Piglet’s Plight

Little Piglet’s frail body finally gave up and he went over the Rainbow Bridge this weekend.  We are deeply saddened by this unexpected loss and will always remember this two-pound rabbit for the fighter that he was.  Piglet was an amazingly sweet little man and so tolerant for all the medical treatments that he received.

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We would like to thank the many people who made special donations towards his medical care.  We would never have been able to give him nine months of a loving caring (foster) home without your support.

Sincerely,

Sue and Keith Zimmerman

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Update (January 31):  The little man is doing much better now!  His skin condition is completely cleared up and his urine-burned rear end is also much improved.  Scarring has caused some disfigurement of his vent and that’s causing him to occasionally urinate on his feet.  He still has discolored fur on his back feet and tail, but this will clean up eventually.  He needs bathing only about every other week now.  His left eye still has a problem with the third eyelid, but it isn’t infected any longer and doesn’t seem to be bothering him.  His incisor removal went smoothly and there is no sign of them growing back.  He’s still learning how to eat without them, though, and I have to cut up his lettuce, hay, and carrots.  Unfortunately, he is still reluctant to use a litter box and we have to change his bedding twice a day — bed pads are expensive!  He is a friendly little guy and has made friends with a big black girl named Daizy.  (He has a face that reminds me a lot of Angry Cat.  And he is so tiny.  He is only about 2.5 lbs. and absolutely adorable.)  If you would like to help, click to donate especially for him.  Thank you for your support.

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Update (January 17):  Piglet continues to do well despite a few obstacles.  Piglet has finally overcome a very tough case of fur mites.  He has an injury or possibly a deformity of the third eyelid on his left eye.  We are trying a new medication to see if we can get it to heal and get fur to regrow in that area.

Piglet refuses to use a litter box and seemed to have trouble posturing himself to pee.  He always urinates on his back feet which is causing urine scold if not bathed regularly.  He lives on disposable pee pads to help keep his skin clean and dry.

We decided to have him vet-checked for this issue.  We learned that Piglet has a deformed penis which is affecting his urine flow and causing it to go all over his feet.  He will undergo surgery this week to correct the problem.  We are hopeful that the surgery will have good results and get him to start using the litter box.  Then he will be adoptable.

Piglet continues to amaze us with his determination to get healthy.  He is a little sweetheart and loves attention.  If you would like to help, click to donate especially for him.  Thank you for your support.

Piglet after love and care
Piglet responding to love and care

Update (October 30):  Piglet is progressing nicely!  The giant scab on his nose has fallen off and his urine scald is clearing up also.  His left eye is still swollen and red, but doesn’t appear to be infected.  Unfortunately, his maloccluded teeth are growing back just as badly as they were before being trimmed.  He is scheduled to be neutered on Tuesday and his incisors will be permanently removed.  It’s a somewhat involved operation to get the entire tooth out and he won’t be too comfortable right after the surgery, but his life will be MUCH better in the long run!  Thank you to everyone who has made a special contribution to his veterinary bills and care!!!!

Piglet was found as a stray and turned in to a vet’s office in NW Ohio.  Piglet was emaciated and suffered from severe skin and upper respiratory infections.  When he arrived at the vet’s office in September, he also had badly overgrown teeth.

The staff at the vet hospital did all that they could do to save him despite being told that it would be best to euthanize him.  The vet’s office contacted Keith Zimmerman, a Buckeye House Rabbit Society fosterer, to see if we had room to take him.  One look at that sweet little face and we knew that Piglet needed help from BHRS.

We took Piglet to one of our local vets.  Although he is healing, Piglet has a long road ahead.  Piglet has suffered all of this from long term neglect (one of the worst cases of neglect we have seen).  The good news is that he is expected to make a full recovery in time.

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Piglet as he came to us (WARNING: this is hard to look at!)

Piglet is a little fighter and we adore him.  He is super sweet and acts like a normal healthy young bunny.  He is going to need neuter surgery and also surgery to remove his maloccluded teeth.  Once completely healed, Piglet will be available for adoption.

If you would like to contribute to Piglet’s care, click to donate especially for him.

On behalf of Piglet and the Buckeye House Rabbit Society, we thank you for your continued support.

The New Website is Live

We have a new website to support our rabbits.  Welcome aboard!  The most recent entries will appear on the homepage, donations can be made directly to us, and by a feature called responsive design, our pages will automatically change to fit large or small screens.

Our original site will continue to be available and offers an archive of our activities and fosters since 1997.

Enjoy!  And if you have any suggestions or questions, please contact .img@.img.

Our sincere thanks to Steven Matarazzo, who motivated us to modernize our site and who contributed initial ideas and transferred content for us.

Companions Are Not Food

Whole Foods is testing the market for “rabbit”.  On behalf of rabbits everywhere, and your own special pets, send a clear message to Whole Foods about the marketplace.  DON’T SHOP where these wonderful critters are sold as meat.  Let them know they are losing your business — and your loyalty.

whole-foodsSee more about the campaign to Boycott Whole Foods, supported by the national House Rabbit Society.