Emergency vet put my beloved bunny boy to sleep today

[Nima]

Dear community of bunny lovers,

Today I lost my Adi, my best friend for over 11 years. Unfortunately, I never had any human friend like him which I think is sad, too. I got him as a little boy (from the pet shop at the time, I didn’t know about adaption) and fell immediately in love. He too, because he licked my hand. He was the last one waiting for me and I actually did not plan on going to the pet shop that day. I never stepped a foot in it before. There was that pull and I trusted it. The wonderful salesperson said he’s very playful. And damn was he right.

Years of joy began. The apartment was full of life and energy. Where should I begin, a snapshot here.  He had a play tunnel, many actually of the same kind that Trixie sold back at that time made of fabric not plastic. And he loved dragging it around through the entire apartment. We played catch and he made me laugh so much all these years. He laid down and watched me dance, he came to the door to greet me at times, he thumped when I got mad once at somebody ringing my door, he slept under my bed by choice (he had the whole apartment).

When I tried the xpen, he would open the door by lifting it up with his teeth. He was the cleanest bunny albeit he wasn’t neutered. In his older age, I got him neutered as he started having fun urinating here and there and his cleanliness was gone.  Now I think maybe it could have been related to kidneys. Anyways, he changed a little afterwards. We then adopted his partner which thank God is with me in this difficult time. They both relocated with me last year, being on a 7-hour flight which I was so scared of for them. Everything went fine and they were quite happy in the new place. He also supervised the movers when my stuff got delivered and when I was building furniture together with my mom.

Unfortunately, he got a bit quieter by end of last year and as my family was saying “you’ve been having him for long, he’s an old bunny”, I thought it may be age related and let him be that older bunny. Then in January, he was still coming to the kitchen excited for his food pulling on my pants asking to finally get it. Then end of Jan, he fell when he wanted to move unable to run around. I went to the vet following the reviews on Google. Unfortunately, the nice VET misdiagnosed him in the beginning because he did not have the head tilt although her husband said it was probably E. C.

She scheduled us one week later for a Xray (as he first got some balance issues after the neuter which then later went away) and after doing research I insisted on having a blood test. Yes, E.C. positive! It took all in all 2 weeks from the first signs until him getting his medicine!!! I wonder nowadays if he had gotten proper care earlier, if I had seen another VET (so many bad reviews for other VETS here), things would have turned out differently and if he could still be with me today. Did I give him food without washing it properly?

Anyhow, my bunny boy was not able to run around anymore and didn’t fully recover although we found a great VET afterwards. I hoped things would become better, gave him massages, he took his medicine. He lost weight and was quite bony understandably. He still enjoyed his food very much and our company.

However, yesterday, he hardly ate anything, one blueberry, but he took his medicine and Vitamin which I think shows how much he wanted to live! The day before he also didn’t eat so well. His droppings were very tiny and very few today, but he urinated despite hardly drinking water (he always drank a lot of water). He seemed weak and somehow sad, so I took him to an Emergency VET to a neighboring city as the one near mine did not answer.

I wondered even last night if the dying process had started, was crying so much, or if he was not feeling well. It was so hot here in Europe as well over the past days, mind you no A/C! I couldn’t even sleep at night. So initially I thought it may be heat related. His ears were at a normal temperature. The emergency Vet measured 38 degrees and since they were not his VET were rather surprised (maybe shocked as well) how thin he was (his weight today 1.56 kg).

She said she cannot let me take him again this way and he should be released as he’s suffering. I know of many stories where they are suggesting it albeit the bunny recovers afterwards when it was not agreed to. While I had sworn myself to never play God and decide when it’s time to go, I agreed. He did not lick my finger (which he always did except when he wasn’t feeling well), didn’t take water, didn’t take the dried pea flake, he seemed simply exhausted. I never expected it to happen. My plan was for them to force feed him and to give him fluids. So, after 15 min I got his carry box back with him in which I had crawled him throughout the whole taxi ride just an hour earlier.

I am mad at the first VET for misdiagnosing him and waiting one week to do anything. She just thought it may be bone related and didn’t consider anything else. I am also mad at myself for not being more assertive earlier and for not pushing more or seeking out somebody else. I spent a lot of money on taxi bills as she was located outside of the city.

I wrote a lot, but I also wanted to share something about Adi and how he was. Thank you for reading if you made it thus far.

I am glad too that I am in my home country so I can get him buried in a pet cemetery instead of him having to be cremated which was the only option as far as I know where I lived before.

Nonetheless, it’s so hard having to live without him now, I cared for him over the last months since the E.C. and would have cared for him even longer. At the same time I understand that he had a good age with 11 years and 6 months but sadly spent with E.C. aftermath for the past 5 months. I am grateful for the most wonderful time we had.

Best wishes

[Nima]

I would be interested to know if you were present when your bunny was put to sleep or if you know how people usually go about it. For me she took him to another room. I couldn’t see him being given to him. Also, what do you think of the demeanor of the emergency vet for not wanting to give it a try with the fluids etc.? Do you think it is justified listening to a VET saying that your bunny is suffering if they see your bunny for the first time? In my earlier message, I meant “petting” not “crawling”.

[Bam]

I’m so so sorry you lost Adi. He seems like the most wonddrful of companions ❤️❤️❤️ I’m glad you still have his partner.

Where I am, a vet can’t release a suffering animal back to the owner, that’s the law. The vet must have considered him beyond all chances of meaningful recovery. How a vet decides that varies between vets, vet clinics and aso countries, because there is no exact template, it’s a judgement call.  Maybe the big vet hospitals where I am  would’ve tried supportive care (fluids, painkillers etc), becsuse their business model is to make as much money as possible from each patient. This is obviously not always ethical, a good, conscientious vet never wants to prolong an animal’s suffering. (Vet care at the big animal hospitals and their vet bills are currently very much discussed and debated in my country.)

When a beloved animal leaves us, there are always so so many “what ifs”. What could I have done differently? If only I had done this or that… I don’t think you need to think so much about those things, because it’s clear you took excellent care of Adi and he got a very long and very happy life. Even if the urine problem was indeed related to EC (but we can’t know that!)  and not about male sex hormones, getting him neutered made it possible for him to get a bun partner. Rabbits really benefit from having a same species partner.

You pushed for the EC test, so he did get medicine for it. One week probably didn’t make much of a difference. Fenbendazole is a slow acting medicine, it’s not like antibiotics (which can turn a patient around completely in 48-72 hours).

EC is unfortunately a difficult and condition, and how a bun’s body is affected by it is highly individual. The parasite often causes internal damage before there are any symptoms at all. Many, many buns carry the EC parasite all their lives, they can even get it from their mother in the womb. Then, when the bun gets old and naturally weaker, the parasite grabs the opportunity to start to multiply, and the bun becomes symptomatic. I doubt the EC came from poorly rinsed vegetables, it’s more likely he got it while he was with his breeder or in the pet store.

Again I’m so sorry you lost him. His life was long and happy and full of love, and it warms my heart to think about a little pet store bun getting such a wonderful human and such a good life ❤️ I hope you can feel that too before long.

(Tl answer your last question, I have been in the room with the pets I’ve had put to sleep. I don’t know why you weren’t asked if you wanted to be there. Maybe it’s standard practice at that clinic?)

Thank you for writing so beautifully about him here.

Binky free, sweet Adi 🐇❤️

[LBJ10]

I’m sorry to hear you lost Adi. Please know that you didn’t do anything wrong, and that you did everything you could do. I absolutely agree with Bam. Most bunnies become infected with EC when they are young. They can be asymptomatic all their lives. And then, when old age weakens their immune system, EC will rear its ugly head. EC is difficult to treat in older bunnies. You can give them the appropriate medicine, but they may not recover simply because their immune system is declining. So I don’t think sooner treatment would have necessarily changed the outcome.

I was in the room when they put one of my bunnies to sleep. However, what is allowed varies by country/location.

[Nima]

Thank you for your kind replies, it means a lot.

I did some research and here the law seems to say that a vet is not allowed to keep a pet as it’s considered property of the owner. If they assume neglect or cruelty, they can report it to the Veterinary Office and it’s the Veterinary Office that decides anything further. That would mean that the emergency vet was either lying to me or she wasn’t aware of the law. She looked very young. Maybe that played a role (lack of experience). I was told she was an exotic animal specialist. They didn’t even introduce themselves (by name) and I initially thought they were the nurses.

Also, the law says that putting them to sleep can only happen with the consent of the owner. Well, I consented eventually based on their recommendation but was a bit coerced I feel by her statements. I felt and feel that they refused to help him and just considered euthanasia. He had a time before when he didn’t eat and then started eating again. I don’t want to dispute their knowledge or expertise about knowing when an animal suffers and when not. They just didn’t know him. He had also mucus in his droppings which his vet treated with some probiotic paste earlier and last week it appeared again. Perhaps it could have been also the digestive track stopped working.

Also, the emergency Vet said when I told her that I would like to go with him to his Vet on Monday to consult before making such decision that he would tell me the same . and my bunny is starving in front of my eyes. She didn’t even know his Vet. Maybe it was his body giving up after him being so strong for so long. I checked the Google reviews now and one person wrote that they are completely inexperienced, another one they are clueless. Other people wrote that the dog/cat was an emergency, they did nothing and the pets later died. This makes me think that they put him to sleep because he was thin and impaired unable to sit by himself not considering any GI issues.

Others gave good reviews but that doesn’t have to mean anything as they could have been written by their friends. It’s so confusing. Had I waited one more night to see his vet would it have made a difference.  Would it really have meant having him suffer and how would that compare to him getting possibly better or more help the next day?

Should I have kept him in the basement during the hot days. All these questions. It wasn’t even on my mind to buy a ventilator and today where it’s cooler I finally purchased one. It’s so hard to balance your gut feeling, own observations and recommendations from professionals. They say the gut does not lie. Disappointing that there are so many vets, but good ones are hard to come by. Or is it me misjudging it…  She also said something around these lines, they don’t do it lightly and sometimes we should trust them as well. Well, trust is built over time actually.

I called Adi’s vet today and the nurse said it’s difficult to say what they would have done in the situation as it really depends. But his vet had given him some infusion fluid before and then things were better. This emergency vet refused to do it. Yes, he was not well but was it indeed the right solution to put him to sleep considering a few days earlier he still ate well and was normal considering his circumstance?

Have you or anyone witnessed the natural dying process in rabbits? The internet says they will refuse to eat and drink but yes, they also do this when they are not dying. How does one know other than the screams, confused running, lack of response and seizure? My feeling somehow said it might be happening but I simply didn’t know and wasn’t sure at all. He was responsive. If he was in the natural dying process, would it have been better had I stayed at home with him comforting him, playing soft music, etc.? Or would it have been cruel?

Thank you for the info on EC. He got the EC medicine with a 2-weeks delay sadly. After one week an X ray was done and the blood test and another week to get the blood test results and the medicine (yes this is a so-called first world country and it seems to take forever!). My plan was to get him well back on his feet. I understand that 5 months is a long time for him not being able to walk but problems could improve I read even after longer periods. In general, could Fenbendazole be given longer? The first dose with the first vet was 2 weeks if I remember correctly and the second dose with the current Vet was 28 days. I read that when Fenbendazole is given long term, it could also create issues.

Regarding the decision to be with him or not. It was more of a spontaneous feeling as I didn’t get there even thinking that he would get euthanized and seeing it would just be too painful my feeling told me at the time. I was basically not mentally prepared for that!  Now thinking about it a day later, I should have probably been there holding his cute paw. They didn’t seem to care and were fine taking him to another room. They didn’t ask me if I was sure or offered it explicitly. Also, they said earlier when I asked questions about this procedure that they are spending already more time with me.  This doesn’t give a nice feeling and I wonder why people in such professions are like this and sometimes seem to lack empathy, patience and understanding.

I want to learn from this experience and process it. It’s a life they in my view decided to take so quickly although for them it might be business as usual. My feeling was it was a gut issue due to the mucus he had (which I forgot to tell them) but since they just saw him thin and bony and, in a way, impaired, along with his current state of not eating/drinking they probably estimated him to be suffering. It’s just my interpretation now. Maybe he was suffering and is now released from his ordeal (a few days earlier he didn’t give me that impression). Maybe he just needed fluid and support. When do you trust the “professionals’ and when do you trust yourself? After all they just met the bunny, and I’ve known him for years. I was used to seeing his current situation, caring for him and was in contact with his vet who didn’t bring up euthanasia at all.

I find that it’s also better to take somebody with you in such situation but when nobody is available it’s difficult. After speaking to my family today they said it was probably best for him. I brought him to the pet cemetery today and we will have the burial next week. It’s a grave that’s renewable every three years and also needs to be maintained;  I’ll see how it goes with it. I am thankful though that at least for now his body will have nice resting place in a green peaceful nature area.

I tried to attach pictures of him but it doesn’t work. It says no items found.

 

[Nima]

I also just realized that I went to a clinic (which I phoned before) that I actually did not intend to go to  initially. I was aware from before of an emergency hospital in that neighboring city I went to but I guess phoned the emergency clinic instead. My gosh I think I was not thinking clearly, the heat, lack of sleep, panic/worry. The clinic I went to does not have any picture or names of their vets on the website, I also don’t recall seeing a name badge and as stated, they didn’t introduce themselves and were not mentioned by name by the person checking me in. These are red flags, aren’t they? I’ve asked the clinic for their names now and hope that they were indeed vets as I was told and not some students because the latter is what my feeling is telling me right now.

[LBJ10]

We all go through the “what ifs” in our heads. You can’t let that eat away at you and spoil your memories of him. He was clearly declining and not experiencing the best quality of life. His death was inevitable, whether he was put to sleep now or weeks from now, or if he died on his own. We often dwell on whether it was “time” or not. I struggled with this greatly. But, in the end, ending my bunny’s suffering was the right thing to do. He couldn’t see and he couldn’t walk. He was eating, but that doesn’t mean he had a good quality of life at that point.

Now, could the emergency vet have had better beside manner? Could they have handled the situation and your feelings differently? Absolutely. That doesn’t take away the fact that you likely did what was best for Adi, even though it may not feel like it right now.

[Nima]

Thank you for your reply, it means a lot. Yes Adi also couldn’t walk, couldn’t see properly. He tried to change his position sometimes where he sat (I took him out of course as well), and when he was without pillow he laid down on his side and often trying to get up. It must have been so hard for him, it was so painful to watch. He was so strong and fighting. I reviewed some old videos and by end of January before this all started (him falling down) he came to me as I was kneeling on the floor and put his head on my lap between my knees and wanted to be cuddled. He also had mucus in his stool in Jan/Feb when we were at the first vet office which later then subsided and came again a few weeks ago. He must have been unwell for a long time. Kidney issue, maybe digestive tract shutting down. Now I am thinking giving him additional oats (as told by his vet) perhaps should not have been such a regular thing but when in Jan the mucus issue occurred, he didn’t eat oats but he craved the critical care which was prescribed at the time. He still got the critical care every day with the oats.

He became incontinent peeing here and there at the age of 9 and his former vet didn’t run any blood test to check for reasons. It was agreed it was due to him not being neutered at the time. Lot of things could have been managed in a better way. What I’ve concluded is that with his current vet a follow up appointment should have been made in regular intervals instead of just me picking up the medicine from the clinic. The death and possibilities should have been discussed properly. I asked about it at my last visit and he said as long as he can keep his weight etc… so the options were never properly discussed although he was a senior bun with his 11+ years. And his vet which I just learned from my neighbor even does home visits for euthanasia. While I watched a video last year in May about it, I forgot about it. I guess it’s the mind not wanting to realize that the time  will come. But I had it in my feelings and saw it every day. I always encouraged him to hold on and thought things will become better but considering that he was nearly at the top of the life span, I think all is okay the way it is now.

By the way, regarding the emergency vet I called them and emailed them and they refused to give out the names of the vets who treated my bunny. When I asked why she can’t give me the names I was told with a laugh due to data protection. I never heard about such nonsense. Then she was in a rush and said I should send an email again, still waiting for an answer. I think my feeling is right and they were students unless I am receiving a reply from them that shows me otherwise. Next week we will have his burial.

I have also made an appointment for his partner to get a blood test done for E.C. and kidney (creatine..) so that I can at least help to ensure she will not have to suffer the same bad faith of disability and suffering.

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