« Energizer Bunnies | Main | RIP Hope »
July 12, 2008
Choices
My apologies for taking so long to write. I bought a new computer and have spent an amazing amount of time trying to get it set up just the way I want it. It's a relief to finally be able to start thinking about other things, such as the topic of this post.
When I bought my first rabbit (yep, from a pet store), I assumed that the hardest decision I would make was whether I was prepared to make a life-long commitment to this adorable creature. Little did I know how many difficult decisions we lagomorph lovers would have to make.
The past few weeks have really demonstrated this fact.
I have already written about Quincy, who had both eyes removed a few weeks ago. At ten years of age, Quincy is clearly a senior citizen so Terri and Jeremy had to make a choice whether to accept the risks of surgery in the hope of a greatly enhanced quality of life for Quincy. The last two weeks have been a nightmarish roller coaster ride for the Cooks. After quite a few sleepless nights and an enormous amount of worry and TLC, Quincy is now clearly on the road to recovery under the watchful eye of friend Lucy.
I took my girls over to the Norton Road vet clinic for their bi-monthly squeeze this past Thursday. Both girls suffer from chronic bladder sludge so these visits are normally pretty routine. I did, however, expect to see Karalee who was bringing in a young rabbit, Duffy, whose owner had died. Duffy had bad teeth and bouts of sneezing, which raised the possibility of a serious underlying problem. The examination showed that Duffy's prognosis was poor and his chances for a reasonable quality of life were very low. Unfortunately, the most difficult choice of all had to be made, and Duffy was humanely euthanized.
Laine and Doug Kathary were also at Norton, having brought Hope in as an emergency. Hope was suffering from severe bloat. She appeared to be rallying during the day but by that evening, she was bloating again. Dr. Borders recommended she be taken to an emergency clinic where she could be watched over night. Dr. Oglesbee (some of you may remember her from the OSU exotics department), who works at the clinic, examined her that evening and recommended surgery.
Stomach surgery on a rabbit is inherently risky. Making the decision even harder was the blood work which showed a problem with her kidneys. But Laine and Doug made the choice to go ahead with the surgery. They did not want to live with "what ifs" if they chose to euthanize.
The surgeon found a hair-covered poop that was the cause of the blockage. As soon as it was removed, Hope immediately started to poop, even under anesthesia. It's still early but her prognosis looks promising.
We give our hearts to these amazing creatures and we make the best choices we can. Sometimes things work out the way we want them to and other times they don't. All we can do is learn as much as we can about these amazing animals, support each other during the difficult times, and accept the reality that death will eventually come.
But each happy outcome is an opportunity to rejoice...
So please join with me in a happy dance for Quincy, Hope, and their adoring humans!
Posted by Sue at July 12, 2008 4:59 PM