# Emergency



## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

I have an 8 year old lop eared rabbit. He got fly strike before the weekend and was given a 50% chance of surviving the night. fortunately he did but now it isn't healing properly and needs reconstructive surgery. He also needs dental work. The vet gave him a 20% chance of surviving the surgery and i have till tomorrow morning to decide weather to put him through it or to put him to sleep  

I don't want to put him down since he looks fairly ok but is breathing heavily, he is hopping around, eating and drinking fine he just wont sit because of the fly strike hurting him. 

I don't know what to do and i really don't want to put down an animal which doesn't want to die 

Any thoughts on the subject?


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2008)

This is a hard decision hun but if he is in pain then you should really do the best thing for him and have him pts xx


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## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

Oh i don't know what is right for him. surely he'd rather live than die. i've been wrestling with myself all day. what if he isn't ready to die?  oh i don't know what to do.


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2008)

Le Loup said:


> Oh i don't know what is right for him. surely he'd rather live than die. i've been wrestling with myself all day. what if he isn't ready to die?  oh i don't know what to do.


You need to look at weither or not he is in pain not if he is or isn't ready to die unfortunatly, because if he stays in pain u will never forgive yourself xxx


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## cassie01 (Jul 11, 2008)

I personally will only ever put down an animal which has given up itself. then you know its ready to go and so you know for sure you have done the right thing. If you can afford to try it then maybe you should, at least then you have given him the chance, however if its a bit too costly and as the chances are lower then 50% it may be better to end it for you as well as the bunny. remember 20% chance is better then nothing. more chance of him surviving then rolling a six on a dice.


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## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

Money is nothing, i have enough to pay for his operation should he need it. He has been through alot and i feel like i'd be cheating him if i was to put him down now. I will talk to the vet for a while and see what she thinks. If she thinks it will cause more suffering than necessary then i will put him down. I just don't feel like it's right because i know fine well he has not given up. 

he's just weaker than normal but still has his bad attitude  hmm i feel that tomorrow will be sad either way because i will be worrying if i had done the right thing whatever i choose.


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## kathryn773 (Sep 2, 2008)

What a difficult time for you.
I hear your buns pain, cant sit down at the moment, needs surgery, how long will that take to heal before being comfortable again? 
I don't know, it is such a big step, what ever you (and your vet) decide you have not made your decision in haste.


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## Lumpy (Jun 5, 2008)

Oh I do feel for you. What a difficult decision to make.

I have a 'mature' bunny - Daisy. I don't know her exact age as she is a rescue bun. She regularly has to have her teeth ground down. She also had a lot of problems with her eye and eventually had to have it removed. She can't clean herself properly so I have to bathe her rear end regularly and put sudacrem on it (when she gets sore) and rearguard to stop her getting fly strike. Recently she developed two lumps which the vet thought could be cancer. 

I had to decide whether to let her have an op to remove the lumps and have her teeth ground down. I couldn't do nothing as I sensed her teeth needed doing (despite the vet disagreeing). The vet asked me if I could live with myself if Daisy died under the anaesthetic (which was considered quite likely as she had a chest infection as well). I decided to give Daisy a chance and she came through the op. She took a little while to start eating again (her teeth had needed doing) but soon recovered. She doesn't go far from her hutch, although she can do as it is in a fenced off part of my back yard, but I have four other bunnies who she snuggles up with. If it's sunny I put her in the front garden and she bounces around. I love seeing her doing that and although I had to borrow the money for the op I am glad I gave her the chance to enjoy a few more months.

If she develops more lumps I don't know what I will do. I think there does come a point when enough is enough but like cassie said, I think you know when your fur child is ready to pass to Rainbow Bridge.

I wish you luck with your decision.

With love and healing.

Lumps


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2008)

Le Loup said:


> I have an 8 year old lop eared rabbit. He got fly strike before the weekend and was given a 50% chance of surviving the night. fortunately he did but now it isn't healing properly and needs reconstructive surgery. He also needs dental work. The vet gave him a 20% chance of surviving the surgery and i have till tomorrow morning to decide weather to put him through it or to put him to sleep
> 
> I don't want to put him down since he looks fairly ok but is breathing heavily, he is hopping around, eating and drinking fine he just wont sit because of the fly strike hurting him.
> 
> ...


very hard losing any animal only you can make decision.????


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## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

Thankyou to everybody who posted!

Regrettably i had to get him put to sleep, although he was perky and rather bright (which broke my heart) he had to have surgery on his rear to replace skin which the fly strike had destroyed. Without this surgery he would have been in agony and it wouldn't have healed. To add to that he was puffing so clearly had summit going on with his respitory then not to mention his teeth. Recovery would have been long and painful and they gave him a low chance of surviving. I thought it best to get him put to sleep. I sobbed like a baby!! 

They brought him to me straight away after they gave him the injection. They tried to get him to me before he died but they said he dropped straight away which meant he was weak 

I held him as i felt his life fade even more. It was so horrible, i felt so guilty that 10 mins before he'd been hopping round the table and looking about 

I hope i did the right thing. i feel really upset over it all. 

Anyway just thought i'd update you all on him. 

I hope he is happy at the rainbow bridge. He may have gone but i will never ever forget him.


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## penny2607 (Aug 31, 2008)

Hey hun,

Just caught up with the thread. I am so sorry for your loss . I lost my little girl last year to fly strike and the loss is so painful.

I hope you're doing ok 
Take care


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## Le Loup (May 23, 2008)

thankyou. im sorry to hear bout your bun 

i miss him so much. when i get a house with a garden i think i shall have to get another bunny. he always filled my heart with joy seeing him hopabout the garden


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