Hi there
Today has been just awful. This morning I had to take two buns to the vets and not only did I have to make the sad decision to say a final farewell to my forum namesake Squiffy (a not-so-mini lop, who at 11 yrs old had a fantastic innings despite a lifetime of peculiar congenital maladies); but I also received the terrible news that my darling 5yr old Polish dwarf boy Pob probably has a front leg bone tumour (?), which has caused his bone to become fragile and has likely now fractured
.
Last night I noticed Pob limping and holding his paw in, on checking him I found his front right leg with a soft swelling around the upper bone and the paw itself was limp. There is also some very liquidy swelling present under his chest, kind of like a dewlap. He's able to move around a bit, but obviously it is rather painful so he's mostly tucked himself away at the back of the bunny shed.
The vet I saw today asked a second opinion from another vet, who was of the same view re probable diagnosis. They quoted something like GBP £1,500+ for a repair or around £800 for an amputation, but I'm devastated as I simply do not have the money for either, as I am struggling along myself after a work injury left me on long-term sick and ended up losing my job. My partner has told me straight off that we absolutely cannot afford an operation. I know he's right about the money, but to me my Pob is priceless and I cannot imagine having to PTS such an otherwise bright, healthy and loving little thing who has never been poorly before now. I've come home with some Loxicom (painkiller) in the first instance so at least he will be more comfortable, but with a truly heart-breaking decision to make: to somehow magic/beg/borrow enough money to operate to amputate his front leg on Monday, or instead, for him to be PTS :'( There appears to be no other option.
I have a million thoughts and questions racing around in my head and nothing makes sense. Like, what might the prognosis be if he did have his leg amputated, could he adapt well and live happily on three legs? Could this be anything else besides a bone tumor? Could this just be a sprain? Like, if he got his leg trapped somewhere somehow and sprained or even fractured it, could the lump/swelling be just a swelling? The vet didn't take any samples or xray (approx £200+), as she said it would be a little like throwing money away if we did decide to amputate, or indeed to PTS, as she was pretty confident it was bone tumor with fracture. In any event his leg is clearly painful and unusable, so a decision has got to be made one way or another very soon and I simply cannot cope.
He's a good weight, but now clearly not up to eating his usual amount, though I've seen him nibbling a little hay and a few leafy veggies today, and have put an extra water bottle lower down for him. At what point might it be necessary to maybe hand feed/water him this weekend? I feel I should know the answer to that by now but I simply cannot think straight at the moment and am crying my eyes out writing this... it's taken me hours actually Considering my desperate financial situation, really truly, is PTS looking like my only kind option?? I'm hoping perhaps someone somewhere may have experienced something similar and might be willing to offer some experiential words of wisdom, or just a little reassurance one way or another, for better or for worse, which may help me start to come to terms with what I need to be doing and more importantly, what is in my darling Pob's best interest. :'( :'(
With very heavy heart,
Hazel xx
Today has been just awful. This morning I had to take two buns to the vets and not only did I have to make the sad decision to say a final farewell to my forum namesake Squiffy (a not-so-mini lop, who at 11 yrs old had a fantastic innings despite a lifetime of peculiar congenital maladies); but I also received the terrible news that my darling 5yr old Polish dwarf boy Pob probably has a front leg bone tumour (?), which has caused his bone to become fragile and has likely now fractured
.Last night I noticed Pob limping and holding his paw in, on checking him I found his front right leg with a soft swelling around the upper bone and the paw itself was limp. There is also some very liquidy swelling present under his chest, kind of like a dewlap. He's able to move around a bit, but obviously it is rather painful so he's mostly tucked himself away at the back of the bunny shed.
The vet I saw today asked a second opinion from another vet, who was of the same view re probable diagnosis. They quoted something like GBP £1,500+ for a repair or around £800 for an amputation, but I'm devastated as I simply do not have the money for either, as I am struggling along myself after a work injury left me on long-term sick and ended up losing my job. My partner has told me straight off that we absolutely cannot afford an operation. I know he's right about the money, but to me my Pob is priceless and I cannot imagine having to PTS such an otherwise bright, healthy and loving little thing who has never been poorly before now. I've come home with some Loxicom (painkiller) in the first instance so at least he will be more comfortable, but with a truly heart-breaking decision to make: to somehow magic/beg/borrow enough money to operate to amputate his front leg on Monday, or instead, for him to be PTS :'( There appears to be no other option.
I have a million thoughts and questions racing around in my head and nothing makes sense. Like, what might the prognosis be if he did have his leg amputated, could he adapt well and live happily on three legs? Could this be anything else besides a bone tumor? Could this just be a sprain? Like, if he got his leg trapped somewhere somehow and sprained or even fractured it, could the lump/swelling be just a swelling? The vet didn't take any samples or xray (approx £200+), as she said it would be a little like throwing money away if we did decide to amputate, or indeed to PTS, as she was pretty confident it was bone tumor with fracture. In any event his leg is clearly painful and unusable, so a decision has got to be made one way or another very soon and I simply cannot cope.
He's a good weight, but now clearly not up to eating his usual amount, though I've seen him nibbling a little hay and a few leafy veggies today, and have put an extra water bottle lower down for him. At what point might it be necessary to maybe hand feed/water him this weekend? I feel I should know the answer to that by now but I simply cannot think straight at the moment and am crying my eyes out writing this... it's taken me hours actually
Considering my desperate financial situation, really truly, is PTS looking like my only kind option?? I'm hoping perhaps someone somewhere may have experienced something similar and might be willing to offer some experiential words of wisdom, or just a little reassurance one way or another, for better or for worse, which may help me start to come to terms with what I need to be doing and more importantly, what is in my darling Pob's best interest. :'( :'(With very heavy heart,
Hazel xx
