Lost my little bud

[I_love_pippen]

Last night I lost my little bud Pip. He was my girlfriend’s rabbit for the last 5 years, I’ve known him for 4. Out of nowhere about 4 months ago he started hopping funny—walking one leg at a time or jump moving seldom and slow on his toes. We took him to the vet and they gave him some arthritis stuff. Things didn’t improve so we took him back a few weeks later and ran all the tests: xray, ultrasound, blood, and a full physical. They came back that he had pretty bad arthritis for his age but also a calcified aorta (an artery that connects the heart to the hind legs), the pulse to his back legs was a little weak but his heart and major organs seemed fine, and he had last a lot of weight (1.54kg, down from 2.0). Little pip also has bad teeth as when my girlfriend got him at 1 year old, his front teeth were so long and curled they had to extract them. He’s had teeth problems ever since.

Pip has a bun buddy and we were worried his pal was eating all of their food before he could get some with her superior teeth. We created a large pen for him in their room and let Pip have unlimited food. We got Metacam for his arthritis. Things seemed to be improved. But after another month Pip still wasn’t gaining much weight and he was getting pickier about what he was eating. We started making him smoothies with pellets, vegetables, and a little fruit to try to get him to eat. We were worried his bad teeth is why he avoided hay and pellets. He never ate hay his whole life, we were just really trying to get him to eat pellets. We hoped we could get him fed and stronger and back up to weight, deal with his arthritis, and he could enjoy many more years.

Well, a 3-4 nights ago, Pip started getting so picky he would only eat pureed fruit and veggies. No smoothies, no pellets. I’ve been measuring out all of his food before and after he eats so I could see down to the gram how much less he was eating. By 2 nights ago he barely was eating. After a 12 hour break in eating, about mid-day yesterday, we called the vet’s emergency line and took him in. They were hoping it was a digestive blockage and not a complication of the heart. Pulse seemed alright and no digestive blockage could be felt. We got Oxbow Clinical Care and a syringe to force little Pip to get a high fiber diet again. He seemed to like it and ate a bunch through the syringe. We were very optimistic.

While that night, last night, I woke up at 2am and checked on him and he was just lying on his side, eyes open. I went over and petted him and tried to make sure he was alright and he definitely wasn’t. I woke up my girlfriend and we called the emergency line on the vet. Pip couldn’t stand on his own. His body was limp but alive. His mouth was wet, I think from drool? I quickly carried him to the bedroom where my girlfriend was and laid him down between us and comforted him with pets. I ran back and got his buddy and brought her in so they could be together. As I petted him, about 30 seconds later, his started to spasm a bit from the chest, maybe a few spasms, and then his eyes got really big and then small and he was gone.

We’re devastated. We don’t understand what happened. The vet thinks his heart just got so weak and it eventually gave out. He said Pip wasn’t in pain in the end but it’s hard to think that’s true. The calcified aorta is so rare he offered to do a necropsy to get us some answers and inform colleagues about the case. I’m terrified it was a blockage from his picky diet toward the end and we could have done more.

I guess above all else I’m just venting and need support. We’ve been struggling all day. Little pip had the best personality and was always such a joy. He died so young, he wasn’t even 6 yet. It seems so unfair; we loved the little guy.

[Phil]

So sorry to read about Pip, my bunny died under anasitic he had cancer of testical, I did not do autopsy as it is very upsetting to have it done, buns must have plenty of fibre to keep digestive system in order. A lot of times we will never know for sure the reason they die, its awful, I’m still devistaed myself, you did best you could to save pip its very sad

[BingosDad]

You have my sympathies! It sounds like Pip was very lucky to have such a loving family! It appears to me like you went the extra mile in trying to keep Pip’s nutrition up. For whatever reason it seems Pip’s body was giving out. I know it doesn’t help but I’m glad he got to pass with his loved ones around him, this is not always the case, as many of us can attest. Thank you for providing a safe and loving space for Pip!

[tobyluv]

I’m very sorry about the loss of Pip. It sounds like you did all you could for him and more. Sometimes it’s difficult to get to the root of a rabbit’s problems. He was very fortunate to have such good care from you and to have all of the love from you, your girlfriend and his bunny buddy.

[I_love_pippen]

Thanks everyone. We’ve been spending the day crying. It’s hard to imagine life without his little personality at home. Your support provides some comfort. I’m angry, depressed, sad, … I just feel so bad for pippy. He was our homie. He didn’t deserve to have his life cut short. Thank you for your kind words.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m so very sorry for your loss. ((((((Binky Free Pip))))))

[Phil]

This is so sad I know just how you feel its awful, my heart goes out to you, we all love our bunnies so much, its very hard to cope without them here, it was so lovely pip was with you and his bud at the end he knew how much you loved him, so so sad x

[September]

I am so sorry about your Pip. We all know exactly what you are going through right now. My Timothy died young too, suddenly. Even now I just want to scream sometimes because he was such a happy bun and I feel he was cheated out of many more happy years with us. My thoughts have always been ‘change the things you can change, and accept the things you can’t’. In August last year, that thought process went completely out the window. You will feel some guilt, it’s best buddies with grief, but you loved Pip and did your best for him.

Bunnies are the most beautiful creatures that ever walked this earth, and that is why the angels want them so badly. It must be the only reason they leave us like they do.

Xxx

[Phil]

Have agree completely bunnies are very special. We all feel the terrible pain when they go. Today’s Easter and I’m so lost without my little angel Jasper. My life will never be the same without my buddle of joy. I feel so sad every time I here ones died. Its heartbreaking x

[Gordo and Janice]

Well reading about your little bud Pip has me crying all over again. It sounds so similar to what happened to our little sweetheart Icey about 3 months ago. She just began to get picky about her diet. Vet treatments didn’t help. It was a slow month and half process. Same thing with the gradual elimination of foods until she was down to veggies and fruit and critical care. Then the last couple of days barely eating or drinking.

Such a desperately, frustratingly hopeless feeling to watch your little one just steadily decline. We too are at a loss. Will never understand why, what happened, was it something we could have avoided if we did the right thing, why isn’t there an obvious answer….frustration, aggravation, anger, guilt, you name it.

You said it seems so unfair and that it so true of life sometimes. We were fortunate, like you (if you can even look at it as such), that she passed snuggled up against Janice with Janice’s arm around her. So many don’t get the last moments with their bunny before they pass. Another instance of how life is not fair.

I state all of that really to convey to you that we and I’m sure so many others truly feel your pain and anguish, having experienced it firsthand. And Janice and I in such a very similar fashion. It’s truly gut wrenching. Reading about little Pip has really opened the wellspring of emotions for me this morning. We all know that time heals and grief is a process and etc., etc., etc. Just know that you are in my thoughts.

I always hate to hear of the passing of another little precious bunny. But the ironic flip side to that is I get to hear how much they were loved and what was done for them and how they were taken care of and how much they meant to their owner and how much they will be missed…all of that warms my heart. Thank you for being such caring and loving bunny owners. Three, six, eight, ten years…it’s never enough. Feel free to vent more, tell us more about little Pip, upload a couple of your favorite pics, whatever might help in your coping with his passing.

Binky free little {{{Pip}}}

[I_love_pippen]

Thanks Gordo. We didn’t know about critical care, we were trying to give Pippy anything he could possibly want, hoping he’d just eat and gain weight and get healthy. I wish I had known, I hope his diet wasn’t a problem. I’m terrified pureed vegetables and fruit caused a problem. The vet thinks it was just his heart getting too weak and giving out. 

Pip was the rock at our home. His companion (Scruffy) is a very skittish bun we adopted 3 years ago. She seems terrified of everything including us. But she was Pip’s bud and they would lie around on the rugs together all day. Pip was our rock, we could come home and just lie on the ground and he’d come over to see what was going on. Just give him a few head pets or cheek pets and he’d lie right now and let you pet him all day. He was our rock and he was Scruffy’s rock. Our home doesn’t feel right without him. Our entire home dynamic is missing. 

I just keep saying, “I’m not ready”. I’m not ready to lose Pip. It’s not fair. It’s not right. He was too young, too sweet, he brought too much joy to everyday. I’m not ready for him to go. I’m not ready to not give him any more cheek pets. I can’t stand to see his rugs and his toys, my bed he likes to hide under, the stuff we got him to try to help him get healthy. I thought he’d get better, the vet thought his heart would be fine for the foreseeable future. I thought he was just underweight and had arthritis, I thought we could cope with it and help him gain weight and muscle. I’m just not ready. 

Knowing I’m not alone and have the support of strangers like you helps. Thank you. We’re just so devastated. He was our little buddy, our best friend. We loved him so much. 

You can see pictures of Pippy (and Scruff) here: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/pippylonghopping/?hl=en My girlfriend has tagged instagram photos of him over the years. 

[Gordo and Janice]

Yep! Went through all the pics. You guys gave that little rabbit a wonderful wonderful life. And you can tell he was the centerpiece, so to speak. The “rock” as you said. You will definitely have a rough go of it here for a bit. That bunny was front and center. Seeing some of those pictures brought back a lot of memories of our little girl. For some reason I had forgotten about the foot pets until I saw the one of her petting him with her foot while she worked. When we would watch TV on the couch, Icey would always come over and forcefully nudge her nose and head under one of our feet and just lay there while we would sort of uncoordinatedly move our foot around and smash on her head. She loved it.

Oh, and the lazy mouth when they flop on their side and sleep and you can see their lower lip and teeth. Crazy bunniness!

And yes, I wonder about all sorts of those things like if we did something wrong with regard to her diet as well. While we had it generally right, it wasn’t down to a science of measuring out the different components based on her body weight. And she may have gradually started eating less hay and we may have been giving her slightly too much veggies. And this little thing and that little thing. All those things in hindsight are maybe?, could be?, did I?, was it?… Unfortunately, more unanswerable questions.

Just a terrible situation all around in the end when they’re gone.

Again my heart goes out to you two and little Scruff. A tough transition for all. But again so thankful that there are people like you that take in and give these little ones such an unbelievably great life that they would never have experienced otherwise. Our little girl might have been envious had she known how good the “Pipster” had it!

[Phil]

I’ve been very sad all day, hearing this sad news about pip and another bunny Nugget, I still find it very hard to think of my home as home anymore, its empty and has no soul anymore, only thing that helps me is to think how much I cared for my bunny, and was so lucky to have him for 8 years, wish with all my heart we could go back and make it better, we can’t and its so very very hard. X

[Flakie]

I’m so sorry to hear of the loss your little bunny Pip. It’s so sad when they pass over the rainbow bridge.

I lost my Flakie aged 10 in January and I’m still sad and think about him a lot.

You gave Pip a good life with you and cared for him with love.

Binky free Pip x

[Jeremy]

Gosh darn it, now I’m crying too reading this story about little Pip. I’m so sorry, mate. Sounds like you and your partner did absolutely everything you could to help Pip’s health concerns and extend his life as long as possible with such kind treatment.

[kurottabun]

Just looked at the instagram photos – Pip seemed like such a wonderful little guy and it definitely looked like he was loved by you both to bits. You did what was best for him – and now he will be binkying over across the rainbow bridge without any pain or suffering. Sending lots of love and comfort xx

[I_love_pippen]

Thanks everyone. We find out today what happened to our little bud Pippy. I’m terrified we did something wrong even though we were in constant communication with and following his advice. I’ll update when I have information.

We laid Pippy to rest yesterday. It was hard. We don’t have much of a yard and it’s shared with a couple other units but my gf’s aunt and uncle were nice enough to let us use their yard. They live nearby and used to babysit Pip when he was young. They have a space in their garden with plants passed down from grandparents. We laid Pip to rest amongst his family’s plants. We miss him and little personality terribly. I’m very worried for his buddy, Scruffy. We’re getting by one day at a time and keeping an eye on Scruff.

[Gordo and Janice]

You guys and little Scruff still very much in my thoughts. You two are excellent bunny parents. Scruff is in the best hands. Hugs to {{{Scruffy}}} I am not experienced with bonded bunnies where one passes and the other is left by themselves. Extra attention is probably warranted which, no doubt, you two are giving. Feel free to tap into the experience of all of those here if you have any concerns. There are so many here that have bonded bunny experience.

[I_love_pippen]

We talked to the vet this morning to get results from the necropsy. He said the aorta was heavily calcified as well as the veins that lead off of it. He said in his 33 years as an exotic pet vet he’s never seen a case so bad. He’s confident that Pip’s little heart had to work extra hard to pump blood through inflexible veins and that it finally just gave out. There was no digestive blockage. His heart/pulse seemed fine at all of the check-ups but it just wasn’t.

It makes me so sad to think his little heart was so weak he didn’t want to eat anymore. That he just got so tired he laid down and left us. I don’t understand why he lost all strength and couldn’t stand toward the end. It hurts thinking about his little spasms, I don’t know what he was struggling to do or what he was thinking in his final moments. I miss him deeply. I’m angry he had to go through this and at such a young age. I’m consoled that we did everything we could and provided the best life we knew how for him even if it was a short life. Above all, we’re just not ready to not have Pip with us. It was so difficult to give his little casket we made to the vet. I wanted to hold onto him forever.

We’re still debating how we’ll handle Scruffy. She’s so skittish, she’s basically terrified of everything. It’s 3 years since we adopted her (she’s about 5-6 now) and she still runs from us when we try to give her pets. The only buddy she felt comfortable hanging with was Pippy. We started spending the mornings in her room just doing work on the couch so she’ll get more comfortable with us. We’re really hoping to have a better relationship with her for her sake and ours. I’m really worried about how alone she is. I’m not sure she understands what happened. She was with Pip in his final moments but I’m not sure she was really understanding things and then we took her back to her room after he passed. I didn’t know we should give them time together. We were so devastated we were just trying to hold it together, I spent minutes just petting Pip after he passed.

I’ll try to update this thread in the future. I might make another post about how for us to bond with Scruffy. I know it’s irrational but I don’t want to let Scruff down because it feels like I’d be letting Pip down. He left us with the responsibility of his little sister and for him and for her I want to make sure she’s happy.

[Gordo and Janice]

Makes me cry. I actually held Icey after she passed for a couple of hours, crying, pressing my lips against her cheek, petting her… We all go through a sort of internal agony. At least I did. I relate to wanting to hold on forever. Handing her over to the vet and seeing, holding, feeling, touching her for the very very last time was one of the absolute hardest things in life for me to do. I knew that was it, no more, ever again. A crushing finality.

He probably lost strength and couldn’t stand because of impaired blood flow. Lack of sufficient oxygen to the muscles and tissues, all tissues, even his digestive system. The further from the heart the less blood perfusion and the less oxygen. Sort of like people who suffer from heart failure and/or pulmonary disease, just no energy and strength because not enough oxygen.

We are out of control of so much in life. You did everything you could for Pippy. And most importantly you gave him an absolutely wonderful life regardless of how short. The pictures are a great testament to his life.

It’s not irrational in the least. You all were a family. She was his little buddy too. Perfectly rational if you ask me. I think I’ve read where you can put yourself in a confined space, like in a pen or small bathroom, with a skittish rabbit. Just be around her, not trying to pet or touch her, almost ignoring her. Just being in her presence doing your own thing, sitting there, lying there, close. Even shrinking that space down some over time so that she begins to feel comfortable with you and not threatened by you. Until maybe she begins lying next to you and you can begin light petting. The others here have much more practical knowledge and experience than I do. Like you said you might begin a knew thread on the subject so that the experts will see it and give you more specific advice.

You are all in my thoughts…

[Phil]

Poor bunny must have been really hard for him. Your diet had nothing to do with it after all. You did all you could possibly do to save him. May be his sister needs time to bond with you, takes time and patience. So sad x

[I_love_pippen]

Thanks Gordo. Your words are comforting. It was so traumatizing seeing our little buddy lying on his side, unable to move. I have so many questions but I know I’ll never have the answers. And none of the answers will give me the one thing that I want. I just am not ready to let Pippy go. 

[Author]

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