialist he said oh my god poor little thing when he saw the videos. Kept her in, did more xrays, camera down her throat, tests on stools and bloods. The bloods came back showing severe infection. The camera showed a badly infected area at the bottom of her oesophagas and it is badly inflamed, also high fungi in her gut probably due to this infection. He thinks a sharp piece of hay probably cut her internally and it's got infected and it's been there obviously for over 3 months. She's now on 3 lots of meds but I have seen a definite improvement. She is more lively, not making an awful noise anymore or rubbing her throat in pain. She is still wet, although I think there may be some improvement there too and a couple of splats but she is definitely on the mend.

Maybe start a thread and ask for good rabbit specialists on here or google rabbit specialists in your area. It is certainly worth a go. If you get the same opinion then at least you've tried and can have peace of mind.

Good luck.

xx

It's something I find very difficult. I rarely seem to find it's a cut and dried obvious decision (unfortunately!) I try to weigh up their quality of life, in the sense of a percentage of time that they are acting normal/happy against when they are behaving abnormally/don't look 'right'.

Also, a very big factor is whether anything can be done. If I have even the slightest nagging doubt that I could try something else, or even try another vet, I always go along with that. I never want to be left regretting and wondering what if I'd tried it, after it's too late. This is all something I have experienced recently, where I took a guinea pig to the vet to be put to sleep at the end of October, but ended up bringing her home, and she is still with me.

SarahP said:

It's something I find very difficult. I rarely seem to find it's a cut and dried obvious decision (unfortunately!) I try to weigh up their quality of life, in the sense of a percentage of time that they are acting normal/happy against when they are behaving abnormally/don't look 'right'.

Also, a very big factor is whether anything can be done. If I have even the slightest nagging doubt that I could try something else, or even try another vet, I always go along with that. I never want to be left regretting and wondering what if I'd tried it, after it's too late. This is all something I have experienced recently, where I took a guinea pig to the vet to be put to sleep at the end of October, but ended up bringing her home, and she is still with me.

Click to expand...

When I was seeking a second specialist opinion I spoke to the reception there. She had a guinea pig who was unwell and she was told by the vet in the practice she used to work it that it had two tumours and to get it put to sleep. She took it the following day, not totally convinced that it was that ill and felt the vet was wrong. Another vet came in and asked who the guinea pig's was. She said her's and asked if she knew anything about them, the vet said a bit so she asked her to look at the xrays for a second opinion on the tumours. It wasn't tumours it was normal bones! The guinea pig only had an infection, so she had antibiotics and is fine now. She left soon after that but that was a terrible story and she only told me that as I said I'd been arguing with everyone for 3 months and a specialists but wasn't going to give up as I knew I was right!