Luna

[Azerane]

Yesterday evening we said goodbye to our beautiful girl, Luna. We were able to let her go with Apollo, myself and my husband by her side.

She had started showing signs about a month ago of progressing in age related problems, but from Monday she started to deteriorate quite rapidly with mobility problems. When I arrived home from work on Thursday it was clear that she had given all that she could, her will to live was gone, and it was time for us to to ease her passing. More than just arthritis, suspect her heart was failing as she had some labour to her breathing. It was an extremely sad, but very easy decision, and I’m glad we had the opportunity to make it.

Luna came into our life with Apollo as a bonded adult pair in mid 2016. She has always been the more shy bunny, not really into pats, but curious and sweet all the same, and tough as anything. The things that this girl has been through and come out the other side fighting is amazing. Luna was at least 10 and 1/2 years old, and leaves behind Apollo who is roughly the same age, and his new stuffy companion, Twona (Luna 2.0).

My deepest thanks go to members of this forum for the support and advice given over the years, and to her vet team as well, especially in this last week with my frequent phone calls for advice and last minute scripts before the four day long weekend. I’m fairly sure our vet loved Luna as much as we did.

I was rushing around on Thursday after work to pick up anything and everything we might need to care for her over the long weekend, only to realise when I got home that none of it was needed. I read aloud to her “The Blessing of El-ahrairah” from Watership Down, before we went to the vet.

“My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today.”

EDIT: I’m not sure why the pictures have come up so small, and my paragraphs have run together. But you get the idea.

Jan 2018

Jan 2022

Nov 2023 with Apollo

March 2024, two months after having her eye removed.

[Bam]

I’m so very sorry, Azerane.

Luna had a long and wonderful life with you and your husband and Apollo. She had many health problems, but pulled through thanks to you.

It’s heartbreaking to have to make the decicion, but if a bun gets a very long life, there comes a time when it’s the only good thing we can do to help. That is a blessing of sorts, to get to be there for them all the way right up to the end.

I too read aloud to my buns from Watership Down, as needed. The book  captures the spirit of rabbits so well.

Binky free, sweet Luna, Princess of a thousand enemies 💗 You had a long, good run, but all rabbits know that when the Black Rabbit of Inle finally calls, you must go.

The pictures look just great on my phone. She was a beautiful girl. Those ears!

 

[LBJ10]

Oh Azerane, I’m so sorry. Luna was so beautiful. I agree with Bam. She had various health problems throughout her life, but she made it thanks to you. She was able to live a long life. You did a good job.

[Azerane]

Thank you so much to you both.

I was happy to make the decision and got a lot of peace from it, it was 100% her time to go and I was determined to make that as easy as possible for her.

It is extremely sad, I miss her, I feel sad for Apollo, but this has been a much easier loss than most of my other pets because we’ve been able to say goodbye and do right by her in her senior age. Most of my other pet losses have either not been my choice (as a child), were a result of a traumatic accident where you don’t get to say goodbye, or the animal passed in pain before making it to a vet. I was determined to do right by Luna and it has already really made a huge difference to my grief process that it was expected, she was at the end of her life, we chose to ease her passing, and we got to say goodbye.

She was gorgeous, she was the most surprising tough little bunny, and we loved her to bits. She wasn’t keen on being touched much, she gave me a healthy bite the day before she passed when I was trying to syringe feed her.

Despite how many times she has been ill, she’s never been to the vet for stasis. Her preference was more for complicated health issues 🤣

Luna’s spectacular history.

– 2016 Adoption

– Approx 2018-19 rectal polyp surgically removed

– 2021 E.cuniculi, blind in left eye

– 2021 kidney damage and heart murmur discovered (possibly from the E.c.)

– 2022 contracted calicivirus and was lucky enough to survive despite chewing through her IV line three times, even with foil on it.

– 2023 cataract in right eye

– 2023 ongoing left eye pressure problems from E.c damage

– January 2024 enucleation of her left eye due to further complications with ulcers from an eyelid lump

 

Never a dull moment with little Luna around 😀

[Author]

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