Today an accident in our bunny's cage left her paralyzed and ultimately led to me having to have her euthanized. I was with her during her final moments and i've gotta say, i thought i was benefiting her by being there but, I cant shake off the moment she looked at me and breathed her last breath in my arms and when the vet said "She's done." I feel like i've been hit with a thousand tons of bricks. For those of you who wonder, to watch the life slowly drain out of your pet is the most traumatizing thing to go through. Part of you says "I dont want them to die alone with a stranger." and part of you wishes afterwards, that you wouldnt have put yourself through it. This is so confusing.

Oh, I am SO, SO sorry that you lost your precious bunny.
However, you have come to a wonderful site where we ALL understand your feelings all too well.

I had to make that decision for my sweet Rachael back on October 2, 2004. Like you, I decided to stay with her and I held her soft head in my arms as the vet administered the shot. I NEVER EVER thought I would be able to do that, but I felt I owed it to her. After all, she had been there for me her whole life. She protected me and loved me. That's why you were there for your furbaby too. As hard as it was to watch her and hear her sigh from her last breath, I have never regretted it.

That final moment will be with you for a while. It took a month at least before I could get past that image every time I closed my eyes. It is VERY traumatic, so we should expect it to be hard to deal with. But I want to promise you that in time that image will fade. I'm at the point where I have to really stop and close my eyes and think hard to remember it. Time will heal you. You made the right decision. As many here have said, you took on her pain and suffering so she wouldn't have to anymore. You freed her from the terrible paralization that had taken her over.

Please tell us more about your sweet bunny!

Cheri

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I know how special your little bunny is to you. It's hard to say what is "better" in this situation. Either one is very difficult. I wasn't with my Allie when she died and I felt very sorry for that. I just hope that she wasn't scared or sad. At least you know that you provided the love your bunny needed at her final moment. I'm so sorry you had to see her like that. You've found a great forum here so please come and talk to us. We are here for you.

Jenny

I am so sorry for your loss. I agree with the others...you did a selfless thing for her and now she's a peace. You were there for her until the end as she was always there for you. I've never had to go through euthansia but I can only imagine how difficult it is. I've often thought about it, being a dog owner, wondering if I would ever face that decision. The ONLY good thing about losing my dog 3 weeks ago is that she passed suddenly and I didn't have to face putting her down.
There are many people on this site who have been through it and can help you through this. On top of that, ALL of us on this site understand the pain of losing a pet. You've come to the right place.
Take care
Audrey

I'm so sorry for the loss of your bunny. Although being with her while she was euthanized was traumatic for you, I'm sure your bunny felt a great deal of comfort having you there. You gave her a great gift by being there.

Like Cheri said, those last few minutes will be vivid in your memory for a while, but the traumatic part will fade, and you'll end up being glad that you stayed with her.

You're in my thoughts,
Kathleen

I am so sorry there was an accident and your sweet bunny had to be put to sleep. My Snookie died at home but I was holding Chili Bean when she was put to sleep. I felt I owed her that much for all the years of love she gave to me. It is indeed a horrible thing to watch and I too saw the image of her for a couple of months like that. Now I just think of the wonderful times I had with her. It was just as hard watching my darling leave this world at home too.
Ann

That is my deepest regret....I could not be there for my Moose when he left this world because I just couldn't face it. But I struggle with him having been there for me and I know he needed me we were so connected...I felt him needing me that whole morning. In fact he was hit by the car 6 months ago today and went to sleep the next day...the 15th. My prayer was for God to give him to my father to wait for me...the only dream I have ever had was opening the door and my dad was standing there, Moose ran into the house and I was comforted by the fact his back was anew.
I am and always have been weak in the tramatic things in life, like when Moose was hit...my dad always took care of those real hard things that I could not. I think to this day if I had watched Moose take his last breath it would have taken me over the edge. Pamela