at what point do you euthanize?

Hi there,

My 8 yr old bunny Gilbert has taken a turn for the worse. He has head tilt, arthritis, he had gone blind, he keeps walking in circles dragging his legs as if he is itchy and can't scratch because his legs are too weak . He can't bend down to eat his cecotropes so they keep getting stuck in his hair and now he is peeing on himself. His eyes are all crusty so I put eyedrops in but the skin around them looks sore. He is also on arthritis meds which I am not sure help. If he were not eating I would have an answer to my own question but I'm not sure what quality of life he has. I feel very guilty watching him cause I am not sure if he is suffering or not.

gilbert10 said:

Hi there,

My 8 yr old bunny Gilbert has taken a turn for the worse. He has head tilt, arthritis, he had gone blind, he keeps walking in circles dragging his legs as if he is itchy and can't scratch because his legs are too weak . He can't bend down to eat his cecotropes so they keep getting stuck in his hair and now he is peeing on himself. His eyes are all crusty so I put eyedrops in but the skin around them looks sore. He is also on arthritis meds which I am not sure help. If he were not eating I would have an answer to my own question but I'm not sure what quality of life he has. I feel very guilty watching him cause I am not sure if he is suffering or not.

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I am sorry to hear this. Maybe reading these links will helpful to you

https://rabbit.org/journal/2-8/quality-of-life.html

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/quality-of-life.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE3NMY0YtjM

https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/quality-of-life-scale/

gilbert10 said:

Hi there,

My 8 yr old bunny Gilbert has taken a turn for the worse. He has head tilt, arthritis, he had gone blind, he keeps walking in circles dragging his legs as if he is itchy and can't scratch because his legs are too weak . He can't bend down to eat his cecotropes so they keep getting stuck in his hair and now he is peeing on himself. His eyes are all crusty so I put eyedrops in but the skin around them looks sore. He is also on arthritis meds which I am not sure help. If he were not eating I would have an answer to my own question but I'm not sure what quality of life he has. I feel very guilty watching him cause I am not sure if he is suffering or not.

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Welcome to the Forum, and I am so sorry to hear about your rabbit.

It's such a difficult call and I have found the info in these articles to help me when I have to make that decision.


http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-8/quality-of-life.html


http://rabbit.org/end-of-life/


http://www.disabledrabbits.com/quality-of-life.html


http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?270142-Quality-of-Life

This can be hard to say really and really no one can make this decision for you.

As hard as it is, I try and put my own feelings and wants to one side and think from the animals perspective. If I feel they have no quality of life anymore and are suffering from something that isn't going to get better, but get worse, is to let them go with dignity and love. My vet said once, putting a animal out of prolonged suffering is a huge act of love. Humans unfortunately don't have the same privilege and often have to suffer from illnesses, diseases and sever disabilities that hinder us.

But most vets are very open to discussing end of life things with you if you still need to discuss it further.

to be honest with you, you're the only one who can make the final decision. however, for me, the most helpful thing I have found is making a checklist of what makes them, them. along with very basic animal functions that they should be able to do without issues. once multiple lines of the checklist are crossed off, its the time where I start to consider the idea of PTS.

its much easier in dogs or cats, but same can apply to smaller furries too.

very basic animal functions would be..
- ability to eat by themselves
- ability to drink by themselves
- ability to move freely without pain, discomfort or difficult
- ability to go to the toilet without help
- ability to go to the toilet without messing themselves

and then you can have more personal ones, like if there is something they enjoy doing, binkies, dig boxes & so fourth, things that make life enjoyable.

you also have quality of life, which the checklist can help answer slightly. that comes down to most of the above "basic" things that animals can do, but other factors such as constant surgeries or vet visits which can be stressful and impacting too.

I would always try to put my feelings aside, no matter how much it hurts. at the end of the day that animal is reliant on me making the call, and if I feel they're suffering with no hope for getting better, I think its time to give them a helping paw over to the other side.

for me, if my rabbit was in your situation I would want to make the call to PTS. many of the basic functions are missing, which impacts quality of life to me.

but all and every single one of us will have different opinions on when it is time, and we all will have varying opinions on what quality of life is.

I don't know what treatment he has already had, but it is worth discussing with your vet if there is anything else that you can try - either tweaking the dosage of existing meds (eg metacam), or trying something else (eg steroids, antibiotics) to see if it helps. Also ask about PTS - when they would consider things had gone too far, etc. Then you can be better prepared for whatever you decide. They will always advise you if you ask. Disability doesn't always mean poor quality of life - but it does depend on what you can both cope with and whether there are other issues to consider (eg organ failure). Sending best wishes to you both.