What to do with a healthy bonded rabbit when his buddy is being put to sleep.

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RexyRex

RexyRex

Well-Known Member
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Jan 5, 2008
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Location
The Queen City!, North Carolina, USA
Hey everyone,

I haven't posted in a while and I wish my first post back was a good one but it isn't :(

I am going to have to put Alaska to sleep. She is having severe tooth spurs in 3 of her 5 teeth on the right side of her mouth. Her poor tongue was shredded back in mid June from them so her doctor put her under to file the spurs down. That only lasted about a month before she was drooling again so we went back and had it done again. That time the doctor said that she can't put her under once a month and that there are too many bad teeth on one side to do an extraction, it would be too risky and the likelihood of her jaw being broken was too high.

Which brings me to now, she only gets hay and veggies and I've been giving her willow branches to chew on and that's helped. It's been about 6 weeks since our last visit but last night I noticed drooling and tooth grinding. I think it is time and it is breaking my heart.

My question for you is do I bring her bonded partner, Gixxer with us to the vet or do I bring her body home after so he can say goodbye? This is going to be my first loss when it comes to my buns and I want to make sure I do the right thing for Alaska and Gixxer. Any advice from people that have been through this will be extremely helpful. Thank you all for reading :(
 
How Does Gixxer do with car rides?
My thinking with bringing to the vet with her, is he may not enjoy the car ride, and you probably wont have a whole lot of time at the vets to allow whats happened to sink in for him. Personally I would do both. Bring him with her so hes comforting her while this happens, and he can see it happen. But take her body home so he as more time to absorb that shes gone.
 
I always just took the ill rabbit to the vet alone and then brought the body home where I would place it in 'their area" . I have rabbits that groomed the deceased partner ( heartbreaking) and rabbits who just sniff the body and then leave it.
It is extremely important that the remaining rabbit is able to see the body of his/her mate in their space . Otherwise a rabbit will wait for his partner to return.

Theoretically both rabbits could go to the vet together so Alaska could feel more comfort but I would not bring the healthy rabbit and his partner home in the same carrier.

I was not emotionally able to bring both rabbits to the vet ; it was just too much for me but you can do what you can handle.
There is nothing sadder than this situation; I have been there and done this more than once and it , indeed is the hardest.
So sorry for you!:imsorry: (( Hugs))
 
Thank you for the replies. My gut is telling me to leave Gixxer at home. I'm really scared for him because he's never liked people but he bonded with Alaska right away when we brought him home from the shelter in October 2007. I will give him all the time he needs with her. At least he will have Max & Takumi; they aren't bonded but he at least won't be alone.

This has been a terrible summer. I had to put my 13 year old dog down in June, she finally succumbed to her brain tumor. I'm going to lose my first dog and my first rabbit in less than 2 months.
 
My heart is heavy for you and your little buddies.So sorry:(
 
Thoughts are with you and the little ones, that's a really hard situation to deal with:(
 
I'm so sorry your are having to go through this & especially your two bonded buns. I'm also sorry you just lost your dog as well. I am praying for you & your buns. It is so hard to deal with losing a beloved family member whether human, animal or bird. Thank you for thinking of the emotional bond of your buns & how to help make it easier for the bun losing his bond/mate. I pray that he will be okay. My heart & prayers go out to you and the decisions you are making.
 
So sorry that you have to put your beloved bunn down. I agree with leaving the bonded bunn at home, but make sure you bring the body back and give him time to work through what has happened so that he can understand :)
 
Well, last night was better, there was no tooth grinding. She is still attacking her food (albeit slower than normal) and she still likes to run around our house. She greeted me this morning before I left for work and was begging for her willow :). There is still trouble though, she was drooling excessively when I gave her half of a baby carrot. It seems like she can't use her back teeth to chew it.

My husband thinks that I need to hold off on the vet visit until she stops eating and playing. I kind of agree with him, even if it's only a week before she goes downhill it's still a week that she had to play and eat her favorite foods and be with Gixxer. I'll be watching vigilantly for appetite loss and pain symptoms. I just wish she could get better and the fact that she won't recover from this is killing me :(

Again, I really appreciate everyones kind words and thoughts, they mean more than you know. I will keep you all updated.
 
I think your doing the right thing and only you can know when the one is right. I'm sorry for what your going through :(
I would just keep an eye on your other bun and give him lots of comfort so he doesn't feel lonely. If he doesn't chew blankets and cuddly toys I would get her scent on them to offer comfort (although a definite no no if he does). New toys and activities will help him remain curious and hopefully reduce anytime he sits around.
((Hugs)))
 
I promised I would update...Alaska went to sleep peacefully about 2 hours ago. She starting drooling really bad a couple of nights ago and was having trouble eating. I put her with Gixxer about 45 mins ago. He's been nudging & grooming her....it's one of the most heartbreaking things I've seen. My husband and I were in there with them but he didn't seem to want us in there so now we are just giving him his space.

I will miss my Alaska bun girl. She's the reason I fell in love with rabbits and rescued 3 more. Binky free my Monty Python girl :-(
 
So sorry to hear your sad news I would take the Alasker to be put to sleep on her own but I would then bring her back and let her partner spend time with her so that he knows she has gone and is then not looking for her when the time is right I would then take gixxer to a rescue center and get him bonded up with another bunny I know you will not feel like it at first and he will need time to greive but you will be saving a bunny and giving it a home but words cannot describe how you must be feeling kind regards
 
Oh I am so very sorry !!!!!:bigtears:
RIP Alaska. It is hard enough to lose your bun but it is the very hardest and most heartbreaking to see the grieving bun partner.
On an lighter note I have buns that recovered so well from losing a mate that it made me irritated at the remaining bun... sort of like he wasn't caring enough about losing his partner.

I have always gotten a stuffed animal for the remaining bun that is the shape of a regular size bunny . I have one rabbit now who is bonded to a stuffed animal.
Once again I am so sorry !!!!!!!!!!!! ((Hugs))
 
RIP Alaska, really sorry for Rexy at least you did your best for your bun as she will know it :(
 
So sorry for your loss. We have a chronically ill Flemie with dental issues, and the vet has warned us that this will be a long road, never knowing when the time will come that we will have to put him down. For now, we are doing what ever we can to keep him well. But, we know that any moment his time could come. He is our first bun, and the reason we fell in love with Flemish Giants. I am thankful he is not bonded because I don't know if I could stand it. Just getting the news about him being chronically ill was devastating. I cried for two days.

RIP and binky free Alaska.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss :( You can rest easy knowing that Alaska is no longer in pain. It's so sad to loose a beloved pet but you made the right decision and spending lots of time with her partner will help you both in the grieving process. I hope your not too sad.
(((Hugs))) xxxx
 
How sad, so sorry for you loss. Alaska was lucky that she had a loving home and a lovely bunny partner. I can´t imagine how heartbreaking it was to see Gixxer after she´d gone with her. He´ll get lots of love and comfort from you, binky free Alaska
 
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