This is such a happy & intense post to write. And it’s a 2 parter as there’s so much to share…because Tilda is the MOST EXTREME bunny turnaround I’ve ever experienced!
I wish I’d taken pics/vids upon rescue in summer 2023 – she’d have made for the CRAZIEST before and afters 🥹 But I honesty didn’t think she’d survive even the first few days & I didn’t want the imagery to haunt me later. She was entirely without hind end mobility & maggots were eating her necrotic wounds. The smell of her was nauseating. She was treated for the necrotic wounds, severe ear mite infection & EC. The pics I DO have from those earlier times were those sent to vets to show the improvements months after initial intake. It took a ton of vet care & rehab before I was finally convinced she’d make it. Which is to say she’d survive, as opposed to regaining mobility.
Tilda really loved massage so that was helpful & very food motivated so I made islands of wheatgrass flats to encourage her hopping. She was also very motivated to hop to visit other incoming rescue buns 🥹 Due to her minimal bladder control & limited mobility, she required constant cleanup & changes to her enclosure (a padded pen to be safe when rolling and wobbling around). Due to her large size, Tilda required another person to help with her butt baths. A good friend & bunny volunteer stepped up to the task to help us 🙏
She says “The time, cost and overall dedication she showed to Tilda’s rehabilitation was so inspiring. I’ve never seen anything like it. During the course of the first 6 months, Tilda went from barely able to move at all to wobbling away on her own when she was clean and dry. Watching her mane grow in has been amazing – she looks like a different rabbit!”
When she was finally moving her back legs & gaining some control of her wobbly movement, she needed to go to an experienced medical foster (with free roam space) in order for her to further redevelop her physical abilities. To be quite honest, I didn’t want to let her go! But she deserved to have more and I cannot express how amazing it was to see that first video of her tackling a step without toppling over 🥹
