(RIP) Baby rabbit just died in my arms... :'(

[Pupster]

Hi,

My wife and I had bought a dwarf rabbit about 1 month ago, she was now almost 3 months old today. This afternoon, after my wife left for the job, I was sitting on the couch next to our rabbit (her name was Coquine (french word)) when a bird or something, I couldn't see what, went past the window near Coquine's cage (we live on the 2nd story of a building). I jumped when I heard and saw from the corner of my eyes Coquine jumping away from the window and into her cage's wall, then she was laying on her right side, eyes open, teeth closed together, nose lifted up and open, her front paws not moving crossed over her chest and her back legs moving as if trying to run away. She didn't seem to be breathing at all, as if holding her breath in, or trying to get air. I panicked and took her in my hands, and her back legs moved more slowly until she went completely still and limp. This lasted maybe like 15 seconds at most.

Did she die from a sudden heart attack caused by her fear, or could she have had broken her neck/spine when she jump against the cage, or could it be something else...? And do you think that she suffered or did she die instantly and her convulsions were only caused by her nervous system?

I'm sorry if this isn't all that clear, I still can't believe that she's already gone, so young, and I can't get my mind straight...

Was there anything that I could have done? I know that having her cage near a window wasn't the best idea in the world but we would have never thought that something like that could happen...

We are so heartbroken right now...

 

[JessMc]

I'm so sorry for your loss.
I don't know much about this, it might have a been caused by a heart attack :/
:rip:
I'm sure that even though she had a short life, she was loved very much and had a wonderful time with you :hug1
ps; sorry for my bad english i'm french

 

[Pupster]

Thank you for your answer... At first I was thinking about breaking her neck but now I'm more into believing that she had a heart attack... It is painful for them?

And yes she was loved... My wife and I used to take her outside with a little harness and she was often into our arms while we were watching tv...

 

[Watermelons]

From the sounds if it she was gone after she hit the side of the cage. The motions you saw were most likely whats typically called a hypoxic seizure, bodys reaction to no oxygen getting to the brain. Sounds like she had a heart attack and that was it.
It is rare that a simple bird flying past can cause this to happen, but rabbits really can be scared to death sadly
Sorry for your loss.

 

[majorv]

I'm so sorry for your loss :hug2:. Rabbits can literally die from fright, but if she hit the wall hard enough then she could've broken her neck. Being so young though it wouldn't take too much force. I don't think she suffered though. It was an accident. At least you were there for her.

 

[Troller]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I take it for granted how fragile these wonderful creatures are and so never think of these things. Don't be too hard on yourself, it does sound like a freak occurance.

 

[Tauntz]

I'm so sorry for your loss. This is my guess from your post, she probably was frightened by a hawk or other bird flying by & had a heart attack from the fear. It sounds like it was pretty quick & with little pain. I'm sorry, they are just so fragile being a prey animal. My heart & prayers go out to you & your wife in the loss of your precious Coquine.

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

I'm really sorry for your loss. Like Tauntz said she probably had a heart attack when the bird flew by. I'm so sorry. Its always hard to lose them. Binky free sweet Coquine.

 

[Pupster]

I want to thank everyone of you for telling me what you think about this... It really helped me feel better. After some extensive research on the web and your opinions I am 90% sure that she had a heart attack, at least I know that ith had nothing to do with me... I'm glad that I was here for her but I still wish that I could have done something for her... I guess that things like that do happen though, the only deaths I've had to deal with before this one was my grandfather's, whom I've never know, I didn't even know what he was looking like until that very day, and a dog I had, with whom I had grown up since I was like 10 years old... It really is hard to keep going on after loosing such a loved friend... I'll be fine though. I do feel really bad for my wife though, since she wasn't there when Coquine went away, and she was her baby, with whom she felt in love right on the first sight... I'll do everything I can to help go through this...
Well, thank you again for your kind words, and I sincerly do not wish that something like that happen to any of you.

 

[Zaiya]

If you feel ready, you can always get another rabbit so that you have something to at least partially fill the hole caused by your baby's death. Another rabbit might help ease the pain of loosing the first one, but only if you think you are ready to start over.

So sorry for your loss!

 

[Kipcha]

Oh no, I am so sorry you had to go through that. Poor bunny, they can frighten themselves to death

R.I.P Little one.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We're so sorry for your loss. Sometimes it can just happen that fast with no warning, so, every day is precious. Rest in peace little one.

 

[Zekapa]

So sorry for your loss ((
I know how you must feel, unfortunately I've experienced that gutted feeling after a bunny dies suddenly and I hope I'll never feel like that again.
Once more, I'm very sorry for your bun, (s)he probably didn't have a chance..

 

[Moonpix]

I can't even begin to express how sorry my husband and I are to hear about your loss. Although I'm sure that it does little to help how you feel now, maybe one day you will be able to take comfort in knowing how great a life you gave your little one. Rest in peace, Coquine

 

[DUSTBUNNY-CLYDE]

so sorry for your loss!!! poor little baby!!! she knows how much you and your wife loved her!!!

 

[Pupster]

Thank you again everyone for your kind words... You have really helped us go through this.
I figured that I might as well tell you were we are in our research about what really happened. I recently thought that from her point of view she probably could not have seen the bird or whatever it was that fly by, and by how she died, we are more into thinking that she had a weakness to her heart or something, and that this would be the real cause. I kind of prefer this that way, like my wife said, dying from freight is such a "dumb" reason (I know this happens, but that's not as good a reason to die than, let's say, an illness or something). I'm not sure if you understand what I mean.
Well, thank you again for your support, I'm sure that she is well where she is now and we will never forget her... Even when we'll have other rabbits, she will always be our "first lovely little furry thing" that we've ever had.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Rabbits can be frightened easily, but I wouldn't assume that she was "scared to death." Rabbits are prey animals and are built to withstand the "fight or flight" response their body sends them under normal circumstances. From the experience you described, it sounds like she may have been injured while hopping away. Rabbits are fairly hardy animals, but can be easily injured if they hit an object at full force or fall a distance. It sounds to me like the impact is probably what caused her passing.

Rabbits are prey animals, so they can have severe symptoms when they're frightened, but I've rarely heard of those instances being so immediate. I have heard of dogs getting into rabbit barns and attacking them through the cage. Usually it's in the days afterward that the owner begins losing rabbits to heightened stress, anorexia, etc. Or, like you said, an underlying health condition could have contributed.

Anyway, it was an accident and not something you should blame yourself for. I just wanted to comment in hopes that you would feel more at peace about what happened and not be afraid to give another rabbit a try some day.

I'm sorry again for your loss.

 

[ILoveLucy]

Oh my gosh, I'm so very sorry to read of your loss. Usually I'm a quiet reader but I just had to send you and your wife my condolences. I'm truly very sorry.

Michele (aka "Mommy" to 5 girls, 2 Golden Retrievers, 2 silly kittens and slave to Miss Lucy bunny).