Bassetluv
Well-Known Member
Oh Ali, it can just be so terribly difficult taking care of a special needs rabbit, can't it...because the question is always there...'am I doing the right thing for him'. But even moreso, seeinga beloved petstruggling can be extremely draining, bothemotionally and physically. You have gone above and beyond for Ringo from day one because of your love for him, and no wonder; he is such a darling little boy.
Iwould suggest that what you do is determine how much quality of life he still has. Obviously he still does enjoy life and does still enjoy the three A's...my suggestion of assessment at this point would be that if his episodes begin to outweigh the good times,if he cannot maintain equilibrium and seems to be suffering from it, and if he cannot be made comfortable enough to continue enjoying his life, then you might need to decide whether it is worth it for him to continue.
When I was dealing with Raph, he had good days and bad days. Good days were him being alert and active (despite his inability to move or sit up unassisted), and him expressing his usual 'give me my dinner, I'm hungry!' or his stretched out and sighing as I rubbed his face and ears, and gave him body massages, and bobbing his head up and down excitedly when he would see me or Anna. His bad days consisted of my being able to see pain in his eyes, or his appetite waning somewhat, and of sporadic full-body muscle spasms...and those days tore me to pieces. And having (briefly) owned a rabbit with head tilt a long time ago, I can understand how heartwrenching it is to see Ringo when he has an episode. With Raph though, my emotions were on a constant roller coaster ride, and I questioned myself constantly because I did not want to see him suffer in any way, or prolong his life because I couldn't let go. I found it difficult to know what the right decision was, especially during the first few months - and esp. with others around me saying that he needed to be put down. But I decided that Raph would let me know when it was time...through his eyes and through the measurement of how much time was quality time vs. 'bad days'.
And I know this will be a hard factor as well, but you do have to consider your own emotional limits. One thingI learned from Raph - and this will sound very odd, but he somehow communicated this to me not long before he left this world - is that these special needs rabbits understand completely what we are going through in caring for them. They feel the love that we hold for them, and they know that their human is doing everything they can to keep them comfortable, safe, and loved. But they are also acutely aware of our own emotional suffering, and if the decision to let them go is made, they are okay with it, and they understand completely. That is what Raph 'told' me in my final hours with him, when I held his little body and rocked him on the swingset in the backyard. It gave me a great deal of peace during a time when I was constantly questioning myself, and was wrestling with an extremely hard decision.
I wish I had something better to suggest, or some sage words of advice. Truthfully though, it is such a personal thing, a relationship between a human and their little charge. As an outsider looking in, just reading what you wrote about Ringo suggests to me that hemay still enjoying hislife. If the rolling cannot be controlled enough so he can continue to enjoy himself, then you will need to determine that.But only you can tell for sure...you and Ringo.
My heart truly goes out to you...though I do know that whatever you decide to follow with Ringo, you will be making the decision that is right for him. He chose you to be his 'mom' with good reason...and he is extremely blessed.
(((HUGE HUGS))) for Ringo and for you....:hug2:
Iwould suggest that what you do is determine how much quality of life he still has. Obviously he still does enjoy life and does still enjoy the three A's...my suggestion of assessment at this point would be that if his episodes begin to outweigh the good times,if he cannot maintain equilibrium and seems to be suffering from it, and if he cannot be made comfortable enough to continue enjoying his life, then you might need to decide whether it is worth it for him to continue.
When I was dealing with Raph, he had good days and bad days. Good days were him being alert and active (despite his inability to move or sit up unassisted), and him expressing his usual 'give me my dinner, I'm hungry!' or his stretched out and sighing as I rubbed his face and ears, and gave him body massages, and bobbing his head up and down excitedly when he would see me or Anna. His bad days consisted of my being able to see pain in his eyes, or his appetite waning somewhat, and of sporadic full-body muscle spasms...and those days tore me to pieces. And having (briefly) owned a rabbit with head tilt a long time ago, I can understand how heartwrenching it is to see Ringo when he has an episode. With Raph though, my emotions were on a constant roller coaster ride, and I questioned myself constantly because I did not want to see him suffer in any way, or prolong his life because I couldn't let go. I found it difficult to know what the right decision was, especially during the first few months - and esp. with others around me saying that he needed to be put down. But I decided that Raph would let me know when it was time...through his eyes and through the measurement of how much time was quality time vs. 'bad days'.
And I know this will be a hard factor as well, but you do have to consider your own emotional limits. One thingI learned from Raph - and this will sound very odd, but he somehow communicated this to me not long before he left this world - is that these special needs rabbits understand completely what we are going through in caring for them. They feel the love that we hold for them, and they know that their human is doing everything they can to keep them comfortable, safe, and loved. But they are also acutely aware of our own emotional suffering, and if the decision to let them go is made, they are okay with it, and they understand completely. That is what Raph 'told' me in my final hours with him, when I held his little body and rocked him on the swingset in the backyard. It gave me a great deal of peace during a time when I was constantly questioning myself, and was wrestling with an extremely hard decision.
I wish I had something better to suggest, or some sage words of advice. Truthfully though, it is such a personal thing, a relationship between a human and their little charge. As an outsider looking in, just reading what you wrote about Ringo suggests to me that hemay still enjoying hislife. If the rolling cannot be controlled enough so he can continue to enjoy himself, then you will need to determine that.But only you can tell for sure...you and Ringo.
My heart truly goes out to you...though I do know that whatever you decide to follow with Ringo, you will be making the decision that is right for him. He chose you to be his 'mom' with good reason...and he is extremely blessed.
(((HUGE HUGS))) for Ringo and for you....:hug2:
