Sudden Rabbit Death - Explanation Needed Please

[Madali]

Hi,

I'm a first time poster (and first time rabbit owner) here. I usually do a search on whatever info I need, but since I can't find the info I am looking for, I thought I'd ask your help.

Me and my wife got a rabbit two weeks back, who was probably 1-2 months old, and we tried our best to take care of it as best as we thought how. I read up a lot on the internet, on what to feed it and what not. So I feel really bad for not being able to take care of our little rabbit (Jake), so I at least want to know what happened.

Last night he was fine, and I was playing with him until 3 am, but when we saw him at 9am in the morning, he was lying on the ground, and he seemed to have no energy in his body. When we picked him up, his head would fall on the side, like he couldn't even straighten his neck. He wouldn't eat anything or notice us. And he kept suddenly convulsing. We called the place we bought it from, and they said it was for lack of food and to force it sugar-water. This made no sense to us, since we give him, what I think a decent diet. We had placed a lot of hay for him to eat, some cordiander & parsley to enjoy from night to morning, and a little bit of carrot as a treat before I went to bed.

The sugarwater didnt seem to help so we wanted to take him to a vet, but the first place we went said they only SELL medicines and stuff, they don't diagnosise or do anything themselves. He said his food might have been infected. Could this be right?

They gave us an address for a nearby vet, when we arrived it was 10am, but the vet sign said they open at 10:30am. As we were thinking, where should we go, where should we go, he suddenly passed away.

During all this time, he once made a tiny scream, and after that he seemed more calm. During the end, he pooped a bit and his head was moving slowly and normally, which we got excited that he may be getting better, but a couple of minutes after that, his eyes suddenly had a glaze over it, and we couldn't feel his heartbeat anymore...

Since we found him sick, we did everything we could think of. We thought he might have had some sort of panic, so we tried to pet him, and have him in our arms, but nothing we did helped.

We always let him play in our apartment balcony, with lots of hay, water, and some coriander & parsley, and enough moving area for him to feel comfortable to run around. What could have happened? Did we not give him enough food as the first guy suggested? Was the vegetables infected as the second guy suggested? (even though we buy him fresh vegetables daily, that is, the same vegetables we eat ourselves) Or since we had let him play in the balcony, would it be possible a bird had attacked him? (I can't imagine a pigeon attacking him, but maybe a crow?)

If anyone knows, we'd love to hear some feedback. I feel terrible for not being able to take care of our Jake and my wife got quickly attached to it, and it has been a terrible experience so far, but at least I'd like to know what happened. Should we have not put him in the balcony? (we are on the 5th floor so we have no yard, and I thought it would be better than a cage) should we have given him more food? Less food?

Thanks, everyone.

 

[squidpop]

I am really sorry about your bunny that is so sad. I don't think it was his diet.

There is actually a term called "Floppy Bunny Syndrome" you can read about it here http://www.examiner.com/article/floppy-rabbit-syndrome-is-a-medical-emergency

One thing it mentions is a vitamin E deficiency. Another is a protozoan parasite called e. cuniculi which is fairly common in rabbits - they think as many as 80% or rabbits carry it but only 10% ever show any symptoms. The symptoms of e. cuniculi can be sudden paralysis - bunny suddenly goes floppy and this happened to me. Luckily my Vet knew what it was and treated it with the right medications and my rabbit lived. But for about 30 hours until the medicine started working it could only move its whiskers and ears a little bit- it was totally floppy.

Very sorry for your loss


Very sorry about your bunny.

 

[JBun]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I doubt it had anything to do with the balcony or veggies. Bad veggies would have presented completely different symptoms. It may have been due to a preexisting health problem such as with the heart, or it could have been something like a nutritional deficiency causing floppy rabbit syndrome sometimes from a potassium deficiency, and this doesn't necessarily have to do with a rabbit not having a good diet but may be a genetic issue, or possibly feed quality. E. cuniculi can cause similar symptoms, but usually it won't cause such a sudden death so isn't as likely in your case.

It's just really hard to know what can be the cause when something like this happens so suddenly. It sounds like you tried to do the best for your bun and care for him. Bud sadly these things still can happen despite our best efforts.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sometimes it just happens. We have had some go without any sign or symptoms--our little boy Finn was alright in the morning and gone that evening and he was just shy of 3. All we can offer is sympathy. A necropsy might tell you why.

 

[Madali]

Thank you all for your responses. This was a great help to me and my wife. We've decided if he was a bit sick when we brought him home, at least we can be comforted with the fact that we gave him a love-filled last few days, which he might not have gotten somewhere else.

I suspect that the pet store might not be taking good care of their rabbits. We live in a middle eastern country, and I don't think the government regulates the pet stores that well.