One of 4 bunnies passed away, should I be concerned for the rest?

[BooBooBunny]

I wasn’t sure what section to post this under, so hope this is ok..

I suddenly and unexpectedly lost one of my bunnies last night.  I didn’t know he was sick, he was about 6 years old.  He was a bit listless the night before but he ate so i didnt  worry much.  Other than that, one of his nostrils was dark almost black colored when i found him, my point being im worried that he could have died from something contagious.  I still have 3 more bunnies who were in close proximity to him, one of whom shared a pen with him.  This is the first bunnny ive had pass away so im not sure what precautions to take, should i take the remaining three for checkups to make sure theres nothing going around? Do i need to disenfect everthing?

My second question is specifically about the bunny he lived with and was bonded to.  They were bonded when i got them a few years ago, I always said they were a “two headed monster” because they were so inseperable.  Im concerned now for his patner who’s suddenly alone after so many years.  Is there anything i can do to ease his lonliness and transition into being a solitary rabbit?  Or should i attempt to bond one of my other two bunnies with him? Im just not sure to what extent he is going to suffer becuase of his cage mates death and absence. I feel so bad for the poor guy losing his best friend…

 

Hopefully somone here with more experience has some advice or insights, thanks in advance.

 

 

[Sarita]

The only way to know what your bunny died from is to have the vet do a necropsy which will give you hopefully some insight into his death.

Can you bond the new bunny that is alone with your other pair? That might be your best bet.

As for disinfecting, it certainly doesn’t hurt to do that in any event.

So sorry your bunny passed away.

[Stickerbunny]

A necropsy would be a good idea – would tell you if your other buns are at risk and if so, will let you treat them before they start showing any symptoms. Certainly disinfect, just to be safe, it doesn’t hurt anything.

I’ve read that a stuffed animal can help bunnies who lose their bond mates, gives them something to cuddle/groom so they don’t feel as lonely.

Sorry for your loss and ((((huggs))) to you and his bond mate.

[KatnipCrzy]

I agree with the others- it would be best to consult a vet to determine if your other bunnies are at risk.
I would wait and see how the bunny reacts to being alone- I do think it is too soon to try any bonding or introducing to another bunny though. Grieving is a natural process and I think the bunny needs to learn his buddy is gone before he can learn to accept another bunny. I do agree about the stuffed animal though- that might provide some comfort.

[BooBooBunny]

Thanks for the help and advice everyone, I did ask the vet to do a necropsy per everyone’s suggestions. Hopefully the findings will help me determine if the rest of my buns are at risk.

As for his “life partner” that he left behind, hes still eating but seems obviously confused as to where his other half went. As far as bonding him with the other two, they are not bonded with each other, ones an altered male and the other an unaltered female, his daughter actually, so i don’t know… I guess I’ll just keep a close eye on him for the next few days and give things some thought. I do have some stuffed animals around that were previously in the cage but I removed them because I was concerned with them eating the stuffing, so maybe i can dig those back out.

Thanks again for the help condolences everyone.

[jerseygirl]

My condolences BooBooBunny. That must have been an awful shock to find he’d passed so suddenly.

 

Other than that, one of his nostrils was dark almost black colored when i found him

This is a little concerning. Necrospy can take a while to get results but I’d ask your vet if they could discern what this was at his nostrils straight away. Dried blood can look very dark and it might indicate some bleeding. VHD (Viral Hemorrhagic Disease) can cause sudden death and haemorrhage. There are some other things that might cause it but VHD would be something you need to find out asap. I’m sorry to bring it up at such a time. : (

[BooBooBunny]

I just heard back from the vet, she said there was wide spread cancer in Chinny (the bun who passed away). Poor guy made a full recovery from a head tilt crisis a few years ago and i thought he was healthy. So its good to know it was nothing contagious to the other bunnies, although i feel bad i never saw any signs. Hopefully the progression was quick enough that there wasn’t much suffering.

His cage mate is still eating, although not as much and with less enthusiasm, maybe its sinking in for him that his buddy isn’t coming back..

Thanks again for the concern and advice everyone

[jerseygirl]

You must be relieved knowing the others aren’t at risk. I hope it brings you some closure.

Binky Free Chinny!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m so sorry-it’s hard when they leave us so unexpectedly.

I too would wait and see how your bunny does on his own. Even if your plans are to bond him into a threesome, I would give him time to grieve. You can help by giving him extra attention, and you could try giving him a stuffed animal to cuddle with-many rabbits love their stuffed animal as if it were a real bunny and this could help.

It’s good to know what your bunny passed from is not contagious, but maybe the other three could have their annual vet exams early to be sure they are all in tip top shape.

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