Quality of Life......

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PepnFluff

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Nelson, , New Zealand
So I'm faced with a tough decision, I'm off to uni in Feb, so have 3 options regarding my dear wee Fluffbum. Who is nearly 10, (in March) I'm watching him hopping round the deck and it's quite obvious to me he has arthritis just by his hop. He's quite blind too, and has constant hock sores that just don't seem to improve. Generally though, I think he's a happy bun and is off to the vet soon for a general check.

Option 1 - Comes with me.

Where I'm going gets really (snow temp) cold in the winters and my landlord has ok'd him coming If I want, I just don't know whether to bring him. I'll be a full time student, so generally he wouldn't get as much attention as now due to this and I don't think the cold would be good for his arthritis. he wouldn't be able to live inside during the winter in my room as it's to small but there is the potentially the option of the dining room becoming his winter home..

Option 2 - Re-home him

Attempt to find a new home for him, i'd want adult loving owners, for him to be indoors and no children as he really doesn't like them. I'm not sure how he'd take the change at his age though, he's quite settled in his home and when he comes inside during bad weather he looks a bit lost.. Finding someone to meet my criteria is slim but If found would be really nice and he hopefully would adapt....

Option 3 - Put him down....

Now in no way do I want to consider this, but Mum has just commented after seeing him hopping on the deck she said It might be the best option rather than the change of environments. I'll take him to the vet so gather her opinion but he does have a range of ailments and is now a very slow old man, he used to be like roadrunner way back when and was doing bunny 500's and binkys constantly on the deck. He does seem happy, and inquisitive/cheeky, (the little sod is chewing my flowers right now, and staring at me whilst doing it! haha) But his hock sores do concern me and I don't think he has much bladder control as he gets urine burn and isn't nearly as well potty trained as he once was...

Basically he's been my love bunny since 7 years ago, always such a sweety but my first priority is his health and happiness and I really don't want him suffering....Input wise bunny people? Everyone I asks is just like oh he's a rabbit, get over yourself :X
 
If taking him doesn't represent a big problem for you then I would say take him! :D that way you can spend his last years with him, but then again I do understand your concern about him getting less attention. Man, this is a tough one. And I totally get the whole "OH HES JUST A RABBIT" thing, I get it ALL the time! I just respond "OH, YOURS IS JUST A DOG THEN, SHUT IT!"
 
Option 1 is the option I would choose, preferably with him living inside. I do not know about you're area, but it's almost impossible to really find a decent home for a bunny here, hence why we have so many rescues. For a bunny that is 10 years old, nearly blind, medical conditions and his age, I don't think you would have to worry about a change of enviroment since I kind of doubt the right people would come to take him.

However, living with you would make the move easier, I think. I do not think he would be unable to adjust as rabbits are far tougher then people take them for. If he seems happy enough and still healthy in all other sense, it seems like putting him to sleep may be jumping to unnecessary action, but then again, I do not know him personally nor am I in your situation. That is a call only you can make alone.

I feel like I am deal with something similar to you right now with Ty. He's currently going through kidney failure, despite being what we assume to be a young age (He is a rescue as well, but we guess him to be around 4-5 years old with the info we have on him). He has literally no control over his bladder, to the point where he will be hopping around and peeing a stream without realising it. I have gone to great lengths to make sure that he remains dry in his cage as he tends to soak it quickly with urine. He requires daily supplements to keep his functions as good as possible for as long as possible. At some point in the future, I am going to need to learn how to give him fluids when the kidneys shut down further. In other words, he is a fairly high maitenence bunny who some have hinted I should have put to sleep, but he's so happy and for the most part, so normal that I could never consider it. I just plan to keep him going as long as possible and make his life as rich and happy as I can.

In the end, it's your decision. If you feel that you can provide him a decent life, then I say go for it. You mention that you won't have much space in your new place but by the sounds of it, he doesn't need a lot of space and I think just having someone he knows and loves will keep him happy. Older bunnies tend to sleep more, so perhaps if you get on a schedule he'll just sleep your classes away and won't know the difference :big wink:

I get the "It's just a rabbit" talk all the time from people, it's annoying but you get used to it. Be glad it wasn't the 'make stew' comment.

Just be sure to keep us posted :)
 
Option 1 is ideally what I'd like, I need to talk to my flatmates about him possibly living inside during winter...If he wasn't allowed to and had to stay outside then I just wouldn't risk him coming as i'd be scared he'd freeze with the peeing and it making him cold with snow around. He lives outside here but our climate is incredibly mild, if my flatmates are ok I'm wanting that option as people would pat him, talk to him etc as they go past.

Kipcha, thats so lovely that you're taking care of him when people where saying to put him down - I'm just really paranoid about something happening to him and not noticing some lump etc! I've had a incredibly relaxed year so going into full time study I'm freaking out about time management and money! That's another thing I forgot haha. MONEY, gahhh I estimate to have $2.50 left over from my student loan a week, though I can go into overdraft if need be.

And I think I have to retract my slow bun statement, he just tried to binky, god he's gonna hurt himself the crazy!

I think I'll take him to the vet and add that into my decision, god this is such a hard decision! Dad has offered to take him, and turn him into to stew, oh thanks Dad :X And I will def be keeping you guys in touch, I'm not on here nearly as much but no one else understands they way I am with my baby bun!
 
I agree. Since he doesn't have much time left, and he's still pretty happy, I would bring him with you. At least then he would be with someone he loves and can enjoy his last days with that person.

If he's already old and senile (I had to), could you imagine putting him in a new home? Picture an old/senile human being relocated... they would not be happy about it!

While studying in the veterinary field, some good points were made about the standards for putting an animal to sleep: not wanting to eat, not wanting to play, in severe pain, and clearly unhappy. If he is in pain, yet still appearing to be happy and eating, it sounds like he's fighting to stay with you as long as he can. When he's ready to go, he'll let you know.
 
I have to agree Option 1 is the only one that makes sense.

Due to my divorce and selling of the house Buttercup who was 12 and had free range of the Family Room was moved into the basement. He was in a cage that was quite small, when I was home and not showing the house he was upstairs with me.

Fast forward3 months I moved into an apartment so once again I had to build him a nice cage to live in when I was not at home. He was quite happy in his little area. He had blankies, pillows, a hidey place, toys, fresh water food, treats.....

He celebrated his 13th Birthday in August 2011 but got very ill on August 27 and ended up at the Rainbow Bridge. But he was a very Happy Senior Bunny right till the end.

So yes even living in a small area is ok as long as they can get out to stretch and get loving from their Mommie and or Daddy.

Susan:)
 
This is a hard choice, but I agree with option 1. As long as he has your love the housing will work itself out. As long as he's eating and getting into mischif (flowers are the best!) then he's still holding onto life.

Best of luck. :)
 
If part of the problem is Fluffbum's arthritis, you might want to discuss that with the vet. My Scone MacBunny slowed down and had trouble jumping on things late in his life - he had spondylosis of the spine, which is a form of arthritis. The vets at Cornell had me giving him Adequan shots. It made an enormous difference in his quality of life - after only a week or so he was hopping around like a new rabbit.

I don't know if Adequan, as such, is available in New Zealand (that's a Novartis trademark), but it's basically the same stuff as i take in pill form for my knees - generically it's a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSAG), a class of supplement that includes glucosamine and chondroitin. The human version is in pill form. It's usually marketed for dogs and horses. There's probably an equivalent down there - I'd look into it.
 
I would go with option 1, because he has been with you for years and knows you. He will be more happy with you and you know him and his quirks. I say take him with you and let him live out his days with you, the person he knows and trusts and loves very much.
 
I agree with you that putting him down should be the very last option. Taking him with you is ideal. Why can't he be in your bedroom? Living in your room, even if space is tight, would be vastly preferable to living outside in the cold and snow. If your roommates are skeptical, beg them. Tell them you'll wash everyone's dishes or something if you need to. Give him a hug from Auntie Shiloh, okay? :)
 
I went to university and have taken Benji with me! It took me 2 years to find a landlord who would let me have him inside with me though, but after SO much looking I have finally found one :D. That was one of my things I have to do on my "list" lol, and I wanted it for so long and now it finally has happened.

Also- Benji DEFINATELY doesn't have less attention now I am at Uni- he actually has more! Because a) he is inside, so gets pretty much constant cuddles and attention from not only me but my flatmates and b) I don't have my parents telling me off about the fluff inside the house!!! Hahaha. So he's out alllll the time.

The only reason to have him put down is if his life isn't good anymore and it is kinder to let him go, but from what you said he seems a happy little bunny so definately scrap option 3 for the moment, I would say.

From what you have said, he seems like a bunny that needs a lot of attention and monitoring, if he has pains and is an old bunny, so maybe rehoming him to be an indoor bunny would be a good idea? I am not sure. If you say he will get less attention from you because you are at full-time univeristy then he will probably get even LESS attention if he is outside rather than inside, so perhaps it would be better. It's harder to see changes in an outdoor bunny than it is in an indoor bunny (in my opinion and from experience myself) in regards to pain etc.


It's totally your decision, and you obviously want what's best for your little guy, as it is obvious you care a lot about him.


I definately think: Option 1) But keeping him inside (even if you take up all the floor space in your bedroom for his cage (which is what i've done lol!) who needs floor space? :p

Or option 2, as a second resort.

Jen
 

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