(RIP) 4 year old lop suddenly very sick

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Vinny

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Jun 22, 2009
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Location
Cranston, Rhode Island, USA
I have a 4 year old lop don't know the exact breed. He was full of life yesterday. He roams the house climbs the stairs to visit with the kids then will come back down again tease the cat go back up.

I noticed this morning before I left for work he was in his litter box and did not move when I went to the cage. Didn't think anything of it. When I came home from work I always open up the cage and let him roam free.

He would not come out. His litter box had normal pee and pooand is cleaned every 2 days. we use pine beading for the litter box. Rabbit pellets for food. Sometimes carrots.

He is very lethargic front feet spread out. He did hop to the bathroom but is now just laying still breathing normally but basically not responding to any stimulus. He always walks up to you when you come near him.

I'm affraid he will not make the night by the looks of him. We had another rabbit go the same way but was twice the age.

What causes an animal to become so sick all of a sudden? He is a good pet. Only thing I can think of is that I scared him pretty good yesterday when I jumped off of a ladder onto the deck. He was at the sliding door right where I landed and he darted across the room and went to his cage. My kids said he seemed fine last night. Is it possible I caused him any harm from this? Didn't do it on purpose! Didn't know he was there.

Hard enough to deal with the loss of a pet, what's worse is the heart break that I see my kids go through and can't do anything but comfort them. We can't afford to take him to a vet so we can only hope for the best and try to make him comfortable.

Vinny in little Rhode Island
 
I am not an expert by any means but do you have infant gas drops? That might help move stuff along if it is a gut issue. Also maybe offer a rice sock just to keep him comfortable. Hopefully an infirmary mod will come on soon and see this.

Good luck I hope that he gets well soon!
 
hmm im no expert either--but you should never ever use pine shavings for a rabbit..it can make them sick--Randy will most likely explain more--hes the expert on the forum.
He'll probably be around to answer tonight or tomorrow.

But pine bedding can cause an increase in enzymes in the rabbits' liver andrespiratory infections...
Although this may not even be the problem--i really suggest taking the rabbit away from these..
 
Where are you located?

Sometimes it can just be gas from something he ate or even sudden stress, or if he's hopping slowly, maybe a sprain.

A gas attack should last less than 24 hours, as noted you need infant gas drops (or even adult) with a high dosage -- more for a rabbit than a child.

A gas attack is usually evident by an obvious discomfort -- a bunny pressing his tummy to the floor and/or shifting around. You may hear gurgling.

A sprain may be more of an unwillingness to move and hop.

Gas needs some mild exercise while a sprain needs rest, so it will take a bit more observation -- although the gas meds are the best place to start. They're very safe. Depending on what's available in your location, I'd give him a full CC of a 40 mg suspension of a gas med that's mostly Simethicone -- Gas X, Oval, Infacol, etc, once an hour for three or four hours and really try and give him gentle tummy massages (long ones) with your hand or even a massage tool or vibrating toothbrush to help break up gas bubbles.

As an aside, if you have aromatic pine pellets that haven't been heat treated, I'd switch to something safer. THey can cause liver damage.


sas :clover:
 
Thank you for the replies. My bunny just passed away going out in the yard to bury him now. Kids are balling their eyes out right now. Just breaks my heart to them this way and to lose a really good pet so quick.

I'll be looking for the replies to the pine bedding issue.

Vinny in little Rhode Island
 
I am so sorry for your loss Vinny, and I feel sorry for the kids too..

It says you had 2 rabbits--so if that is the case, I suggest taking him off pine shavings and switching to old newspaper or something for the time being.
 
Additional info:

Don't worry about 'force' feeding him until he's gone 24 hours without food, but try and keep him drinking.

Keep a very close eye on his output -- make sure he's continuing to poop and pee normally. (You may have a decrease in poops with the decrease in appetite, but what for small misshapen poops, loose stools, etc). Make sure he's not straining to pee.

Other possible problems that may appear to come on suddenly are tooth, ear and urinary tract infections.

If he's been picking up and dropping food or changing what/how he eats at all, the problem may be dental.

All of the above can cause gas as a side effect.

Some basic home treatment items in addition to the Simethicone-based gas meds include Pedialyte (an infant electrolyte replacement drink), some canned pumpkin for some wet fiber, and if you can afford it, Critical Care, which is the best food to syringe feed an ailing rabbit. Without Critical Care, best to also have a probiotic like acidophilus on hand and maybe NutriCal, a vitamin supplement.

EDIT TO ADD: Just saw your post, so very sorry. :(


sas :cry1:
 
Rabbits hide their illnesses very well, I'm sure it was nothing you did.

An autopsy may have shown something like cancer or another internal problem, they really give you no warning even with those types of ailments. :(

Do you still have another rabbit? Were they bonded and living together? If so, the loss may affect that rabbit emotionally, so pay extra attention.

Sorry again for your loss.


sas :rainbow:
 
Hi Hannah,

I had 2 rabbits now I have none. We lost Buz this past summer and Piglet just left us. Buz lasted about 9 years piglet only 4. Buz was a good rabbit but Piglet had a personality like he was part of the family.

Just wondering if I scared him so bad that I gave him heart failure! We lost a rabbit about 3 years ago when 2 birds flew by the cage and did a few circles around the cage chasing each other. They were small birds but the rabbit flipped out and was dead 5 minutes later. I couldn't believe it. We were having a pool party when this happened with all the kids watching.

P.S. SAS I'm located in the northeast USA just a few miles from where you are :p

Vinny in little Rhode Island
 
I don't think you scared him to death. He would have gotten very ill immediately after the scary event. A death from heart failure--literally being scared to death like the other rabbit you described--occurs very quickly. It's possible it stressed him out and led to gut problems, that led to his death, but that usually doesn't happen so suddenly. I doubt that the pine bedding would have killed him so suddenly either. It sounds like a poison exposure, underlying condition, or maybe possibly organ shutdown due to heart failure.

In any case, don't feel responsible--things happen. I'm so sorry, and also for your kids too.
 
Agreed that heart failure would have been more instant. You had bad luck with that fatal scare, it's possible but not common and almost always because of a predator -- e.g. a bird or a dog -- close by. The bunny running for cover shouldn't have had any ill effects. Being in a cage with no means of escape would have been more of an issue. (And as an added note, if it was a pool party, heat may have been a factor).

I've lost (directly or indirectly) several four or five year olds in the manner you describe with Piglet, the cause was either liver or stomach cancer, and in one case a malfunctioning GI tract (pyloric valve) in a two-year-old. They gave no advance warning at all. Lethargy followed by death in 12 hours or so. Just an unfortunate rabbit thing.


RIP Piglet :rip:


sas :(
 
Pipp wrote:
Agreed that heart failure would have been more instant. You had bad luck with that fatal scare, it's possible but not common and almost always because of a predator -- e.g. a bird or a dog -- close by. The bunny running for cover shouldn't have had any ill effects. Being in a cage with no means of escape would have been more of an issue. (And as an added note, if it was a pool party, heat may have been a factor).

I've lost (directly or indirectly) several four or five year olds in the manner you describe with Piglet, the cause was either liver or stomach cancer, and in one case a malfunctioning GI tract (pyloric valve) in a two-year-old. They gave no advance warning at all. Lethargy followed by death in 12 hours or so. Just an unfortunate rabbit thing.


RIP Piglet :rip:


sas :(
Click to expand...

Thank you for all the replies SAS. I'm feeling a little more at ease with myself that It wasn't really my fault. Just acoincidence I guess the way it happened. The more I read the more it seems a fairly common thing with rabbits.

The firstlasted a little over 9 years and this past bunny only 4 years.

Vinny in little Rhode Island
 
It's possible a panic attack could have exacerbated the cause if it was liver cancer, kidney disease or something like that. Rabbits are particularly susceptible to the effects of stress, adrenaline can cause a reduction in renal plasma flow, they can get an ulcer, it can make them stop eating long enough to inhibit gut motility, etc. Anybody whose rabbit has had a serious scare should watch for these things. But it really doesn't sound like this was the case here.

Its so sad losing the 'special' ones.


sas :sad:
 
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