I’m so sorry to hear about what you and your rabbit are going through. Unfortunately, not many owners have experience with heart disease, so working closely and comfortably with your rabbit’s vet (who is rabbit-savvy; not unexperienced staff) is likely key in maximizing Buffy’s life. While short, there are some references linked here that might provide insights/information not yet known: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Cardiovascular_disease

Anticipatory grief is so tough, and I hope Buffy’s presence can help you through it as you go through this journey together.

Luna (7 and 1/2) has a heart problem that was diagnosed early last year. She has moderate mitral valve regurgitation, meaning that some of the blood flowing out of her heart flows back into it as it is pumping. This means her heart is ever so slightly enlarged. She also has severe kidney disease which can affect the heart with fluid building up around the heart and lungs. Since she is on Semintra (Telmisartan) for her kidneys, the vet advised not to put her on anything else for her heart as the Semintra also helps to reduce blood pressure which is beneficial to her heart condition. Treatment I assume varies greatly from case to case depending on the cause and extent of the condition.

I am of the assumption that Luna’s time is limited although I’ve really no idea how long that time is. Since she recovered from E.cuniculi early last year she has been fairly stable except for a scare earlier this year that was unrelated to her heart or kidneys. I think her discomfort is slowly progressing but her eating/drinking/weight is stable. It’s really tough to say how long she has, she could hang in there for another 3 years, or she could have a bad turn at any time and be gone within a week. In terms of how to deal with that anticipatory grief, I think it’s something that we all get at some point in time, even with perfectly healthy young animals. Thinking about an animals death is not something that I personally shy away from, I like to think that I’m realistic. I don’t like to get ahead of myself but of course I know that at some point I’m going to lose all of my pets, not just Luna who is unwell. While it’s not good to dwell on, I find that if I’m overthinking it and getting upset I can redirect myself to think about the fact the reason I would be so upset is because I love them so much and they bring so much joy to my life. Then I can channel that into caring for them better, playing with them more, spending more time etc. as a way to appreciate the time that I have. I am someone who can relatively easily redirect negative experiences/emotions into positive/productive output. It helps me to cope if I can find a way to put action to that feeling. I hope that helps 🙂

Hi, I’m so, so sorry you’re experiencing this and I hope Buffy is hanging in there. I finally joined this forum specifically to respond to your post, because I’ve been looking for this kind of information over the past couple months. I hope any of this is helpful or relevant to you or anyone else.

My bunny (age ~6.5-7, estimated because also a rescue) was diagnosed with heart disease in mid-March; the vet said the right side of his heart was “severely enlarged.” They prescribed 1 mg pimobendan every 12 hours by oral syringe. My rabbit absolutely wouldn’t tolerate this and I did the best I could until I could get powder capsules. Even then, he wouldn’t take it all the time. I’m sure the vet would’ve had me follow their orders exactly, but 1) it was causing him extreme stress and fear, 24/7 and 2) I noticed his behavior changing and him becoming more distressed, whether due to the medication or the progression of the disease. I ended up following my gut and made the really painful decision to allow him to enjoy whatever quality of life he had left without further intervention. Toward the end of the progression of the disease, the vet also suggested an ACE inhibitor and a diuretic in addition to the pimobendan. I’ve heard different stories for different rabbits. I think if heart disease is caught early, there’s probably more luck with treatment.

Sending you and your bun so much love.