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Care Behaviour Have questions or comments? |
Taken from newsletter of summer 2003 Losing a loved one: How to cope and be more prepared In the past 20 years I have shared my home with 16 "family"
rabbits and a number of fosters and I have given each a safe and loving
home. When I first became involved in the "rabbit world" almost
10 years ago, I got the idea that it was "wrong" to find oneself
drawn to one rabbit more than another. I honestly believed I was a terrible
person when I realized that I did have a "favorite". A couple
of years ago I was talking to a rescuer and risked admitting that I had
a deeper bond with His Royal Highness There are many reasons we develop an especially deep
bond with a particular rabbit. It is very common to form an intensely
deep bond with a rabbit with medical problems requiring a lot of handling
and attention. You may develop a deep bond with a rabbit who comes into
your life during an extremely difficult or stressful time. For those of
us Not everyone will experience a relationship like mine
with Murray. To experience this, you have to be able to listen to your
heart instead of your head. If, one day, you are lucky enough to feel
especially drawn to a certain rabbit, I urge you to listen to your heart! Loss I consulted his vet, we agreed to just keep an eye on
him, and Wednesday morning he seemed to feel a bit better when I left
for work. I came home and found him stretched out peacefully on his special
rug that I gave him for Christmas... not breathing. This was my first experience with finding one of my bunnies
dead. His body was still warm and I immediately called Dr. Allan. I told
her how bad I felt that I had not been In my heart, I honestly believe he simply fell asleep
and never woke up - otherwise I Grief I knew the "firsts" would be the hardest for me: The first morning I woke up at 4:30 and had no Murray to give meds to; the first time I made salads without making his; the first time I came home and he wasn't there to greet me; the first trip for "greens" when I didn't buy the special things than only Murray ate. It helps if you can anticipate the times that will be hardest for you and brace yourself for them. It also helps to have a circle of friends that you know you can call if you need to... even at 4:30 a.m! Survival
Things you can do to help a grieving friend:
Kathy Smith The Importance of Planning
in Advance Bonded Pairs When we lost Rocky it was totally unexpected. It has been almost two months and I think I am still in shock over it his death. We were on our way to the vets when he died. I never even thought about Rocky's mate, Chloe, but I now believe we made a mistake by not showing his body to her. She seemed lost and angry without Rocky and spent weeks searching for him. I know it would have been hard on me to show him to her but it was even harder watching her look for him for weeks. Necropsies With Rocky, for example, it was very simple due to the
symptoms he was showing prior to his death. The vet knew what she was
looking for so it was very straightforward. A more complicated case may
involve testing blood and tissue. A necropsy should be considered if the rabbit's death may have been caused by a contagious illness that could be a threat to other rabbits in your home. In addition, necropsies can also be a learning experience for both you and your vet. A lot of people do not want to have a necropsy performed because they are afraid that they will find they did something wrong. Another way to look at it is even if you did make an error, you will be able to learn from it and possibly prevent another rabbit owner from making that same mistake. A necropsy can also help to put your mind at ease when there was nothing you could have done. Because Rocky's death was so sudden, if I had not had a necropsy done, I would never have stopped blaming myself for what happened. Necropsies range from $50 - $100 for a simple procedure.
More detailed tests requiring lab work, for example, may add to the cost.
If you have a good rapport with your vet, or depending upon the circumstances
surrounding your pet's death and what your vet may learn from it, your
vet may perform the necropsy for free or at a reduced cost. If you are
concerned about the cost, you should contact your vet and inquire about
their fees and policies. Kim Mason The Final Resting Place If you decide to bury your pet, you have several options.
Depending where you live and barring any by-law restrictions, you may
bury your pet or in your yard or in that of a friend or relative. One
of the advantages of burying your pet on private property is that you
can mark the grave with a special plant or other personal memento. To avoid this type of scenario and to be able to visit
the grave when you wish, you may consider burying your pet at a pet cemetery.
Unfortunately, a local pet cemetery may be hard to find. For a list of
pet cemeteries near you, look in your yellow pages under pet cemeteries
or at http://www.northhillswoodworking.com/cemetary.html#Ontario. Lastly, if you do not wish to keep the ashes and have no yard for burial you may wish to have your animal cremated in a group cremation and use the money you saved to make a donation to an animal organization or shelter in your pet's name.
http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/petloss/ |
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On
Wednesday, April 9, 2003, Murray's heart stopped, and when he died he
took a piece of my heart with him. We knew he was ill, had been treating
him for heart disease (in addition to his other chronic ailments) for
10 months, and knew the heart disease was progressing. However, he had
a decent check-up with vet on Monday. He was definitely "off"
Tuesday evening, turning his nose up at his beloved cranberries (but nibbling
on greens). But ups and downs were not unusual with him at this point.
