Mooy

[zitromd]

Mooy was a handsome and sweet rabbit at a shelter where I volunteer. He was given up because his previous owners no longer had time for him. Though he was initially shy, he warmed up right away and was a joy to be around. He even let me cuddle with him.

Last week when I went in, I noticed he had a large mass on the side of his face. It turned out to be an abscess.

Part of me feels guilty.


This was the vet's notes:
Left submandibular abscess confirmed by aspiration of thick purulent material, r/o secondary to penetrating foreign body vs dental dz or osteomyelitis of the jaw. No abnormalities in the oral cavity noted, but difficult to examine. Attempted to lance and drain the ventral most aspect of the abscess with #10 and #15 blade, no material extruded (salivary glands visible) closed 1cm incision with two surgical staples.



Mooy died under surgery today. And somehow I feel like it's my fault- that I should have noticed it earlier. I only met him briefly two weeks ago, and when I first took hiss picture- I see it now. It was small, but it was forming. And it makes me wonder- had I noticed it then, would he still be alive?

And it makes me nervous, because my own rabbit has to undergo surgery every 2-3 months because of his dental malocclusion.

But more than anything- it makes me sad that he wasn't able to have a better and loving home in the time he was here.

Should I be angry at myself, or others who hadn't noticed it before me? Or the system itself? I'm not trying to accuse anyone of accountability, but I'm only there once a week. Maybe I'm angry at the fact that it could/might have been prevented?


Thanks for listening everyone,
and RIP Mooy.
You'll always have a place in my heart.

:hearts:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Poor Mooy He was beautiful. He sounds like a wonderful bunny. It's sad when any rabbit dies, but for some reason it seems extra sad when it's a bunny who didn't have a home. Please don't blame yourself for his death, you did nothing to cause it and when you did see it, got him the vet care he needed.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

RIP Mooy

Zitromd dont blame yourself, you can "what if" yourself to death with things like this, it is not your fault

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We are very sorry to hear about his passing. Don't beat yourself up, it's not your fault. It's hard enough to head off problems that we are around 24/7. The only part that is shameful is someone who has a wonderful bunny like him and then sends them to a shelter because "we don't have enough time". :bunnyangel2:

 

[tonyshuman]

I'm so sorry. Please, please don't blame yourself. It's not your job to make sure every bunny is totally ok. Each bunny is probably handled by at least 2-3 people a day, in a shelter situation, and even with all of that attention, nobody caught it until it was too late. Sometimes even in bunnies that live in homes things like this can go unnoticed. Rabbits have a very strong drive to hide their illnesses and it often has unfortunate consequences. Just last week, a very well loved and well taken-care of bunny named Sooty, who had a wonderful home, hid his illness so long that there was nothing his very loving owner could do. This shows that even in the best of circumstances, some illnesses cannot be caught in time. Mooy was a beautiful boy who deserved a home and a family that loved him. Care from people like you at the shelter was outstanding and not at all the cause of his death. Bless you for working with him, taking care of him, and giving him love. Every animal that you love, you make a difference in their life. [[hugs]]

Binky free, Mooy.:rainbow:

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

aaww Claire you made me cry. It is very true about Bunnies being MASTERS at hiding things. RIP Sweet Mooy

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

I also wanted to add about how true it is that they hide things so well. I am a stay at home mom so i spend alot more time in the company of my rabbits. Sooty did not let on an inkling that there was anything "off" or even wrong until it was too late, not a sign. He was still acting, eating, pooing and peeing like normal until the morning i took him to the vet, so unfortunately that works great for wild bunnies to keep from being a target , it really stinks for our rabbits. I am so sorry that you are feeling li ke this, and can TOTALLY feel your pain.

Hugs to you

 

[anneq]

Dittos what tonyshuman wrote "Bless you for working with him, taking care of him, and giving him love."

Please don't beat yourself up over this - the love and care that you and others who were there at the end of his time should count for and mean more...and I can bet that to him, it does.

Rest in Peace little guy

 

[Sweetie]

RIP Mooy

 

[zitromd]

Thank you all for your support. This truly is a wonderful community filled with compassionate and caring members.

Mooy's death has affected me on many levels- not only because his life was taken too early, or that it might have been able to be prevented- but also because it opened my eyes to the reality of death and suffering I may encounter in the future. His passing has only reinforced my dedication to animals, volunteerism, and my future passions. Although I am still trying to learn and move on, I'm coming to the realization that he did have a better life in the shelter than in the past, and at least he had received some sort of love within his last few weeks of life.

I promise from now on- in addition to providing companionship to the animals I do interact with, I will try my best to look for any displays or signs of potential health problems. I need to do this- for the rest of the animals, and especially for Mooy.

Once again, I'd like to thank you all for being so understanding.

 

[jcl_24]

I'm sorry for your loss of Mooy. He sounds like a brilliant bun :tears2:.

You did your best for him. His capacity for love was shown in response to how you treated him.

Binky at the Bridge sweet boy and know you won't be forgotten :hearts.

Jo xx

 

[kherrmann3]

Binky free at the Bridge, little one. :rainbow: