# Gabriel is dead!!!!!



## Maureen Las (Jul 14, 2008)

While Babette was getting private duty nursing care from me and I was throwing the other 6 rabbits greens and checking them quickly to see if they were OK ; Gabriel was getting sick and I didn't notice.The day she was PTS I picked him up and noted fairly severe urine scald on his genitals ( from sitting in one place) but since he had the mega-colon problem and didn't use the litterbox well I attributed much of this to being calmer after his neuter last spring. I started to treat him myself with neosporin and desitin and after a few weeks the redness was resolved but the lethargy didn't. About 1 and a half weeks ago I noted that he was eating a lot yet losing wt and attributed thatto eliminating his greens due to diarrhea from his mega-colon.
Several days ago I took a good hard look at him and thought "he looks like he's dying"

Today he spent the entire day at the vet"s getting tests and I never expected that I wouldn't take him home.

When the vet told me that he had severe irreversible renal failure I was shocked but really not shocked. Within the span of a few day he really looked sick. 

I had him PTS today and to be perfectly honest I was not prepared for this and I don't think that hewas either ..from such a non -perfect mother
The vet had no idea why a young rabbit would get renal failure at the age of 1 and a half

I posted On EB ; maybe it had to do from before he came to the shelter. 
I am not even here anymore ..................


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## timetowaste (Jul 14, 2008)

Oh my gosh...I'm so sorry angie....

Binky free, Gabriel!

Tracy


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## BEAUKEZRA (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry :sad:


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## naturestee (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry Maureen.:hug:

My thoughts- damage from his malnutrition etc. before he was brought to the shelter, or E.C. which can cause kidney failure.

Binky free little guy.

:sad:


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## Pipp (Jul 14, 2008)

Oh no, so sorry Maureen. . . :bigtears: You went through so much with that bunny. 

But you can't fix 'em all. When bunnies come to you in such bad shape, there is a great chance of permanent, irreversibledamage that won't be seen for months and months -- especially something like kidney damage. 

Theshelter saved his life to begin with and you made surethe time hehad was as happy as anybunny coulddream of. 

You did well by Gabriel.  

So sorry for your loss. 



sas :tears2:


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## FallingStar (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry. :cry4:

I bet Gabriel had a wonderful life with you. :hug2:

Binky Free Gabriel.


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## cheryl (Jul 14, 2008)

Oh Maureen....i'm so very sorry for your loss

Rest in peace little fella

~Cheryl


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## Haley (Jul 14, 2008)

Im so sorry to hear this awful news. Youve been through so much lately, Maureen. We're here for you if you need us.

Rest in peace little one. :bunnyangel:


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## BSAR (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm sorry for your unexpected loss. 

Rest in peace Gabriel. Binky free boy....


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## SOOOSKA (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear this terrible news.

Binky Free at the Bridge Gabriel.:rainbow:

Susan:bunnyangel2:


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## JimD (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry 

...binky free little one

ray::rainbow:


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## AngelnSnuffy (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry, Maureen. You did right by him though.

RIP Gabriel:rainbow:


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## undergunfire (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I hope your heart heals soon :hug:.


Rest in Peace and Binky Free, Gabriel :rainbow:.


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## seniorcats (Jul 15, 2008)

I am sorry for your loss. Binky free Gabriel.


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## TreasuredFriend (Jul 15, 2008)

Armloads of support and condolences at this painful time...


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## SnowyShiloh (Jul 15, 2008)

Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry to hear about your Gabriel. Poor little boy. RIP Gabriel... nothing makes me sad faster than hearing another of our buns has died


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## ellissian (Jul 15, 2008)

I'm so sorry  Binky free Gabriel


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## slavetoabunny (Jul 15, 2008)

:rip: Gabriel. You gave the little guy such a wonderful life. He knew he was loved.


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## Bunnicula (Jul 15, 2008)

Expected or unexpected...it always hurts the same...

My condolences.

Binky free, sweet Gabriel! With the name of an angel, you are certainly at home in heaven. :bunnyangel:


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Jul 15, 2008)

:sad: :angel: :hug2:


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## Maureen Las (Jul 15, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your support


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## Becky_Muller (Jul 15, 2008)

Awww.. I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## mouse_chalk (Jul 15, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear about Gabriel. You are a fantastic bunny mum, and you did everything you could for him. I'm sure he knew how much you loved him...

Rest in peace little guy

ink iris::rainbow:ink iris:

Jen xx


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## Alexah (Jul 15, 2008)

I'm so sorry...

:rip:Gabriel. Binky free.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Jul 15, 2008)

I am so sorry for your loss.


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## tonyshuman (Jul 15, 2008)

I'm so sorry. Just know that some bunnies are beyond your help. I hope your life becomes a lot less stressful and less sad in the weeks to come.

Binky free, Gabriel.


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## BlueGiants (Jul 15, 2008)

I'm sorry for your loss... You are wonderful to have been there for him and make him happy while he was here. Hugs to you... :hug:

Binky free Gabriel... :bunnyangel:


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## Maureen Las (Jul 15, 2008)

Severe dehydration can cause permanent kidney damge that does not become apparent right away. 
He was doing so very well for the year that I had him (except for the mega-colon and the biting episode) that I really thought that he had overcome his past . One year ago when he was still emaciated; his lab values came back only with increased neutrophils which was suggestive of a parasite. He had 3tests for parasites over thenext few months and they were negative and then his blood was drawn again and everything was normal including his previous perfect kidney function values.

I am thinking that I should not have fed him an alfalfa pellet. I did this because he was so young and I wanted him to gain weight but as I reflect back I should have had way less protein and calcium in his diet. I had to cut out the greens because of diarrhea but he was a great hay eater and may have eaten increased pellets because he didn't have greens for the last couple months. 

I really did not know that his kidneys were failing although I think I suspected EC from the sitting in urine. 
he really did not have much of a life. Because of his problems he could not be neutered until latelast winter (he had several bouts of stasis in the past year. )

because he wasn"t neutered and because I still had the feeling that he had some kind of bowel parasite despite the tests; I did not place him in the room with my other rabbits. He really never had a bunny friend except he did live beside Beau for the past month after Babette died. 
here is a pic of Gabriel from when I brought him home from the shelter in June 2007. You can see how thin he was...he weighed 2 lbs.


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## pla725 (Jul 15, 2008)

It is easy to blame yourself. You gave him a home and did the best you could for him. 

I went through this when Smitten was ill and failed to notice Peter was also having problems. His was worse than hers. She is still with me and he pasta few days later despite vet treatment. 

We can along do the best we can.


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## Pipp (Jul 15, 2008)

He was well fed, warm and free from the minute-by-minute fear of being eaten alive. It doesn't get much better than that. It's like Madonna taking homea starving child in Africa and not allowing him icing on his cake. Not havingbunny friends is a moot point. 

And it's highly highly unlikely the diethad anything to do with it. I'm always hearing that things like kidney damage and even cancer are hard to detect in rabbits' blood tests.

Severe dehydrationhas life-long repercussions. Gabriel was compromised and on death's door when he was rescued. He had a great year to know the good life. 

Bless you and the shelter for giving him that. 



sas ink iris:


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## naturestee (Jul 15, 2008)

Maureen, you know my thoughts on this. I think you gave him a great life, and even if you had brought him in to the vet sooner it wouldn't have changed anything. He was already in renal failure, no going back. I don't see how his diet could have affected that, although I wouldn't be surprised if the onset of the kidney problems is what caused even more problems with his GI system.

If I remember right, Gabriel would most likely have been PTS if you hadn't brought him home from the shelter. I know your shelter has very limited funds for vet care. You gave him what nobody else could. As for not having a bunny friend, I'm not convinced that every rabbit needs or wants one, especially your rascally bunch (lol). With being sick so much bonding might have actually been a bad thing because of all the stress.

Gabriel was a gorgeous bun and he had a great life, even though it was short. I don't think you are at fault at all and I hope you can stop blaming yourself. At this point, just try to remember the good times with him.

:hug:

Edit: If it helps, if there really is a Rainbow Bridge then I'm sure Sprite is playing with him right now. She was always a big flirt with the boys.


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## Maureen Las (Jul 15, 2008)

..you mean like when he bit me so bad that I was afraid of him and wore gloves 

he left a scar on my hand to remember him by

At least I'm smiling...

thanks everyone!


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## Pet_Bunny (Jul 16, 2008)

ink iris:


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## Maureen Las (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks Pet Bunny..

I've always absolutely loved that picture of him. 

I have it framed here.


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## LuvaBun (Jul 18, 2008)

Oh Maureen, I am so sorry to hear about Gabriel. He had a wonderful year with you - just .remember that. He may not have had any love in his life at all without you.

Jan


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## BlueCamasRabbitry (Jul 18, 2008)

So sorry to hear about Gabriel  

Binky Free Gabriel. R.I.P.

:rainbow::rip:

ink iris:Emily


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## Jenk (Jul 19, 2008)

Maureen,

I've just read your post about Gabriel today, though you'd mentioned his passing to me. 

I am so very sorry for your compounded loss. I'd never wish such an experience on anyone (having undergone one myself in the past). It hurts like hell, and we're left wondering, "Was it something that I did (or didn't do)?" 

In the end, we're much too hard on ourselves, especially as loving pet parents. We do the very best that we can, and our furry (or feathered, or scaled) loved ones know it. It's my belief that they better understand life and, thus, know that we've no reason to even ask for forgiveness: We are blameless in the sense that we do our very best, that our care comes from the heart. 

Please go easy on yourself and give extra love to your other bun charges. Please also ccept that you did the very best,offeringGabriel a loving home for as long as he deemed fit. :hearts: No bun (or any other animal species) could ask for more. :hug2:

Jenk


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