# Raphael's photo thread



## Bassetluv (Jul 23, 2005)

Here's some pics of Raph...he is getting aroundokay; when he hops it is sometimes a little bit of a 'sidewaysshuffle', as he favors his right hind leg, but other than that seems tonot be having any pain. I have an outdoor run for him but also allowhim to roam the yard when I'm out there too. He does do what I call'mini-binkys'...he will twist his head and body but not really leavethe ground to any degree...but at least I know he's enjoying himself! Iwill update with more pics as I get them. 

Here he is, lying outside my garden:







Displaying one of those big feet of his:






And with Kaya, my dog (she was so humiliated, having to share a pic with a lowly rabbit!):






And one I'll toss in that isn't of Raph, but I thought was kindacute...my cat, Fritz, lying on the outodoor barbeque (oh, the life of acat is soooo tough!):


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## naturestee (Jul 23, 2005)

I love Raph. He's such a pretty boy! Gotta love that cat, too!


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## lyndsy (Jul 23, 2005)

What a collection of cuties you have there!

:monkey::monkey:


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## SOOOSKA (Jul 23, 2005)

He's sooooooooooooo cute.

Soooska:apollo:


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## ayglnu13 (Jul 23, 2005)

What a sweetheart!

~Amy


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## pamnock (Jul 23, 2005)

Awesome photos! Glad to see Raph is settled in and enjoying his new home 



Pam


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## CorkysMom (Jul 23, 2005)

Great pics, glad to see he's hanging in there and being tough! What a guy!


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## dajeti2 (Jul 23, 2005)

He is gorgeous. I am so glad he hassettled in and can still show you how happy you have made him. He's oneof a kind.

Love the look on Kaya's face, she is not impressed lmbo.

That kitty needs to relax once in awhile .

Tina


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## Shuu (Jul 23, 2005)

That boy's feet look like they pack a punch. Better watch yourself around him. You show Kaya who's boss, Raph!


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## FreddysMom (Jul 23, 2005)

Ralph looks so happy


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## hoppy (Jul 23, 2005)

aww, he's soo cute. Glad to see he's happy.


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## cirrustwi (Jul 23, 2005)

He's beautiful!! I love those ears!

*planning a Canada trip to "borrow" Raphael*

Jen


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## Bassetluv (Jul 24, 2005)

LOL...it was kind of funny yesterday...I tookRaphael out to show my neighbor, and while he was holding him (who wasabsolutely stunned at his ears, never having seen an Elop before) ayoung boy was riding by on his bicycle and nearly fell off when hecaught a glimpse of Raph! Those ears are proving to be show-stoppersfor sure.

Last evening Raph spent his first night outside, and he loved it. Ihave a cage left over from the days when I had a Netherland dwarfrescue, so it's small, but for Raph it's okay as a temporary overnightaccomodation till the new cages are finished. I went out this morningand he was up and alert, just waiting for me to let him out. When hewas sleeping in the cage indoors he would be stretched out and lazy,actually quite bored I think. Now he wants to explore all the time!It's funny to see him run as his gait is sometimes a sideways shuffle(and hence, he winds up going not quite where he wants to, I think),but it's so nice to see him get around. 

Anyway, here's a couple more pics of him (I am so in love with his face! LOL)...

Posing for the camera:






More of a closeup:






And that beautiful eye I fell in love with when I first saw him in his carrier at the airport:


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## EEEM (Jul 24, 2005)

With those big sad eyes and floppy ears he's like a basset hound in rabbit form!  What a lovely boy.


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##  (Jul 24, 2005)

What a Love he is. look at them EARS!!!!! I amso In love , 

Tea bag his eyesto clear up thatgookey eye thing beforeit gets worse , 

It may be nothing buteye slime but, whytake the chance withthem awsome eyes .


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## Bassetluv (Jul 24, 2005)

Thanks Gypsy...I wiped both his eyes with a mildsolution a few hours after I took the pics (he had it in both eyes),and it hasn't reappeared. I figured something was irritating the tearducts and it could have been the start of an infection. It was actuallya bit firm, like it was crusting over, but the warm water/boric acidsolution seemed to take care of it. So tea bags will have the sameeffect? I never knew that! And hasn't he got the most soulful eyes? 

EEEM, I actually read the other day that the Elop is nicknamed the 'basset hound' of the rabbit world! LOL


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## SOOOSKA (Jul 24, 2005)

Hi Bassetluv, will Raph get any bigger or is he full grown now?

Soooska


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## Bassetluv (Jul 24, 2005)

Soooska, Raph is still a junior (just turned 5months), so he should still have a bit of maturing to do. I don't knowexactly how much he weighs right now as I don't have a scales, but hefeels to be around 4.5--5 lbs or so. I suspect he is a bitunderweight/small for his type. I do know that an adult male Elopshould reach around 10 lbs...so it remains to be seen how Raph does.He's a wee bit 'bony'...not really fleshy and filled out like somerabbits...though his belly is nice and round. I'm hoping he will fillout a bit, but will have to watch his weight because of the problemwith his hind legs...


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## LuvaBun (Jul 24, 2005)

I just love this picture of Raph - he looks so elegant. I'm so pleased he has started to binky - he must be one happy bunny

Jan


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## sfritzp (Jul 24, 2005)

He is really a doll - makes me want one - 
Of course, when I see everyones beautiful pictures of your buns, I want one of every kind!:inlove:


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##  (Jul 24, 2005)

*Bassetluv wrote:*


> Soooska, Raph is still a junior (just turned 5 months), sohe should still have a bit of maturing to do. I don't know exactly howmuch he weighs right now as I don't have a scales, but he feels to bearound 4.5--5 lbs or so. I suspect he is a bit underweight/small forhis type. I do know that an adult male Elop should reach around 10lbs...so it remains to be seen how Raph does. He's a wee bit'bony'...not really fleshy and filled out like some rabbits...thoughhis belly is nice and round. I'm hoping he will fill out a bit, butwill have to watch his weight because of the problem with his hindlegs...


awwww he is just goingthru the akwardsganglies he will fill out theboney parts shortly ,They all gothru that stage and makeus wonder IF theywill ever fill out , when theydo they Fill out nicely .


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## Stephanie (Jul 24, 2005)

He is a beauty!!! I just LOVE his coloring, those ears and that tail! 

Hey, since we live in the same place, if you ever need someone to watch your rabbit, let me know.


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## Bassetluv (Jul 25, 2005)

awwww Stephanie, thank you for the offer! I will most certainly keep you in mind if Raph ever needs a sitter... 

And I don't know what it is about this color, but my cat is the samecolor, and the last rabbit I had was also the same blue as well! Inever chose any of them for their color...they were simply animals whoeither came available (as Raph did) or they 'found' me. Animals withthis color seem to be drawn to me...lol


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## bluebird (Jul 25, 2005)

Great pictures.I have a netherland that color hes such a scamp.bluebird


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## Carolyn (Jul 25, 2005)

What a GORGEOUS Rabbit!!!







He was lucky to have you for a mom. Praying hard for ourlittle guy, Bassetluv. Couldn't think of better, morecapable, and loving care for him to be in other than yours.

My heart and prayers go out to both of you.

-Carolyn


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## Bassetluv (Aug 17, 2005)

Construction began today on my outdoor bunnyhousing...don't laugh, neither one of us really knows how to buildthings, but we're trying. So far we have part of the outer 'run'section done...the 'hutch' part will be inside the shed, with entrancesalong the wall where you see the plywood...








Kaya elected herself 'chief building inspector'. Here she is checking out the flooring for any faults...







And here she decided to step in and take over when my son was havingproblems with the hole he was digging. Must say, she did a betterjob...








Here's Raphie playing ball with Kaya (well, not really...but the pic came out looking like he was)...






And finally, a pic of regal Raphael, doing what he does best...


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## CorkysMom (Aug 17, 2005)

Wonderful pics...what a beauty he is!! I just can't get over how stunning he is!

How have his leg probs been? Giving him much trouble?


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##  (Aug 17, 2005)

Its a hard Jobbeing the Supervisor , Must watch overthe construction , the boy mightnot get the hole right !!!! Howhard a life being aBunny.


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## FreddysMom (Aug 17, 2005)

omg how he's grown!! Raphael looks so great!! hehe i love those big ears ...reminds me of the flying nun!! lol


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## dajeti2 (Aug 17, 2005)

W:shock:W, he got huge. He is trulystunning. How is hegetting around? Any improvement. He islucky to have such a loving mom. That is one huge run and home. 

I can't get enough of him. I love his stories and his picutres. 

Tina


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## cirrustwi (Aug 17, 2005)

He is so beautiful! Ok, I want one of those too....I just adore the ears.

I love that picture of him playing with the dog!! That's too funny. :laugh:

Jen


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## dajeti2 (Aug 17, 2005)

Jen you crack me up. You sound like me, I want one or two ok three of everything lmbo.

Tina


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## pamnock (Aug 18, 2005)

Enjoyed the new photos! The new cage will be awesome!



Pam


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## sfritzp (Aug 18, 2005)

Thank you for the great photos! Raph lookswonderful! He is certainly a very special bun - there is just somethingabout him - you better keep him in sight - because if I should be inCanada for some reason - he just might disappear on you!


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## juicyjuicee (Aug 18, 2005)

Wow hes gorgeous!!


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## Carolyn (Aug 18, 2005)

That rabbit looks too beautiful to be real. What a BEAUTY!!

:kiss:

-Carolyn


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## Bassetluv (Aug 18, 2005)

> How is getting around? Anny improvement.


Thanks Tina...Raph's doing quite well, all told. He truly enjoyshimself when he's on the loose; does little spurts here and there andtwists his head around when he 'mini-binkys'; he eats like a pig(!) andhe loves to follow the cats around, much to their chagrin. Of coursetheir tails get all out of joint because he gets underfoot, but Fritz(my big grey cat) will reach over and lick Raph on the face when hethinks no one is looking. (I'm onto him, just haven't let himknow...wouldn't want to embarrass him. )

The cage that I'm building is actually going to be divided; it's notall for Raphie. I'm planning on taking in a couple more bunnieseventually, once I have everything set up properly. It just breaks myheart to see them when they are sitting in cages at PetSmart, waitingto be adopted. So Raph isn't going to be moving into a bunny mansion,but it will be adequate for him, as he also has an outdoor ground run,and he gets the run of the yard whenever I'm out there (usually 2-3hours at a time), and he'll become a house bun during the colder wintermonths. Well, there's no way around it...he'll still be spoiled rotten!hehe...wait'll the cats find out Raph is moving into *their* house thiswinter...I wonder which one will be the first to have their kittysuitcase packed...


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## Bassetluv (Aug 18, 2005)

Oh, I have to agree...he is one beautiful bunny.Does have a wee bit of an attitude when it comes to being picked upthough. He hates it, and will squirm and kick till he gets his way andis put down. And if he doesn't get his way...well, a little nip on thehuman's arm is his way of saying, 'Whatsa matter with you? Aren't you_listening_ to me??? I said I want _DOWN_!!!' Mind you, thenip is just that...barely a brush of the teeth, nothing that wouldhurt...but still, he knows how to get his point across. 

And...oh no! Raphie is on the official bunnynappers' list? Yikes....Iwill have to put Kaya on alert! (Of course knowing her, she'd be thefirst one to say to the 'nappers, "Pssssst...look! Look! He's overhere, sitting behind the raspberry bush! But hey, don't tell my human Itold you, okay? Now can I have my cookie? Please Please Please????")

LOL Freddysmom....when you wrote that he looks like the flying nun Iimmediately thought, Raph, the flying bun! I'll have to get a pic ofhim with his ears in the air somehow just to see how he'd look (asidefrom the humiliation that would be plastered across his face).


(And Jen...I'm just like you too...every time I see another member'sgorgeous bunny I want one too! They are all just so beautiful...fromthe Netherlands to the Flemmies...I think we need to live in thecountry and have a huge barn made just for bunnies...


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## dajeti2 (Aug 18, 2005)

That is so good to hear. Have you heardanything from the breeder about when you may be getting you otherbeauty? When we move into a bigger house I am going to start lookingfor an EL for Dale.

Raph is definitely living the high life. Living indoors in thewinter, can't let those stunning ears get cold. I laughed so hard whenyou said the cat licks him when no one is looking. Too bad it happenesso quick, I would love a picture of that lmbo.

I think it's great that you are going to adopting some morerabbits. I'm lucky there is nothing like that here or I would be introuble. I would be bringing them all home. 

I am so glad that all is going well for you and Raph. Please rub those gorgeous ears for me.

Tina


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## Bassetluv (Aug 21, 2005)

*Another member of the family
*
Meet Scooby-Doo (or, 'Scooby'):
















(btw, ignore the wonky wire and such under his feet...I set him in thestill-being-constructed run just to take a couple of pics)

Scooby just came here to live today. I was at PetSmart with my dog andcaught sight of him in the Humane Society adoption section. Of course Iasked if I could pick him up and...well, that was it. He is such agentle little guy...very amicable, doesn't mind being held, and doesn'trun in the other direction when you approach him. And he has the mostbeautiful blue eyes! He seems pretty curious about his surroundingsdespite all of the stress of coming to a new home, meeting the dog andcats, etc. He and Raph haven't met yet; I'm keeping them away from oneanother for now. I just hope he loves his new home! 

(Tina, if the breeder does hold true to her word and sends me anotherElop, it will probably be next spring. I don't have high expectations,but we'll see... I noticed she had pulled the pic of her breeding buckfrom her website, and when I emailed her with an update on Raph, shetold me that her buck had a heart attack and died after he was loose intheir yard and the neighbor's cat jumped the fence unexpectedly andchased him down...)


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## FreddysMom (Aug 21, 2005)

He is too cute for words!!


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## CorkysMom (Aug 21, 2005)

Scooby is beautiful! I love those eyes! :shock:


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## mambo101 (Aug 22, 2005)

What a cute new additon!


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## LuvaBun (Aug 22, 2005)

Oh, Scooby is so handsome. Now you have two verybeautiful bunnies, you lucky devil!!! I am so pleased Raph isgetting around OK - he is such a stunner!

Sorry to hearabout the Elop buck. Was he related to Raphael?

Jan


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## pamnock (Nov 15, 2005)

Bassettluv,

How is your beautiful Raph doing?



Pam


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## Bassetluv (Nov 15, 2005)

Hey Pam, Raph is doing great, thanks! If he werea horse I think he'd be termed 'a good doer', as he will eat anythingand everything set before him. Every time I let him out to run in theyard he does cute little mini-binkies and those long ears get battedaround (it sort of resembles a girl with long hair who playfully flipsit back...when Raph jumpsboth ears flip back and over to oneside). His legs have been doing well, and he doesn't show any signs ofdiscomfort. He is, however, a bit limited; I had to take a restingboard out of his run because whenever he was on it his legs would beginsplaying out. (Will have to look for a sisal mat or something toreplace it.) And he can't sit up on his hind legs to wash his face likeother bunnies...he adapted by putting his face closer to the ground andwashing it one paw at a time. 

And I'm really glad I got Scooby, because - even though they cannot beloose together - they are housed side by side, and they seem to loveeach others' company. Scooby actually seemed to be pining during onebrief time when they were separated from one another...he wouldn't eathis pellets or hay and barely touched his veggies. But as soon as hesaw Raph again his appetite picked up. Scooby is a sweetheart too,loves to have his face scratched and is generally a rather quiet type.But Raph is an in-your-face bulldozer! LOL...especially if there isfood. I once was feeding them after dark and had poured Raph's pelletsinto his dish, but couldn't quite tell how full it was. So I tried toput my hand in to feel, as I wanted to add a bit of oatmeal, but Raphwas stubborn as a mule. His head was buried in that dish and no matterhow I tried, he wouldn't let me go near it...he'd shove his head overand wedge it against my hand so I couldn't get near his treasured food.

Wish I could update with some more pics, but my son took the digitalcamera with him when he went back to college. I'llsearchPhotobucketand see if I have any from lastsummer that I haven't posted...
:happybunny:


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## pamnock (Nov 15, 2005)

Very glad to hear how well the bunns aredoing! I wondered how Raph had been getting along with his"disability". Have you tried the ez-pad plastic mats (couldalso use a rubber sink matt).





Maybe you'll get a new camera for Christmas (start hinting now LOL).



Pam


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## Bassetluv (Nov 15, 2005)

Jan, sorry I missed your post...I was away forquite some time and have only been here sporadically lately. To answeryour question, no...the breeder's rabbit who succumbed to a cat attackwasn't related to Raph. However, I did hear that Raph'ssirehad been put down several months ago...I believe that the breeder whooriginally owned Raph was getting out of the 'business' of breedingrabbits (thankfully, as I've heard a lot of bad things about herbreeding habits) and she had that rabbit destroyed because he had thesame problem as Raph...genetic defect in his legs. Apparently she soldseveral rabbits to the breederI got Raph from (including HRHhimself). And that breeder in turn sold Raph to me. But, as theysay...the buck stops here (hehe)...I won't ever use Raph for breedingpurposes. He's simply here to be a pet, provide comicrelief,and rule the roost.


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## Carolyn (Nov 15, 2005)

How could Scooby absolutely not love his newhome with you as his mom?! Silly Woman! He'sadorable! It sounds like he picked you rather than youpicking him, but isn't that usually the way?

I love this picture....







You take that ball away from that canine, Raphael! 

How adorable! :inlove: Gotta love Raph's attitude. No Fear. :no:

Scooby sure does have gorgeous blue eyes. :shock2:

I love this picture of your cat. Can an animal's life get more relaxed???






Again with the attitude! I love how each of their personalities come out loud and clear in the pictures. 

Kiss them all for me.

-Carolyn


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## CrazyMike40 (Nov 15, 2005)

I love your pictures !!!!


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## Bassetluv (Nov 15, 2005)

Oh, I've seen those online Pam...never seen themanywhere around here though. I do know of a place in the province whereI might be able to order them...but will leave it to next year, as Raphand company are soon transferring from outdoors to indoors for thewinter. I did try a similar product once from PetSmart, only it was aninterlocking thing that was in small sections...what a silly productthat was! They didn't ever stay interlocked and wound up all over thecage, everywhere except under the bunnies' feet. :?

I didn't know a sink mat could be used...had thought of it a while backbut was worried about Raph ingesting the material (he is definitely achewer). So that would be safe to use for a rabbit who chews?

LOL...I was thinking of asking for a new camera for Xmas, but there'sjust so many other things on my list as well! Keeping my fingerscrossed that Santa will be good to me...(At the very least,I will be able to take some pics over the holidays...my son will becoming home and I will ask him to bring the camera)


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## pamnock (Nov 15, 2005)

*Bassetluv wrote: *


> I didn't know a sink mat could be used...had thought of it a while backbut was worried about Raph ingesting the material (he is definitely achewer). So that would be safe to use for a rabbit who chews?




Suprisingly, most rabbits don't chew on the rubber mats. Asmall amount wouldn't hurt and would pass through harmlessly, althoughI wouldn't let a rabbit devour the entire mat.

Pam


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## Bassetluv (Nov 15, 2005)

Awww, thanks Carolyn and Mike!

Carolyn, that is so true! Our pets certainly do seem to pick us.Several animals I've had grace my doorstep, I swear, I knew thembefore. There is an unspoken connection, a soul bond. I felt thatinstantly with my dog Kaya, and also with Raphael. The day my sisterand I went to the airport to pick up Raph for the first time, we had towait for half an hour before he was brought out to us. I was extremelynervous, because I could feel *something*....first, I knew there wassomething wrong with him, I sensed it, but kept dismissing thethought...and second, I felt this energy that I cannot really put intowords. And sure enough...when they set Raph's carrier on the counterand I looked in at him, I saw one huge soulful eye staring out at me,and the sense of recognition was so powerful. I knew him. And I alsoknew that he came into my life for a reason. I do believe that animallovers draw to them many soulmates in furred form, and the ones who arehere to teach us things, or to help us in some way, truly stand out.Tina and herApollo certainly seemed to be one of those closesoul connections. And Raph is one of mine...


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## Bassetluv (Nov 15, 2005)

> Suprisingly, most rabbits don't chew onthe rubber mats. A small amount wouldn't hurt and would passthrough harmlessly, although I wouldn't let a rabbit devour the entiremat.


Thanks Pam, that's good to know! Iwill giveone of them a try and see how Raphie does.


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## Carolyn (Nov 15, 2005)

What a beautiful way to describe it, Bassetluv. :highfive:

No doubt that they do pick us. Tucker was such a sweet littledude when I first picked him up. He acted like he liked to beheld - then when we got home, his true self came out. Nodoubt he can sense my moods/feelings - sometimes even before I am fullyaware of them. Fauna, no doubt, reacted to me more than shehad to any other person in her life. Buck Jones would alwaysremind me of that. The minute I held Fauna, I knew that shewas meant for me. Cali--I was scared of when I picked her upat the airport. The look in her eyes and the size of hertotally intimidated me. There's not a doubt in the world thatshe adores me and I her. 

Kathy Smith would the ones that have that special close bond with "OurHeart Bunnies". They truly are that. Tucker andFauna are very similar in the connection they have for me; Cali's morelike a child of mine than the close friends that Fauna and Tuckerare. No matter what, one can't fill the place of another andeach connection is extremely deep and heartwarming. I missthem when I'm not with them and I can't get enough of them when Iam. They've so enriched my life and have blessed me with suchlove and happiness in my life that I can't do enough for them.

I knew you'd understand, as do others on this forum. The bondwe have with them is not easily described in words, but you certainlycome close as to conveying it.

Thank you for expressing it to us. 

:rose:

-Carolyn


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## dajeti2 (Nov 18, 2005)

I'm so glad Raph is doing so well. I'vealways loved English lops and I adore Raph. When I was given the chanceto adopt a special needs E Lop I jumped at the chance. He is amazingand I adore him. So I thank you and Otis thanks you and Raph.

Awww how sweet that Scooby just wants to be near his big brother. Very cute.

Give those awesome babies of yours kisses from me.

Tina


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## Bassetluv (Nov 18, 2005)

Hey Tina, you know...I have always believed inlove at first sight, and it certainly was true with Raph. And I suspectyou had the same thing with Apollo. Sometimes there is just thatspecial *something*. I see it in Raph, and saw it in Apollo too, when Ilooked at his pics. 

I'm afraid I don't know Otis's story...I didn't realize he is a specialneeds bunny. I'll have to catch up with your thread again to see (wishI had more time to spend in the forum; I am always trying to catch upon things and miss half of what's going on). I'll give my guys a bighug from you, and you can give Otis (love his name too!) a big hug backfrom me... 

:hug:


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## Bassetluv (Nov 18, 2005)

Carolyn, I just read your post and now I'm allemotional (can't do that at work! lol). I know exactly what you meanwhen you describe the bond you have with your bunnies. This justtouched my heart:


> Fauna, no doubt, reacted to me more than she had to any other person inher life. Buck Jones would always remind me ofthat. The minute I held Fauna, I knew that she was meant forme.



And this:


> Cali's more like a child of mine than the close friends thatFauna and Tucker are. No matter what, one can't fill theplace of another and each connection is extremely deep andheartwarming. I miss them when I'm not with them and I can'tget enough of them when I am. They've so enriched my life andhave blessed me with such love and happiness in my life that I can't doenough for them.


I think you've captured so much with those words. And your descriptionof Cali being more like a child of yours...it just reminds me so muchof a cat I once had, Snooch. He was truly like a child; he would evencurl up in my arms and go to sleep whenever we were going for a ride inthe truck (one of his favorite things to do). 

There's just so much I think we could all describe about ouranimals...I think there's more than one book waiting to be written bysome of the forum members, describing the spiritualconnectionwith the animals who love them...

:angelandbunny:


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## doodle (Nov 18, 2005)

Eek! Raphie is _G O R G E O U S_ !! :faint:


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## Bassetluv (Nov 19, 2005)

LOL...thanks Doodle! (I can't tell him that though...it'd go straight to his head...:disgust


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## Bassetluv (Dec 3, 2005)

Scooby's Scare

Talk about something I wouldn't want to have happen again...

The other evening I was cleaning the boys' cages. Scooby was in amakeshift pen I'd set up in the basement, while Raph was running aroundloose, getting into every nook and cranny, doing his best tobunny-explore the cellar. Of course, since I was concentrating oncleaning up after the two stooges, I wasn't really watching what Raphwas up to. Suddenly I heard a noise, and turned to see Raph climbing upa bag of Woody Pet as if it was Mt. Everest. He reached the top just asI spotted him, and then (literally!) flung himself over the wirebarrier and into the pen with Scooby. I was stunned to see this, as Ididn't know Raph could be that mobile...but in the two or three secondsthat I stood there in shock, Scooby had made a beeline for Raph anddecided to celebrate his love for him, head-first. (Picture theface-hugger in the 'Alien' movie and that's what the sceneresembled...Raph sitting there with face-hugger Scooby clinging tohim.) I bolted for the pen, and when I got there, at first thoughteverything would be okay...I'd seen Raph 'nudge' Scooby, and saw Scoobyjump a bit, but that was it. However, all was not well.

As I went to remove Raph from the pen I noticed a few drops of blood onthe floor, and realized that something _had_ happened. So I wentand picked up Scooby, and - to my horror - saw that he was drenched inblood. His hind legs were soaked bright red, and he was dripping bloodeverywhere. And that's when I understood what had happened. Raph, inhis ever-docile patience, did have a breaking point. He didn't takekindly to Scooby's expression of love for him, and he nipped.Unfortunately, the nip was a direct hit...and for a while I feared theworst...a 'Bobbitized' rabbit. However, after calming myself down Icleaned Scooby up and applied some antibacterial salve. The bleedingwas almost stopped by that point, so - it being well past closing timeat the clinic - I decided to keep an eye on Scooby and call the vet thenext morning. 

When the vet finally did see Scoobs the news was better than I hadexpected. While Raph hadn't severed anything, he had sliced a largepiece of tissue, and it would have to be fixed. Well, Scooby wasoverdue for his neutering anyway, so now both will be done at the sametime, this coming Tuesday. So far Scooby seems to be doing quitewell...he had gone off most of his feed for a short time, but is onceagain eating now, and is as active as ever. 

So that was our excitement for this week...and Raphie has been spokento about his lagomorphic attempt to home-neuter his little buddy...:?


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## Snuggys Mom (Dec 3, 2005)

Aw, poor Scooby. 

Glad to hear he's recovered.

Laura


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## LuvaBun (Dec 4, 2005)

Ouch!!! Poor Scooby - that was a near miss. Iguess Raph only has so much patience, and that 'loving' was just toomuch (loved the Alien reference ).

Glad to hear that Scooby had no lasting damage. I will be thinking of them (and you) on Tuesday.

Jan


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## Bassetluv (Jan 15, 2006)

(Wow...the last time I posted to Raph's thread, Scooby was still here... ...I guess it's been a while)

Thought I would update with a couple of new pics of Raph:

The Devil-Bunny Himself...







And, his newest discovery...using the cat door....


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## naturestee (Jan 15, 2006)

Devil bunny??? Sounds like it's time for that little angel to take a trip to Wisconsin! 
:angel:


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## Bassetluv (Jan 15, 2006)

Wisconsin, huh? Well, I'll ask him...but Isuspect His Royal Highness would expect a first-class ticket, carrots,craisins and parsley served to him on a silver platter, and a nice softblankie to cuddle in (actually, to pee in as well...he has a 'thing'for making sure his blanket remains his alone) during the flight. 

And yep...Devil-Bunny he is...just lookit those red eyes! He also has apenchant for getting the dog's nose totally out of joint; the otherevening Kaya (the dog) was leaning against the sofa, trying to get asclose to me as she could, since Raph was receiving too muchattention for her liking. So what did Raph do when he saw this? Heleapt up and used Kaya's back as a spring-board to catapult himselfinto my lap! Of course, with Raph and his clumsiness, he didn't quitemake it on the first try, and wound up scrambling on top of thedog....which _really_ ticked Kaya off. And since I suspect thiswas Raph's main goal, it was mission accomplished....Score: Devil-Bunny1, the dog, 0....

:bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:


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## SAS (Jan 15, 2006)

This is such a happy/sad thread.* :tears2:*



Thanks so much for posting this pic. I was really wondering how he got his ears through that cat door! 

With all that snow, you should knit him some ear muffs. (Earsocks?) If you start now, you _might_ get them finishedfor next winter.* :sunshine:*


SAS

*Bassetluv wrote: *




> (Wow...the last time I posted to Raph's thread, Scooby was still here... ...I guess it's been a while)
> 
> 
> And, his newest discovery...using the cat door....


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## Bassetluv (Jan 15, 2006)

> With all that snow, you should knit himsome ear muffs. (Ear socks?) If you start now, you might get themfinished for next winter.


LOL SAS, when I first decided to let Raph play in the snow, I did worryabout his ears. Would they freeze? After all, they drag on the groundand the cartilage tends to be fairly thin...but I soon discovered he'sfine, so long as the temps aren't too cold. I don't let him stay outtoo long, and when he comes in I dry his feet and ears. But I like theidea of ear muffs...LOL! Couldn't you just picture it? Great big ol'purple sock-muffs on the poor boy's head!

hehe...but I think he's suffered enough humiliation at my hands, withslipper socks and Christmas antlers. I only put the slipper socks onhim now if I find he his back legs are sliding (for the most part heseems to have learned to keep his feet under him now, though he stillhas his days), as I found the more he wore them, the more he begangetting frustrated with them - which is odd; you'd think it would havebeen the other way around. And he also began getting *old man'sankles*....ever see older men who wear shorts with socks and sandals?They get a bald spot on their legs where the hair rubs off from wearingsocks all the time....well, Raph was beginning to get bald spots fromhis socks too. 

Yes, this really has been a thread with so many ups and downs, hasn'tit? But I think Raph more than makes up for all of the bad times...heis the most comical little guy I've met in a long time. And such agreat companion! In the evenings he will come hopping into my room andlie at my feet under the computer desk...he runs circles around my feetwhenever I'm in the kitchen...he'll hop up onto the sofa with me whenI'm watching TV...he's always following me around like a big bluepuppy...

When I decided to get an English lop last year, I had no idea just whata wonderful friend was going to come into my life....crooked legs andall....


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## LuvaBun (Jan 15, 2006)

Aww, Bassetluv, your love for Raph shows in the way you write about him .

Ithink he is truely beautiful, and very lucky to have foundsuch a caring mom - even if she does take some embarrassing pics nowand then 

Jan


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## Garden Flowers Rabbitry (Jan 19, 2006)

I really love Raph's colour, one day I'd like to have a lop the same colour as he is


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## Bassetluv (Jan 25, 2006)

*Garden Flowers Rabbitrywrote: *


> I really love Raph's colour, one day I'd like to havea lop the same colour as he is


Well, I don't know why this is, Connie, but for the pastwhile it seems most of my pets are tending towards that blue/greycolor. Take a look:

Raph:






Scooby (miss him, the sweet little boy):






Fritz:






And Rufus (a bunny I had a few years ago):






I didn't even notice it right away...but these guys all sorta lookalike! (well, except for a bit of a species difference with Fritz ).And it wasn't planned with any of them. Actually, when I began lookingfor an Elop, I had my heart set on a broken color, but when I saw Raph,and that he was for sale, my heart melted. Some day I'd like to get asolid black Elop too...and maybe a white one...and a fawncolor...hehe...


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## Bassetluv (Jan 25, 2006)

> Aww, Bassetluv, your love for Raph shows in the way you write about him


Thanks Jan...he really is special to me, it's hard to explain, but thenI guess I don't need to, as everyone here probably feels the same wayabout their own special loves. Raph is definitely one of those 'heartbunnies'....

And I noticed while feeding the cats and dog last night that Raph hasnow learned what _'Is anybody hungry?_' means! I say that to theothers when I am about to feed them; well, Raph now begins circling myfeet like crazy as soon as I say it, making it hard for me to not tripover him in my efforts to feed the rest of the crew. He has nowofficially become *one of the gang*....LOL!


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## LuvaBun (Jan 25, 2006)

Oh, I think Raph looks so beautiful in this picture - very regal!

Jan


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## Bassetluv (Jan 25, 2006)

Thanks Jan! Yes, I thinkRaph looksregal there too...very handsome! Of course that pic was taken just afew hours after I brought him home from the airport, on his first dayin his new home. Now it seems all of his poses show his truepersonality...goofball plus...

:bunnydance:


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## Lissa (Feb 24, 2006)

I love this one. What a BEAUTIFUL bunny! Wow.


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## Linz_1987 (Feb 24, 2006)

Im sorry, I must have a really short memory or I missed something along the lines. But what did happen to Scooby? :?


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## Garden Flowers Rabbitry (Feb 24, 2006)

*hmmmmm, and that's how it begins..............ya start thinking about all the colours and pretty soon.........you are naming bunny litters :colors::bunnydance::group*









*Bassetluv wrote: *


> *Garden Flowers Rabbitry wrote: *
> 
> 
> > I really love Raph's colour, one day I'd like to have a lop the same colour as he is
> ...


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## Bassetluv (Mar 2, 2006)

> *hmmmmm, and that's how it begins..............ya start thinking about all the colours and pretty soon.........you are naming bunny litters *


 LOL Connie! That would be all that I'd need right now...bunnies in every nook and cranny of my little house... *:shock2:*


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## Bassetluv (Mar 2, 2006)

*Linz_1987 wrote: *


> Im sorry, I must have a really short memory or I missed something along the lines. But what did happen to Scooby? :?


 Linz, late last year I decided to have Scooby neutered. I wanted to attempt to bond him with Raph (they got along okay, but Scooby's sex drive was a typical male bunny's). He was spraying everywhere, and he would tear through anything to try and get at Raph (whom he thought was female). So I took him in to my vet's in early December for the surgery, but unfortunately, halfway through Scooby began having problems breathing, and my vet couldn't save him. It came as quite a shock to me, even though I did have some apprehensions about the surgery itself...and it made me extremely gunshy of having any rabbit undergo surgery after that. However, I have recently adopted a young female rabbit from the HC, and had her spayed before she came home. It's been 8 days now and she seems absolutely healthy now. 

For some reason, it was Scooby's time to go...I still miss that little guy so much, he was so gentle and sweet...


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## jordiwes (Mar 2, 2006)

Still waiting patiently for Bassetluv to post about her new bunny...

:innocent


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## Bassetluv (Mar 3, 2006)

I have a bunch of pics of the new bunny, Anna...but cannot access them right now as they are on my harddrive at home. And Anna - as I found out a while ago - is a first-class chewer! She ate through the wire for my cable modem, and I've been trying for almost a week now to get it replaced. Still no luck...so until I do, I am limited to posting whilst at work. I do have two pics of Anna in Photobucket that I posted earlier, but neglected to post them in this thread. So here's a picture of her, not long after she arrived:







(Sorry if it's a bit big)

I introduced Anna to Raph the other day, and all was going well...until last night. Raph loves Anna...follows her everywhere like a little puppy. And Anna seems to have taken to Raph as well. She won't quite let him snuggle with her yet, but she has groomed his face...and every time she hops by him she waggles her tail like a lamb. I was so pleased to see that they got along so well.

However, Raph is an unneutered male. He doesn't seem to have the same *drive* as a regular male rabbit (to put it casually, his 'boys' never dropped). So he hasn't been displaying the normal male tendencies, at least not to any extent. I did see him half-heartedly make a small attempt once, but Anna told him to shove off, and he gave up - I haven't seen him do that since. Now he seems happy being her shadow, and he sticks to her like glue, sitting in front of her and attempting to get her to groom him.

The problem that I mentionedcame up last night. I was cleaning the rabbit cages and had allowed the two rabbits to run about the house while doing so. In order to clean the cageswell, I have to crawl into them to reach the back...and while I was in Anna's cage, Raph kept running in and getting in the way. (He has been doing this ever since I got him...very curious about what I'm up to, always getting underfoot.) This time though, I wasn't paying attention to his 'language'. I would take him out and plop him on the floor and say, "No Raph, you're in the way", to which he'd promptly run right back into the cage again. He was being exceptionally persistent this time, and I wasn't noticing. So, around the 5th time that I removed him I said, "Raph..NO! Stay out". I went back into the cage and almost immediately, Raphran inagain....only this time, he nipped the back of my hand. That completely surprised me, as Raph has never shown any type of aggression in the past. So I stopped what I was doing and removed him again, sat him down in front of me and said, "Raph? What's wrong with you? Why did you do that?"

And what was Raph's answer to my question? He lunged at me! Only this time, he drew blood. Actually it was just a nip, but his teeth are in need of a trimming and the edges are very sharp...and they caught the side of my hand...it looks more like a cat scratch than a bite. (Had he actually grabbed me he could have done severe damage.) Regardless though, he DID bite. And I am now realizing that I'm dealing with what I believe to be 'rabbit ownership'. I think Raph is displaying territorial aggression/rabbit possessionbecause he now sees me as a threat, someone who might come between him and Anna...who, in his mind, is now his mate. I was invading his/her territory by going into the cage and pushing him out (hence heinterpreted that as me being aggressive towards him over Anna, as it was her cage).It was very upsetting at first, but now I've come to realize that it's something I will have to deal with since he isn't neutered. So from now on Raph and Anna will have to have their free time separate from one another, and I will be much more astute in paying attention to the cues he (and Anna)display as to their emotions. 

One thing I haven't written about lately isRaph's health. He has beenhaving a lot of difficulty with both his hind and front legs, and his shoulders...it seems his entire skeletal structure is *wonky* (I suspect his spine is affected as well), and he has been going somewhat downhill. He slips and falls a lot more than he used to, and has difficulty getting up. My feeling is that his life will not be as long as most rabbits...but I plan on spoiling him as much as I can, and keeping him as happy as I can. And Anna definitely put a smile on his face, so I have no regrets in getting her, even if it means a bit more caution has to be taken when handling them now.


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## jordiwes (Mar 3, 2006)

Awww, Anna is such a cutie. That's cute that Raph is so enamoured but it must've been shocking to you get get a nip!

Sorry to hear about Raph's hips and spine. What does the vet say? My heart goes out to you, I know you've had so many bunny issues to deal with in the last half year.

:hug2


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## Bassetluv (Mar 3, 2006)

The vet isn't optimistic about Raph...he doesn't believe it's really feasible to look into surgeries, etc., as there is just so much to take into consideration. Basically he's suggested I keep him comfortable for as long as I can, and that's about it. And the good news for now is, Raph isn't really showing any signs of pain. He stumbles a lot, but is still quite mobile. When he's in pain he tends to be much quieter and doesn't want to move around very much. (That's when he gets baby aspirin, and it helps him a lot...and fortunately he's only had two episodes of pain since I had him.)

So I know there will be heartbreak down the road at some point...just hoping that road will have at least some length to it. 

Thanks for understanding; it sure can be tough when we love them so much. But it's still definitely worth it. 

Oh, and Anna is just a sweetheart too...she can be quite nervous and flits about the house, but is so gentle when taking a treat from my hand, and she'll jump up on my lap (and off again a moment or two later) when I'm watching tv. At first she was terrified of the cats, but has gotten over her fear now and will approach them curiously. She's definitely a keeper!


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## LuvaBun (Mar 3, 2006)

Well, that was a bit of a suprise to hear that Raph nipped you. I guess once the male hormones kick in, then they are unpredictable (typical man ). It sounds as if Anna is really beginning to settle in, which is great.

I am so sorry that Raph seems to be having problems. I was so hoping that he wouldn't get any worse and be able to live a long and pain free life. At least I know he will at least live a very spoiled and contented one with his two special ladies!

Jan


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## Bassetluv (Mar 3, 2006)

aawwww ....thanksJan.... 

And LOL...yes! Typical man!:tongueWho woulda thought I'd wind up being part of a love triangle -- with rabbits??!!?? Sheesh! :bunnydance:


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## Bassetluv (Mar 13, 2006)

Here's a few more Raph and Anna pics (taken a little while ago):

Here's Anna, about a week after I got her, checking out Fritz:






And here she is, totally relaxed and chillin' in the living room (Ithink she likes that spot because it gets cool around the base of thedoor):






Oh, here's a couple of pictures of her that almost confirms mysuspicion...when I first saw her at the HC I was trying to think ofwhat breed(s) she could be; I came to the conclusion that she might bea mini-lop that didn't really lop. Well, the first time I scratched heron the ears, this is what happened...and now I notice that sometimesshe will have one ear up and one down, so I now highly suspect this iswhat she is...a mini-lop with _earus erectus_ (LOL):











Here's Raph, chillin' as well:






Raph and Anna:






And Raph, 'chinning'...which is why he and Anna can no longer hang outtogether indoors (the chinning is inevitably followed by that lovelymale rabbit habit, spraying...I've wiped up more urine in this housethan I think I've seen in my life!) Silly Raph...:?


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## jordiwes (Mar 13, 2006)

Baby girl!






Cute minilop! I do agree with yourtheory that she is at least part minilop. I love the chestnut coloring.


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## Bassetluv (Apr 18, 2006)

Isn't she a sweetheart? And her personalitymatches...she's skittish, but loves to approach on her terms, then willbe all over you, sniffing and climbing up on your arms, legs, etc. 

Here's a couple more pics...Anna and Raph enjoying the garden outdoors.I've moved them both to the outdoor cages for the summer, and they bothseem to love it. I was a bit concerned with Anna at first, as she was astray from the Humane Society who was found wandering on her own, andshe was absolutely terrified of cats when I first brought her home, butshe settled into her outside home in no time. Now, so long as they gettheir hours of playtime in the garden or yard, they're both happycampers.

Anna chillin':






Raph:






Humans aren't the only ones who blink when the camera goes off:






My cat, the sun worshipper:






Anna and Raph:






Anna has gotten over her fear of cats so well that now she constantly follows Fritz around like a little puppy:


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## naturestee (Apr 19, 2006)

Wow! Anna looks like she really owns the place in the first picture.


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## jordiwes (Apr 19, 2006)

Wow, you have one happy mini-zoo over there!

I love that Anna follows Fritz around and that she's made herself one of the family!


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## Bassetluv (Apr 19, 2006)

LOL...I think Anna decided to take over the dayshe arrived! Even though she was skittish, she still was intoeverything. And once the fear of cats simmered down (we went throughmany furious *WHUMPS!!* whenever one of my kitties entered thesame room as her), Anna was queen of the hive. She took to Kaya rightaway...no fear of her at all...and her curiosity of Fritz is funny.It's odd, because a few years ago I had another little rabbit namedRufus, and he too would follow Fritz everywhere - much to Fritz'sdispleasure. (Imagine trying to act all kitty-cool to your fellowcatmates with a nerdy rabbit sticking to you like glue!)

Oh, I'm very fortunate to be able to have my pets...though for somereason the city won't allow me to move a horse in as well.If I could, I'd do so in a New York minute...of course, I'dalso have more rabbits too, and a couple of goats, and...make that twohorses...and maybe a mule, more dogs...

And so far every animal has an assigned role: Kaya the dog is anexcellent watchdog and *ear*dog...I don't hear subtle sounds very wellbecause of an inner ear problem, but Kaya can hear a pin drop on acotton ball...from another room. She's also assigned herself the dutyof cleaning out the garbage bin if I don't get to it first...

Fritz is a self-appointed keyboard-warmer...but only when I am actuallytyping something on the computer. When the cursor begins to go wild and"143oy4twtqt4jqmtjtq" is typed out on the screen, he looks at me as ifto say, "What?? I wanted to say something too, y'know". Oh, and he'salso a very absorbant sun-soaker, as you can see from the pic.

Tasha is my little calico cat. She appointed herself chieftime-announcer throughout the nights a few years ago. She may be butlittle, but she be mighty! At 2:00 in the morning all will be still,and suddenly I will be terrified out of my sleep to the sweet mellowsounds of "*MEOORRRRWWWWWW!!!!!! MEOORRRRWWWWWW!!!!!!*" And ofcourse, every time she does this I check on her and sheinvariably doesn't want anything. ("Just thought I'd say hello,Mom...hey, why do you look so crotchety?")

Raph is of course, self-appointed King of the Home. He slowly andmethodically plows, trips, and stumbles about the house and yard, longears dragging on the ground (btw, he's a great under-the-bed duster),checking for imaginary bunny-foes. And he also appointed himself chiefguard of Anna, at least towards me. The cats and dog can get as closeas they want to Anna...heck, they can even step on her or cuddle withher and Raph won't bat an eyelid...but if I touch her without HisHighness'es permission, I had better be careful. If Raph happened toget up on the wrong side of the hutch that day, I risk both life andlimb. Makes me wonder if he ever got to see that Monty Python moviewith the crazed man-eating white rabbit...

And Anna...she is definitely self-appointed Queen, running here andthere and then suddenly flopping at whatever place looks most comfy forher. She is also chief inspector of all things off limits to rabbits. Ilearned within the first hour or so of having her that not all rabbitsare like Raph...some actually DO like the taste of telephone cords,wallpaper and cable modem cords. Of course I don't have solid evidence(i.e., eyewitnesses) to testify that Anna was the culprit - the catsain't saying anything...I thinkAnna bribed them intosilence...but the next time it happens, I'm calling in one of those CSIguys to come and take dental imprints. That is, if I can get them pastbunnyguard Raph first...

:rollseyes:


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## LuvaBun (Apr 19, 2006)

Great pics - i am so pleased your furry familyare getting along so well . Loved reading all the descriptions oftheir characters!

jan


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## Bassetluv (Apr 22, 2006)

I created this at that site someone posted here a few days ago:


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## LuvaBun (Apr 23, 2006)

Now* that *is cute!!!!

Jan


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## Cinnabunny (May 5, 2006)

Such adorable lop ears. I doubt my little Cinnabunny will have such long ones. I never knew they could get SO long.

Bunny squeezes to both!


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## jordiwes (Jun 22, 2006)

We haven't had a Raph and Anna update in a while....

How are they doing?

:wave2


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## Bassetluv (Jun 22, 2006)

Quick update (thanks for asking, jordiwes):

Raph and Anna are residing in their 'summer home' (a.k.a. the outside rabbit hutch) for the summer. Actually today they are indoors enjoying the cooler air of the basement, as the weather is predicted to go to +28 deg. C today. Anna is doing very well, awee biton the heavy side, so she will be dieting till the extra pound or two is shed (I wonder if they have a bunny weightwatchers around here). She's certainly keeping me in shape! I let her loose in the yard and she has a grand time, but to get her rounded up again and into the hutch can be a challenge and a half. She's certainly fast when she wants to be...tears around the yard and darts under the raspberry bushes, just out of my reach. It's not surprising though; on her records at the Humane Society it said she'd been found as a stray, wandering a neighbourhood...and she was absolutely terrified of cats when I took her home. So she still gets very skittish at the hint of being 'captured'. She's a real sweetie though, very gentle and loves to have her nose scratched.

Raph, on the other hand...

Some days I'm tempted to change his name to Damien. Ever since Anna came to us Raph has had this incredible possessive fixation with her, and he seems to think that I am the evil mom who is going to take her away from him. If I approach his hutch and don't immediately step away from it again, I am greeted with a stream of bunny pee shooting straight out from the cage and landing all over my clothes. (He's a real deadeye, that one!) When he is loose in the yard he runs wherever he thinks Anna is, was, or will be, and he patrols it. He watches me constantly out of the corner of his eye, and will run parallel to whatever path I am taking, but keeps his distance. However, he has been known to suddenly divert from this plan and attempt the 'Raph maneuver'...heading straight for me, eyes wild, mouth open, elongated ears streaming like furry banners behind him. And that's when I run._Fast_. In the opposite direction. The littlebugger makes Freddy Kreuger look like Mr. Rogers when he's on the warpath. What usually triggers one of these attacks is if I (a) step within 6-10 feet of Anna; (b) am trying to round Anna up to put her in the cage; (c) call to Anna, trying to get her attention; or (d) look like I _might_ be thinking of setting foot near Anna. I have to be extra cautious whenever Raph is outside if I don't want to wind up as Bunny Chow. He has also slammed into, nipped, and peed on, both of my cats...and the darned fool has even had the foolish audacity to bite my dog on the head, twice now. Kaya doesn't put up with anything, but she does know her boundaries, and Raph is one of them. She knows that if she were to bite him back she'd be grounded for the rest of her life (no more Denta-bones or Animal Planet for her!)...so when Raph did bite her, she simply gave him a nasty look and ran away. Now whenever I see Raph aiming for her, I yell, "Kaya..._run_! Raph is going to get you!" and she does.

Oh,Raph also has a covert maneuver that he has practiced on me once or twice: He hides under the berry bushes and, as I am walking past, unaware of his rabid rabbit presence (and unfortunately, always bare-legged at the time) he suddenly bursts forth from the underbrush, teeth bared and phaser set to maim. The one saving grace for me is that he almost inevitably either tumbles to one side because of his hips, or he trips over one of those famous ears and falls flat on his face. Then he gets up, licks himself indignantly as if to say, "Didn't happen...didn't happen" then he hops off to another hiding place to silently mull over what went wrong.

Thankfully though,Raph is fairly easy to handle. If he thinks of lunging at me when I place my hand in his cage, I simply put my hand on his head and scratch his nose. It's like giving him a tranquilizer. That is, so long as I keep scratching him the entire time. And whenever I put his harness on him he calms down completely. Sometimes I take him for hops around the neighbourhood, which he seems to enjoy thoroughly. I call his name and tug gently on the leash and he follows me down the street. He sometimes walks better on his leash than my dog does on hers. So I can still enjoy my 'old' Raph...the gentle, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly Raph...I just have to be careful whenever he's on the loose in the yard. Then everything is fair game for him, and as they say, all's fair in love and war. And apparently he's hopelessly in love with Anna, and I am the mortal enemy, to be annihilated immediately if I set foot anywhere near his fair maiden without (or even with) asking permission first.

On the more serious side, Raph's condition has deteriorated a tiny bit. He does fall over more often than he used to, so I do have to try and watch that he doesn't hurt himself. However, I haven't seen him displaying any signs of pain, just major annoyance that he tumbles a lot, so that's a blessing. LOL...maybe the sight of Anna keeps his mind so occupied that he wouldn't even register pain if he had it! Lovesick bunny that he is...

I haven't been around much as I have no Internet at home (computer decided to become fussy on me) and can only access the Net at work...which leaves me very limited for time to surf (almost none). I am working on getting my computer fixed, and once I am will hopefully be able to participate more again. 

Thanks for asking how the guys are doing, jordiwes...I hope all is well with you and yours too!


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## LuvaBun (Jun 22, 2006)

Wonderful to have an update . Can't believe that sweet Raph is a manic teeth machine - not with that cute face !

Nice to see you back - don't be a stranger 

Jan


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## Pipp (Jun 23, 2006)

:yeahthat 

You've been missed! 



sas and the gang :bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:


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## jordiwes (Jun 23, 2006)

Awwww, that's so funny that Raph is protective of Anna! But probably not so funny when you're in shorts .

Do you ever let them out together?

I'm glad to hear Raph is still pain-free (aside from the occasional embarrasing moment).

We would love some updated pictures (when you get your PC fixed)!! I might just have to make a trip out there and fix it for you .


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## naturestee (Jun 24, 2006)

I have a lovely image of Raph charging after you! I saw a brown elop doing that on an animal behavior show on Animal Planet, except he was always mad. He'd charge all over the yard at his owner and she'd run shrieking!


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## Bassetluv (Jun 25, 2006)

Thanks all...I`m at my sisters right now (and am struggling with her French keyboard). I tried to reply on Friday when I was at work, but got interrupted and never managed to get back. Am on holidays all this upcoming week, so unless I get my computer fixed, won`t have access to the `net. 

Raph can be a handful, and at first it was upsetting when he became so protective of Anna and saw me as `the enemy`,but now it doesn`t bother me at all. It`s just his way...and he does seem very hesitant to actually attack me (he tends to turn at the last second most of the time, esp. when I shout, ,`Raph...NO!!!¸`...but for the most part I don`t mind. And I suppose if anyone were watching, it would look pretty funny; me running from this weird blue long-eared manic rabbit. I`ve just learned to be extra careful when I do let Raph out to run....and to warn the cats when Raph is on patrol.

Yes, I will let Anna and Raph out at the same time. Anna is much faster than Raph, and so he doesn`t bother her too much with his amorous advances simply because he doesn`t know where she is half the time. She will run and be on the other side of the yard before Raph even knows that she`s hopped away. Sometimes I will catch the two of them lying side-by-side in the bushes, but not too often. They seem to be enjoying life greatly, so that`s what counts the most.

Whenever Ido manage to get my computer fixed, I`ll take some new pics and post them (and will get caught up on other threads here too). Take care all, and I hope all your bunnies are happy, healthy, and full of beans! 

Di, Raph, Anna and the gang


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## tailof2rabbits (Jun 27, 2006)

sorry to hear about Raph's health. :| i'm really happy that he seems to be taking it well though and is pain-free. you're so strong and loving, he couldn't ask for a better home.:hug1


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## Bassetluv (Jan 16, 2007)

Thought I'd post an update on Raph.Unfortunately the problem with his joints seemed to accelerate thisyear, as last summer I was starting to notice he was taking many more'sideways falls' (gently falling on his side) than usual. Thiscontinued to progress, and in the last couple of weeks ithasbecomeclear that Raph has become pretty much disabled now. Hecan still get his hind legs under him once in a while, but for the mostpart that is more of a rarity than normal. In his cage he doesn't standat all, so spends all his time lying down. Fortunately I did get himsome extremely soft absorbant bedding, so this helps to cushion hismuscles.

He is also having a problem right now with his eyes, especially hisright eye. Ever since I got him he's had very slight discharge from thecorners of his eyes, and since he can't clean his face properly, I haveto wipe his eyes for him daily. But over the months his eyelid began tochange, so I took him to the vet recently. It turns out his eyelid istoo loose for the eye, so now he's on a course of antibiotic drops tohopefully help the condition...though I suspect this will be a chronicproblem. 

Raph has also had a few baths in the past few weekstoo...somethingI normally don't do with rabbits, but hiscondition sometimes warrants it (he falls into urine and becomessoaked). On the lighter side of this, I'll relate what happened to himone day when my sister came over to visit. I had Raph and Annaupstairs, andmy sisterhad decided to bring her dogwith her. Anna was already in the back porch, so I put Raph in therewith her...he was curled up in his little 'cat bed' and was beingquiet, snoozing away and having weird bunny dreams, no doubt. Since hevery rarely tries to hop anymore I figured the two of them would befine alone; Raph used to love to chase Anna around when he was able,but now that he's not I figured he'dstay quiet. Turns out Ifigured wrong. After my sister left I went to fetch the two bunnies,and when I opened the door I couldn't believe what I saw. Anna wassitting in the litter box, which was fine, but apparently Raph'samorous button doesn't get turned off just because he isn't verymobile. His little cat bed was flipped upside down, there was rabbiturine from one end of the porch to the other, and rabbit feces_everywhere_!! Nope, not bunny balls, but mushed-into-the-floor,Salvidor Dali-inspired mural-painting poo all overeverything...including Raph. He was a mixture of urine and soft fecesfrom head to toe, and I swear he had a smile on his littledevilface. As it turned out, Anna had some soft poops (aresidual from her previous day's dinner...she sometimes will developthis if she has a tad too many veggies), and Raph, in his lapin glory,forgot that his legs didn't work right. He must've been dragginghimself about everywhere, excited (and happy) as a pig inyou-know-what. And he had managed to get every square inch of his thickbunny coat smeared in an exhilarating combination of urine and rabbitpoo. Poor Anna was peering at me from the litter box with a look on herface that clearly said, '_You left me with him_???!! The Don Juanof bunnydom?? _What were you thinking_?!?!!' (I guess she watchesDr. Phil.)

Anyway, Raph got a good scrubdown after that little stint, and it alsotaught me to never underestimate the power of a male rabbit'stestosterone, as it will drive even a disabled rabbit to super-bunnypowers of mobility. Ever since he's been behaving pretty well, but Istill have to keep one eye on him, just in case he decidestogo for broke again and try to impress poor Anna. So in themeantime I keep him entertained in his bunny bed, scratching his noseand stroking his long (and usually stinky) ears. I tell you, he's gotme trained well.


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## naturestee (Jan 16, 2007)

:laugh: What a suave boy Raph is! I'm sure that would impress me if I was a girl bun.

Poor boy, he just can't get a break can he? I'm so glad he'swith you. Who knows what would have happened if he had beenbought by someone else?


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## jordiwes (Jan 16, 2007)

Typical man! Only motivated by food and.... ahem.

I'm so glad Raph has such a good mom to take care of him. It must be hard to see your baby with those health problems.

Hugs and strength to you.


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## Haley (Jan 16, 2007)

How is it I never saw your blog before? I just read through the whole thing and I have to say, your babies are adorable!

Raphael reminds me a lot of Katt's Herman. I just love that sleek greycoat and those long ears! Do they require any special attention? Likedoes he ever trip on them?! 

Very cute!


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## Bassetluv (Jan 16, 2007)

*naturestee wrote:*


> :laugh: What a suave boy Raph is! I'msure that would impress me if I was a girl bun.
> 
> Poor boy, he just can't get a break can he? I'm so glad he'swith you. Who knows what would have happened if he had beenbought by someone else?


Yeah, I'd probably fall for the bugger too if I was a bunny. Annathough, seems to have very particular taste...she would snub himconstantly whenever he would follow her about in the yard, keeping himat paw's length(though when she wasn't looking, I would seethem sleeping next to one another). LOL...but she was such a tease withhim too! She'd wait until he was practically on top of her beforedashing off, but only running far enough away that Raph would beenticed to pursue her.

I hate to think of what would have happened to Raph...something tellsme he wouldn't be here today if he hadn't come into my life. Apparentlysomeone did put a down payment on him a week or two before I saw him,but changed her mind and didn't follow through with the purchase. Ialso found out that his dad was humanely destroyed (there's an oxymoron) not too long after I got Raph too. Never found out why, but I wouldimagine his dad must've had a ton of physical problems too. So at leastRaph can have a home with me for as long as he isn't in pain, or if hedoes have pain, so long as it is controllable. I'm also grateful hecame to me, as I shudder to think of the consequencesifsomeone had bought him and had used him for breeding stock. So now hismain purpose in life is to sit in his bunny bed and look cool...and toreach out and give my dog a chomp on the rear end when she gets tooclose to his bed. Yep, he did that a couple of times. He must've beenin a bad mood, as normally he would tolerate Kaya, but not the cats.And it _really_ ticked off Kaya cuz she knew she wasn't allowed toretaliate! Man, did she ever get upset! LOL).


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## Bassetluv (Jan 16, 2007)

*jordiwes wrote: *


> Typical man! Only motivated by food and.... ahem.
> 
> I'm so glad Raph has such a good mom to take care of him. It must be hard to see your baby with those health problems.
> 
> Hugs and strength to you.


LOL! jordiwes, I do have to laugh at Raph because he really is atypical male. You're absolutely right...motivated by food and...ahem.(Just like my ex was!)

Sometimes I feel as though I'm not such a great mom to Raph, as I hearof somany others who do so much for their rabbits, and withme working all day I tend to sometimes feel neglectful. I also have tokeep their cages in the basement as I don't have room in the houseitself (really, it's like I live in a shoebox, cuz the house is dividedinto half and is designated as a duplex). I bring them upstairs whenI'm home, and during the day Raph and Anna can see one another as theircages are a few feet apart, so they don't feel lonely. They get the runof the yard during non-winter months when I'm home too, yet still Iwish I could do more for them. It would be wonderful to have a room Icould set aside to give to them...but I definitely need a bigger house.Guess I will have to put that on my wish list for Christmas next year.

Thank you jordiwes and naturestee, for your kind words. You know, whenRaph first began having difficulty getting around it bothered me to noend. I felt so guilty because I couldn't afford to look into surgeryfor him, and I wanted so much to help him. It was hard to watch him ashe would try to keep his footing, only to have his legs give out onhim. But I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and fromthe time I first saw Raph's picture online at the breeder's website, Iknew he was to come into my life for a specific purpose. And now Ithink I know what that purpose is. I've always loved animals, yet neverfelt as though I was doing enough for my pets; those I've have in thepast or the current gang. Raphael has been motivating me to give thatextra bit of myself, and I am so grateful to him for that. From themoment I saw him I knew that he was extremely special, and could feelit. So even through all the bunny poo and urine-dipped ears (and spraysand nips and evil-eyed glares from him when I'd get too close to hisAnna), he has been, and continues to be,a joy.


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## Bassetluv (Jan 16, 2007)

Haley, you probably didn't notice this blogbecause I don't post to it very often. :?Actually there's alot of threads I never even see in this forum, as I'm in and out ofhere so briefly that I don't tend to read a lot...so I never even thinkto update my own thread.

As for Raph's ears, I do have to clean them out every few days (and boydoes he hate it!). He gets a buildup of wax in the ear canal and itdrives him crazy if it's left there. I had heard that this was aparticular problem with English lops...though I'm not sure how well a'regular' E-lop would keep it's ears clean, with Raph I am the solecaretaker of his, as he cannot use his hind legs well enough to get hishind foot in there and clean them out. He can reach up and scratchbehind his ears, but can't access inside them. I also have to make surehis claws were short, as he would 'nick' the ear cartilage whenscratching.

And yes, he used to trip over them constantly! LOL. Raph's gait was abit different than other rabbits, as I suspect his entire skeletalstructure is a bit wonky. His hind feet would come further forward thana regular rabbit's - both when hopping and when just sitting - so hewould forever be trodding on his ears.I watched him one dayas he was hopping about in the backyard, and he suddenly gotstuck...one of his big hind feet was firmly planted on an ear that washanging down, and he couldn't figure out why he couldn't go forward.Poor guy...it took him a minute or so to realize he was stepping onhimself! He finally lifted his foot and off he went again.


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## LuvaBun (Jan 16, 2007)

Aww, I'm so glad that Raph has you for hismommy. Poor boy has so much to cope with (not least his raginghormones). I commend you for all that you do for this gorgeous bun .

Jan


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## AngelnSnuffy (Jan 16, 2007)

Oh, Luvabun- I have been cracking up at how you describe ol' Ralph and his antics-how cute.

You are a wonderful bun mom for him-thank God You got him-and yes I agree it was for a reason.


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## Bassetluv (Jan 22, 2007)

Afraid Raph's not doing so well this morning. OnThursday he had a bout of diarrhea (or what looks to us folk asdiarrhea...it was all over him and his bedding). I had to clean him up,freshen his bedding, and make him more comfortable again. He did perkup somewhat, his appetite - which had been wavering a bit - got better,and the diarrhea cleared up overnight. However, over the past couple ofweeks or so I'd been noticing that he no longer would eat all of hispellets in his dish - and Raph has always had a humongous appetite.Well,over the weekend it dropped off quite a bit. He stoppedeating his pellets altogether, then gave up his most favoritefood...his oats. He's still been eating his veggies all along, but thismorning I noticed that even they went only half-eaten. I've been givinghim what I can with a syringe, but cannot force him to take very much.I think his body is starting to tire, and he's losing the will to go on.

Guess I'm still hoping for a miracle, in that Raph will perk up andwant to live...but he has so many problems with hisjoints andhis muscles that I cancertainly understand why he's goingdownhill. I did know that this was coming, just didn'treallythink it would be such a rapid decline. All I can do is cuddle him andmake him comfortable, and hope that he's not suffering in any way. 

Any prayers for Raphie would be appreciated...


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## SOOOSKA (Jan 22, 2007)

I will definetly say a prayer for Raphie. He is such a beautiful boy.

Susan:apollo:


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## LuvaBun (Jan 22, 2007)

Oh no! Not beautiful Raphie. I am so sorry thathe has taken a turn for the worse. I will be praying that it is just atemporary setback, and he decides to fight on again ray:ray:

Jan


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## Haley (Jan 22, 2007)

Oh No! I'll definitely be praying for little Raphael.

Have you given him some pedialyte? I would syringe him some to try andrehydrate him. He probablycould use some extrafluidif hes having diarrhea.


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## katt (Jan 22, 2007)

i can't believe i missed this thread! i just went and read the whole thing.

i am so sorry to hear about all his health problems, i have known ofmany breeders to have health problems with their english lops.

i hope that he gets better, and will keep him in my thoughts. . . .


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## naturestee (Jan 22, 2007)

Lots and lots of prayers for Raph! Keep fighting, boy! ray:

And I do agree with Haley's suggestion of Pedialyte. It might help and could make him feel more comfortable.


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## Bassetluv (Jan 22, 2007)

Thanks, guys...I think this is just beginning tohit me, that I could lose Raph soon. Someone even asked me about itlast week and I said I was fine; but it turns out I've probably justbeen burying the emotions. And to look at Raph this morning, he justlooked so...sad. I can't tell if he's experiencing much in the way ofpain; it doesn't seem like it for the most part, but I've begun to givehim something for it just in case. He does have pain when his musclesseize, which oddly, happens whenever he is touched around theshoulders. It is like his body cramps up...like someone having acharlie horse in their leg...and then it goes away. But otherwise hejust lies there...and yesterday Anna was sharing his cage, going in andout, keeping him company...and Raph was still showing interest in her,turning his head and tugging at her fur. But this morning he trulylooked depressed, would just lie there, and would sometimeshalf-heartedly eat a piece of romaine, then stop...and it just broke myheart.

Haley, I haven't given Raph any pedialyte, no...but it sounds like agood idea, so I'll pick some up on the way home. His diarrhea didn'tlast long; he only had one small bout of it and it cleared up the nextmorning, but he isn't drinking very much water, so getting electrolytesinto him might help. Thanks very much for that suggestion. I've beengiving him some water (which he absolutely hates) and have been makingsure his veggies are well soaked as well; maybe adding pedialyte to themix will do something. But you know, to look at him he simply looks asthough he's decided he doesn't want to go on. Guess I will take my cuefrom Raph...I'll keep on trying to encourage him; if he starts torespond I'll be so grateful...but if he doesn't respond then I mighthave to do the kindest thing for him. My biggest worry right now iswrapped up in preventing him from suffering.

It's so hard watching a pet go downhill, and feel helpless to doanything about it. And I think it's doubly hard right now, as Raph ismy heart bunny...


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## Snuggys Mom (Jan 22, 2007)

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

Praying very hard for you and Raph.

ray:


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## Bassetluv (Jan 22, 2007)

Thank you, Snuggysmom...:hug2:


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## jordiwes (Jan 22, 2007)

Di, you and Raph aredefinitely in my thoughts. It must be very hard for you.


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## Bassetluv (Jan 22, 2007)

Thanks jordiwes...I found today to be verystressful, for sure. I didn't want to leave Raph and go to work, buthad a couple of papers with deadlines that had to be done, and I'dalready taken off a good part of Friday to be with him. Tonight I'mfeeling a tiny bit better, as he seems to have perked up a bit. Whereasthis morning he was very lethargic and looking so sad, after I camehome tonight Raph seemed to be doing somewhat better. I started givinghim baby aspirin just in case he was having pain, and I picked up somepedialytes on my way home today and got some of that into him. Not longafter that he began drinking some water out of his dish - Raph hadpretty much stopped drinking on his own a little while ago - so thiswas a good sign. (I know there was a woman in another website with adisabled rabbit who said it's not uncommon for disabled bunnies to gooff their feed and water...she said her rabbit refuses to drink waterat all any more, and hasn't now for months.) 

I also picked up a special treat for Raphtonight...craisins...something he hasn't had in ages. And that caughthis attention! I was surprised that he still showed such interest inthem given his lack of appetite, but he devoured the few that I gavehim, and then a little while later actually began eating some of hisoats. He's lost weight, so I hope this continues to help his appetiteand maybe his weight will pick up again. He ate a pretty good helpingof dandelion, parsley, and carrot top this evening (at least, a goodstart for him) and a few tastes of his oats, so I've got my fingerscrossed. I actually put the carrot tops (his favorite) in his waterdish so he'd be forced to reach into the water to take them out, and itseemed to work, as it was after this he took a few voluntary drinks ofwater. Plus he gets the water that the tops soak in when he eats them.And he seems to like the pedialyte, even though he wouldn't take it onhis own; when I would syringe it into his mouth he'd struggle, but oncehe got the taste of it would start taking it from the syringe withoutmy prompting him.

Must admit, I feel very drained from all of this.. I guess I'd beenfeeling it for a while but refused to admit it to myself. It's likehaving a sick child and feeling so helpless, and the problem with arabbit is, they can't tell you if and where they hurt, or how much. 

Thanks for your kind words, everyone...it's so nice to know that others understand and empathize...it really means so much...


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## Haley (Jan 23, 2007)

I know just how you feel. Its so drainingemotionally to look after a sick bun. And its hard to know if youredoing the right thing for them. Im praying for you. It sounds likeyoure doing a great job keeping him motivated and more alert.

Im so happy he's taking the pedialyte and drinking/eating more on hisown. Will he eat his pellets? If not, maybe you could mix some with thepedialyte or pumpkin and syringe it in. Poor dear.

I'll be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.


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## Bassetluv (Jan 23, 2007)

So far Raph hasn't really eaten his pellets...Iwas thinking of creating a slurry them and mixing them with some babyfood to see if he'd like that - if I can hit on things he will takewillingly, it's much better than me having to force him to eat. Hedoesn't touch his hay (or very little of it, anyway), but he never wasmuch of a hay eater...Anna is the one who chows down on it. But thismorning he was looking quite a bit better than yesterday morning...muchmore alert, and was munching on a carrot when I left. I'll be taking mydog to the vet's soon, and will ask what he thinks about pain meds forRaph...though I don't really trust my vet's opinion a whole lot,unfortunately. The baby aspirin seemed to be what perked him up (andthe pedialyte probably helped quite a bit too). I gave him some morepedialyte this morning via syringe and put some in his water too. It'shard to tell when Raph's in pain, as he doesn't display it the way aregular bunny would...sitting hunched in a corner, or more quiet thanusual...he just lies there, but the telltale sign seems to be going offhis favorite foods and not sitting up quite as alertly. I want tomassage his muscles for him, as lying down all the time must get ratherpainful for them, but his body isso sensitive that massagecauses his muscles to spasm.

Though I've seen pumpkin mentioned here many times I've never tried itwith Raph. I may do that too, just to see if he takes to it. Anythingto keep his appetite stimulated! Now we have a nightlyritual...he sits beside me in his little cat bed and watches tv withme...old reruns of Dallas and Friends. Oh, and of course...AnimalPlanet too...though I suspectRaph doesn't care what show isplaying so long as his face and ears are getting stroked...


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## Haley (Jan 24, 2007)

How's he doing today?

I would ask the vet about pain meds like Metacam. Its amazing how well a bunny can heal once his body isnt in any more pain.

I hope Raphael continues to improve. I'll be praying for himray:


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## Bassetluv (Jan 24, 2007)

This morning Raph looked the same asyesterday...better, but definitely not his old self. He's eating a fairbit now...takes a while for him to get through his meal, but at leasthe didn't leave any overnight this time. I gave him a bunch of hay andveggies and a bit of fruitthis morning, so hopefully he'llhave the appetite to get through it. He still doesn't drink much, but Itry to encourage him. I recall one woman in the disabled rabbit groupmentioning that her rabbit stopped drinking water altogether quite along time ago, and at first she tried to force fluids into him, butthen finally just gave him veggies that were wet, and he seemed to getall of his liquids that way. I am giving Raph syringed pedialyte and amalso giving him some water...and he does drink a tiny bit out of hiswater dish, so hopefully that will suffice for him.

Haley,just as you've suggested, Metacam seemed to be the drugof choice for other disabled rabbit owners in the other forum. I'mgoing to ask my vet about it and see what he says. Hopefully he will beknowledgeable about rabbits and which drugs are okay to use...as hedidn't seem to be when I took Scooby in for neutering and subsequentlylost him during the surgery. (Unfortunately I realized this after thefact...even though my vet had assured me he was used to treatingrabbits. :?) Not sure if he prescribes Metacam, but I will find out ifhe can order it in if he doesn't.

Since it's hard to tell when Raph is in pain...whether it's all thetime, or episodic...I am wondering if there is any longterm harmgivingMetacam on a daily basis (i.e., either an eventualbreakdown of the effect of the drug if used regularly, or harmful sideeffects from long-term use). The people in the other forum who wereusing Metacam for their rabbits were using it longterm (years) on adaily basis. Right now I've been giving Raph baby aspirin, 3/4 of apill once in the morning and once in the evening, and that seems tohelp. Just how much it helps his pain though, is hard to say. One thingthat Raph does have going for him is his voracious appetite...I suspectif he had always been a picky eater, he would have been off his feed along time ago, and wouldn't be bouncing right back into eating again.LOL...when I used to feed the two rabbits in the evenings, it was aliteral shoving match between myself and Raph to see who could get tothe food dish first...me with the food, or his big head looking to grabit before it hit the bowl. And his nose would get thrust right intoit...he reminded me of one of those pigs who are trained to hunt downtruffles!


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## Haley (Jan 24, 2007)

I use Metacam with no problems. My boy Max hasbeen on it for about a month (.2 ccs per day) because he was having alot of pain due to his continual upper respiratory/nasal problems andan abscess in his jaw that was removed (and might still be there).

As far as I know its safe for long term use. He seems to relax a lot after his daily dose..


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## Bassetluv (Jan 24, 2007)

Okay, thanks Haley...that's definitely good toknow. Will see what my vet says when I take my dog in, I'll ask himabout pain meds for Raph. (That's another worry...my dog has developedtwo lumps on her body. I'm hoping they're just fatty deposits...Idefinitely don't want to be faced with her being ill too.)

And give hugs to Max from me...poor little guy!


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## naturestee (Jan 25, 2007)

Hugs for you and *my* boy Raph! :kiss:


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## Bassetluv (Jan 25, 2007)

awww ... thanks so much Naturestee...I&#39;m off to the vet tonight with Kaya, so hopefully I&#39;ll come home with something for Raph to ease his pain...


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## Pipp (Jan 26, 2007)

How was the vet trip? 

I&#39;ve been thinking about Raph constantly and remembering the day you got him. :love

Hope they had some suggestions to make him feel better. 



sas ray:


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## Bassetluv (Jan 26, 2007)

Hey Sas (love that little drawing of the lop! It&#39;s adorable). 

Well, I took my dog to the vet last night to have her lumpiness checked out, and fortunately it turns out that she&#39;s just a lumpy fool. She has fatty deposits under her skin, so unless they change drastically in some way, she should be okay. While I was there I asked the vet what he could give me for Raph in the way of pain medication, as it&#39;s become pretty obvious that the poor guy is in a fair bit of pain most of the time now (for him to turn down food, you know something is wrong). He suggested starting him off on a low dose of Metacam - which is what most bunny people have mentioned to me as well...they use it for their rabbits. For some reason the first dose has to be injected, so Raph is going in tomorrow afternoon (I was hoping to just pick up a prescription and take them home to him). Since I do see improvement with him when I give him baby aspirin, I&#39;m hopeful that the Metacam will help him even more. He actually ate a bit more of his pellets last night along with some oats, and cleaned up all of his veggies. I wantRaph&#39;s appetite to pick up even more as he&#39;s lost a fair bit of weight...my heart breaks when I pick him up, he feels so frail. So if the Metacam kicks in well, hopefully his appetite will pick up too. I can&#39;t wait to get him to the vet tomorrow for his pain meds and see how he does.

Gosh, it&#39;s not that long ago that Raph came to live with me, is it? Only a year and a half ago. I was so excited, waiting to get him...and the day he came into my life it changed me. He&#39;s truly a special soulmate...one look in his eyes and I swear we connected at some unspoken level. Anna also came to me in a special way, and she too is a very special bunny...but it&#39;s Raph who carries that &#39;wisdom of the ages&#39; in him. Wish I could post a recent pic of him, but my son has the camera. :?I&#39;ll post one of his sink pictures I guess...though I did post them before, they were the last ones I took before my son left back in December. I&#39;ll have to try and borrow my sister&#39;s camera sometime and get some new ones.

His birthday&#39;s coming up too, February 23rd...he&#39;ll be all of two! I will have to try and think of something special to give to him, as he surely does deserve it. 

Oh, on another topic, this was a bit weird. Last night as I was running to the vet&#39;s with Kaya (running to keep warm because it&#39;s so frickin cold here! -32 deg C yesterday, and the same for today and tomorrow), suddenly a scene from Dances With Wolves flashed into my head...the scene where John Dunbar is running and playing with the wolf, Two Socks. The movie has been airing here this week, so it&#39;s not surprising I envisioned that scene I guess...even though I haven&#39;t been watching the movie itself. But as I ran I pictured a wolf running along beside me, which was a bit odd. Three or four minutes later I walked into the vet&#39;s office with my dog. It&#39;s a very old house run by one vet, so his volume of customers isn&#39;t high...you&#39;re lucky to see more than two people and their pets sittingthere at the most. But was I ever in for a surprise...I walked into the office and there, pacing back and forth in the waiting room, was a wolf! Someone had him as a pet, an amazing, beautiful animal, very gentle with extremely soulful eyes. I just found it so ironic that I&#39;d suddenly pictured a wolf in my head as I was running, only to see one actually in the clinic when I walked in. Strange...:shock:

Raph in the sink (getting his eyes and ears treated):


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## Haley (Jan 26, 2007)

aww look at that face! he seems like such a good boy, mine wouldnt sit there like that I dont think 

I really hope that Metacam helps. Some bunines will eat a lot more once they are relieved of the pain, but I also know a few that the pain meds upset their stomach, so just keep an eye on him (which Im sure you will). 

I&#39;ll be praying for the little guy. Let us know how he does once the pain meds kick in!


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## Bassetluv (Jan 29, 2007)

You know, I think I fall more in love with my pets every day. 

Raph started his pain meds on Saturday, and they do seem to be helping. (Mind you, I have to be extra careful when giving them to him, as he hates having it administered and will fight it...and if he struggles too much, it triggers a long painful muscle spasm in him.  So we&#39;re both learning how to get around that...)

Anyway, in the past couple of days I began noticing something with Raph. When I&#39;m home I leave his cage door open while I&#39;m doing things around the house. He would laze in his cage, seemingly pretty comfy. But lately he started &#39;falling&#39; out of his cage...I&#39;d walk by and every time I did, he&#39;d be lying on the floor in front of the open door. So I&#39;d put him back in again, only to find him back out on the floor 5 to 10 minutes later.

Then it dawned on me that he was trying to get a change of scenery, so this evening I put him on a towel in the living room (which I normally do anyway when I&#39;m watching tv). I went back out to the kitchen, and about 10 minutes later there was Raph, this time lying in the doorway. I put him back on his towel and then went into the bedroom to go on the computer. I got up a few moments later and...there was Raph, in the doorway again...only this time pointed in the direction of the bedroom. So I brought him into the bedroom and propped him up on Kaya&#39;s dog bed. Went to work on the computer, turned around a few moments later, and there was Raph...almost at my feet. 

Sometimes I wonder who is more intelligent...me or him. It only took me a few days to realize what he&#39;s been doing...Raph has been trying to follow me! Every time I&#39;m in a different room, or area of a room, than him, he has been struggling to make his way over to me. This is new behavior to him, as he used to be content remaining in his cage; though I suspect with the pain he was in earlier he wouldn&#39;t have tried to move around very much at all. I had no idea he was this attached to me, and I feel so badly for not realizing what he had been attempting to do. So now I sit here typing this with my best bud stretched out on my lap, happy as a clam...and me wishing I&#39;d taken notice of his &#39;rabbitspeake&#39; earlier.


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## Pipp (Jan 29, 2007)

*Bassetluv wrote: *


> Raph started his pain meds on Saturday, and they do seem to be helping. (Mind you, I have to be extra careful when giving them to him, as he hates having it administered and will fight it...and if he struggles too much, it triggers a long painful muscle spasm in him.  So we&#39;re both learning how to get around that...)


 Pipp loves her Metacam almost as much as she loves her oats. She chases the syringe. Didn&#39;t the vet make it banana flavoured? 

Bassetluv* wrote: *


> So now I sit here typing this with my best bud stretched out on my lap, happy as a clam...and me wishing I&#39;d taken notice of his &#39;rabbitspeake&#39; earlier.


 
A w w w w w w w ... :inlove:



sas et al


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## Bassetluv (Jan 29, 2007)

> Pipp loves her Metacam almost as much as she loves her oats. She chases the syringe. Didn&#39;t the vet make it banana flavoured?


 Would you believe the only flavor choices I had were chicken or beef? I guess the vet doesn&#39;t get very many non-cat/dog patients, and so those were the only flavors he carried. :? I&#39;ll have to ask him if he can order in banana flavor for Raph. Poor guy has chicken-flavored medicine at the moment....no wonder he protests...he&#39;s not a &#39;meatatarian&#39;...! :shock:


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## katt (Jan 29, 2007)

aww. . .that is so cute that he is trying to fallow you around the house. . .

when i read that i first thought of a mental photos of someone hauling a bunny around the house in one of those baby snuggle things, and the rabbit just a content as possible

(photo just off of a random google search. . .)


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## Pipp (Jan 29, 2007)

*Bassetluv wrote: *


> Poor guy has chicken-flavored medicine at the moment....no wonder he protests...he&#39;s not a &#39;meatatarian&#39;...! :shock:


 

:yuckpoor Raph! 

Try mixing it with a bit of watered down honey. A little sugar is better than a struggle. 



sas


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## Bassetluv (Jan 30, 2007)

katt, my sister used to have one of those slings for her son and it was the best thing he ever had. Her boy is a wildchild (has been from the day he was born!) and the sling was about the only thing that could calm him down. (Boy, wouldn&#39;t Raph love one of them...LOL) That baby in the photosure looks contented!


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## Bassetluv (Jan 30, 2007)

> Try mixing it with a bit of watered down honey. A little sugar is better than a struggle.


 Thanks for the tip sas...I&#39;ll give that a try tomorrow and see if it makes a difference...


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## Bassetluv (Feb 26, 2007)

I am now feeling more and more like I have ababy than a rabbit. My house and cupboards are slowly being taken overby a variety of baby items: Pedialyte, Desitin cream, baby blankets,and now...diapers. 

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with my sister and decided to pick upa bag of diapers to try out on Raph. I have puppy training pads that Iplace under him when he lies with me on the sofa, but with the volume(and trajectory) that the boy is capable of when he decides to imitatea water fountain, everything within a rather uncomfortable long-rangefocus gets hit. So after a lot of trial and error (and a lot of ribbingfrom my sister), I managed to get a pair of diapers on Raph. I mustadmit they seem to work, though it's an effort to get them positionedproperly so he cannot squirm out of them. But something funny happenedthis morning, and I wanted to share....

I brought Raph out of his cage and put him down on the dog's bed on thefloor, then put a diaper on him to keep the area clean and dry. He wasfine, sitting there grooming himself, not showing any signs ifindignity over having to wear pants with dancing bears on them (maybeto him they were a sign of 'coolness'). Well, I had my back to him as Isat at the computer, when suddenly I heard *riiiiiiiiiippppp*. I turnedaround to look, and what did I see? Anna had come running over and wasyanking the new cool panties off her partner! She'd undone one side ofthe diaper with lightning speed and was about to go for the other sidewhen I grabbed her. I had to put her back in her cage while Ireadjusted Raph's new duds and then assured him that he indeed, did notlook like a bunny nerd, as Anna so obviously thought.

What's ironic is the fact that those two reminded me eerily of my dadand stepmom several years ago. If they were going out to dinnersomewhere, my dad would change his clothes and come out of the bedroom,only to have Marion take one look at him and demand, "Oh John...you'reNOT going to wear that, are you? You look ridiculous...go and changeinto something else right now!!"

Yep...Anna and Raph...my dad and stepmom...many similarities there....:?


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## Snuggys Mom (Feb 26, 2007)

Anna! :foreheadsmack:

Maybe she's jealous! 

Raph is so sweet, being such a good sport. Kiss that beautiful boy for me!


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## Haley (Mar 27, 2007)

LOL, I missed the diaper fiasco, that is too funny. Raph is such a good boy though.

How's he doing, by the way? Ive been thinking of him. ray:


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## Bassetluv (Mar 27, 2007)

Haley, with Raph every day is different. Somedays he looks 'off'...just not feeling great; yet others he lookstotally alert and his old self. This morning when I got up he wassitting in his cage and eagerly awaiting breakfast, very alert andbright-eyed (always starts my day off great seeing him like that). Partof the morning routine with him now is to sweep out his cage, clean hisfur of any glued-on poops, give him some lettuce, syringe-feed himfluids, give him his meds, then prepare the rest of his breakfast. So Iwas cleaning his hind end today and was surprised to see him reacharound and start licking his back leg and pulling off bunny balls onhis own...prior to this he couldn't reach that far back. I've beengiving him glucosamine/chondroitin every evening as someone from thedisabled rabbit forum suggested it might help with joint mobility. He'sbeen on it for some time now...3 months perhaps...and I wasn't sure ifI was seeing much in the way of improvement and was ready to take himoff of it. But after seeing him do that this morning, I guess maybe itis helping. 

Poor guy has no muscle left in his hind end now...atrophy fromnon-use...so he looks and feels rather boney back there. But thankfullyhis bedding is very soft and it helps keep pressure sores away,something that is always a concern with an animal that can't walk. I'malso constantly dealing with urine issues in Raph too...he has atendency to get a buildup of sludge in his urine and sometimes hasdifficulty going now. So added to the routine...expressing the bladderfor him if it seems he can't. But it is all so worth it when I see himalert and eager for his meals! I was sort of hoping that I could get abigger cage and house Raph and Anna together so she could keep himcompany during the day, but alas, it wasn't meant to be...Anna has noconsideration for Raph at all. Left to her own devices, she will justas soon sit on his head and make herself comfy, while Raph gets upsetand dishevelled underneath her. (I can just hear his muffledcomplaints..."Hey, my hair! My hair!! (ala 'O Brother Where ArtThou'.)) And I also discovered yesterday that Raph, despite being quitedisabled, still has raging hormones. Anna hopped up to him as he lay inhis little doggie bed on the floor, he took one look at her, reachedover and grabbed the fur on her face and began his 'grunt-grunt-grunt'sounds (translation...'C'mere woman...yer _mine_!!'). Needless tosay, Anna was not impressed and huffed out of the room. Well, I guessRaph was entitled...payback for her sitting on his head that onetime...:?

So he's doing as well as can be expected...perhaps even better thanexpected, considering all the problems he has. I never thought he'dmake it this far, but Raph has an appetite like a horse and a strongwill to live, and that's enough for me.


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## Haley (Mar 30, 2007)

Im so sorry I missed your response!

I am so glad to hear he's doing okay. I really hope that youre rightand that medication is working for him. You are doing such a wonderfuljob with him. I know how difficult it can be but it is so rewardingwhen they give you that "thank you" look or lick your hand or snuggleup to you. 

I'll be keeping him (and you)in my prayers.


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## Bassetluv (Apr 8, 2007)

Well, I posted in the forum last week that Raphhad to go to the vet's cuz he wasn't feeling well. He's going forx-rays next week, but the good news is, his appetite has come back. He wasn't entirely off his food but didn't eat with the same enthusiasmas in the past, and wouldn't clean up his dish (highly unusual forhim). So we upped his pain meds and that seemed to help; he's now morealert again and has a healthy, eager appetite.

I wanted to post a few new pics of him, since my son is visiting and Igot to borrow the camera (yay!). Ignore the mess of my kitchen and thebunny cages (Anna's is especially trashed with hay and stuff)...I justtook the pics not long after getting up, and the rabbit cages are dueto be cleaned - bedding washed, etc. The kitchen...well, no excusethere...I'm just messy. 

Raph attempting to clean his face:







At home in his house (the black ball in the dish isn't bunny-made...it's a raisin ):






Eating in his *chair*:






PEE!!! He's been peeing on his own lately, a good sign (and in the meantime, Anna was desperately trying to steal Raph's food)
:






Another shot:






"I'm too sexy for my diapers...too sexy..."






Lounging:






And a close-up of Anna's face (she insisted):







I have to explain the *chair* that Raph is in. I wanted something forhim that would support his weight and get him off of his side,hopefully giving his muscles and internal organs a bit of relief. Notbeing able to find anything, I finally decided to make something on myown. Not that I'm a carpenter by any means...this thing turned outrather wonky, but it seems to do the trick. As you can probably tellfrom the pics, the sling itself needs to be replaced with somethingmore supportive...Raph winds up slumping in it at times, and is a bittoo low. But overall he seems to rather appreciate going in it; I'msure his acheing muscles do anyway. 

Anyway, I didn't even realize it till after I took these pics, but it'sEaster today! So Happy Easter to all who read this thread...and maybeI'll post a couple in the main forum to wish everybody a more properEaster holiday. :bunnydance:


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## Haley (Apr 8, 2007)

Happy Easter to you and your family (bunnies included, of course) 

Seeing those pics of Raph just breaks my heart. He is such a beautifulboy and he's so lucky to have a mom as devoted and loving as you. Thechair is a wonderful idea to keep him stabilized. What a little fighterhe is (and such a trooper to wear the diapers). 

God Bless you for doing so much for this special guy. Youre really wonderful :hug2:


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## Bassetluv (Apr 8, 2007)

aawww .... thanks Haley, though I think thereally wonderful one is Raph, for having to endure so much (includingAnna's opinion's on his attire ). He's a very special guy, and it'sall worth it to be his human slave.


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## LuvaBun (Apr 8, 2007)

And a very Happy Easter to you and yours too .I know we all get excited when our rabbits poop properly, but I thinkwe should all be happy that Raph ,anaged to pee on his own too . Ilove how you took the time and effort to make him the chair so that heis more comfy - you are a great bunny mom!

And *of course* Anna insisted on her photo - she is beautiful, afterall 

Jan


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## Bassetluv (Apr 13, 2007)

> And *of course* Anna insisted on her photo - she is beautiful, afterall


And she knows it too! LOL

Raph had his x-rays taken last evening...not sure how they turned outthough. The first ones were a bit blurry (vet said he wouldn't stopsquirming), but so far as he can tell, the problem that Raph's beenhaving is what I originally expected...it's more to do with his spinethan his legs. Actually I'd thought it was both, but according to thevet, Raph's hind legs aren't as in bad a shape as we'd thought. He doeshave luxating patellas, but he _should_ be able to still hop. Sothe problem seems to be originating in his spine. There were a coupleof spots toward his hip area where the vertebrae were deformed...atleast that's what the vet could make out in the first x-ray. He hadn'tlooked at the second one while I was there, as it was getting late andhe wanted to give it time to dry properly before looking at it. Thesecond one was a shot of Raph's upper region, so I will be curious tofind out what it reveals, as he's been having difficulty with hisshoulder area - extremely sensitive there, and he has muscle spasms iftouched a certain way in that area. The vet is supposed to call metoday to let me know.

All told, he was a pretty good little boy during the shoot...because ofthe position they needed him to be in, he was probably prettyuncomfortable, hence the squirming. I got to be in the room for thesecond x-ray, though I had to stand rather far back - behind thetechnician with the lead apron, as I didn't have one - and Raph was avery good boy during that one. They had to stretch him out and get himto lie perfectly still while he was on his back...no mean feat, evenfor a bunny without pain issues. So I'm proud of him! (LOL...I probablysounded like a worried mom when I was there...I kept saying, 'He likesto be scratched on the nose...just stroke him right there...Raph,you'll be okay, hang in there', etc.)

And hey, the vet even liked Raph's diaper...thought it was pretty cool, and apologized when he took it off of him...


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## AngelnSnuffy (Apr 13, 2007)

Oh. How wonderful. I misseda bit of this, sorry. I bet you are so proud ofhim. What a wonderful boy. I love thepics! I hope he continues to do better. This isgreat news. Let us know what the other xrays show.ray:


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## naturestee (Apr 14, 2007)

I missed this! That chair isawesome. I bet it's helping a lot, to get him into adifferent position like that. Let us know when you hear aboutthe xrays. I still think your vet is an angel!


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## m.e. (Apr 14, 2007)

Raph is just so handsome :inlove: 

I love that chair, what a lucky bunny to be so lovingly cared for :hug2:


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## Bunnys_rule63 (Apr 14, 2007)

Those pictures just melt my heart, I can seejust how much care you give to Raph.:hug2:

And he is still looking as beautiful as ever!:bunnyheart


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## Bassetluv (Apr 14, 2007)

Thanks everyone! :hug2:

My vet didn't call me yesterday, so I assume he got busy and/or forgot.I'll try and contact him on Monday to see what he says about the otherx-ray. 

Well, I'm biased I guess, but I take one look at this face every day






and my heart melts all over again. He's such a treasure to have, and hecertainly teaches me a lot about patience and about handling what lifethrows our way with grace. I've just been blessed to have Raph comeinto my life. He's definitely my heart bunny.

:inlove:


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## binkies (Apr 14, 2007)

You are the best mommy ever!


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## Bassetluv (Apr 15, 2007)

*binkies wrote: *


> You are the best mommy ever!


LOL...I don't feel that way most of the time, but thank you... :hug2:


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## TreasuredFriend (Apr 18, 2007)

Dear Raphael, I'm sending lots of groomingkisses. Your mom is a terrific lady. My momTreasuredFriend heard about you from naturestee.Please givemy mumtime to review all the postingsand photos of you!! I wish I could hop over and begin lickingyour forehead, Love from disabled Karla in Wisconsin


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## bat42072 (Apr 18, 2007)

how is raph doing... my prayers are with you and raph...

--becky:angelandbunny:


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## Bassetluv (Apr 18, 2007)

*TreasuredFriend wrote:*


> Dear Raphael, I'm sending lots of grooming kisses.Your mom is a terrific lady. My mom TreasuredFriend heardabout you from naturestee. Please givemymumtime to review all the postings and photos ofyou!! I wish I could hop over and begin licking yourforehead, Love from disabled Karla in Wisconsin


Dear Karla,

Raph here! Hey, I'd love it if you'd lick my forehead, since my partnerAnna seems to just want to sit on my head. :? She has noclass at all! Messes up my 'do and rips off my cool pants , thentosses her head and runs away. hhhmmmppphhh! Maybe if she knew she hada little competition that would straighten her out. Hey, I'm sorry tohear you're disabled too; did you know there's a whole lot of us bunsout there? It's okay...it just makes us more special (and we tend to beable to bribe a lot more treats from our moms cuz of it). 

Ask your mom to post your pic if she has one; I'd love to see you! (Andwe won't whisper a word of it to you-know-who *coughAnnacough*). Andtell your mom that she's definitely a special person for taking care ofsuch a sweet girl like you! 

Love, Raph

P.S. You can lick my forehead all you want - I'd be forever in your power - but just remember 'watch the hair! watch the hair!'


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## Bassetluv (Apr 18, 2007)

*bat42072 wrote: *


> how is raph doing... my prayers are with you and raph...
> 
> --becky:angelandbunny:




Thanks becky...Raph's doing very well lately! (crossing fingerswhenever I say that) He seems a bit more mobile lately - can movearound in his cage more than before...I will find him on his otherside, or sitting at the back of the cage, or facing the other directionthan the one I left him in; for the longest time after he stoppedwalking he could barely even hold his head up. His appetite is back tonormal once again too, and he's frisky - when my cat Tasha sat next tohim the other day, Raph reached over and quick as a flash he tried tochomp her! Luckily I was sitting next to him and thwarted his attemptto sculpt an entranceway into my kitty's side. Ever since Anna joinedthe family, Raph has been extremely jealous of the other animals,mostly the cats, and won't tolerate them going near him. When he wasstill mobile he would charge at them in the backyard, slamming intothem and giving them quite nasty nips - never broke skin, but sure didtake a chunk out of their dignity. :?He also used to do thatto me whenever I was near Anna...would charge at me from under theblackberry bushes. All I'd see was a mean blue bunny erupting from thebranches, ears flying and teeth bared, and I'd be hightailing it out ofthere! Raph nipped me a few times, never hard enough to do damage, butenough to let me know he was boss of the yard. I could just imaginewhat theneighbors would have thought if ever they saw me outthere, running like crazy from this ornery little beast with enormousears. Of course most of the time I didn't have to run far, as Raphwould almost always either take a tumble because of his legs, or he'dwind up tripping over his own ears and falling flat on his face.(Whenever that happened he'd pick himself up with a 'you didn't seethat' look, shake his head and scurry back underneath the bushes,totally embarrassed.)

Raph's days of being Anna's knight in shining armor may be over, but hestill rules the roost. And with me, he is now the sweetestcompanion...I am constantly getting nudged with his head and coveredwith kisses. I'm really looking forward to summer weather getting hereso I can take him out in the yard; he'll be able to lie under thebushes in the shade and take in all the sights and sounds. I'm surehe'll love that! Till then though, he's my date every evening to gettogether and watch tv. (Oh, and btw, he thinks Sanjaya's going to winAmerican Idol...:shock


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## binkies (Apr 18, 2007)

He is such a trooper!Give him some lovin' from me pleae.


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## Bassetluv (Apr 18, 2007)

Absolutely, I will...thanks binkies!


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## TreasuredFriend (Apr 22, 2007)

RAPHAEL !!!! You wrote back!! I won't tell my husbun BarryBear that we areemailing each other. My mum needs to figure out howto post pictures. Oh, don't mind about your hair.Gentlemen with a ruffled rugged look appeal to me. You aregrey like my husbun BarryBear. I hope we can keepemailing each other this way. I was flattered that you'd wantto see a picture of me.

My mum opened up a book called Rabbits: Gentle Hearts, ValiantSpirits. Would your mom like to have a copy ofit? Does she have time toread??You know iwas going to beeuthanized at a shelter in June 05 when my mum rescuedme. I just think rabbit guardians who look after us- even if we're different from normal bunnies and we can't hop-would like to read inspiration tales onothercaretakers with disabled bunns. Please accept somemore kisses, hang in there and thoughts are with you each andevery day. Love, Karla


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## tailof2rabbits (Apr 30, 2007)

> Of course most of the time I didn't haveto run far, as Raph would almost always either take a tumble because ofhis legs, or he'd wind up tripping over his own ears and falling flaton his face. (Whenever that happened he'd pick himself up with a 'youdidn't see that' look, shake his head and scurry back underneath thebushes, totally embarrassed.) Raph's days of being Anna's knight inshining armor may be over, but he still rules the roost. And with me,he is now the sweetest companion...I am constantly getting nudged withhis head and covered with kisses. I'm really looking forward to summerweather getting here so I can take him out in the yard; he'll be ableto lie under the bushes in the shade and take in all the sights andsounds. I'm sure he'll love that! Till then though, he's my date everyevening to get together and watch tv. (Oh, and btw, he thinks Sanjaya'sgoing to win American Idol...:shock


i'm sorry, Raph. sanjaya got the boot.  
you're a tough little guy and you're one of my mostest favoritestbunnies online. wish my babies and i could meet you and play with you.i tell my babies about you often. mocha definitely thinks your diapersare se-xay and wants to include you in our bunny body pile. you havethe best mum in the world.


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## jcottonl02 (Apr 30, 2007)

Wow...he is absolutely gorgeous.

I think English Lops (that is what he is, right? lol) are so beautifuland they look very intelligent for some reason- I think it may be thelonger faces.

How old is Raph?

He is very beautiful and you are very lucky to have him

Jen


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## Bassetluv (May 1, 2007)

Hey, Karla,

Tell your mum that pics aren't hard to post. All she needs is an onlinehosting site, like Photobucket (my mom uses that one). She can uploadpics there, then copy the url to any that she wants to post. Tell herto click on the 'insert image' icon on the tool bar in her reply box(that funny-looking one with the 3 balloons), and a box will pop up.She can then paste the url of her pic there and it will show up here! Ihope she's able to, as I'd love to see what you look like. 

So I had a trip to the vet's about a week ago (the place my mom takesme where there's all these weird animal smells...and a tall man in ajacket pokes and prods me...he has _no_ manners whatsoever!). Idunno what they were doing, but I had to lay on a cold table and havemy picture taken. My mom will explain what it was when she gets back onthe computer (she doesn't know I use it, so I have to be extra carefulnot to leave any evidence on the keyboard...strands of hay and bits ofoats tend to give her clues). Oh, and that book sounds great...my momreads a lot, and has a lot of catching up to do, but I will tell herabout that one so she'll know about it for later.She says Iam so special that all of her time is spent taking extra care of me.Which of course, doesn't make my head swell with pride oranything...but I do now make the other furry house members call me 'SirRaph'. (Well, the dog anyway...I'm still working on the cats.)

I can't believe they were going to do away with you at that shelterplace....grrrrr (my rabbit growl). Imagine...your mom saved yourlife...she must be the most special mom in the entire world!! I'll betyou give her lots of hugs and kisses every day for that. She's yourhero, for sure! :inlove:

Bunny hugs,

Raph


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## Bassetluv (May 1, 2007)

> i'm sorry, Raph. sanjaya got the boot.
> you're a tough little guy and you're one of my mostest favoritestbunnies online. wish my babies and i could meet you and play with you.i tell my babies about you often. mocha definitely thinks your diapersare se-xay and wants to include you in our bunny body pile. you havethe best mum in the world.


Geez....I knew he'd get kicked off. I was kinda getting used to hearingthat weird squawky human voice every week when mom would turn on thetv. Oh well...there's always next year, when he can try again. But Istill say the contest would be better with a rabbit or two on there.Maybe the white bunny from that Skittles commercial could try out? Andthen if Simon dissed him, he couldignore him with a verysincere 'bunny butt'....hehe...

And thanks to Mocha for the compliment on my bunny duds! I'da pickedthem out myself, except the big stores where my mom shops havesomething against sexy rabbits being in there. Guess they're too afraidthat I'd draw so much of a crowd from the females that a riot wouldbreak out or sumthin'. (Nope, no vanity there...)

Thanks, tailof2rabbits...I'll tell my mom what you said about her too...bet she'll turn all red in the face...

Bunnyraph hugs to you and your crew!

Raph


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## Bassetluv (May 1, 2007)

Hi Jen,

Yep, Raph's an English lop (they're my most favorite breed in theworld...so much loving personality!). He turned 2 in February, so isjust a young guy yet. I know what you mean about them looking moreintelligent too; not sure what it is - with Raph anyway - but he doeshave a very large head and very large eyes, so that might contribute.Or...maybe I'm just biased. 

Unfortunately, the longterm prognosis for him is not great. I had somex-rays taken of Raph's body a couple of weeks ago and just found outwhat the second set showed. The first one, taken of his lower half, wassurprising...we'd thought his leg joints were worse than they actuallyare (Raph has luxating patellas in both hind legs). But they aren't allthat bad, and his spine didn't look too bad either, except in a coupleof spots where it looked a wee bit odd. But it was the other set ofx-rays that revealed what's really going on with him...the vertebraestraight down his neck, running from the back of his head to hisshoulder area, are all squished together and deformed, which is what'scausing his pain and his non-ability to walk now. And the vet pointedout one spot and told me that one of the vertebra looks fractured...soit seems Raph has a broken spine, right at the shoulders. There'snothing that can be done for him except keep him comfortable aspossible and out of pain, for as long as he wants to be around. I didexpect that there wouldn't be much the vet would be able to do, but wassurprised at how large an area is affected, and was even more surprisedto hear he has a fracture too. But Raph perseveres, and he sure isteaching me a lot about dealing with adversity. He's a tough littlenut....

Thanks Jen...:hug2:


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## LuvaBun (May 1, 2007)

I'm sorry that the x-rays showed how much of aproblem poor Raph actually has to deal with. What a brave little soulhe is - and he has such a good mommy to care for him, too! Isthere anything that caused the fracture, or is it just a result of hiscondition?

Give him an (extra large) ear rub from me.

Jan


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## binkies (May 1, 2007)

Oh bless his little heart! I can't imaginedealing with what you are going through. You are a very strong person,not to mention very caring and wonderful.

Thank you so much for not giving up on him.


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## Bassetluv (May 1, 2007)

Thanks Jan and binkies...

I don't know what could have caused the fracture; I am assumingthatwith his condition, Raph's vertebrae are probably brittle(I didn't ask the vet about it...guess I was kind of shocked when hetold me about it). He'd been sensitive around the neck/shoulder areafrom the time he arrived almost two years ago, so it's possible hecould have had it even before I got him. When he was shipped to me hiscarrier had a tiny bit of hay at the bottom and nothing else - not evenenough to cover the bottom - so during the flight he might have slippedaround in it. It might also explain why, when I contacted the breederafter receiving Raph, she said he didn't display any signs of a problemwith his hind legs...the day after I got him I suspected something wasvery wrong, as he tumbled so much and seemed to have problems keepinghis feet under him. If he had a rough flight and was jostled about, thejoint problems might have shown up for the first time after he arrivedhere.

At any rate, I now know to be extra careful aroundRaph'sshoulder area. I always had been anyway, since he had always displayeda sensitivity there - he gets muscle spasms when touched in that area -but now, after seeing the x-rays, I'll be extremely careful whencarrying him or moving him about. Poor Raph has had so manyproblems...sometimes it feels so unfair. But he deals with it a lotbetter than me at times. :?


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## jcottonl02 (May 1, 2007)

Yes- I think that if I was ever to get another rabbit I would adore an english lop lol. And what a lovely name- Raph.
I am so sorry to hear that about Raph, but it sounds as if you reallycare for him and treat him so well. I am not very knowledgable aboutrabbits at the moment as I've only had Benji about 4 months..the onlything I really know about body-wise and the different things that canhappen to them are that they can break their back when kicking. But itsounds as if Raph has a wonderful life with you and you try and makehim as comfortable and pain free as possible- and to be honest- I don'tknow how long ago all those pictures were taken but he looks veryhappy- washing his feet etc.
I was at the vets today helping out, and was helping clean this rabbitthat had fly strike. I can't descibe how horrible and upsetting it was-but the rabbit had to be cleaned etc. so I didn't mind at all touchingmaggots (the disgusting little buggers), and then I found out this wasa rabbit kept at a nursery, and that is why it had gotten so badwithout someone noticing. How cruel.
That really brings it home how wonderful people like you are, caringfor an animal so well and treating it with the upmost respect and loveit deserves.
Well done you; he looks so happy.
Jen


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## dajeti2 (May 1, 2007)

:tears2i, I just finishedreading this wholethread. My heart goes out to you and Raph. I'm so sorry to hearhehis is having the problems he is, but am thrilled he hasyou. It's so heart warming the love between you both. Hugs toyou from all of us here at the Acres and please give Raph some extralovin' for me.


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## AngelnSnuffy (May 1, 2007)

Oh man, that stinks. PoorRaph. You tough little sweetie pie-you!:muscleman:You keep on perseveering (sp).

I can't imagine that happening on a plane, but I guess you neverknow. Maybe Raph will tell you someday how ithappened. Give some pats and kisses from me, he deservesthem!


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## Haley (May 1, 2007)

*Bassetluv wrote:*


> Poor Raph has had so many problems...sometimes it feels sounfair. But he deals with it a lot better than me at times. :?


Di, you and Raph are *both* amazing. As always, sending lots of prayers your way.


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## Bassetluv (May 3, 2007)

Thanks everyone...I haven't been around a wholelot in the past few days (two reasons: busy at work training a summerstudent, and I just haven't felt up to posting). Raph is doing okay,not quite as perky as he usually is, buthe does go throughperiods like that. He is refusing to drink, even from a syringe, so I'mtrying to get water into him through soaking his veggies. The vetsuggested I make him a slurry with his pellets, carrots, apples,etcmixed with water- even though he is still eatingsolid food - so I tried that and he seems to like it. That will helpwith his water intake too. His pain management seems to be still okay,as his appetite falls off when he is feeling too much discomfort, buthe's still eating a lot and he's pretty alert...just not drinking. Irecall one member of the disabled rabbits forum saying that theirdisabled rabbit also refused to drink fluids, and got most of it fromhis veggies instead, so hopefully Raph will do okay with that.

Thanks so much for all the best wishes and support! 

Di and Raph

(Jen: ewwwwww to the maggots...the poor bunny!)


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## dajeti2 (May 3, 2007)

Thank you for updating us. I'm glad he's eating for you. Will pray he starts drinking on his own for you.


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## binkies (May 3, 2007)

He is a great example for many of the humans I know. He doesn't give up, no matter what!


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## Pipp (Jun 22, 2007)

test


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## TreasuredFriend (Jul 28, 2008)

Please, please please Save this. I'm almost gonna cry now. OMG, you RO archive members with saved files. :hug::wave::rainbow::love::sunshine:Thank you Immensely Pipp, Haley, participants, and the CREW Of RO.

A special person to me has asked for a story on karla, which I am unable to provide at this time. I myself want to archive Raph and his poses & everything Bassetluv wrote!! For now, the special person who is interested in posting info on Karla has been sent info on Raph. In Karla's request, she wants Raph to take the spot at the starting line.... 

Binky bounds for archiving this.:mrsthumper: It is ultimately up to Di ~ Could Anna ask Raph if dat's okay? Would Yoofers be jealous? 

be back to archive and thank you RO FORUM for safekeeping. We love you Di,


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## Haley (Jul 28, 2008)

Glad to help 

We actually dont have any of them saved/archived... theyre all still here on the forum, somewhere. You just have to know how (or have the patience lol) to find them. 

If youre lookig for an old blog (or thread/post) from a member you click on their name once, then select "view profile" then click on "topics" and it will show you every topic (aka thread) that member has started. Or if you click "posts" if will show you every post that member has ever made. So if youre looking for a member's blog, you can look at their "topics"and page over until it shows the one youre looking for 

I was more than happy to dig up Raph's photo thread. He was always one of my favorite RO bunnies. His strength (and Di's love and devotion) was such an inspiration to us all.


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## TreasuredFriend (Feb 6, 2009)

Karla wanted to bump this again.


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## Bassetluv (Feb 6, 2009)

:kiss1:for Karla. 

I do believe Raph was watching over Yofi recently. Yof's feet were a mess last weekend; they had developed sore hocks and then became swollen...they were soft with two large masses in the center of each foot. I've seen infection in rabbits before, and this definitely looked like infection. I'd been treating them twice a day for almost two weeks but his feet just seemed to be getting worse, and I couldn't get him in to see the vet until Monday evening. So on the weekend I did a lot of praying, and Raph suddenly appeared in my mind...so I prayed to him too, to help Yofi's feet.

Monday morning I treated Yof's feet before going to work and thought, 'They seem different somehow'. Monday evening took him to the vets, and I was shocked. The vet examined him and said, 'There's no infection here...it's just irritation and inflamation. If there had been infection his feet would have been swollen and soft to the touch; you would have been able to leave an 'impression' in the area had you pushed on it'. Well, that's exactly how Yofi's feet _had_ appeared...until Monday. But at the vet's the area was firm and raised, like callouses, no softness whatsoever, no cracks and bleeding as there had been a couple of days prior. 

Was it the power of prayer (mine as well as others here)? Or the continued treatment that caused the sudden change? Or...did Raph somehow have something to do with it?

I think it was probably all three...but I somehow suspect Raph had a huge paw in it.


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