PAWS Rescue Clinic Story
Odin
One More Chance to Be Loved
A story of neglect, urgent dental surgery, intensive care, and a brave rabbit who was surrounded by compassion when he needed it most.
JOURNEY
June – July 2021
SUPPORT GIVEN
Dental, abscess and intensive care
Meet Odin
When Odin arrived at Romeo’s Rabbit Rescue in June 2021, he was in heartbreaking condition. He had been found wandering around a school and brought into rescue care after enduring severe neglect.
His front teeth were dramatically overgrown, his cheek teeth were abnormal, he was underweight and dehydrated, and a large mandibular abscess affected his jaw. Despite everything, Odin remained gentle, brave and deserving of every chance.
Veterinary care donated
Over $980
Through Little Pet Vet and the PAWS Rescue Clinic, Odin received urgent dental surgery, abscess treatment, radiographs, blood testing, hospitalisation, intensive nursing care, pain relief and compassionate end-of-life support.
Dental surgery
Incisor removal
Abscess care
Hospitalisation
Compassionate care
A lost rabbit in desperate need
Odin was found wandering around a school and brought into rescue care as a lost rabbit in awful condition. His coat was unkempt, he was underweight, and his mouth showed the unmistakable signs of long-term neglect.
His incisors were so overgrown that they had twisted and pointed outward, making normal eating almost impossible. Behind them, his cheek teeth were also abnormal, and a large abscess had formed along his jaw.
Normal Odin
The decision to give him a chance
Odin’s initial examination showed just how serious his condition was. Poor body condition score, overgrown front and back teeth, and a large mandibular abscess.
It was a huge undertaking, but Odin was young enough, strong enough, and loved enough to try.
Urgent surgery and intensive care
Odin underwent extensive dental treatment, including removal of his severely overgrown incisors and treatment of the jaw abscess. The procedure was challenging because of the severity and duration of his disease, but it gave him the chance to eat comfortably again.
Recovery was not straightforward. Odin required hospitalisation, Critical Care feeding, antibiotics, pain relief, radiographs, blood testing and close nursing support. At one stage, his respiratory function deteriorated and he required repeated ventilator support and nasal suctioning to clear severe congestion.
Small signs of hope
For a short time, there were encouraging signs. Odin began eating on his own again, although only small amounts. His carers offered soaked pellets, baby food, oats, banana, grated carrot, greens and medication to help him keep going.
He even found enough strength to run out of his pen and hop onto the couch for cuddles. Those moments revealed the affectionate rabbit beneath the neglect — a gentle soul who simply needed safety, comfort and love.
When the disease proved too much
Despite surgery and intensive care, Odin’s underlying disease continued to progress. Facial swelling, draining abscess material, purulent nasal discharge, dehydration and a suspected abdominal mass all pointed toward a body that was struggling to recover.
By early July, Odin appeared miserable despite ongoing treatment. His skin turgor suggested profound dehydration and his prognosis had become extremely poor. The team faced the hardest decision in rescue medicine: how to stop suffering when recovery is no longer possible.
A life that mattered
Odin’s time in rescue was brief, but it mattered. Instead of facing the end of his life alone and neglected, he experienced warmth, food, pain relief, medical care and the gentle touch of people who cared deeply about him.
He was given every opportunity to recover, and when that was no longer possible, he was given the kindness of a peaceful goodbye. Odin’s story reminds us that rescue is not only about saving lives. Sometimes it is about making sure an animal’s final days are filled with compassion.
Odin’s journey
A simple timeline of the moments that shaped his story.
June 2021
Odin was found wandering around a school and brought into Romeo’s Rabbit Rescue in severe condition.
21 June 2021
He was examined with overgrown incisors, overgrown cheek teeth, poor body condition and a large mandibular abscess. Blood testing was performed and urgent surgery was planned.
Dental and abscess surgery
Odin underwent incisor extraction, dental treatment, radiographs and abscess care to give him the best chance of eating comfortably again.
22 June 2021
Odin required overnight veterinary care, ventilator support and nasal suctioning to manage severe respiratory congestion.
2 July 2021
Odin had lost weight and was experiencing purulent nasal discharge and discharge from the abscess opening. A suspected abdominal mass was also detected.
6 July 2021
Despite intensive support, Odin’s prognosis had become extremely poor. The kind decision was made to let him go peacefully rather than prolong his suffering.
What PAWS support helped provide
Urgent consultation
Blood testing
Dental radiographs
Incisor extractions
Molar treatment
Abscess treatment
Hospitalisation
Intensive nursing care
Compassionate end-of-life support
“Odin’s story is heartbreaking, but it is also a story of mercy. He was not left alone. He was seen, treated, comforted and loved.”
“Not every rescue story ends with recovery. Some end with comfort, dignity and the knowledge that an animal was loved when it mattered most.”
The Team Behind Odin
Romeo’s Rabbit Rescue
Gave Odin safety, advocated for urgent treatment and ensured he did not spend his final days alone or neglected.
Foster Carers and Supporters
Helped provide food, comfort, medications, transport, donations and the kindness Odin deserved after everything he had endured.
Little Pet Vet
Provided urgent dental care, abscess treatment, diagnostics, hospitalisation, intensive nursing, pain relief and compassionate end-of-life care.
See more of Odin’s story at Romeo’s Rabbit Rescue
Here
Odin’s legacy
Odin’s story is not an easy one, but it is an important one. It shows the impact of neglect, the resilience of rabbits, and the importance of rescue groups who step in when animals have nowhere else to turn.
Through the partnership between Romeo’s Rabbit Rescue, Little Pet Vet and the PAWS Rescue Clinic, more than $980 worth of veterinary services were donated to support Odin’s treatment journey.
Although Odin could not be saved, he was given something precious: a chance, comfort, pain relief, medical care and love. His time in rescue was brief, but it mattered deeply.
Thank you for being part of Odin’s journey and for supporting animals in need.