Suspected Seizure?

[ellievaughanl]

This morning I awoke to my bunny screaming and running around her cage. At first I thought she was being attacked, but there was nothing in there with her.
After a minute or so, she flopped down on the floor and began breathing heavily, mouth open. She attempted to stand up a couple of times, but it seemed as though her back legs weren't cooperating with her.
I took her out of her cage and laid her on the floor, and her breathing was still consistently heavy for another 3 minutes or so.
Unfortunately her beaths became further and further apart, and she passed away.

I have been looking at a few different sites as to what might have happened, and I can see no concrete answer that would fit in with how she'd been kept. (E.g pesticides in her food)

However, a few websites said that it might be contagious/infectious, and I'm extremely worried that it could reach my other rabbits. They're kept separate from the affected Bun, but according to other cases, this doesn't seem to matter.

Could anyone provide insight into what this might have been?

 

[Mariam+Theo]

I'm sorry for your loss. What did her diet look like? What was her housing like? I would clean the area and supplies she used with vinegar and not touch your healthy rabbits after messing with her supplies.

 

[nicolekline97]

I am very glad you could be with her while she passed. I would speak with a vet if you have a relationship with one. She may have had an underlying health condition, eaten something unknowingly, gotten bitten by something, had a virus or bacteria infection. You just do not know. If she was acting unusual I would certainly get your other rabbits checked out. Clean and sanitize the cages, food dishes, water. I am quite sorry she passed. Big hugs.

 

[ellievaughanl]

She wasn't acting any differently than normal, and her diet hasn't changed at all from the food she would eat normally (Pellets, Hay, Greens etc.). And her housing was indoors, with occasional - supervised - days outdoors. I have sanitised her cage, and all of her food bowl and everything else, my other bunnies are all fine at the moment, but the worry is still there.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

I know RHDv2 is going around the states, but I'm not sure it is where you are. I doubt this is what your rabbit had, but there is a possibility. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fs-rhdv2.pdf
@JBun?

 

[Preitler]

A seizure or heart attack sound most likely to me, or combination of those, I don't think any disease, toxin (very unlikely anyway) can cause this symptoms.
She might have had a preexisting condition. You yould ask a vet for a post mortem, but that isn't always conclusive.

Sanitizing isn't a bad idea though, better stay on the safe side.

Problem with reading on the internet is that you'll get a lot of contradicting opinions to pretty much every topic.

 

[nicolekline97]

A lot of people and animals may have underlying health issu

She wasn't acting any differently than normal, and her diet hasn't changed at all from the food she would eat normally (Pellets, Hay, Greens etc.). And her housing was indoors, with occasional - supervised - days outdoors. I have sanitised her cage, and all of her food bowl and everything else, my other bunnies are all fine at the moment, but the worry is still there.

I am real sorry that happened. It does sound like a heart attack. Poor thing.

 

[JBun]

For a sudden event like that and the reaction described, I would also suspect it was a cardiac arrest or possibly a stroke. The scream would be a reaction to extreme pain, the running after is panic from what's happening, and flopping down and breathing hard through the mouth is respiratory failure and all this usually happens right before they pass.

I wouldn't suspect a seizure as seizure episodes typically present differently and don't usually cause death.

Unfortunately these sudden unexpected health issues sometimes happen with rabbits as they are a prey animal and can be a little fragile.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I know how upsetting and traumatic it can be to watch this all happening.

 

[ellievaughanl]

I have sanitised everything, and both my other rabbits are okay 48 hours onwards, so my worry is starting to fade a little bit.
I have - as horrible as it sounds - been watching a couple of videos of Rabbit seizures, and they have both looked very different to what Daisy had, so I do think that maybe it was a heart attack as some of you have said.
Thank you very much for you input, she was a lovely bun, and will be missed immeasurably.

 

[Diane R]

So sorry for your loss. Are your bunnies vaccinated with Nobivac and Filavac? (I assume you are in the UK.)

 

[ellievaughanl]

So sorry for your loss. Are your bunnies vaccinated with Nobivac and Filavac? (I assume you are in the UK.)

Yes they are