# Is my rabbit dying?



## Ginette (May 6, 2006)

Hello, I havedwarf cotton tail named Baxter Girl. She is 8-9 years old. She hasn't been eating much lately and getting quite thin. I have a two-level cage that I made for her. On the bottom, I have her litter and her hay. On the top, I have her water and food. She has been really good with going in her litter. Last week,she started pooping on the top level and this week, she started peeing on the top level. I thought that she was getting too old to go up and down so I rearrange her cage in such a way that she only has the top floor now. I have tranferred everything on top. She isn't peeing in her litter. Now she doesn't seem to eat or drink much if anything. Are these sign that she is slowy dying of natural death? or could it be something else? If it is natural death, I want to let her go through her natural process. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Ginette


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## Pipp (May 6, 2006)

That's something only a visit to a vet can tell you, sorry. 

She's an old bunny, but she's not ancient. Seniorcats has a current thread about her many rabbits who havemostlylivedbetween 12 and15years. 

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=13231&amp;forum_id=1&amp;jump_to=194743#p194743

(I don't know what a 'dwarf' cottontail is, she's from wild cottontail stock?)

It may be something simple like a touch of arthritis, and the pain is making her give up. Rabbits aren't exactly fighters when it comes to things like that. A little Medacam may be all she needs. It could be anything. But even if it's 'old age', there's something failing somewhere, and you won't knowif it's something major or minor without an exam.

For the immediate future, some Nutrical (its for cats and dogs but works forrabbits) shouldhelp with her weight loss. If she stops drinking, some Pedialyte might keep her going until you can get her to a vet. 

Let us know how it goes. :clover:

sas, pipp and the warren


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## Pipp (May 6, 2006)

OOPS... 

(they never should have given me a mod badge)

just double-posted, but accidentally erased Spring's post instead of my own!

sorry Spring!! 



sas


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## naturestee (May 6, 2006)

:no:

Geez, Pipp!

Anyway, welcome to the forum, Ginette! I agree that this is something only a vet could figure out. She could be having issues with arthritis, which can be managed with pain meds.She could also be eating less due to tooth problems, which aren't unusual in older rabbits and can also be treated. Her change in litter habits could be due to something like a bladder infection.

So you see, we can give lots of options but there's no way of knowing what's actually wrong without a vet visit. But like Pipp said, it's possible for her to live a few more years yet so it's not necessarily from old age.


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## Snuggys Mom (May 6, 2006)

I agree, a vet visit is in order.

Nutrical may boost her appetite. You can use the kind for cats and dogs. They have it in most pet stores.Just smear an inch of it on her paw and she'll lick it off.


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## Ginette (May 6, 2006)

Thank you all for your responses! It is veryappreciated! Our Baxter Girl was put to sleep this afternoon. I took her to the vet and a tumor alongside her intestine was detected. It was recommended that we have her put to sleep. She was in pain. So we did. Very sad! We will miss her for a long while to come. Thanks again everyone!


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## Spring (May 6, 2006)

Poor old girl. She lives longer then most little bun buns. She lived a wonderfull life 





:rainbow:Baxter Girl ink iris:


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## cheryl (May 7, 2006)

awww im sorry,but know in comfort that she lived a very happy life for as long as she did :hug:



cheryl ink iris:


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## LuvaBun (May 7, 2006)

I am so sorry that you lost Baxter Girl. You gave her a long and happy life, and, in the end, you did what was best for her - no bun could ask for more :hug1

Jan


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