JimD
Well-Known Member
Tootsie is gone. 
My beautiful big black bunny is gone.
About all that remains isa big voidthat's filled with pain, sorrow and disbelief.
I do have the memories.....but right now they hurt, too.
It was too soon....and quite unexpected.
Tootsie suffered from a chronic spine condition.....Spondylosis.
Bone spurs form between the vertebrae, and can eventually fuse them together
It started in her lower spine about 3 years ago, and progressed to her thorax.
For the most part she was doing okay.
About a year ago she started having problems moving her back legs and did more of a hind shuffle instead of a hop.
About 6 months ago her right leg started to turn in and her tail turned over to her right side. She was still able to get around fine, but had a hard time balancing to groom. She would also stumble from time to time.
About 3 months ago she started having a lot of difficulty moving around and getting into her litter pan. Incontinence became a real problem. I was constantly cleaning her and changing out her bedding.
Through all of this she still remained being "Tootsie". Good appetite, attentive, affectionate....and even found the strength to do something goofy every now and then.
Sunday I went down to give the buns dinner.
Tootsie was doing fine and was actually standing on her hind legs with her front paws up on the side of her pen. She was obviously very anxious to get her dinner and attacked it as soon as I put it down.
At around 11pm I went down to give the buns their hay and tuck them in for the night.
Tootsie usually gets very excited for her hay, but I noticed she wasn't even getting up.
When she did try to get upI realized she couldn't. There was something very wrong with her right hind leg. She didn't seem to be in pain. It was like her right leg was paralyzed.
I picked her up and set her down in front of her hay. She was able to stand, although quite wobbly. She sat and ate a good bit of her hay, but when she tried to move she fell over on her side and couldn't get up again.
I decided tomove her water bottle so she could get at it easier. While I had the bottle down I offered her some water and she drank a huge amount.
I let herrest, but checked on her every 15 minutes.
By 1:00am shehadn't gotten any better.
She still didn't appear to be in much pain (if any), and she greedily accepted the dried papaya treats I gave her.
I called the vet at 1:30am and left a message at his emergency sevice.
I then took my pillows and blanket down and settled in by Tootsie's pen to await the vet's call.
I petted her and talked to her until 5am.
The vet still hadn't called so I called back and left a message that I'd meet him at his office whenit opened at 8am.
For some reason the vet never got the message, and he didn't get into the office until 10am.
He was so upset. He kept apologizing and examinedTootsie immediately.
He determined that there were several locations of spinal compression of variuos degrees.
After all was said and done, we decided it would be best to let her move on.
I gave her the papaya treats I brought with me, and at 11am on July 18th I held Tootsie in my arms as she moved on to the Bridge.
I put her to rest next to the garden
Goodbye for now my sweet lady.
Tiny will show you the way.
Buck will take care of you.
You'll be back by Binkie's side...and S'more & Chippy will be there, too.
We'll see you on the other side.
Daddy loves you.
:cry4:
Being pretty....
Being goofy....
My beautiful big black bunny is gone.
About all that remains isa big voidthat's filled with pain, sorrow and disbelief.
I do have the memories.....but right now they hurt, too.
It was too soon....and quite unexpected.
Tootsie suffered from a chronic spine condition.....Spondylosis.
Bone spurs form between the vertebrae, and can eventually fuse them together
It started in her lower spine about 3 years ago, and progressed to her thorax.
For the most part she was doing okay.
About a year ago she started having problems moving her back legs and did more of a hind shuffle instead of a hop.
About 6 months ago her right leg started to turn in and her tail turned over to her right side. She was still able to get around fine, but had a hard time balancing to groom. She would also stumble from time to time.
About 3 months ago she started having a lot of difficulty moving around and getting into her litter pan. Incontinence became a real problem. I was constantly cleaning her and changing out her bedding.
Through all of this she still remained being "Tootsie". Good appetite, attentive, affectionate....and even found the strength to do something goofy every now and then.
Sunday I went down to give the buns dinner.
Tootsie was doing fine and was actually standing on her hind legs with her front paws up on the side of her pen. She was obviously very anxious to get her dinner and attacked it as soon as I put it down.
At around 11pm I went down to give the buns their hay and tuck them in for the night.
Tootsie usually gets very excited for her hay, but I noticed she wasn't even getting up.
When she did try to get upI realized she couldn't. There was something very wrong with her right hind leg. She didn't seem to be in pain. It was like her right leg was paralyzed.
I picked her up and set her down in front of her hay. She was able to stand, although quite wobbly. She sat and ate a good bit of her hay, but when she tried to move she fell over on her side and couldn't get up again.
I decided tomove her water bottle so she could get at it easier. While I had the bottle down I offered her some water and she drank a huge amount.
I let herrest, but checked on her every 15 minutes.
By 1:00am shehadn't gotten any better.
She still didn't appear to be in much pain (if any), and she greedily accepted the dried papaya treats I gave her.
I called the vet at 1:30am and left a message at his emergency sevice.
I then took my pillows and blanket down and settled in by Tootsie's pen to await the vet's call.
I petted her and talked to her until 5am.
The vet still hadn't called so I called back and left a message that I'd meet him at his office whenit opened at 8am.
For some reason the vet never got the message, and he didn't get into the office until 10am.
He was so upset. He kept apologizing and examinedTootsie immediately.
He determined that there were several locations of spinal compression of variuos degrees.
After all was said and done, we decided it would be best to let her move on.
I gave her the papaya treats I brought with me, and at 11am on July 18th I held Tootsie in my arms as she moved on to the Bridge.
I put her to rest next to the garden
Goodbye for now my sweet lady.
Tiny will show you the way.
Buck will take care of you.
You'll be back by Binkie's side...and S'more & Chippy will be there, too.
We'll see you on the other side.
Daddy loves you.
:cry4:
Being pretty....
Being goofy....
