15/11/2023
I could quite easily not talk about Kraken and the world would go on - because this lovely, lovely rabbit was in our care for just over twelve hours, and all of those she was in the vet. I didn’t even meet her.
But Kraken, like every bunny, was important and she did impact people - and her story is very much one we want to share.
Kraken came to us last night as a very poorly little rabbit (which we knew on taking her on). Distended bladder, discomfort - she was immediately admitted to our savvy vet and had an ultrasound. This showed us a mass obstructing her bladder and making it unable for her to urinate - and with a bladder getting fuller and fuller this was making her really sore.
So Kraken went into emergency surgery after a chat with our vet, who managed to insert a catheter and relieve the build up of urine. That urine turned out to be very bloody, and it’s very probable that the mass was bleeding into her bladder.
We thought we’d bought ourselves enough time to consult with exotics and figure out our choices but unfortunately Kraken went downhill a few hours after surgery, with her bladder filling up again, temp dropping and overall demeanour getting quieter and sadder. The placement of the mass was really problematic: unblocking the bladder repeatedly wasn’t sustainable or ethical, and its location looked inoperable.
This morning we let Kraken go peacefully.
Something our fantastic vet said this morning really touched me: that she could tell that we really, really care deeply about every single one of our rabbits - whether we meet them or not - and that there’s no scenario in which where ethical we won’t give any rabbit a fighting chance. Kraken may not have the time with us to grow her story and touch a lot of people’s hearts over a period of time, but she did get given a chance.
The hugest thank you to Christine and the team at Raddenstiles Veterinary Surgeons.
If you’d like to donate in Kraken’s memory:
https://www.paypal.com/GB/fundraiser/charity/4954983
