Disabled Bunny advice please

Please don't apologise for the delay in writing Alice love I thought there would be a good reason for it and I am so sorry the little love has been really poorly again.  I know what it is like to have limb and joint pain constantly so I can empathise with her.  I was going to PM you but didn't want to be cheeky.

I am glad she is more cheerful today, I take it she is a little more mobile.  Oh poor Tor, they do know when something is wrong and it is awful for us because we know we cannot tell them and keep them informed. Obviously he cannot understand why she s not the bun he used to know.  Yes it would be wonderful if he could help her to move around and if there was any chance of him being able to something tells me he would.

Lots of loving vibes on their way hun and thank you for keeping me updated.

Love
JO xx

Had you considered making her a kind of hammock .... well, more like a sling that would go under her tum and hold her at the required height to support her? It might be a daft idea but I thought something like that might be more efficient than props either side. It might be padded to offer warmth on chilly days.

That is a great idea Woodwench love.

Hugs
JO xx

The dose of 0.3 seems tiny. I remember in one older post someone gave me the conversion and I can't find it anymore. I will let you know when I found it!

0.3 hardly touched the surface when my Loll was taking Metacam for his arthritis. My vet's at the time were of the opinion that anything over that dose was dangerous to rabbits. They cost my boy his life.... if he had been under the vet I use now the chances are he would still be here.
0.6 seems way more reasonable as a daily dose with something like 0.8, or even 0.9, on really bad days. As long as she is eating well I wouldn't be worried about any ill effects of the drug.
I should talk it through again with your vet.

How is she today hun?

Hugs
JO xx

Hi Jo,
Sorry, I did write a reply yesterday to both you and Woodwench, but it seems to have dissaperad somewhere

Anyway, Tia says a big thank you for telling me about banana as she now says its her favourite way to take her medicine.

Today hasnt been too bad. She has walked a little but  preferred to stay still. She has decided she likes to stay in for breakfast in the mornings. I get her up and sit her outside the hutch by my knees while i tidy her bed up after the night and she tries to get back in again bless her. I get her up about midday and sit her outside and let her walk herself to where she wants to sit. Then i get her supports, tuck them in to keep her there. As soon as she is out Tor comes to sit with her, and hey share kisses. Yesterday she was giving him kisses too  So sweet to see. She may not be able to use her legs, but is still very active in her mind, she has now started trying to jump over and up things with me on the back legs

I had thought of a sling type thing for her to sit in Woodwench, i was thinking a while ago along the lines of something that held her supports in place as well as she sat on, but not sure how to work it out.

Medication, no, 0.3 is nothing and didnt help her at all. I went back up bit by bit, 0.4, 0.5 but its the 0.6 that helps. I hope the vet is happy with it when we go back on Monday. I dont want to get into arguments with her over quality of life etc. \Reduce her medication and her quality of life drops drastically, keep it where it is and she does ok. She obviously hasn't got very long left, she isnt going to go on for years, but for the time being she hasn't given up so i wont. I have the time and love to give as i dont work (i am carer for my partner too) so i dont see why she and i cant carry on as we are for now. I do feel quite defensive, i like this practice, and the vet i saw last time was straight talking and honest, but do wish they wouldn't go on so much about quality of life- i know its different for animals, but Tia's quality of life is along the same lines as my partners he survives, so why shouldn't Tia...!

Anyway, here are some pictures of bunny love in the garden yesterday, and tonight when i went out to give treats and tuck them in for the night

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Some days are like that aren't they hun, they seem to just disappear into a black hole?  Banana is a favourite with most of my babies including the hermit crabs and cockroaches.

I think it is lovely how you tidy her bed each morning and then she goes back in for a little sleep, you really do deserve a medal for what you are doing love.  Thank you for the adorable photos and yes, they are so affectionate with each other and it is such a delight to see.  

About quality of life I agree with you so much hunny.  As you say there is nothing wrong with her mind, Tor loves her so if you can make her last days on earth really happy, I think you should.  I am disabled as I assume  your partner is.  My quality of life isn't brilliant, I am never without pain and I was told by the doctor today that that is not likely to change, so should I shoot myself? I do not intend to and want to live life to the full as much as I am able.

Thanks for the wonderful piccies, they are just gorgeous.

Hugs
Jo xx

Yes, i understand Vets have a duty to make sure an animal isnt suffering, and also as Tias mum i am likely to only see the good and not the reality. However i am well aware of the reality, she isnt well, she hasnt got long left, but she is so alert, and so sure of what she wants. We have the battle at the moment, that she will not drink. I do my best to make sure she has as much moist food as i can and often dip it in water before giving it to her, but she will not drink. I offer her water, this morning she had a quick drink, then turned away and refused any more. I can only assume she has enough, but also wonder if there is anyway i can encourage her to drink more?
She has had a quiet day today as i went out to visit a friend, so she has sat in her hutch for the day. I have promised her we will sit out in the run together tomorrow and i will help her walk if she wants to. When i went out with her banana medicine tonight i took a second bit for Tor, but Tia said she could smell it so it must be hers... so being the mug i am i let her have it. Tor was just happy to have Tia, he didnt care what she had or didnt have.
It is lovely how close they have become recently. They always got on, and loved each other but rarely were seen sitting together or kissing. Tor used to chase Tia around the run for you-know-what and she would eventually give in and and make a fuss about it, same at bedtime when they went  in. When she first got ill, i couldnt let him near her as all he could think about was not keeping it in his trousers and she really wasnt well enough for it. Now he sits with her most of the time, cuddles up to her, loves her but is very restrained now. Tia of course just laps up the attention like the Queen she is

Oh bless you, I know it is a difficult one love and you are doing so well.  I cannot for the life of me work out why she won't drink and putting her food in water and giving it to her is a very good idea. Tor was just behaving like a natural bunny but I am glad he is just attentive to her now, they do know when another one is sick and it is lovely hearing about the way he is with her.  I hope you don't mind my mentioning this love but I think he will miss her very much when she has gone.  I hope he gets an extra piece of banana tonight LOL!!

Lots of loves and hugs on their way sweetie, you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Hugs
JO xxx

Hi Jo,
Tia had to have a bath yesterday, and as she had taken a dislike to them i hadnt bathed her as frequently as i maybe should, so she is a bit sore and swollen down below now poor bunny girl. She was very good yesterday and didnt make too much fuss over a bath. Had a quick bottom wash and gentle dry again today too and then put some Savlon on it.
She didnt want to be out today, i thought perhaps sitting on cool grass might be nice so put her out, went back 10 mins later and she had wiggled herself round an onto her side in an attempt to go back to bed! When i picked her up and held her back legs she took herself (and me) to bed.
She spent the day in bed eating 'treats' of some cow parsley leaves i picked for her on my way back from work this morning and Tor, who is also quite partial to them sat and shared with her.
She has spent the day in her bed, still refusing to drink and just pushes the bowl away when i offer it. This evening she was in a bit of a mood and didnt want her banana but chose instead a bit more cow parsley. It did mean i had to use the syringe to give her her medicine, which she again got cross about and tried to bite it, which just gave me the chance to squirt it in! Not a happy Bunny tonight, hopefully she will feel better for a nights sleep.

We should have had the vet this coming Monday, but i have postponed it to the week after as i have run out of money this week, and she seemed to be ticking over ok. Days like today remind me that her time is limited; one day at a time.
Yes, Tor will be devastated when she goes. He knows now she isnt well, and also seeks a lot more attention from me than he used to, but he still has Tia all the time to cuddle up to.

Oh bless her, are you putting an cream on after she has been bathed to ease the soreness, or is that not necessary love?  I am glad she wasn't too freaked about her bath, it is probably soothing for her.  Treats in bed, I think she has you on the hop mum, pardon the pun LOL!!  I can imagine some days she doesn't want to move, believe me I know how that feels.  Having to syringe feed animals always distresses them and I am so sorry you have to do it love.  I to hope she has a good night sleep and wakes up feeling better and in higher spirits.

Vets are very good at draining you of money aren't they hun? I have a friend at the moment whose bunny is on a nebuliser and other drugs for her bunny's condition are costing an absolute fortune.

Thank you for keeping me updated and I wish there was something I could do for you, I really do.

Love and hugs
Jo xx

Hi Jo,
Tia has not been so good today. She has been very restless, but didnt want to be out, or where she was and didnt seem to know what she wanted today

I think maybe she is in a bit more pain than she has been, something is bothering her.

She has eaten reasonably well today, but wouldn't eat her banana again this eve, so again had to have the meds syringed in. She wasn't too bad about it. I did it while she was sitting in her bed, and she grabbed it with her teeth as she did last night, so i again squeezed it in quickly - she seemed to expect it.
This evening when i went out to tuck them  up for the ngiht she was very unsettled. I lifted her back legs for her and she turned around a bit in her bed, then as soon as i let go she was trying to move again. Their hutch has a bunny hay loft upstairs and three rooms downstairs, traditional  wire front sitting room and solid door bedroom and a small 'middle room' which was always the favourite for sleeping in. Tonight She seemed to want to go into the middle room, but i couldn't let her as if she does i cant look after her and she will fall over onto the shavings and be thrashing on her side all night. I did feel bad though that she couldn't.
Tor is so good, he was getting in the way, while i was trying to sort out what Tia wanted, so i pushed him through into the middle room and he waited for me to finish with her then came out for his bunny goodnight kisses.
I didnt wash her today, She was a lot better , and neither sore looking or swollen.  I will tomorrow, and yes i put the cream on her after the bath.

She has gone down hill a bit the last few days, its so sad to see i wish i could make things better for her.

xxx

Hello sweetie, I am sorry she is not good and seems to be getting worse. I am sorry she seems more unsettled love but it is good that she has eater her banana, it is always a favourite with mine.

I hate to say this but as a friend I hope you will not go for me but don't you think it is getting close to letting her go darling? 

Believe me I know how hard it is and true I am not seeing her and I can only go on what you are telling me.  You say she has gone down over the last couple of days, and true I am not a vet, but she isn't going to get better is she love?  I really hope that my saying this does not ruin our friendship as I have tried to hard to be supportive and have enjoyed being so, but I think it may well be time honey.

Lots of love
Jo xxx

Hi Jo,
Only just come on and seen your message. No, no offence taken at all.

Yesterday i made the decision to let Tia go. The last couple of days she deteriorated rapidly, she didn't know where to put herself, she was inconsolable probably from pain. She was looking to me to sort it out for her, but there was nothing else i could do.
I knew i had to do it, but i went through it all in my mind.
Maybe a higher dose of metacam? Maybe its just temporary....? but i knew it all in my head.
I miss her, i miss the time spent with her, but i am relived that she is now at peace.

As we drove to and from the vet, there was a rainbow in the sky. Tias Rainbow. As i got home i could see it all, a complete arc.

Tor looks quite lost, but on the other hand doesn't seem to be doing anything differently to before. Just now he doesn't have Tia to sit with. I put her back in the hutch for him to say goodbye to when we came back from the vet. I hoped he would understand, as animals sense things. He was very pleased to see her, gave her kisses and love and sat with her for a while. I left him with one of her smelly T shirts for the night, he pulled it about a bit, rearranged it in the night.

I have promised him we will find him someone else to love, but for the time being we both need to get over Tia and we have plans to re-do the run first. Much easer to temporarily accommodate one than two and we know the score with Tor. I always do my best to find the emotionally damaged rescue buns who need a second chance. The ones no one wants as they are not cute fluffy cuddly buns.

Thank you for your friendship

Alice
xx

Oh sweetie, I am so very sorry and yet relieved, I had a feeling you were coming to the same conclusion.  The fact that you saw a rainbow was significant, I wonder if you were the only one who saw it, as if it was there just for you and Tia, these things have been known to happen.

It is good that you showed her to Tor, they are supposed to be able to understand death and when a fellow creature has passed and it is recommended if you can, to always show the dead one to the other pet.

Your last message suggested that she was in a lot of distress and you have definitely done the right thing love, she is free and pain free now at the Bridge, where she will wait for you.  What you have done and your dedication is unparalleled and I wish you luck in finding a new love for Tor. Please do keep me informed.  You are more than welcome to my friendship.

Lots of love
Jo xxx

Thank you Jo,
It was a great help being able to come here and write down what she was doing and knowing that someone understood. I could have done the same just as a diary, but it wouldn't have been the same. Telling you what was going on, gave me a timeline of how her condition was deteriorating. I knew she was on borrowed time, and i gave her a much as i could. It does seem strange without her, as even when she was well and able bodied she was always the main focus. It was as if Tor and i looked out for her together.
I feel very privileged to have had her in my life.She came to me scared and unhandled and quite bad tempred and anti people. With time and love and space to be herself (and on meeting Tor) she came round to the loving bunny she was.
Tor seems to understand, he is at a loose end, but i think he knew before i did that her time was up. He changed in the last couple of days, still loving towards her, but more accepting of his own company.

It will be a few months yet before we look for another as, as i say, we have plans to re do the run as the fencing needs sorting out. It is Tor proof and was for Tia, but for a new one it would need to be re done.
Thanks again
Alice
xx

Alice, I might have not commented often on this post but followed it regularly with interest , a little disbelief and lots of respect.
Two of my three have health issues but nothing compared to what Tia was dealing with and consequently you and Tor had to cope with.
This is to say thank you for all your love and understanding and if Tia could do this she would I'm sure.
So please take comfort in knowing that all this was ment to be.
Jo, thanks to you as well for all your support. This is what makes this forum so special.
Respect to these two ladies.
Tia binky free!

You are so welcome Freecycle love, I dearly hope you are never in that situation again but I will always help where I can and support you.  If you hadn't minded, if I lived closer I would have visited and given some help and support.  Why have they discovered state of the art technology in everything else but how to get somewhere else in a matter of seconds?  

I hope you are all right m'dear and please give Tor a hug for me, as you say, I think he know before you did.

Please spend your time thinking about the good times with Tia, when she came around due to your love and affection and then get another bunny when you feel ready.

You are welcome too CB love, as you say, that is what this forum is all about.

Hugs
Jo xx

Hello,
Thank you both.
I had a little burial for Tia on Thursday. My partner made her a little wooden casket. It was nothing special, but it was something for her to go away in. Tor came out of his run to also pay his respects
She is dearly missed by us both, it all seems very empty without her. Even with Tor around she was always the main focus. It was as if Tor and i both worked together to keep Tia happy, even in her younger fitter days. Tor is bored now he hasn't got Tia to care for and likes a lot more attention from then he used to and i visit him frequently and give him a fuss and tickle . He has now discovered the big 'outside the run' world as now sometimes i open the gate and let him out to play (strictly supervised of course). He likes to run round the outside of his run, and see it from the other side.
I have promised him i will find him another queen soon, but we have some refurbishments to do on the run first, it needs new fencing for a start. Then when he has a newly 'decorated' run, he can have a queen to share it with. It depends a lot on money (as well as weather now we are coming into winter) as to how soon it gets done, but once it is i will look for another 'psycho rabbit' that no one else wants, then she can come here, and live with Tor and learn to trust people again.
Thank you all for your kind words.
Alice

Of course you are going to miss her love, with everything you had to do for her to, she was a full time job for you so you miss the practical side along with the emotional side.  I am glad that Tor is bearing up OK although I know how much he must miss her.  It will be lovely for him to have another queen when the time is right, not to mention the fencing which is not cheap LOL!  

You are very welcome to the kind words love, I am glad they helped even in a small way.

Hugs
Jo xx

I have only just seen this sad news. Sorry, so sorry.
You did everything humanly possible to give her the best and she obviously knew that and appreciated it. She had all your love and she had Tor to give her bunny loving, she was a lucky girl.
I know too well that awful last journey, on a few occasion I, too, have had some comforting sign (like your rainbow) to ease the way. I recall the morning I took my Clawed at the vets for the last time; after she had gone and I was walking down the street I saw the most wonderful view stretching before me. In actuality I was on a dingy back street in a small market town but what I saw in front of me was a beautiful green lane, lit by a summer sun of early evening. Everything was fresh, green and gold and I could smell the heavy scents of May blossom and bluebells and there were bees busy in the clover. Either side of the lane tall ash trees whispered in the breeze and I was walking not toward a bus stop with an empty travel box in my hand but toward a wood where the lane ran into a shaded glade. And I was empty handed.
The tears in my eyes were tears of joy, not pain, for running towards me over the grass was my Clawed. She was young and free and so beautiful and she was running to meet me in that glade; the glade I call the Trysting Glade. It's the place where I know I shall meet Clawed again, and all my animals.
Most folk talk of the Rainbow bridge; I always look to the Trysting Glade where my animals all wait for me.

I'm so glad you had your Rainbow. They are rather magical things and that one was obviously Tia's Rainbow. The colours of love shine ever upon your way Tia.

What a gorgeous post , I think we all have our own versions of Rainbow Bridge love and how we will be reunited with our much loved pets.  Please God may it come true.

Hugs
JO xx