Male in pair has died – What do I do?

[MaeMae]

This morning we woke up to find Pablo had died during the night. 



Pablo was bought about two months ago and bonded with our female rabbit Lola. 

They were inseparable, always cuddled up together. 



Pablo seemed perfectly fine when we put them in last night. He ate his treats happily and was hopping about. The only thing we noticed to be different over the last few days was that he was peeing quite a lot and his poos were very small. I don’t know if this contributed to his death? They are both house rabbits and haven’t been outside at all.



When we found Pablo we removed him from the cage, I have since found that they should be left to allow the living rabbit to understand that the rabbit has died but we don’t know how long he was dead and Lola didn’t seem interested in the body. This morning Lola has been acting relatively normal. She still wanted to be fed, is drinking water and is hopping around the house as normal. The only difference is that she is more interactive with us as she didn’t really bother with us once Pablo arrived. 



I’m not really sure what to do now? 



Is it important that to have Lola checked over in case Pablo had something contagious? Pablo made such a difference to Lola’s life, she was much more content being in a pair. How long do we wait to bond her again? Is there other signs to look for with a grieving rabbit as she’s not moping around? And would the fact that they were only bonded for two months make this easier for her compared to rabbits who are bonded for years? 



Thanks in advance for any help,

Two grieving bunny owners :'(

[tobyluv]

I’m very sorry about the loss of Pablo. Rabbits can hide their illnesses and we often don’t know anything was wrong until they have passed. Since he was peeing a lot and had smaller poops, it’s possible that he had a urinary infection, and that could have led to the beginning of GI stasis. It’s also possible that he had some unknown condition from birth, if he was a young rabbit. The only way to know for sure is to have a necropsy performed.

Since Lola was with him when he died, that gave her closure. Spend as much time as possible with Lola. Make sure that she continues to eat, drink and poop normally. If you are worried that Pablo may have had something contagious, you could take her in for a checkup, to give you peace of mind. You may want to get her a stuffed toy rabbit to cuddle with for the time being, if she isn’t a chewer. You could start looking for another companion for her whenever you feel the time is right. If you have rescues or shelters in your area, you could start your search there. Almost all rescues and many shelters will have rabbits that are already neutered, so that you could start the bonding process sooner.

[Bam]

I’m sorry you lost Pablo.

If Lola isn’t displaying any signs of illness it’s difficult for a vet to know what to look for. You can of course always do a health check. The peeing and small poops probably meant sth was up with Pablo, but it’s not possible to say what. It seems he went peacefully, that is a blessing. Sudden death can occur in rabbits for many reasons.

The most important thing for Lola now (exept eating and drinking obviously) is company. Interact with her so she doesn’t feel lonely. I can’t say how long to wait before trying to bond her with another rabbit.

Keep a close eye on her appetite, peeing and pooping.

[MaeMae]

Thanks guys. I think you’re right, Lola doesn’t seem to be grieving as much as we are.. I’m keeping an eye on her but pooping, eating and drinking are all still perfect! looks like she might bounce back from this and we’ll have her with a new pal in no time!

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