HEALING TALE OF MR BROWN
We will like to share a true story of Mr Brown and his owner, Charlete. Their experience was enlightening and the vets who helped them touched our hearts. We hope that their story can inspire more and remind us that we, as rabbit owners, can make a huge impact in saving our rabbit’s life.
On February 11, we received a late night call for help from Charlete. She needed a recommendation for a vet to help Mr Brown. He leaped from a height of about 30cm above ground, landed at a wrong angle and broke his right hind leg. We recommended Charlete to visit TAD and she promptly took him there for a checkup. Xray revealed that Mr Brown had indeed fractured his hind leg and was in rather bad condition. He was given painkiller but an immediate surgery is needed to make sure it doesn’t deteriorate. They spoke at length with Dr Lesley and Dr Tsai to understand the complexity of the surgery. If the bone was intact, they can use a ‘intramedullary pinning’ method to insert a pin at the fractured site and mend back the bone. But if there is any crack on the bone, a plate may have to be implanted to stabilize the bone. This requires the skill of a very experienced surgeon such as Dr Benjamin Landon of LVS and the surgical fee will be very high. If Mr Brown did not receive the right treatment, his right hind leg may have to be amputated. For a young lady like Charlete, she was facing an incredibly difficult situation.
Charlete spoke to her family and they were also concerned with uncertainty of the outcome and the high surgical cost. But they love Mr Brown like family and they have to do their best for him. With the family’s support, Charlete raised the funds and swiftly made an appointment with Dr Landon to operate the following day. They hospitalized Mr Brown to keep him comfortable. The family returned home, but we know it was a sleepless night filled with anxiety and nerves.
The next morning, Charlete rushed down to the clinic as soon as it opened to be with Mr Brown. She fed him his favorite treats and gave him lots of kisses. When it was time for the surgery, she kissed him good luck and the next few hours felt like the longest moment of her life. Charlete paced around and waited for the phone call. Finally, the phone rang. The surgery was a success! Mr Brown woke up from the anesthesia and his right hind leg was fused back using the pins and plates technique. And to our surprise, Dr Tsai was also in the surgical room with Dr Landon. It was her day off and yet she wanted to do her part for Mr Brown. She did not mention to anyone and we learned about it through coincidence. It was truly touching to know that our vets truly care for our animals and will go above and beyond to help us save them, all without recognition.
Today, Mr Brown is on his way to recover. The family prepared a cozy space for him to recuperate and Charlete and her sister took turn to be on 24 hours duty to care for him. It was definitely not an easy experience but we could tell the family didn’t mind. They just wanted Mr Brown to be able to hop again. This story had touched our hearts. We are very thankful for the wonderful veterinary team we have in Singapore to help our animals. And above all, we realized that we can make a difference for our rabbits. Our commitment to them, is not just through the good times. It’s through the bad times too.