Has anyone put down an animal that seems to be not in pain etc on vet's recommendation and future prognosis pleease?

[lisalisa]

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I would put the rabbit down, no question. It is sad, but rabbits are not very high on the intelligence stakes, and if physically impaired would be miserable IMO.

It is sad, but rabbits are not people, do not have the same needs and do not have the same rights. She could become very unhappy very quickly. To put her down would be an easy way out for her.

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IME vets tend to be against putting animals down who can be treated effectively. And in fact are critical of owners who are too eager to put a pet down to avoid treatment. So if a vet advised me that that was the best action, I would probably take their advice.

for your son.

I posted on the other thread lisalisa. Our rabbit had to be put down, she had a huge tumour but it was only in the last couple of weeks that she really went off her food/drink and must have been 'ill' for some time. OK she ws a lot older than your little rabbit, but what I'm trying to say is they really don't always seem to be in pain.

I think you've been deliberating a while now and she's not getting any better, you really know what has to be done, but it's heartbreaking for you all especially your ds. I was upset not only for the rabbit but because I knew how upset dd and ds would be.....

That's true happystory, they will continue to eat until they are very unwell.
Sorry lisalisa.

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The trouble is, you won't know when the pain will come. It's tough isn't it? To give them a longer time, or to avoid them starting to feel the pain.

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No. A few hours just to come to terms with it and talk dd through it.

Oh I don't doubt she is happy now, but I would let her go out on a high note, IYSWIM.

If it's any consolation, afterwards dd said it was kind of a relief not to have to worry about her anymore (only relevant though if your ds knows nibbles is ill)

This bit's horrid for you lisalisa, but I have always, always felt reieved when it's done.
Trust your vet.

I would always go with a vet's advice, however sad and unfair it seems. It is far harder on you than it is the rabbit, you really would be doing him a disservice by not listening to the vet.

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relieved

You will, try not to think too much, trust your vet.

Our dear old cat had to be put down in Jan (cancer) and it was really sudden and dh was away skiing. Vet said she really didn't want to wait as he was in pain and not eating and so I went ahead with it and held him as he died. I was in floods of tears but it really was peaceful and not frightening and I am so glad I did right by him in the end.

flystrike could be kept at bay if you change her bedding alot and check her every day.

i'm not good on advice, if she were mine i would see how she gets on for the next few weeks.

My dad said something very wise to my mum once when she had to have one of her beloved dogs put down. He said:

'It's the last thing you can do for them. You take the pain so they don't have to suffer.'

I'm not surprised you're finding it painful Lisalisa, you've had a good long time to form a bond with another living thing. But whether you do it now or in three weeks time when she begins to scald, it's going to have to happen. Give yourself a few days to get used to the idea, then see how you feel.

Would it help to know exactly what happens when vets put an animal to sleep, Lisalisa?

you won't be letting her down by making sure that she doesn't end up in awful pain though. Our dog went into kidney failure and started wetting herself and her arthiritis was starting to play up. We decided to have her put to sleep as it was the most dignified thing for her. She used to sit there and look so sad that she had wet herself. We couldn't bear it anymore. My friend who was a vet did blood tests to determine the extent of the kidney damage, and although it wasn't the worst result, she said that she would start to go downhill fast. We didn't want to watch that happen. Instead we took her to the vets and she drifted off in my arms, peaceful. Although it was such a hard decision to make, it was the right one as far as i am concerned. My sister was devastated, saying we had killed the dog etc, but after the initial anger, we said that we were sure she wouldn't have wanted our dog to be be pain, and she agreed.

I hope you find the strength to make whatever decision is right for you.

that's so true, Gizmo. and it really is very peaceful. though the vet had me sobbing as I asked if she thought animals knew what was happening and she said "yes, I do."

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I am sorry Lisalisa. Grief is a painful thing and I guess you have both grief and shock to cope with here.

But you don't have to rush into anything. You can adjust slowly and let the whole family get used to the idea, perhaps decide if a few little rituals would help.

Anyway, as to the practicalities (so don't read this bit until you are ready) it's so straightforward. Literally one small injection in the loose skin of the neck and the heart stops pretty much instantaneously. I vividly remember my mother giving one of her dogs a bit of sausage to chew on while the vet gave him the injection and he dropped down dead mid chew. Didn't know anything about it at all.

Do you think it might be less stressful if you could get the vet to come to you? I don't know if vets still do housecalls for this sort of thing.

For me, it was better to just hand her over to the vet and leave. I didn't want to be there for the end, though it might be different for a dog or cat. The vet was very sympathetic and understanding but practical too iyswim