Freddy you are so missed

[sandra.ess23]

My sweet Freddy passed away yesterday. He was only four years old. I noticed he wasn't feeling well this past weekend. He was mostly staying in one spot, his poops were very small, he was eating but not quite as much as usual and wasn't drinking much water. He still would nudge my hand for pets and give me kisses despite not feeling well. He had been sick a couple times before, nothing recently though, and always made a recovery. I tried to pick him up a couple times to try to massage his belly and he freaked out which was unusual. After the second day, I called the vet to make an appointment since I also noticed his breathing was a bit heavier. They squeezed me for an appointment that day. I rushed home from work to bring him in. As I picked him up, he struggled and fought to get away from me. I put him in a box with a blanket and hay but he struggled the entire way down the stairs. I then saw him falling over in box and he died as I made it to bottom of stairs. I am still in shock that he's gone. I keep blaming myself for putting that stress on him. He would still probably be alive if I just listened to him and let him stay home. Fred was the sweetest boy I've met. He loved being cuddled and pet more than anyone else. Sometimes I would wake up to being kissed by him. I miss him so much.

 

[Sunshine's Fine]

Please don't blame yourself about Fred. I had a lionhead-lop named Hector. I adopted him at a year old and had him in my apartment. A friend of mine got very ill and I decided to pack up all my belongings and drive 800 miles to help her. I moved back in with my parents and travelled back and forth between the 2 places. I brought Hector with me most of the time. It was a 3 hour drive each way, but he was a great little passenger. I was so worried when I moved the 800 miles, stopping one night at a motel. He was fine, though. My parents weren't too happy about me bringing "that damn rabbit that chewed all your cords" with me, but in no time Hector had them wrapped around his little paw. If he had passed away after the big move, I would have thought the stress of it had killed him. If it had happened on one of my trips up or back or even at her house, I would have blamed myself for taking him. After my friend had passed away, I had moved into a new apartment with him, and things were very settled, he got sick. He had very loose stool, so I took him to the vet. She took him off everything but hay and water. He perked up over the weekend and he was acting his old self. He was doing binkies, pooping, eating, just being Hector. On Monday morning, I gave him a bit of lettuce and parsley, and he LOVED it! He was doing so great, and I breathed a big sigh of relief because I'd been SO worried. That night, around midnight I went to get ready for bed. Heck and I had been watching tv, just relaxing. He was completely free roam. He was lying on the floor half dozing, and I picked him up to give him goodnight kisses. He always used to snuggle into my neck when I picked him up, but he got very stiff and when I looked at him he seemed to be having a seizure. I thought he was gone, but rushed to the 24 hour vet just in case there was a chance of saving him. He was gone. I was so devastated. I blamed myself for giving him veggies that morning. I wondered if the apartment had been too hot, because it'd been a hot day that day. It took me a long time, but I finally came to the realization that we all have a certain amount of time. No one knows how much, and I don't think it much matters what the circumstances are. I didn't think I could EVER get another rabbit. It tore my heart out. I cried for days, weeks, even months over him. He helped me through the worst times of my life. My husband of 30 years suddenly didn't want to be married anymore, and we divorced and my very best friend, my person, died from brain cancer. He was only 4 and 1/2 years old and I really thought I'd have him for at least 10 years, and hopefully lots more. We don't know why things happen the way they do. They just do. Why does one person live to be 93 years old and another die when they're 6 months old? Why do little kids get cancer? Why do really bad people seem to get away with terrible things, then a 16 year old has a couple of drinks, drives, and kills their friend? None of it makes sense to us, but we just need to take it as it comes and try to cope the best we can. I know how you're feeling about your beautiful Freddy. There is something very special about rabbits. Between me and my siblings growing up and my kids when they were growing up, I've looked after everything from a hermit crab to a goat. There have been bunnies, dogs, cats, hamsters, fish. Every one of them brightened our lives, but every one of them had a limited time with us. We hurt so much when they passed, but the benefits of having a living, breathing, loving pet made it worthwhile. We had funerals, burials, and sobbed over the tiniest creatures. I held my daughters hamster in my hand, petting it, kissing it, talking to it all night one night until it passed. I cried like a baby over that hamster. People think that is so weird, but I don't. Pets give us so much, and the least we can do for them is grieve when they go. Once you've had time to grieve for Freddy, I hope you can find it in your heart to rescue another animal. Maybe it won't be a bunny, maybe it will, but you have a lot of love to give, and there are so many pets out there that need a good home. I'm so sorry for your loss, and I hope that very soon you'll be able to look at pics of Fred and smile and even laugh at some of the silly moments you had with him. (((((hugs))))) <3

 

[EricaWD]

Sorry for your loss, but try not to blame yourself. Maybe if you'd stayed home he would've suffered in silence. You were doing what you thought would help.

 

[cuhurun]

Sandra.
Very sorry to hear of your loss, I understand how very much these beautiful little creatures become part of our heart and soul.
Please accept my deepest condolences.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

So sorry to hear of Freddy passing to the bridge. It happens and is not your fault. Time will help you accept the loss, but none of us ever truly get over the hole left in our hearts.

 

[Imbrium]

Freddy was gorgeous! I'm so sorry for your loss. Bunnies sure know how to worm their way into our hearts, don't they? They give us so much love... but it hurts that much more when we lose them.

He was definitely suffering from some degree of GI stasis, based on the symptoms you've described. Even though he didn't totally stop eating, the other symptoms (drinking less, small poops, signs of pain) all fit. Given the sensitivity about having his tummy touched, gas and a partial blockage or obstruction are high on the list of potential culprits. After two days, the situation almost certainly would've resolved itself on its own if it were ever going to - a vet trip to determine and treat the underlying cause of the stasis was your only viable option. Taking him down a flight of stairs would definitely NOT cause enough stress for him to die from it. Also, is it possible he was having a seizure rather than struggling? Occasionally, a seizure occurs right before an animal passes away.

GI stasis is brutal and can kill swiftly. We've lost two rabbits to it over the years; the second one died 6 months ago today (almost to the hour, actually) and was only 3 1/2... Gazzles was just shy of her 2nd birthday. Sometimes you do all you can and it's still not enough. You can go over it in your mind again and again, looking for something you could've done differently... but I promise, it's not worth beating yourself up like that. When it's their time, it's their time - nature doesn't care if a bunny slave is ready to say goodbye to their bunn. All you can do is cherish the time you had with him.

If you can afford it, cremation can be a good option to help you grieve. In Texas, if you shop around for a good price, you can find pet cremation (where you get the ashes back, rather than a group cremation) for $100 or less. In Houston, there's actually one place that's only around $65 and I've always been very pleased with them. Here's Layne's urn (couldn't afford an upgraded/nicer one after the vet bills and cremation, so I decorated it with stuff from Dollar Tree):

 

[sandra.ess23]

Freddy was gorgeous! I'm so sorry for your loss. Bunnies sure know how to worm their way into our hearts, don't they? They give us so much love... but it hurts that much more when we lose them.

He was definitely suffering from some degree of GI stasis, based on the symptoms you've described. Even though he didn't totally stop eating, the other symptoms (drinking less, small poops, signs of pain) all fit. Given the sensitivity about having his tummy touched, gas and a partial blockage or obstruction are high on the list of potential culprits. After two days, the situation almost certainly would've resolved itself on its own if it were ever going to - a vet trip to determine and treat the underlying cause of the stasis was your only viable option. Taking him down a flight of stairs would definitely NOT cause enough stress for him to die from it. Also, is it possible he was having a seizure rather than struggling? Occasionally, a seizure occurs right before an animal passes away.

GI stasis is brutal and can kill swiftly. We've lost two rabbits to it over the years; the second one died 6 months ago today (almost to the hour, actually) and was only 3 1/2... Gazzles was just shy of her 2nd birthday. Sometimes you do all you can and it's still not enough. You can go over it in your mind again and again, looking for something you could've done differently... but I promise, it's not worth beating yourself up like that. When it's their time, it's their time - nature doesn't care if a bunny slave is ready to say goodbye to their bunn. All you can do is cherish the time you had with him.

If you can afford it, cremation can be a good option to help you grieve. In Texas, if you shop around for a good price, you can find pet cremation (where you get the ashes back, rather than a group cremation) for $100 or less. In Houston, there's actually one place that's only around $65 and I've always been very pleased with them. Here's Layne's urn (couldn't afford an upgraded/nicer one after the vet bills and cremation, so I decorated it with stuff from Dollar Tree):

Thank you so much for your response and insight. It has brought me some comfort. It has been a very difficult week trying to accept everything. I suppose you are right that he was not going to recover this time regardless of what I did and I had to at least try to get him some medical attention. Layne's urn is so adorable and touching.

 

[sandra.ess23]

So sorry to hear of Freddy passing to the bridge. It happens and is not your fault. Time will help you accept the loss, but none of us ever truly get over the hole left in our hearts.

Thank you I appreciate it.

 

[sandra.ess23]

Sorry for your loss, but try not to blame yourself. Maybe if you'd stayed home he would've suffered in silence. You were doing what you thought would help.

Thank you. That is very true. I would not want his pain to have been prolonged.

 

[sandra.ess23]

Please don't blame yourself about Fred. I had a lionhead-lop named Hector. I adopted him at a year old and had him in my apartment. A friend of mine got very ill and I decided to pack up all my belongings and drive 800 miles to help her. I moved back in with my parents and travelled back and forth between the 2 places. I brought Hector with me most of the time. It was a 3 hour drive each way, but he was a great little passenger. I was so worried when I moved the 800 miles, stopping one night at a motel. He was fine, though. My parents weren't too happy about me bringing "that **** rabbit that chewed all your cords" with me, but in no time Hector had them wrapped around his little paw. If he had passed away after the big move, I would have thought the stress of it had killed him. If it had happened on one of my trips up or back or even at her house, I would have blamed myself for taking him. After my friend had passed away, I had moved into a new apartment with him, and things were very settled, he got sick. He had very loose stool, so I took him to the vet. She took him off everything but hay and water. He perked up over the weekend and he was acting his old self. He was doing binkies, pooping, eating, just being Hector. On Monday morning, I gave him a bit of lettuce and parsley, and he LOVED it! He was doing so great, and I breathed a big sigh of relief because I'd been SO worried. That night, around midnight I went to get ready for bed. Heck and I had been watching tv, just relaxing. He was completely free roam. He was lying on the floor half dozing, and I picked him up to give him goodnight kisses. He always used to snuggle into my neck when I picked him up, but he got very stiff and when I looked at him he seemed to be having a seizure. I thought he was gone, but rushed to the 24 hour vet just in case there was a chance of saving him. He was gone. I was so devastated. I blamed myself for giving him veggies that morning. I wondered if the apartment had been too hot, because it'd been a hot day that day. It took me a long time, but I finally came to the realization that we all have a certain amount of time. No one knows how much, and I don't think it much matters what the circumstances are. I didn't think I could EVER get another rabbit. It tore my heart out. I cried for days, weeks, even months over him. He helped me through the worst times of my life. My husband of 30 years suddenly didn't want to be married anymore, and we divorced and my very best friend, my person, died from brain cancer. He was only 4 and 1/2 years old and I really thought I'd have him for at least 10 years, and hopefully lots more. We don't know why things happen the way they do. They just do. Why does one person live to be 93 years old and another die when they're 6 months old? Why do little kids get cancer? Why do really bad people seem to get away with terrible things, then a 16 year old has a couple of drinks, drives, and kills their friend? None of it makes sense to us, but we just need to take it as it comes and try to cope the best we can. I know how you're feeling about your beautiful Freddy. There is something very special about rabbits. Between me and my siblings growing up and my kids when they were growing up, I've looked after everything from a hermit crab to a goat. There have been bunnies, dogs, cats, hamsters, fish. Every one of them brightened our lives, but every one of them had a limited time with us. We hurt so much when they passed, but the benefits of having a living, breathing, loving pet made it worthwhile. We had funerals, burials, and sobbed over the tiniest creatures. I held my daughters hamster in my hand, petting it, kissing it, talking to it all night one night until it passed. I cried like a baby over that hamster. People think that is so weird, but I don't. Pets give us so much, and the least we can do for them is grieve when they go. Once you've had time to grieve for Freddy, I hope you can find it in your heart to rescue another animal. Maybe it won't be a bunny, maybe it will, but you have a lot of love to give, and there are so many pets out there that need a good home. I'm so sorry for your loss, and I hope that very soon you'll be able to look at pics of Fred and smile and even laugh at some of the silly moments you had with him. (((((hugs))))) <3

Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps me to hear other people's experiences with losing their buns. It is very difficult losing a pet. They are family regardless of what species they are. I do actually still have two bonded bunnies who did not get along with Freddy and maybe one day when I've healed I will rescue more. Thank you again for your response and kind words <3