She died on Easter Monday, and I still can’t believe it

[SniffSniff186]

I’ve been nothing short of a wreck since having to put Topper down on Monday morning.  

I haven’t brought myself to clean anything up around the house that was hers.  Her toys, her feeder, even stray poops…. I just can’t bring myself to do it.  Not yet.  I work from home, so walking anywhere around the house this past week would remind me of her, and I would just break down.

So back on Thursday afternoon I noticed Topper’s poops getting more mushy.  I thought this was just a little thing she might be going through, and she would be fine later on.  Even still, I (and my fiance) closely monitored her, kept a journal of when she pooped and how they were.  Critical Care, digestive tablets, etc. were all being administered.  Of course, since this was the start of the long weekend, we had no choice but to play doctor ourselves until Monday came around.  Long story short, all weekend was stressful because she’d show signs of improving, then back to sick again.  It was up and down constantly.  We could tell she wasn’t eating a whole lot, and she was losing weight.  But the way our silly bun is, she’s still very alert during this time, running around, jumping on furniture, etc.  Not the typical hiding in a box vibe we’d see of her when she be going into stasis…

Then Monday morning rolls around, and she actually had the best poops we’d seen in days.  “Things are looking up!” we thought.  But we decided to bring her into the vet anyways.

And that’s when the vet told us that she was actually very sick.

Her temperature was very low, she’d almost lost half her weight by this time, and anything they would do would just only be buying her a small amount of extra time.  So we had to make that difficult decision.  The decision that was always in the back of our minds every time we took her to the vet, or took her to the hospital.  Because, from day one, Topper has had many health problems.  So every time one of the vets (because we saw a lot of different ones) would tell us some new issue she had; bad liver, splayed leg, broken bones from her sleeping disorder, the list goes on.  But the one thing they would always say is that despite all of this, Topper was always happy and alert.  Never biting, never stomping…. just a happy little bun.

But Monday morning was different.  We could tell she wasn’t her usual self, and she was in pain.  So we decided that after only 3 years, her time had come.  And we spent our last moments together kissing, petting, giving her strawberries, and of course, crying our hearts out.

After how sad I am, and how much I’ve been crying…. I’ve also been mad.  Mad at her breeders who clearly didn’t care about any of their rabbits (thankfully, they no longer breed rabbits).  But I’m mostly mad at the people around me who think “Oh, it’s just a rabbit, no big deal.”  My fiances parents said days after she passed “So when are you getting a new pet?  We’ll help you get a dog…”  I was livid when I heard this.  So I just walked away because I didn’t want to hear any of that.

Thankfully, we do have friends that have been very understanding, and have been asking how we’ve been doing through all this.  They all know how much Topper meant to us, and they also miss her too.  They loved to spoil her when they’d come over, and Topper just loved people, doing figure 8s around everyone’s legs when they walked in.

It’s hard to believe I won’t see her anymore, and I think her about her constantly.  I keep asking myself if we could’ve done things differently, if she’d still be around.  If we spent more money, or tried different things.

Anyways, I’m sorry about my rant… But I know as rabbit owners (and ones that have lost their buns), that this was a place to get this off my chest.

I hope everyone here is doing well 😥

[Bam]

I’m very sorry you had to let Topper go. It’s a very hard decision to make.

It’s clear that Topper was dearly loved. With all her health issues, it was amazing of you to get her through 3 years. It seems she really was very ,very ill now, losing so much weight in a short time means there is something really bad going on. I dont think spending more money could’ve saved her. There comes a time when there’s just nothing else that can be done.

You are very welcome to “rant” here.  A rabbit isn’t “just a rabbit”. I’m glad you have some friends that understand this. We certainly understand it here.

[LBJ10]

I’m sorry for your loss. Poor Topper had a tough life. You did a excellent job caring for her.

[DanaNM]

I’m so sorry for your loss, it sounds like she had so much going on and it finally just became too much for her. 🙁

Buns always seem to get sick over holiday weekends! You did a wonderful job caring for Topper, I’m sorry for the people around you that just don’t get it. We get it!

(((Binky free Topper)))

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[SniffSniff186]

Thanks everyone.  She definitely got dealt a poor hand when it came to her health, but I feel like we won the lottery with her happy behaviour.

I’ve been going through all the videos and photos we’ve taken of her over the years (it turns out that we took A LOT.  Like, in the thousands, haha) and being both happy and sad.

I miss her a lot.

But now my fiance is saying how quiet it is in the house, and is looking into getting another rabbit already.  I don’t think I’m ready yet…

[DanaNM]

After one of my past buns passed I opted to foster for a while before getting another bun. It was really nice because I wasn’t ready to adopt again right away, but having the other buns around did help a lot. Do whatever feels right to you though!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[SniffSniff186]

Hmmm… I never even considered fostering buns.  That’s a great idea!

Apparently there’s a rabbit fostering home not far from where I live too

[Bam]

My bun Vilde had to leave last summer after an extended period (+18 months) of very poor health. He was the sweetest little bun, light as dandelion fluff. He used to wake me up in the morning by digging on my face. He loved flopping next to me on the sofa when we were wstching TV 🥰

When he was gone I couln’t bear the thought of getting another rabbit. At the same time I knew I didnt want to not have more rabbits in my life. A little more than 2 months later, quite by chance, I came across a young rabbit girl in acute need of a foster home. Since I was equipped with pretty much everything a rabbit needs, I applied.

As you’ve probably guessed, this girl bun very soon made herself a cozy nest in my heart. This is in part a cautionary tale – it’s very hard to give a fosterbun up for adoption. (I do know people thst’ve managed to, though). After a cpl weeks I decided to adopt little Snöa.

I still put flowers on my Vilde’s grave and I still talk to him. He has a pot of dandelions on his grave and another pot with mint. He loved being outdoors in his run or on the veranda.

There are many rabbits who really need loving people like you. You can never replace a lost rabbit, but you can add another one.

 

 

 

[DanaNM]

“There are many rabbits who really need loving people like you. You can never replace a lost rabbit, but you can add another one.”

Well said! Or you can end up adding 3, like in my case, LOL

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[BZOO]

Hugs to you and yours.  A bunny is just much family as a dog, cat or any critter.  All my critters count, fish and snails too.🥰

Hope you can heal your heart with a foster or new adoption.

Our first foster, Chihuahua, lasted two hours before we knew he was home for good.  Miss you, Litty Bitty Dog! (He came named Stinky and I just couldn’t call him that…but nothing seemed to fit, so LBD just sorta stuck).

[Author]

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