Hi Lexie, I am so sorry to hear about your precious bunny passing away. I can feel your pain, my cat Kai passed away last Monday. Like you said only an animal lover can know and feel our pain, animals are so precious and need caring people like us to look after them.

Try to remember that you gave Bella the best love and care for her time on earth, and now she is runny free with all the other bunnies in heaven, Kai liked rabbits so I will look up to the stars and ask him to look out for your bunny.

Try not to dwell on what was wrong with her, It will eat at you; just remember the good times and the cuddles.

I am so very sorry. Losing a pet is one of the hardest things in the world. But do not blame yourself; it was her time to go, and I really do believe everything happens for a reason…so there must be a reason you lost your baby. I had to have my 13 year old lifelong companion Sandy, a sheltie I had since 4 months old, euthanized in February. I have never experienced such grief
You aren’t alone though; everyone here will support you.
Stay strong, it will be okay. ((hugs))

I’m so sorry about the loss of your beautiful bunny.

I know it is very hard to lose one you love and not understand why, especially such a young bunny. Although I can’t offer any thoughts on what went wrong with your bunny, I can very much relate to the feelings you are going through right now. About a year ago I lost my beloved Vanilla Bean (a sweet little Holland Lop). He was only 10 months old and we never knew what happened.

If you need someone to talk to to get through this grief I will listen. Feel free to pm me anytime if you would like.

Remember the good times you had with your bunny and that she surely had a better life for having shared this time with you.

“Binky free with little wings, Angel Bunny”

Yes time does heal, but I never forget my pets because they gave me such joy. Thats all you can cling to is the time that you did share with your pet and how happy both of your were.

Dear Lexi,
I am so sorry about your loss. Bella sounds like a sweet little girl and it’s especially hard to lose a beloved bunny when they die young. Please don’t dwell on the cause, as much as it would help (you think) to know. Many living creatures including humans have a shorter lifespan due to their internal makeup that you or they can never be aware of. For example, I had a kitty who turned out to have major kidney failure at a younger age than most but I never knew this until he died. He looked really, really healthy (was 11 pounds after losing weight) when he stopped eating one morning. It was common to his breed. The vet just was able to tell from a blood test.

You’ll see that my avatar is of my bunny, nicknamed Spockie, who passed away last December. Everyone here has been sooooooo supportive, and they have encouraged me to chime in with my stories, memories, and the knowledge I gained through my 8 years of wonderful times with him. I wish I had seen this sight before this year – maybe it would have helped him – but I doubt it would have changed the course of our time together. I just haven’t stopped loving him as the precious little guy he was now that he’s gone. But the awful pain of the first few days and even weeks has subsided and it is really fun to read about others’ bunnies, reminisce, and see pix and videos. I realized that I love Bunnies, not just my Spockie.

If you have never seen the Rainbow Bridge website, you may want to go there now. It’s for those who have lost any sort of pet. It’s very helpful also.
http://petloss.com

(((((hugs))))))

Lexi; with time yes, it does heal. I don’t think that it’s right to completely get over the loss of a pet; but rather to be sad about them, but to let the happy times overrun the sad. Perhaps you could make a memorial to your sweet baby, or a scrapbook of the happy times? I am planning one for Sandy, and I know that she would have wanted it…

(hugs)

I’m so sorry Lexi, this is so hard especially when you don’t have the answers. It’s so unfair.

I recently had one of my rabbits pass away and the vet did an autopsy and still could not determine the exact cause and this is pretty typical with autopsies unless you do send out for toxocology, etc…and that gets expensive. I’ve had a few rabbits pass away and done autopsies so I know they don’t usually have a definitive answer for this. Most vets don’t have the tools either to check the brain area as well.

I will light a candle for Bella to help her cross the bridge where she will be whole again.

I can tell you that you will cry alot about this in the next few months and go ahead and cry, it will be hard but you need to cry.

Oh Lexie, I am so sorry. It’s so hard when they go so fast without warning. I understand your confusion and upset. If it really is nagging at you, get an autopsy done for peace of mind. Have them check for poisons in the blood and also check the heart.

I googgled “rabbit distended stomach” and virtually every link tied it to bloat or G.I. stasis. How were Bella’s poops up to and including that day? G.I. Stasis is when the digestive system slows down, likely from a hairball, other obstruction or when a bunny stops eating and starts feeling gassy. When a rabbit stops eating, everything inside stops moving and whatever is left to sit in the tummy will breed bacteria and eventually, these bacterial gases leak into the bloodstream and kill the bunny. And in can happen in less than 24 hours.

I would also check the new hay you gave – sift through it and smell it for mold. Look for black or white pieces of hay that smell funky – there is a possibility that this could also have been a contributor.

And heart issues. Some rabbits have heart conditions but the thing is, the only way to know is through an autopsy. Even the most experienced rabbit vet cannot look at a living rabbit and search/test for a heart condition – it can only be done post-mortem, so please don’t feel like that is anything that could have been predicted or treated. Please know I am not a vet so any of these issues need to be discussed with a rabbit-savvy one for clarification and pertinence to Bella’s situation.

Remember, rabbits are prey animals. This means they instinctually hide any and all illnesses (so as not to alert predators to their weakend condition) until they are unhideable. That’s just what rabbits do. Most times, we, as their caregivers, hardly stand a chance at helping/treating our sick bunnies until it is – or is almost – too late. It’s a tragic consequence of having a bunny – sometimes their deaths happen so fast and without any warning or explanation.

My heart goes out to you. Please know that we ALL understand your pain and confusion – losing a pet, losing a bunny hurts just as much. Please know that whatever the reason is for her death, you did everything you could for Bella and gave her a wonderful and loving life. Bella is across the Rainbow Bridge with all of the other bunnies and pets we’ve lost, happy and healthy, binkying through the fields of clover to the strawberry patch that is always in season. And if she could, she would thank you from the bottom of her bunny heart, for giving her the wonderful life she had.

Take care.

I am sooooo sorry about your bun. This has been a terrible week here for losing pets. I had to put down my golden retriever last Friday and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I so feel your pain. I just keep picturing her final moments and it makes me so sad. The hardest part is not knowing but know that you provided that little sweetie with the best care and love. It was out of your hands so please don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes knowing is not good. This is the right place to come because we have all been through one thing or another. Take care.

It’s very true what Rabbitsmba said about heart conditions in rabbits. One of my rabbits had endocardiosis and it was discovered in his autopsy. The vet said I would not have known because of the nature of the rabbit.

i couldn’t even get thru this thread without tearing up… your story and everyone’s experiences are so touching… you came to the right place if you want some support. you did nothing wrong at all, and you are really probably not going to know the reason why she passed. even if you did the full necropsy you might not even have conclusive resluts.

i am so so sorry for your loss. i will echo the others and just say it was her time, you did everything right and she had a wonderful life with you while she was here. you need to hold onto the good times and be secure in the knowledge that she loved you and was safe and happy and loved while she was here.

Binky Free Bella… you’ve got quite a few friends up there already…

((((((((((((Hugs Alexis!))))))))))))

i’m so sorry you lost your bella bun.  it’s a terrible thing.. to lose a pet and i am sadly familiar with the pain.  i hope you can find some comfort in knowing that others have had similar experiences and that you come to know that you did nothing wrong.  ((((((lexie))))))

I am so sorry for your loss, if you need someone to talk to this is the best place.  We lost Bomber in January after only a year having him.  He had a tooth abscess.  The responses from this site were amazing support and made things better, if that’s even possible….

Binky free, Bella.  She was a lovely rabbit, and she was well loved and cared for.  Unfortunately, sometimes these things just happen, despite our best efforts.  I hope that you will take time to take care of yourself, and someday soon bring another bunny into your life.  You are among friends here, we all know how you feel.

I’m so sorry for you loss Lexi. Binky free Bella.

It’s hard to lose someone we love. I’m sorry. She was beautiful and you really did a good job looking after her. Don’t blame yourself. *HUGS and HEALING VIBES*

Oh man. I am having a hard time writing this. I am glad you included the picture of such an adorable rabbit but in a way it makes writing this a little harder. If I understand your account of what happened during Bella’s last moments, it sounds like she waited to be with you one last time before she passed on. These animals are truly amazing. Makes me think there is a heaven for them.

I remember when we got our two rabbits. Our vet warned us about rabbits being more susceptible to disease than other animals. He said that nature handles the survival of rabbits by making them so prolific. But then we go and love them as much as anyone.

The neighbors cat just showed up. Frisky as usual, looking for a treat, a brush, and a pet. Rubbing his scent glands on everything (which he did the day before and the day before and…) to let the world know to whom this house really belongs, obviously oblivious to the mortgage crisis going on. He reminds me of one of those Spanish explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries, who was it – Balboa? who wnen he crossed the Isthmus of Panama and saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time declared all lands that this body of water touches belong to the King of Spain. Both Balboa and Bisquit have huge egos, but only one of them has a heart of gold. He is being unusually affectionate today. He obviously knows something is bothering me.

I am tearing up too. We had to put Laith down in Feb. He will never be forgotten. I felt guilty like could I have done somethign more for him. We didn’t know what was wrong til after and he was in pain I could see it. Ohh it is hard.  The guilt is gone now. Don’t eat yourself up it was his time to go. Am so sorry it happened this way. It does hurt. In time it will not be so hard. And when you get another bunny friend please don’t be afraid it will happen to the  new one too. It usually doesn’t this situation was just a fluke situation. Bunnies hide pain very well. Til it is too late. It could have been the new hay or something entirely different. I wonder with Laith if we had known of his umbilical hernia we could have had it fixed. But then buns don’t take to stomach surgeries too well. You just never know. Know you did your best with what your bun told you at the time. which was he was feeling fine. HE didn’t tell you soon enuf he wasn’t feeling well. Poor bun. That is just their  nature. He couldn’t help following his nature thats how they are created to be. And you couldn’t help following the signs of good health he was showing you  once he did show he was feeling bad  it was too late. . At least you were there at the end. He knew you were there like he waited for you to be there at the very end. Then he went. He knows you luv him very very much. Today he is in no pain waiting for you to come see him when your turn comes too. And he will not be upset about what happened. Sometimes these things are just meant to be no matter what you do for them. Even if  you did know and took him to the vet He still may have passed being it was his time. They are very delicate creatures. And masters at hiding illness.

Take care of yourself. Be easy with yourself. TAke a bubble bath read a good book whatever relaxes you the most. Cry whatever you need to do.

I am sorry bella is a she. please forgive me that mistake

I’m sorry for your loss.

Pets, especially bunny’s, can be so fragile. But they bring us such joy in their short lives. All we can do is love them while they are with us & honer their memory when they go.

But, it is worth it!

Sometimes pets pass on without any warning or any reason. My girlfriend’s Georgie Girl also did a sudden turn and passed on without any warnings whatsoever. If your bun was eating and pooping normally up to the end, then the distended stomach really had nothing to do with it. It might just be one of those unknown ones. You could spend hundreds of dollars on tests and still come back with no real answer.

The part that tells me that it was her time to go was the fact that she stayed around until you came home. Then, when you were with her, she said her final goodbye before heading across the rainbow bridge. I try to look at things for having a greater meaning and to me it means that she loved you very much but had to go. I’d like to think that it was perhaps that she knows of another bun that is in trouble that could use your love and care more – but you need to move forward at a pace that is good for you.

my sympathies go out to you and yours.

aww, I’m so sorry to hear of you little bunnys passing. I lost my 8 year old bunny a week ago monday. I have been so sad, and crying all of the time. She DID have a great pampered free run life, but when i came home that morning and saw her suffering.. well. I cant get that visual out of my mind. I took her in so fast.. but there was nothing they could do.. I didnt even have time to call anyone in my family to come be with us. So, i was brave for Miss bazy may.. and stayed with her the whole time.. As time goes on.. I almost feel relieved because she had been sick on and off for about a year and most recently really sick a couple of months ago. I am not religeous, but i do feel so is in a better place where ever that may be. No more pain. I think i will cry for her for a very long time.. She was my buddy. I would come home and if i was sad would cry in her fur.. She seemed to understand. I spent tons of time on the rug with her as she never wanted to be held.. thats ok.. I accepted her as she was. always.

take care. and also with a heavy heart. marylee

I read something that really struck a chord with me the other day.

Grief is a stone you carry with you.  With time, the sharp points will wear off like a stone in a river, so it will stop poking you every time you move, but the weight will always be there.  But carrying weight is what also makes you stronger.

I’ve been so stressed out with my sick bunny that I nearly cried with relief this morning when she actually ate her pellets.  I can’t imagine the kind of grief I will feel when she leaves me for good.

You poor thing Lexie! Everyone is writing such nice notes, I’m trying not to cry too. I really hope you aren’t blaming yourself – it sounds like you gave Bella great buny life! She can’t be replaced, but I do hope you adopt another companion bunny(ies) some day when you are ready.

Alexis, I to am very sorry for your loss, especially at such an unexpecated way and at such a young age. It does get better with time, but please do not beat yourself up thinking you did something wrong. You didn’t and it sounds like you did everything right and do not think that you are a horrible pet owner and vow not to bring another furry little soul into your home and your heart. Take some time, grieve and talk about it as much as you need. We all understand. I lost my first rabbit Trixie unexpectly as well, but she was 7 years old. Although I kind of knew it was her time, she wasn’t well so I stayed up for 48 hours with her, medicated, fed etc. and she ended up passing away in my arms. The tears still come from talking about it. It was very sad for me.

When studying grief management, death & loss, we were trained never to minimize another person’s experience by drawing on your own experience and giving inpu that helped you through.  I believe the thought is that grief is different for everyone, so we shouldn’t assume that one person’s experience is similar to another’s experience.  However, I believe we all gain something for sharing our experiences, so here is my philosophy:

The reason an animal’s life experience is so much shorter than ours, is so we can share our lives w/ so many more animals.  That thought has always given me comfort, when I have only had a pet for a short period of time.  I once had a kitten that lived for about 3 months total.  She had severe brain damage from a flea infestation.  She was blind and partially deaf, couldn’t regulate her body temp & required hand feeding’s  She never grew any bigger than the size of a fmonth old kitten.  She lived b/t my home and a colleague of my ex tech husband.  We put her to sleep after she began suffering from seizures hourly.  It broke my heart, b/c she seemed to fight so hard for life.

I’m so sorry for your loss, actully everyone’s losses.  I believe that Bella is already looking for your next bunny.  That’s another one of my philosophies….the passed pet works their magic from above to guide you to your next pet.  Those sneaky little pets…always trying to push their agendas on their mamas & papas.  Take care.

Please don’t be afraid to get another bun (when you are ready). Buns are such fragile creatures, there is nothing you could’ve done differently for her. It’s better that she had a short, sweet and loving life with you, than a long but tortured life in a bad home.

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. As many others have mentioned, rabbits are very fragile, and you did all you could to give her a good life until her passing. I lost a bunny last year, and what I do to make myself feel better when I am missing her is I think about how much fun she is having running around up in heaven, and coming down to visit me as my little guardian angel sometimes. I think that when they get up to heaven, they appreciate so much being well taken care of that they come down from time to time to look over us. I

Do not be afraid to get another bunny when the time is ready, and up until that time, just do as much research as you can to make yourself more comfortable with adopting another rabbit. It sounds like you are already well educated on rabbits, and I think a shelter bunny is waiting out there for you when you are ready

The mention of “why an animal’s life is shorter than ours” reminds me of an email I once received – it had a perfect and simple explanation.  Here it is…even though it references a dog in the story, it applies to every pet anyone owns, including rabbits….

 A Dog’s Purpose – from a 4 year old.

Here is a kid with more perception on life than most grown-ups. Short and to the point.
 
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.
 
The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
 
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
 
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The four-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
 
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

hi, i am so sorry its so sad and i know no matter what anyone says it cant bring your bunny back but i know how you feel, one minuite my rabbit moomin was fine and the next minutie she was looking really ill and i will never fully know why she died, she just went downhill really fast and i had to have her put down, its really hard to describe how hard it is, i really feel for you, but you just have to remenber that theres nothing you could have done better & your bunny had a good life while it lived which it may not have had if you werent its owner
my thoughts are with you (((hugs)))

and also, i forgot to add, dont be afraid to get another bunny, but dont feel pressured either, do exactly what you feel is right in your own time, just remenber that having another bunny dosent mean that you love Bella any less, when my other bunny hoolio died i wasnt sure whether to get another bunny but i am so glad i got moomin because it meant i had the oppourunity to love another bunny in the same way. ((hugs)))

I am so sorry for you loss! And Tez – so sorry you just recently had to go through this too!

I just lost Bailey and so I do understand what you may be going through. It is so hard, and many people just don’t understand, so I am glad you came here. We all definitely can understand and you are not alone in this. BIG HUGS TO YOU!!!

And Skunklion – i am so glad you decided to share your experience even though you studied otherwise. When Bailey died, I found it comforting to hear other peoples experiences. I guess it made me feel not so alone. So even though each person’s experience may be different, the human emotion of sharing in pain and loss still helped me tremendously. Also, hearing how different people found ways to heal was positive for my own healing too.

Lexie: Me and You same boat. On route to heatache island…I’m soo sad, and I know you are too. It’s beyond sad, and non-bunny people will never understand.

Here’s to the mending of our broken hearts. *hugs cries*

To our passed away sweeties waiting patiently at rainbow bridge. Binky free sweetie-pies. We’ll miss you-forever in our hearts and our minds.

WHEN you are ready, if you were to go thru a rescue, the people there could tell you honestly how the bun’s personaility is. petstores are more of a gamble… you really don’t know what/who it is you’re getting.

There are those that say a rescue or rabbit shelter (which includes the nearest House Rabbit Society) is the way to go. I was told that the problem with pet stores is that they may very well be getting there “stock” from breeders who are not always concerned about rabbit populations and treating their rabbits as well as they could. There seem to be no limit to the number of rabbits in shelters waiting for homes, some are euthanised if one is not found. We got our first rabbit from a breeder only because we did not know where else to get a rabbit. The second we got from the House Rabbits Society. Before we could take the second one home, we had to sign off on a whole check list of things we would do to keep our rabbit safe and healthy. We also had to agree to attend a bunny tune-up class where we learned the details of caring for a rabbit. The House Rabbits Society has also always been there for us if we have a scare or a problem, no matter the time, no matter the weather. They also let us spend as much time with our rabbit before we decided to take her home.

I am so sad to hear you lost your bunny. Sending you lots of healing wishes during such a sad time.

Bunnies are very sensitive creatures and sadly can go downhill heathwise very quickly. Since they are prey animals they hide the illness as long as possible. Often people don’t realize they’re ill and then they’re gone 🙁 I am very sorry you lost your beloved bunny.

I have made a few of these for pets that have passed on:

http://www.mrshrine.com/pawpage.html

It is a little goofy – but, fun and therapeutic! I have a little shelf for them.

My heart goes out to you.  How I wish that two years ago I had someone to talk to when I lost my Echo bunny.  I got involved with rabbit rescue several years ago and have had a total of seven bunnies.  I only have two now.  Last year I lost four of mine for various reasons; old age, cancer and one that was very unexpected.   When I had lost Echo he was 8 1/2 and I blamed myself for a long time.  I kept thinking if only I had taken him to the vet sooner he might have lived longer.  I think the hardest thing about losing a pet is that now matter how much people want to help, only you can work through your pain.  It has taken me two years to find peace with the loss of my dog.

I will tell you one thing though that is a real blessing.  Three weeks after I lost my Echo bunny I was introduced to this tiny helpless kitten.  I picked up that kitten and let me tell you it was all over.  I found out the kitten was exactly three weeks old and it had been three weeks since I lost Echo.  I really feel like Echo sent this kitty to me to help get me through the grief.  It not only helped me with Echo’s loss but it was not long after that when we had to have our dog put to sleep. 

I now have this crazy two year old cat who I love more than anything.  Every day I think about all the babies I have lost and I am grateful for every moment I had them.  I also try to enjoy every moment I have with my cat because I know someday I will have to say good bye to him too.

Everything happens for a reason, it might take you a long time to figure out what it is but I have found some for many of my losses.  This November I had to have my beautiful Angel girl (bunny) put to sleep because she had cancer.  Three weeks prior to her loss, a sweet little girl I knew who was only 8 years old died of cancer.  I think every day that my little friend Chloe is taking care of Angel for me until I get there to see them both again.

Sending love and care your way!

Snowshoe’s mom

I hope your cat will always be with you and may you get through the grief

Oh I am so terribly sad for you. It is never easy to lose a friend. I suggest making or doing something in bella’s honour. if you are artistically inclined – or even if your not – why not make a matchbox shrine? take a matchbox, and simply with bella in mind, decorate it, fill it with reminders of her. and then keep it with you, and when ever you get sad, open it up, and smile about what a great bun she was. keep strong

Snowshoe:  I believe that our passed pets locate our new pets for us.  When I put my fist cat to sleep, my coworker got a call the same day that his brother had a litter of barn cats needing to be re-homed.  The coworker wanted to give me grieving time, so he didn’t say anything to me.  He told one of my friends.  When I told the friend how I couldn’t stand to be home w/o my cat, it was too quiet, he told me about the kittens.  I had a new baby kitten w/in days.  I named him Max.  Max is now about 12 y.o. and has had hyperthyroidism & chronic allergies/ sinusitis.  He has been a medical anamoly at times and one expensive little barn cat…but also the great joy of my life.  You’re right everything happens for a reason.