Tuesday we had to have our bunny, Nicki, put down. We adopted her about three years ago from a local bunny rescue agency, and while she was a wonderful bunny, we suspect she was at some point in her life, a lab bunny somewhre. After our other bunny got sick and died early spring, Nicki got sick with a jaw abcess that we tried months to cure, but it just kept getting worse. We’ve been at the vet’s on almost a bi-weekly basis since Spring, but she simply was not getting better.
Tuesday morning, she was noticibly worse. The abcess was affecting her breathing, and she was having difficulty catching her breath. Before HallSon went to school, we held her and told her we loved her and that we would miss her. We also told her it was okay to die, but I didn’t want to wait for her to basically suffocate, so I called the vet’s the second they opened, and sobbing, I told them that we were ready to put her to sleep. They asked me if I wanted to be there, but that it was “different than a dog” and they recommended that we not be there. I didn’t ask how they would do it–didn’t want to know–but I took her in to the vet, signed the final papers and left her in the care of the vet and his wonderful staff.
Yesterday, in the mail among the Christmas cards and bills, was a wonderful sympathy card from the vet and his staff. They had written, “We are so sorry about Nicki.” I was honestly touched.
I’ve had two cats euthanized, by the same vet, and I was surprised after the first to get a lovely card signed by all the office staff. It made a tough time better.
Kudos to your vet for being one of the good ones. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your bunny.
Aw, I’m sorry about the bunny. You obviously did everything you could and made sure she did not suffer.
We’ve had three dogs put down over the years and always got a card from the vet. My friend’s vet even made a cast of a paw print from the dog she had to have put to sleep after learning she had cancer. It made her cry when they gave it to her, of course, but she treasures it.
I’m really not looking forward to putting any animals down, but if I have to, I will always be sure to send a memento along with my condolences, i.e. the cast of the pawprint.
I got a card from my vet after my cat, Smokey, was put down 4 months ago: it was signed by everyone in the practice, and included a copy of the poem “Rainbow Bridge.” It was one of the most touching things anyone gave/said to me after her death.
I used to work for a vet clinic, and Dr. C always sent a small donation in the owner’s name to the Purdue University veterinary research department for every animal she put to sleep. Purdue sends a card to the “donor” and Dr. C sent a sympathy card as well. She was the reason why I kept going there after I quit. Now, she doesn’t work there anymore. And I can’t take my pets to her anymore, since she took a job with Animal Control.
My only pet I had to have put down was my guinea pig. I was only a kid, but I still remember holding him and stroking him while the vet gave him the injection.
My mum had to have her bunny down a few months ago. But I wasn’t there for that. My bunny lives at my mum’s, and I could tell she missed her bunny friend. I found her sat out in the rain, as if she was looking for her. She hates the rain, and will normally run into her hutch in the shed when it starts.
We’ve never got a card from the vet. I think it’s really nice that your vet did that.
I’m sorry to hear about Nicki, too. It’s always difficult to lose a pet.
I have an amazing vet too - “Dr. Stu”. He’ll bill you, leave medication in his mailbox for you (rural area here), and once didn’t bill me when I had to have a shepherd put down several years ago. I live in fear that he’ll retire.
We had to put one of our three bunnies down for the same reason. When we bought Icarus, we knew she was sick but she and Daedalus had already bonded so we didn’t want to separate them. We held out hope that the vet could save Icarus - for Daedalus’ sake. We didn’t realize that she had an abcess though. After two weeks of meds and cleaning the abcess, we had to put her to sleep when she started turning blue. Our regular vet was on vacation so we took her to the emergency animal hospital. They also suggested we not stay in the room. I know what they did and I was glad to be out of the room.
We not only got a card from the emergeny hospital, but they notified our vet and we got a card and a sympathy phone call from them.
Our current vet hasn’t had a reason to send a sympathy card - thankfully. But, she does send Christmas cards - to the bunnies.
I’ve been lucky enough to have wonderful vets. My equine vet, while my horse had cancer, made calls all over the country to try to find treatments, and never charged me for any of them. He made barn visits and never charged me - he knew what time I got off work and would just tell me he’d meet me at the barn. When it came time to put her down, he came to the barn and did it. He never charged me for that. And the next day he called me at home just to let me know I’d done everything possible. When my vet had to put my dog down, he held me while I cried all over his shoulder, and sent me a card later. My vets have down so much for me and my animals, I respect them so much more than human doctors (so, Qadgop).
My condolences to you on the loss of your bunny. I’m glad to hear that the vet was sensitive to the sad event. Everyone at the vet clinic I use seems to really care about the animals (they are also involved greyhound rescue), and that makes me feel really good about using them.
My dog, Snoopy, was put to sleep at the NC State University Vet School. We got a sympathy card that had been signed by every person at that facility that had met her. When she was admitted she was placed in the ICU, which is staffed 24/7, so she was in contact with lots of vets and students besides the two assigned to her case. We also got a sympathy card from her original vet.
I’m sorry about your bunny. It’s so hard to lose a pet you love.
When my cat Achmed died, I was very obviously distraught. Both vets were also crying. It was terrible.
Afterwards, I got a card from the front desk people AND one from the vets and the vet student, with a personalized message about how sorry they were to lose him and how wonderful they knew he was. It was very nice of them.
