Scared to get another rabbit

[Darcy]

Hi guys, I posted here earlier in the month about my sick rabbit. She was 4 months old and stopped eating/drinking, so I took her into a few different vets to find out what was wrong. After a couple very long, worrisome days and critical care I thought she was getting back on her feet again. When I brought her home, though, she started almost violently falling over onto her side and would scramble to get back up. This behavior came on so suddenly and seemed to get worse as the night wore on. It seemed to me like she had trouble keeping her balance, but it also looked like she was throwing herself on the ground. My mom said they looked like seizures to her.

We called the vet we had spoken to and we were told that yes, they were most likely seizures. The vet said that perhaps these few days without eating and drinking were the first signs that the seizures were coming. There was no treatment, as I was told, and the seizures would have gotten worse. So I made the most difficult decision of my life to have my sweet little Taffy put to sleep after only having her for a month. I’m still heartbroken and devastated.

It doesn’t help that I keep second guessing myself. I keep thinking: what if they weren’t seizures? Maybe just an ear infection? What if I made this decision too quickly? Would she be here today if I had just gotten her checked for an ear infection?

And now, seemingly to fill the hole left in my heart, I’m longing for another rabbit. Guys, I sooo wanted a rabbit before I had gotten Taffy. I planned for probably six months and was so excited. To have her torn from me so fast left me traumatized. And stupid, stupid me STILL wants another rabbit. But if this is what’s going to happen again….I’m scared of taking another rabbit into my heart only to have something like this happen again. 

So I guess I’m looking for input…maybe reassurance? It’s hard to say. I guess opinions would be nice. I’m hurting a lot so maybe talking to people who deal with this stuff on occasion may help me.

[Vienna Blue in France]

I think if you feel ready, then you absolutely should get another fluffball to love. Sometimes these things happen and we torture ourselves by the “what ifs”. Especially the young ones.
Taffy has gone now and is binkying with all our other bridge furbabies.

Make sure you get a baby rabbit who hasn’t been taken too young from its mother to reduce any health issues.

We look forward to photos !!!

[Deleted User]

I agree with Vienna. The thing about rabbits is that issues with them come on so suddenly you just never know something was about to be wrong with them. I had an awful scare with Bombur and a case of enterotoxemia. He wasn’t supposed to make it through the night, but he did. It’s things like that that make you cherish your time with them all the more. In your case, you know how that feels losing one, so you’ll spoil the next one and love it with all your heart. I definitely think it’s worth getting another one. Surprisingly they can mend many wounds.

[Rain]

The solution to losing a precious pet is to find and care for another. When I lost my first pet, I was so devastated as you were and I told myself that I would never get another pet and for fear of doing something wrong again or letting it get sick and die again. But when I got little Rainy, I learned that if you keep fearing your mistakes you’ll never learn from them. Finding another friend for yourself will give you another chance at it, which everyone deserves a second chance. It made me feel a lot better to just go on reliable websites like House Rabbit Society and Binky Bunny and scroll through the info for hours to research the care of rabbits. And keep asking questions on here! I’m sure I posted fifty of them a week but that’s what the forum is here for right? Its so calming to get advice from the people on here to see if there’s something up with your bunny. I think you should definitely try it again. Sometimes there’s nothing at all we can do for our babies and when that happens on occasion, we always feel bad that we couldn’t do anything. But you can always find some comfort knowing that if you hadn’t put Taffy down, she would have suffered more. You helped her instead. If you want another bunny, go for it! I agree with Vienna that you should try to get a bunny that isn’t TOO young. It should at least be two months I think. But if you want it a little easier try to go to a shelter and see if they have one that’s a year or more. I wish you all the best!!!

[Darcy]

Thanks for the reply. If I decide to get another one I think I’ll wait a bit–just cause this whole ordeal has exhausted me. Next time maybe I’ll be more mentally prepared.

[Darcy]

I think it’s worth getting another one too. It’s scary though. Why do they all have to be so sweet and cute? Still, I think I’ll keep an eye out for another one. I hope Bombur is doing good and neither you nor he ever has to do that again! 

[Darcy]

Thanks, I agree that it’s not wise to tell yourself you’ll never get another pet–because if you’re an animal lover, somewhere along the way you’ll manage to pick up another one. I really do want to try again but it terrifies me. Maybe I’ll get more confident as time goes on. Next time I’ll definitely get an older one so I know its medical background. A rabbit spontaneously developing a life-threatening medical condition is just so cruel. I miss her so much still. Thanks for the reply

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