I'm so sorry about your new girl dying!
ray: (And really glad JBun was around to help you while I was sleeping!). Welcome to RO, by the way - I really wish we weren't meeting you under such tragic circumstances, but hopefully we can help you get through this!
Where did you get her from? Regardless of the source, I really think you should inform them about her death, as it could affect their other rabbits as well if the cause was contagious (which can't be ruled out at this point).
Unless her body has been kept cool (refrigerated but not frozen), it's most likely no longer possible for a vet to get viable tissue samples for a histeopathy but it may still be possible to determine COD from a necropsy (animal autopsy). This would be a good idea in your situation, but a necropsy is a little pricey (my vet's prices are a little on the high side ($75 exam fee) - I think it cost around $80-$100 when I got a sugar glider necropsied; it was $160ish total but a good chunk of that was the fee for the histeopathy).
If I were you, then (assuming you still have her body) I would contact the place you got her from, explain that she fell ill and died so quickly you weren't even able to get her to a vet in time, tell them you have an existing rabbit that you're concerned has been exposed if she died of something contagious and attempt to talk them into footing the bill for a necropsy (don't be afraid to be a smidge pushy while still being tactful). I don't know how good the odds are of them agreeing to pay (and can't wager a guess without knowing where you got her), but it's at least worth a shot.
If they won't cover a necropsy, I'd discuss her symptoms (and his) with your vet (and tell them the conditions her body has been kept in) first thing in the morning... I suggest calling them and specifically asking to speak with the actual vet, that way you know beforehand whether or not you should bring her body to the visit. If your vet feels very strongly that a necropsy would help them correctly diagnose and treat your male rabbit, then you might consider getting one done if you can afford it; if they don't, then I doubt it's worth the expense to you since $80 or whatever is a good bit of money.
For what it's worth, when I paid for a necropsy, it was because of very sudden, severe illness/death en-route to the emergency vet in a "pregnant" glider (they're marsupials; the joey was still in her pouch) - she had a cagemate and I had another pair of gliders living beside them, plus necropsies are considered mandatory in the glider community when a breeding glider dies inexplicably. For the average pet owner, I wouldn't consider a necropsy necessary unless the vet believes the results could help them save another pet's life.
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As for your boy, I'm SO glad you got him to eat his veggies! You should definitely still get him checked out today, though, even if he seems to be doing better (especially in light of the sudden death).
What to expect at the vet visit:
The vet will probably prescribe metacam (for pain/discomfort) and a GI motility drug like metoclopramide (Reglan) or cisapride
[Note: drug names will probably differ if you're not in the US] as a precaution even if he's still eating a little.
While they won't be able to provide a definite COD unless you end up getting a necropsy done, the vet should be able to discuss the possibilities with you based on her symptoms and the swift progression and tell you whether each potential cause is communicable (as well as their likelihood of being transmitted to your rabbit).
They should also ask questions and possibly run tests to try to determine the underlying cause of the GI stasis (or pre-stasis) symptoms your male is displaying - GI stasis isn't a true diagnosis as it has MANY potential causes and, depending on what caused it, the stasis could easily reoccur if the true issue isn't addressed properly.
Depending on what they think caused your girl's seizures and death and whether they can pinpoint a cause of your boy's symptoms, the vet may recommend some sort of precautionary treatment; failing that, if her COD can't be ruled out as potentially communicable, they may be able to tell you what warning signs to watch out for in your male (while you may not have seen any in the girl prior to her seizures, that could be because there weren't any OR it could be because rabbits hide sickness well and the warning signs were so subtle that it takes a trained eye to be able to spot them).
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As a note, it's always a good idea to quarantine (or at least isolate) a new animal that you bring home if you have an existing pet of the same species... recommended time frames vary - for sugar gliders, we always tell people 30 days; when I filled out a foster application with the SPCA, I saw that their recommendation (for all animals) is 14 days (minimum). Quarantine/isolation is always recommended even if you trust the source of the new animal AND even if they got a clean bill of health from a vet immediately before or after you got them, as something that wasn't apparent at the vet check could progress to the point of being symptomatic in the next 2-4 weeks.
[PLEASE don't take that as any sort of criticism or judgment! I am not - in any way - trying to scold or lecture you for not taking the "proper" precautionary measures to prevent your other rabbit from potentially being at risk, as it's completely understandable that you didn't - in my experience, *most* people never think to quarantine or isolate a seemingly healthy new animal until someone suggests it to them and/or they have a bad experience. I just wanted to mention the benefits of quarantine to help you prevent something like this from ever happening again should you decide you still want to find him a companion.]
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Binky free, little girl :rainbow: ... and we'll be keeping your male rabbit in our thoughts, wishing for his swift recovery.
