Medical Needs Rabbit: Pumpkin & Sparkle
Pumpkin and Sparkle, adopted from SDHRS in 2017, were recently returned in heartbreaking condition. They originally only wanted to return Sparkle because "we do not want to take care of her anymore because she is too ill". Because we never separate bonded pairs, after hours of discussion and despite the protest of their 14 year old daughter, we convinced them to return Pumpkin to us as well. When the bunnies arrived at the SDHRS, what we found, broke our hearts.
Sparkle was in terrible shape --urine-soaked, matted with poop and suffering from fleas, mites. Her chin had a suspicious mass, possible dental disease (puss in the teeth) and she showed evidence of neurological issues and shoulder trauma.
With Pumpkin, he arrived with bladder sludge, fleas, mites and an ear infection. His nails were painfully overgrown with some that were broken off.
We spent hours cleaning and comforting the bunnies before transporting them to the vet the next day. Now they are safe in our care, and receiving the medical attention they were previously denied. Their story is a reminder of why we have a rigorous adoption process and why we stress that rabbits are lifetime commitments—not just pets for children until interest fades.
