I’m so sorry to hear. Occasionally I have to look at Lancelot and reevaluate if it is time to let him go. I use the “three A’s”. As long as he has appetite, attitude, and affection – I’ll keep him going. Once he has lost the 3 “A’s”, I’ll count the good vs the bad days. If the bad days outnumber the good days – I’ll let him go. Lancelot has been completely unable to move at times – like paralyzed and lying down being syringe fed and diapered. He has always made a fantastic recovery – despite a vet’s insistence that he needs to be put down. I’m at the point where I don’t believe Lancelot will every recover fully – so I keep him comfortable, pain meds every day, bunny hospice care. He is settling into and enjoying his new routine.
I know it’s hard to give someone else advice when my bunny doesn’t have Leukemia. But I’d discuss pain meds with the vet and find the best possible pain med for him, and do everything I could to keep him comfortable. When Lancelot doesn’t drink – I flavor his water with V-8 vegie juice or apple juice. But if your little guy is unable to drink – that’s a different story. I give Lancelot Critical Care “soup”. He enjoys it, and gets fluid that way too. (He has arthritis and EC with recurring ear infections that make him too woozy to remain upright, and he ends up lying on his side unable to move). And he is incontinent so he lives in a diaper. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/ This website has handy info on different setups/ideas for care of different problems. They don’t list leukemia specifically, but he has symptoms/similarities that they do address.
I’v heard good things about acupuncture. I don’t have those kind of options within a 2 hour radius.
It is easy to look at the current situation and think it can’t get better. That’s what the vet felt when she wanted to euthanize Lancelot. I wanted to give him a chance to stabilize, which he has. It is indeed a roller coaster. Slow down your mind – look at his condition and find ways to make him comfortable.
For example – With Lancelot he gets pressure sores from the uneven angle that he sits on due to his arthritis. So he has a veterinary fleece layer over a puppy pee pad. I roll up towels and soft fuzzy blankets to keep him propped up. He has a stuffy that he grooms – it brings him comfort. I give him a chin rest – I prop his chin up with soft rolled up items, or with his stuffy. I’v tried different size and weight food bowls, set at different heights and positions around him – to find a setup that makes it easier for him to reach his food/water. I find that ground level is too low. I raise his food owls so that he doesn’t have to drop his head much to eat/drink. (I know he is feeling better and ready for ground level food when he tosses his bowl upside down). He gets whatever he wants to eat, how ever much. (except fruit of course). I make sure he ALWAYS has food in front of him. And of course plenty of love and cuddles from me. He can’t groom himself very well, so I use warmed up wetwipes (I have a wetwipe warmer), and ruffle up his fur in all directions, before smoothing it over. I clean his ears for him, and wipe his eyes. He loves having his eyes wiped. He grooms the crap out of his stuffy – and me. He loves our mutual grooming. He licks my arms, hands, legs, anything he can reach.
But if he stops showing affection, loses interest I eating, and stops showing attitude (grooming himself, pushing up on my hand when I pet him, tossing his blanket and wicker ball into his waterbowl, etc), then I’ll start comparing the good days to bad days. But even with that – I do ask myself if there is a realistic chance of him stabilizing again. It’s hard. I have had one bunny euthanized form EC.
I’m sorry you are in such a difficult spot.
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