Feeling heartbroken..

[RebeccaJC]

Hi.. I used to post in this forum when my rabbit had unexpected bunnies, I kept one of the litter.. she's called Phoebe.. shes now 14 months old.. today I found out some devastating news. I noticed weight loss a few days ago but thought absolutely nothing of it... I wasn't too concerned as it didn't seem a lot, i just thought her mummy was being a bit greedy and she was exercising more as they now have full run of a yard since I got my flat (and her and Mummy stay together now in the same hutch) anyways.. today out of the blue, her eye seemed to be completely closed.. I picked her up, opened it and was shocked to see her eye looked like it wasn't there at all, just completely white almost, her pupil looked off, it was not like this last week, I was taking photos of her last week on my mobile and 100% nothing wrong with her eye.. I cried as I knew it wasn't right, I knew it wasn't an infection and it hit me hard when I realised it could be serious... it didn't look right at all, I took her straight to vets at 10 to 3 today, and straight away the vet said its 100% not an infection, she's permanently blind in that eye, she said she can't see at all, this will never restore (after a few tests) and that she can see stuff behind her eye which would signify a tumor. She also has cataract, he pupil is completely off, and not working at all.. i had to bite my lip as not to cry... i didn't want to seem stupid.. she then got weighed and it turns out shes lost a significant amount of weight.. i wanted to cry some more and the vets very concerned about that, she's been eating perfectly fine.. she's a little greedy guts! I just thought she was eating a tiny bit less or had a bit more exercise then usual... so the vet spoke of removing the eye to remove the tumor .. and hope it isn't cancerous .. but that's the last alternative she wants try avoid.. for now.. she's on 3 medications, pain relief as the vet says she's closing her eye most likely due to her being in pain.. and two other medications.. antibiotics and something else to try stop the growth and see if she can live comfortably with it basically.. but not sure if vets hopeful as she kept mentioning the surgery and how rabbits can live perfectly happy lives with their eye removed, and whenever she mentioned the possibility of putting to sleep if surgery didn't work, i just wanted to sob and sob, she's just a baby how can this be happening? She's 14 months old? I came home, broke down crying, and spent two hours just stroking, cuddling and watching her.. i just hope she gains some weight, i have put so much hay in her hutch its unreal, i have given her greens and ive overloaded the food bowl and put hay in a little hideout she likes outside too, desperate to get her to gain weight again... medication for 28 days.. back to vets to monitor her on Wednesday... anyone been in my position before, anyone know how i can help her?

 

[squidpop]

Awww... I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you and your bunny. The only thing I can suggest is raw flaxseed is full of vitamins and very rich and fattening for bunnies. They also love them, mine like them better than any other treat so maybe you could feed her some of those. Angora breeders I know feed them on a regular basis because they need extra calories to grow all that fur. You are only supposed to feed 1/2 teaspoon though because they are so fattening.

The other think I can offer is I think its helpful to read this before taking your rabbit to get surgery, it tells you important things like why you shouldn't fast your rabbit. http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html

 

[RebeccaJC]

Thank you, I will start giving her flaxseeds tonight, I did google it but there was no strong message to say its safe for them but I trust other rabbit owners. I will give her some tonight, just don't want her to lose anymore weight.

Thank you so much for the link, I appreciate the advice. I hate the waiting game, the vets are seeing her again Wednesday as they want to try manage the growth and her pain on medication first to avoid the operation but I feel like I'm risking her life by waiting to see if medication works and its a horrible way to feel. I am also tied to work right now, I am a customer advisor and I work from home.. and I have just been to sit with her on my lunch break and I am very upset to see her eye looks worse, I saw her this morning for her medication but it definitely wasn't that bad this morning, she's also closing her eye so she must be in pain despite being on high pain medication, the vet said her closing it, is a sign she's in pain and I cant stop worrying. I lost two bunnies at 2 and 3 months old last year (my older rabbit had unexpected bunnies at 7 months old when I got her) and the vet told me to wait around etc to see if improvement.. and they both died suddenly and I found them dead, hard enough then never mind the strong bond I have with my beautiful bunny baby now 14 months nearly 15 months on, I couldn't bare to lose her and maybe I am being paranoid but i am terriied of leaving it.. and finding she has gone, I just dunno what to do right now and if not for work I'd be watching her like a hawk but I am at work now until 7pm which is when I will give her, her next set of medication