My bunny died 🥺

[Leah]

Hi guys

 

I’m new to this but today my baby Flemish rabbit passed away.  She’s about 16 weeks old & Every morning we leave the buns out for some grass & fresh air, Bambi has her own run & spends most her day messing around

 

Today I noticed she was lying down flat, i laughed and called her  thinking she was asleep but she didn’t move. When I went over to her, it seemed like she had no spine, her body was completely straight and she was spinning around in a circle on her side. I’ve never seen anything like this I thought she had broken her neck or back

I was hysterical, my boyfriend came and we rushed her to the vets, in the car her fits for worse.. her whole body was stiff I noticed her mouth was shut tight and forced it open, when I did this she started marking an awful squealing noise and again started getting stiff. It was awful, I felt horrible I didn’t know what to do, she sadly passed away just minutes before arriving.

The vets tried everything, but she was gone. They told me it seemed as if she had chocked on clay from the bottom of grass. I can’t get my head around this, I feel awful could I have done more, how can she be gone & how absolutely terrified she must have been, the thought keeps running around in my mind I feel horrible

 

Has anyone else been in this position before? Could this have really killed her or do you think maybe there was something else going on? Im heart broken

[DanaNM]

I’m so sorry for your loss. 🙁

It is not uncommon for rabbits to have seizures when they die, so that may have been what you observed. It’s very traumatic to see 🙁

Rabbits can choke unfortunately, one of the leads at the rescue I volunteer with had a rabbit die very suddenly a few months ago. She was very concerned it was RHD, but the autopsy found a wad of lettuce in the rabbit’s throat, so the vet concluded the bun had choked.  Nothing was out of the ordinary, I imagine it is somewhat like when a human chokes on food randomly.

Was your vet very sure she had choked? Are you in an RHD outbreak area?

There is a “bunny heimlich”, but you would have to be right there when it happened. From what you described it sounds like she may have been choking for a while before you found her. Here’s some info for future reference and for other members benefit: http://vgr1.com/choking/#:~:text=Many%20refer%20to%20this%20technique,will%20clear%20the%20rabbit’s%20trachea.

Again I’m very sorry for your loss. 🙁

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bam]

I’m very sorry for your loss.

As Dana says, rabbits often seize before they pass away. Sometimes they also vocalize. It’s very traumatic to witness.

It is quite possible for a rabbit to choke on food. RHD is another possibility if you are in an affected area. RHD as a rule causes sudden death. In areas with confirmed RHD it might be possible to get your other buns vaccinated.

Again, I’m so sorry this happened to you.

 

[BinkyBunnies05]

I am so sorry this happened to you!  I can’t image how scary that must have been for you.  My rabbit died fairly suddenly as well.  The vet said her kidneys failed, but that doesn’t should like what happened with you.  RHD is possible, but if Bambi was eating grass outside, it is likely she choked.  I am not sure if you are a new bunny mom but I wanted to ware you about E. Coniculi and both varrients of RHDV.  E. Coniculi is a fungus I beleive.  It attacks the brain and important organs, like the kideneys.  Rabbits might tilt their head to the side a lot or seize.  The vet thought my bunny’s kidneys died because of this horrible fungus.  Almost every rabbit is born with E. Coniculi, but some do not show symptoms.  And it does not harm every rabbit.  A rabbit that plays outside and hangs out with other rabbits (other furbabies outside of the family) is likely to get E. Coniculi.  It is very contagous through rabbit pee.  And the RHDV is very very contagous!  And will kill them very fast.  I guess what I was trying to say is your vet is probably correct if Bambi was outside eating.  Clay/mud is not a normal thing for the buns to eat.  Also be careful out there with your Bun Buns.  Again I am so sorry for your loss!  I know how you feel.  While thae pain may still be very raw, you will soon be able to smile at those cute pictures of Bambi.  It may take a while but you can do it!  I can tell that you and Bambi had a strong bond.  Hang in there.  *sending hugs and lots of love*

Kyra Story

[SweetPotato]

I’m so sorry for what you’re going through! I know how it feels myself, as my baby girl Masha past away 3 days ago :c Something that I saw that really helped me cope is this:

 

This helped me remember that our rabbits will always be with us, even if we can’t see them.

[Author]

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