Bertha <3

[DanaNM]

Some of you already know this, but Bertha passed away the morning of Christmas Eve of 2019. It’s still very hard for me to write about, sorry if this is rambling… She had been showing some signs of slowing down over the last 6-8 months or so… but the final decline oddly started with a small abscess on her hock, that the vet cleaned up, bandaged, and that healed up fine (he thought she probably got poked by a piece of hay or something). The timeline is a bit hard to remember but then a few weeks later I felt like she was maybe having some arthritis pain so I took her in to see the vet again (not her normal vet but one that had seen her before). We decided to put her on some metacam. That night after the vet visit she seemed like she was very uncomfortable, and was refusing certain foods for the first time ever in her life. I’ve always said with Bertha the day she refuses food was the day I ring all the alarm bells. I got her to eat some CC but I had never seen her behave that way. I thought we might lose her that night, she just seemed to be fading. I felt so guilty because I had been working so much I hadn’t been able to spend that much quality time with her (even though I had been working from home). We weren’t sure if maybe the arthritis exam caused her a lot of pain… but we went back to her normal vet the next day and got blood work. He didn’t see anything too concerning, and his arthritis exam didn’t find anything. She had lost a fair amount of weight, but the vet had wanted her to lose weight so he thought it was because we had stopped feeding pellets (the weight loss seemed to great to me for that to explain it). That night she seemed much better, which we attributed to the metacam kicking in. So that all happened probably a week or two before Christmas, at which point I was unsure if I would even be able to travel home.

Over the next week or so she seemed to stabilize. We modified her litter box so she could get in and out easier, took away the levels of the condo and made the bottom floor bigger. She would eat her CC and veggies slowly. She would eat some hay. Still not herself but seemed better. After talking it over very carefully with her pet sitter (who is a lead at the bunny rescue and has looked over our bunnies many times), we decided to leave them with her. She kept eating well and was pooping and seemed generally fine with the pet sitter at her place. Got lots of cuddles and the sitter was in close contact with the vet about the whole situation. I was preparing to rearrange our home when I got home to accommodate her more limited mobility.

Then I got the call a few days later that she passed away. She ate her breakfast and was in the litter box with Bun Jovi. The sitter said she didn’t see any signs of pain, so we think it was just her time, but we were still devastated. We know she was an old girl, not sure exactly, but maybe at least 10. But I just wish we had been home with her. The sitter thought she may have even been hanging on because I was with her, and said sometimes bunnies wait for their owners to leave to pass.

She went through so much in her life. From being found wandering an abandoned house in Colorado, getting adopted by my friend, adopted by me, then experiencing the loss of two of her bonded mates (and getting attacked by another), and she was never phased by anything. She was just such a peaceful presence, and seemed unflappable, if not sassy and opinionated. She had the prettiest eyelashes and ears that were the envy of many a bun. We used to joke that Bunston (her first mate) had a “small ear” complex because he was insecure about how Bertha’s ears were so much bigger than his. She would allow you to handle her however you needed to, but would definitely let you know how she felt about it with some thumps and foot flicks afterward.  We used to joke that she would outlive us all. Until the end she never had a single health issue. We are thankful for the 7 years we got with her. [attachment file=”1926430″]

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. . . 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.  

[Dface]

I didnt know the whole story but I was aware you’d lost her. She was such a beautiful bunny, I always envisioned her as the wealthy yet glamorous older woman. you know the kind often  portrayed in films (  the ones with fur lined robes that was “a gift from her first husband” and that smoke cigarettes from a holder)

But what a gorgeous 7 years she got to live with you guys, even with the loss of husbuns, she was given the chance to rebond and never have to be lonely, which is not an easy undertaking on your side (I remember some of the saga’s you had !)

A lot of animals, have an overwhelming urge to leave home when it is their time to go, so I could well believe that she was holding out for her time.

Try not to think of all the regrets you seem to be holding (wanting to have spent more quality time with her, having her with you in the end)  I think really good owners always find a reason to beat themselves up over this stuff. Think of all the times you went above and beyond to make her life that little bit better though (even if she didnt see it that way > *cough* all those days sitting in the bathroom bonding *cough cough*) and all the love and joy you brought each other.

 

<<binky free Bertha>>

[DanaNM]

Thank you for the kind words, I absolutely love the image of her as a glamorous old lady in a fur coat. 😀 She certainly had the dewlap to look the part!

. . . 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.  

[jerseygirl]

Such a beauty!  My heart hurts you were separated when she when but it does seem that Bertha did things Bertha’s way. I know it difficult when an older bun is approaching their time, trying to gauge how they are and what they need. It’s often is a day by day, moment by moment scenario.  Fact is, she was doing better when you went away.  Its almost like “I’m good Mum, off you go”  and she left you with that final memory of her.

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