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S.O.S Any Advice for me I have lost Little Girl 03/07/2018 A day I never want to reme

Oliver

New Kit
My rabbit named Little Girl died today. I am not dealing with it well and need help. I don't know whom to call but I'm in a bad way mentally and its really affected me. Its the first evening following her death today and the sun is setting here in England and I'm going to struggle tonight. I am riddled with guilt.

I went on holiday a month ago and noticed when I returned Little Girl had lost weight. My brother had been caring for her while I had been away. On my first day back from holiday I cut her nails and thought she is loosing weight. I thought to myself I must feed her more carrots and items with sugar and fatten her up. She was alert and fine and playful. Past few weeks, she was still loosing weight but she had a hefty appetite and I watched her eat her pellets and straw etc as normal and had plenty of energy she didn't seem weak, just lost weight.

Here in the UK we have been having really sudden hot weather. Yesterday I spent the day in the garden doing hedge cutting. I didn't want to let the rabbits out in the afternoon as I needed to focus on that. The rabbits were in the shade of their hutches out of the direct sunlight. Little Girl lived with her daughter La-La another small female. I checked on them and they were both lead stretched out, the pair of them didn't like the heat, but didn't think anything of it. They were out of the direct sun and it was warm weather but no hotter than they have experienced before.

This morning I went out to put the pair of them in their run in the garden, and I noticed 'Little Girl' hadn't moved form her position yesterday evening. I panicked and checked on her. She was limp and weak. My initial reaction was she had sun stoke, I called the vets immediately and said I need to come up ASAP with my 'Little Girl' I gave her water in a bowl in front of her and she drank some but was very weak. I took her straight to the vets.

I got there and they took her to a back room. The reception told me to wait, she had a quick check over and was told she was weak. (So just stating the obvious) she was given back to me. I then had to wait for a vet to be free. In that sense it was good at the vet surgery as they let me go straight in with her to the vets examination room as soon as the vet was free from his current appointment. I went in with her, the vet then weighed her and said she was thin, I explained the situation, and he checked her teeth. (Which were fine) I said Little Girl still ate and had a appetite. The vets checked her all over and felt her tummy and said he felt a very large tumour/growth. Cancer of the ovary. I asked if she was in pain and he replied "probably" we then discussed surgery to save her. The vet said he didn't believe she would pull through as she was fragile. The vet also said it was very large and likely to have spread. He said he was sorry and believed her being put to sleep was the best option. To cut a long story short 'Little Girl' was given a injection of pain killers in the back of her neck and I agreed to take her home and spend her last few hours with her this afternoon. A few hours later this evening I had to return to the vets for her to be put to sleep. I held her while she was injected and passed away its was extremely stressful.

She was only six years old. Because she lived with another female and there was never any fighting she wasn't nurtured. She had a great relationship and the two rabbits loved each other dearly. Even though she died of natural causes I feel its my fault as she might had lived possibly if she had been neutered I feel dreadful, the vet had a lot of compassion; I asked if I brought her a few weeks earlier would she had made it with a operation. He said probably not.

I miss her so much and it feels like its end of a era. I would think about her while I was working and out and wounder what she was doing, she was like a little person and had her own unique traits and personality. I feel so bad. Last night before all this happened today about 8:00pm I nearly brought her in the lounge to play with her, but at the last minute the rest of the family said no not tonight do it tomorrow evening, she will be in the way tonight. So I didn't, and she never made the following night. I feel I have left her down. I have a question to this forum - I kept speaking to her during the afternoon, I still gave her space and didn't crowd her as she couldn't be comfortable, but when I was speaking to her; she wasn't herself, but I kissed her and kept talking to her as she rested; I just wish there was a way I knew that she knew that I was trying and was worried about her. That's the thing with rabbits I've learnt they never let anything on.

I got her six years ago. I was going for a day out on a Sunday and passed a local newsagents on the way to the train station. It has a sign saying free rabbits need home in the shop window. I wrote down the number and went out for the day. Just before I got the train back to my home town I called the number that I wrote down from the ad in the newsagents window that morning. A lady answered and said for me to over to her home. It was a short walk from my house. This lady who put the advert daughter's rabbit had a litter of kits and 'Little Girl' and her sister were left. Nobody wanted her as she was not a pretty colour. According to her birth home, I took her straight away and she was perfect.

I feel like empty and depression towards my remaining rabbits. Little Girl was my first and always I thought the leader and my special one. I don't know what to do I feel so low and desperate. Please help me. I wish she was still alive and would be with me this summer. I am in shock.
 
I am so very sorry for your loss.

The sudden and prolonged hot weather hasn't been particularly good for any of our rabbit friends. You had been monitoring her and took her to the vet to pass in peace, so you did all that you could for Little Girl. Rabbits don't show distress very well at all, and that does lead to what appears to be unexplained deaths at face value. However, when she was in distress, you got her where she needed to be. She'll have known you care and that you love her dearly. They may not show illness well, but they are incredibly sensitive souls and know what is going on with their human companions.

Whilst you grieve for Little Girl, please try and treat yourself gently. You've been through an awful experience. I hope that, given time, you are able to look back on the good times together. Spend some time with your remaining rabbits and give yourself time together, and take comfort in that. My thoughts are with you. xxx
 
I’m so sorry you lost her :cry: maybe you could post some photos of her as a tribute if you like :thumb:
 
I'm sorry you lost your wee poppet. 8-12 years is what we hope for but rabbits are fragile creatures & a huge amount of lives are cut short.I don't believe anything could have changed the outcome for her. She was loved & well cared for - that is the best gift a rabbit can have. Sweet dreams Little Girl xx
 
I’m so very sorry. I’ve copied this from the Rabbit Welfare & Association Fund (RWAF) in case you find it helpful, but we all understand your loss here, so feel free to talk to us about it x
“If you have lost a rabbit and need someone to talk to who will understand your grief, you can get great and truly understanding support from Christine at C.A.L.L.L. (Companion Animal Loss Listening Line). Contact her at calll.org or email calllchris@ntlworld.com or phone 01158400202”
 
I do not have any words of wisdom or advice, grief is such a very personal emotion and there is no 'right' way to think or to feel. I am very sorry for your loss of Little Girl :cry:

After a very recent loss I have found these words to be of some comfort, so I thought I would share them with you

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So very sorry that you have lost Little Girl, she sounded a lovely natured bunny. As others have already said, please don't beat up yourself, you did your very best for her, and I'm sure that you she knew that. She had a happy and loving home with you, and that's what mattered to her. I hope that you can find comfort in your other bunnies, they will probably miss her too. Please feel free to post again anytime, maybe post a picture of your beloved bun in Rainbow Bridge, it may just help. Take of yourself xxxxx
 
I am very sorry you lost Little Girl. Your words show how much you cared for her and loved her.

Rabbits are very good at hiding signs of pain and illness, so much so that by the time a rabbit is showing signs it is often too late.:cry:

You took her to the vet as soon as you realised she was poorly and were brave and selfless enough to let her go, after showing her how much she was loved in her last few hours.

As others have suggested, hopefully you will be able to post some pictures of your beautiful Little Girl for us to see.:love:
 
I am so very sorry for your loss.

The sudden and prolonged hot weather hasn't been particularly good for any of our rabbit friends. You had been monitoring her and took her to the vet to pass in peace, so you did all that you could for Little Girl. Rabbits don't show distress very well at all, and that does lead to what appears to be unexplained deaths at face value. However, when she was in distress, you got her where she needed to be. She'll have known you care and that you love her dearly. They may not show illness well, but they are incredibly sensitive souls and know what is going on with their human companions.

Whilst you grieve for Little Girl, please try and treat yourself gently. You've been through an awful experience. I hope that, given time, you are able to look back on the good times together. Spend some time with your remaining rabbits and give yourself time together, and take comfort in that. My thoughts are with you. xxx

Thank you for this message it means a lot to me. I feel only fellow rabbit owners can understand and not over look how unique and different they all are. I still have guilt that I didn't notice sooner. (or read the signs correctly) I received a card today though the post from the vet that put her to sleep. This has helped with some of the healing.
 
So very sorry that you have lost Little Girl, she sounded a lovely natured bunny. As others have already said, please don't beat up yourself, you did your very best for her, and I'm sure that you she knew that. She had a happy and loving home with you, and that's what mattered to her. I hope that you can find comfort in your other bunnies, they will probably miss her too. Please feel free to post again anytime, maybe post a picture of your beloved bun in Rainbow Bridge, it may just help. Take of yourself xxxxx

Thank you for your message 'Pets Mum' - it was very sweet of you and means a lot to me. I am very keeping a close eye on her friend Little Girl lived with, as I was always taught rabbits must never live in their own unless and full time house bunny. I am checking on her friend making sure she doesn't fall into depression, I still have to decided how to go forward with her by herself now. I feel like empty and depression towards my remaining rabbits. Little Girl was my first and always I thought the leader and my special one
 
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