XMissySJx
Wise Old Thumper
My beautiful little Pebbles has had cataracts in both eyes for around six months. Both progress very quickly, and have done right from the start. I have been giving eye drops twice a day, but unfortunately the worse eye looks very different one morning, so I took her to see the vet for a check up as I have been advised to keep a very close eye on them. Unfortunately, her right eye has a detached lens. This means it is very, very painful for her, and unfortunately it leaves us with only two options.
Option one, is to put her under GA and remove her eye. Option two, is to let her go, and put her to sleep. Pebbles is almost ten years old, and has always been a very healthy rabbit. Despite her age, she has little to no arthritis, she eats well, has good teeth (bad set up of teeth, but good in length and condition). She isn't a people bunny, she's always been a little distant and shy, and has always preferred rabbits to people. Since losing Domino in July, she has been quite low.
My vet (who is very good, I trust her completely) has said to me that no decision is wrong. If she was a young bunny, she would push for surgery but because Pebbles is 10, it does make this decision harder. There is a high chance that she will need her other eye removed at some point too. If she has the surgery, my vet is prepared to do pre op bloods, and an x ray (under GA), before she starts the procedure so that we can have a check to see if there is anything else going on with her, because if there is, I will let her go under GA, rather than put her through surgery. If I choose surgery, I only want it to happen if we have done a few tests to see if she is otherwise health, given her age.
If she dies under GA, if her heart gives out, or she simply doesn't make it - at least I tried. She has no awareness. If she makes it, but suffers afterwards and goes into stasis or worse, I will feel so guilty. She could even recover quickly, and well, but dies of old age soon after anyway. Or, she could live another couple of years.
Or, I let her go. I adopted Pebbles in 2007, she was a young rabbit at the time, between 6-12 months in age. She has lived a very happy life, and a long one. Many aren't so lucky. She has no concept of time. She won't feel any more pain, she won't have a recovery period, and she will go as she is - without being disfigured, without being taken apart.
Nobody can make this decision for me, there is no right or wrong. But, I needed to get this out because I don't want to put anything on my Facebook profile. It's been full of sadness recently and I just need to think about it all. I have until Monday to decide, if she has the surgery, she will have it Thursday. If I decide against surgery, I will put her to sleep on Monday evening.
She is the last of my rabbits, of my original four. I'm not ready to lose her, not after losing Domino in July and my precious new baby Bertie just two weeks ago. I'd say life is cruel, but...she has lived a long life. It isn't injustice, or unfair...it's a blessing she has made it this far. But my poor heart is breaking because of how soon it is after losing my boys.
Option one, is to put her under GA and remove her eye. Option two, is to let her go, and put her to sleep. Pebbles is almost ten years old, and has always been a very healthy rabbit. Despite her age, she has little to no arthritis, she eats well, has good teeth (bad set up of teeth, but good in length and condition). She isn't a people bunny, she's always been a little distant and shy, and has always preferred rabbits to people. Since losing Domino in July, she has been quite low.
My vet (who is very good, I trust her completely) has said to me that no decision is wrong. If she was a young bunny, she would push for surgery but because Pebbles is 10, it does make this decision harder. There is a high chance that she will need her other eye removed at some point too. If she has the surgery, my vet is prepared to do pre op bloods, and an x ray (under GA), before she starts the procedure so that we can have a check to see if there is anything else going on with her, because if there is, I will let her go under GA, rather than put her through surgery. If I choose surgery, I only want it to happen if we have done a few tests to see if she is otherwise health, given her age.
If she dies under GA, if her heart gives out, or she simply doesn't make it - at least I tried. She has no awareness. If she makes it, but suffers afterwards and goes into stasis or worse, I will feel so guilty. She could even recover quickly, and well, but dies of old age soon after anyway. Or, she could live another couple of years.
Or, I let her go. I adopted Pebbles in 2007, she was a young rabbit at the time, between 6-12 months in age. She has lived a very happy life, and a long one. Many aren't so lucky. She has no concept of time. She won't feel any more pain, she won't have a recovery period, and she will go as she is - without being disfigured, without being taken apart.
Nobody can make this decision for me, there is no right or wrong. But, I needed to get this out because I don't want to put anything on my Facebook profile. It's been full of sadness recently and I just need to think about it all. I have until Monday to decide, if she has the surgery, she will have it Thursday. If I decide against surgery, I will put her to sleep on Monday evening.
She is the last of my rabbits, of my original four. I'm not ready to lose her, not after losing Domino in July and my precious new baby Bertie just two weeks ago. I'd say life is cruel, but...she has lived a long life. It isn't injustice, or unfair...it's a blessing she has made it this far. But my poor heart is breaking because of how soon it is after losing my boys.
I am so sorry to hear of Pebbles latest problem 
