Life with a chronically ill rabbit

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 4 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 10/26/2021 at 5:56 PM
  Alexmack2016
  Participant
  24 posts
  Hi all,
  
  I’ve posted before about my rabbits many medical problems and I’ve gotten some great feedback.
  
  She needs constant care, sub-q fluids everyday or every other day depending on how she’s doing (chronic kidney disease, e-cuniculi and bladder sludge), critical care when she’s having a bad eating day (dental disease and accesses) and meds twice a day. Weekly vet visits for penicillin injections. Vet visits every 6-8 weeks for her teeth. Regular episodes of GI stasis. I’ve gotten pretty good at managing all of her issues without Emergency visits. I feel like I could have put her through uni a couple of times with the money I’ve spent lol. She’s 5 years old and happy and I hope both she sticks around for much longer.
  
  It’s been like this for the last few years. My parents help me with her fluids but only I’m able to do meds and critical care feedings (she’s a fighter and she bites).
  
  Before she got sick, if I wanted to go away for a weekend or take a vacation, I’d have a friend stay at my place to take care of her, or I’d take her with me, she travels great and does well in hotels but since she’s been sick, I can’t leave her with anyone because of the meds and sub-q fluids she needs. And I don’t feel comfortable leaving her at a pet hotel, she’s free range and does not tolerate being caged. And I feel like I’ve gotten to know her super well and I can tell right away when she’s not feeling well so I’d rather have her with me. It’s just been me and her and she seems to have gotten even more attached to me since working from home. I feel bad if I go out with friends for a few hours because I feel like I’m disrupting her routine. When I come home, she comes running to the door, follows me everywhere and doesn’t leave my side. I feel like I’ve developed an unhealthy codependent relationship with my rabbit.
  
  I’m not complaining about having to care for her, she’s my sidekick. I know she’s sick but all her symptoms are manageable right now and she’s doing well for the most part. She’s already outlived her life expectancy and I’m so thankful I chose not to put her to sleep. For anyone who might be dealing with the same thing, how do you manage the stress of taking care of a dearly loved pet that you know will never recover? Every time she gets sick, I think “she’s gonna die this time”. I literally have anxiety knowing that one of these days, she won’t bounce back from one of her episodes. I’d love to hear any suggestions about how to deal with my own anxiety and stress.
- 10/28/2021 at 8:26 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  I don’t necessarily think her being excited to see you when you come back is a bad thing, but I know what you mean about the pandemic making our pets more “glued” to us. I think it’s largely tied to routine disruption, and something “new” happening.
  
  What do you mean by her not “tolerating” being caged? I don’t think penning her in a pet hotel would be a huge issue for her. There is such a thing as “good stress” for animals, meaning things that are different and maybe not the animal’s favorite thing, but are not going to harm them or make them too fearful.
  
  I guess this is a long winded way of saying you shouldn’t feel bad about leaving for a few hours! It’s important that you take care of your social needs as well as hers. And also don’t feel bad about having to pen her if you need to travel with her, if she travels well and you think that’s the best option. She may be grumpy about it but it will be ok! Leaving with a pet sitter for a longer time is trickier. Are there any rabbit rescues near you? They may have people who can bunny-sit that are experienced with meds.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 10/28/2021 at 5:40 PM
    Alexmack2016
    Participant
    24 posts
    Thanks for the reply!
    
    I didn’t mean it was bad that she follows me around when I come home, I just feel bad thinking she must have been lonely since I’m always around. I wish I got her a friend when she was a baby but after all her medical bills and issues, I don’t think I’ll ever be getting another rabbit.
    
    As for the pet hotel, I’m worried about causing her stress because when she’s stressed, she goes off her food, and that sets off another GI stasis episode and they seem to be getting worse every time it happens. I’d hate for her to get sick while I’m not there.
    
    My parents help me with sub-q fluids since it’s a 2 person job but I’m the one that holds her and does needles while one of them controls the fluid so it would be hard to leave her and I doubt my parents wanna join me on vacation with my friends lol I haven’t found anyone willing to try giving her meds, she can be aggressive but I have no lasting scars. I hadn’t thought of looking into rescues, thank you for that suggestion!!!
    
    I just need to learn to take care of myself too since this seems to be our new way of life now.
- 10/29/2021 at 7:35 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Ah, I understand! Well I do hope you can find someone who can help you. I have a friend who is going through something really similar with her diabetic cat. He’s a 20+ lb Maine-coon cat who needs insulin twice a day. He’s super easy to give it to if my friend, her husband, or her father in law does it, but FREAKS out on most pet-sitters, so it’s been a struggle for her.
  
  Have you ever done any training with her? Recently I’ve been really into the idea of “cooperative care” with rabbits. It’s the technique that zoos use with animals for medical and health procedures, and basically involves training the animal to help do the needed task without restraint. Might be something to work on with her since you’re in it for the long haul!
  
  Here are some examples with dogs:
  
  https://iaabcjournal.org/cooperative-care-2/
  
  But here’s an article about using it in rabbits to give medicines (scroll to the bottom, note this is in a shelter setting):
  
  https://bunssb.org/newsletter/knuckles-goes-home-the-carrot-tribune-april-2021
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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