My little Fitzgerald

D OB · Sep 30, 2019

Hi everyone
I’m absolutely inconsolable. My 15 week old Holland lop, Fitzgerald, passed away this morning, and I’m hoping to find some comfort here. He had GI stasis for the last week, but seemed to be getting a lot better and was back eating his food. Yesterday I noticed he had a little white discharge coming from his nose. I took him back to the vet last night and she told me that it was a mild upper respiratory infection, and that she would put him on antibiotics. I took him home, he ate and I gave him his antibiotic, his gut motility medication, as well as a drop of the infant gas drops that had saved him during the week. I woke up and found him this morning. What could I have donedifferently? What that too much medication for him? I’m devastated as I thought I did everythingright. Is it common for bunnies to get sick after GI stasis?

Imbrium · Oct 1, 2019

*hug* GI stasis is brutal. Sometimes you can do everything right and it still ends in tragedy (it's happened to us twice over the years)

. With Gazzles, we had the money for a necropsy - it revealed that she had a blood clot in her intestines (unsure if the stasis caused the clot or vice-versa). It's possible he had some sort of underlying health issue that you couldn't see (perhaps a weak immune system, a genetic issue or a problem with one or more of his internal organs)... without a necropsy and histology (and often, even with them), it's difficult if not impossible to know what really happened.

All you can do is to remember him fondly and take solace in the fact that you gave him a wonderful life during the short time you had together. He died knowing he was loved. Also, it's been my experience that when you're having to medicate a sick animal, they definitely understand that you're trying to help... so he knows you were doing everything you could to save him! They really do appreciate it no matter how much they resist 'icky' medication. He's not sick or in pain any more; he's binkying happily across the rainbow bridge - our Gazzles and Layne are waiting to greet Fitzgerald on the other side.

On a side note, I really miss some of our old emoticons! : pray: (without the space) would give you two hands in prayer and I still find myself wanting to type it in when responding to rainbow bridge posts.

Binky free, Fitzgerald! Your humans will always remember you fondly for the way you touched their lives in your short weeks with them.

Nancy McClelland · Oct 1, 2019

We have lost a couple to stasis after running up a large vet bill and doing everything you did. It just happens no matter how hard you try. The only thing now is to remember how much you love and miss him and commemorate all the good. Rest in peace little man. Ditto what Imbrium said, we miss all the emoticons that used to be available too!

Lauren Kiernan · Oct 1, 2019

So sorry to hear this. Sounds like you did all you could. *Hugs*

Redrabbit · Oct 1, 2019

Sounds like you did everything possible. So sorry for your loss, binky free little Fitzgerald

D OB · Oct 1, 2019

Imbrium said:
*hug* GI stasis is brutal. Sometimes you can do everything right and it still ends in tragedy (it's happened to us twice over the years) . With Gazzles, we had the money for a necropsy - it revealed that she had a blood clot in her intestines (unsure if the stasis caused the clot or vice-versa). It's possible he had some sort of underlying health issue that you couldn't see (perhaps a weak immune system, a genetic issue or a problem with one or more of his internal organs)... without a necropsy and histology (and often, even with them), it's difficult if not impossible to know what really happened.

All you can do is to remember him fondly and take solace in the fact that you gave him a wonderful life during the short time you had together. He died knowing he was loved. Also, it's been my experience that when you're having to medicate a sick animal, they definitely understand that you're trying to help... so he knows you were doing everything you could to save him! They really do appreciate it no matter how much they resist 'icky' medication. He's not sick or in pain any more; he's binkying happily across the rainbow bridge - our Gazzles and Layne are waiting to greet Fitzgerald on the other side.

On a side note, I really miss some of our old emoticons! : pray: (without the space) would give you two hands in prayer and I still find myself wanting to type it in when responding to rainbow bridge posts.

Binky free, Fitzgerald! Your humans will always remember you fondly for the way you touched their lives in your short weeks with them.

I don’t know if you’ll ever understand what your response means to me. Thank you for the love and kindness, and for taking the time out of your day to reply to me. You really made me feel a little better, and I can’t thank you enough. I hope they’re playing together too.