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Why Do Bunnies Spasm When They Are Passing Away

catswhiskas

Warren Veteran
I have witnessed a few babies pass away recently at the wildelife hospital and have seen 2 of my own pass over the years. Why do they spasm. I was most distressed when a dutch baby came in the other day and died very quickly. I had to watch him spasming and couldn't do anything. It was very distressing. Would he have been in any pain? that is my major concern?
 
I believe it's just the muscles contracting as the body shuts down, it's quite normal, dosn't appear painful as I think they are unaware of what's happenng by this stage, and is not the cause of death but a side effect.

It's unpleasent to witness though :cry::cry:
 
I believe it's just the muscles contracting as the body shuts down, it's quite normal, dosn't appear painful as I think they are unaware of what's happenng by this stage, and is not the cause of death but a side effect.

It's unpleasent to witness though :cry::cry:

Yes I agree.

When an animal is pts quite often there will be some muscle spasms and exhaling of air and its very distressing for the owners but it is just the body closing down. :( Ive also seen it in naturally occuring deaths too and am certain they are unconscious at that point.
 
I think the worst thing is when they express their bladders after death. Thats happened with two of my buns :cry::cry:
 
the vet had to warn us George had made a mess and theyd cleaned him as much as possible when we went to pick him up.... death is so undignified im just glad they are already gone when the body is at them last stages :cry:
 
The piggies I had that passed away at home had obviously spasmed and I hated to think of them doing that alone - I'm not sure if they are fighting death or not. Tia died in my arms and she just tried to take a huge gulp of air by the looks of her, whereas the 2 I've had PTS at the vets just died quietly - Hugo had been anaethsetised with isofluorane gas first, so he was already limp, and Maa died immediately she was injected - I felt her heartbeat stop and there was no spasm or anything - she just flopped out asleep.
 
sorry,dont know but when i was little my very first bun shuddered just before dying and my mum said it was his spirit leaving his body,ahhh.I know its just something an adult says to comfort a child but i like to think there is some truth in that.
 
I've only seen a Guinea pig and horse die (thankfully), but my Guinea Pig had a heart attack in my arms so there was the straining and wacking of the heart in my hands that I felt but he too was also spasming quite abit, he was too weak to have fought death after suffering with a URI so I dont think it is them putting up a fight. My pony was PTS through injection as she just sort of flopped to the floor, as ungraceful as that sounds :shock: but she didn't spasm much at all
 
I lost my first rabbit recently to cancer (she was almost 6) and it was the most hurrendous moment in my life. She died in my arms making a screaming sound, while her whole body kept jolting, i was totally devasted and am crying now as i'm typing. She was my baby and i loved her so much, she was my first ever bun and i'd had her since she was 9 weeks, every year i always got her a birthday card and hoped she'd have a long and happy life, my other bun has had cancer too but has had it removed and also been spayed and is doing well, i just that the day she goes is far, far away and its much more peaceful than floppys was :(
 
I lost my first rabbit recently to cancer (she was almost 6) and it was the most hurrendous moment in my life. She died in my arms making a screaming sound, while her whole body kept jolting, i was totally devasted and am crying now as i'm typing. She was my baby and i loved her so much, she was my first ever bun and i'd had her since she was 9 weeks, every year i always got her a birthday card and hoped she'd have a long and happy life, my other bun has had cancer too but has had it removed and also been spayed and is doing well, i just that the day she goes is far, far away and its much more peaceful than floppys was :(

My bunny did that, it was awful. :( Some people mentioned that by that stage she was probably unaware of what was happening to her so wasnt in as much pain as it seemed, i found this comforting, hope you do too.
 
Thanks hun, i do believe she was hallucinating just before she died as she was looking at something and moving her head a around, I like to think she was seeing an angel coming for her, maybe her 'real' mommy. She also wet herself on me but i didn't care, i just held her close and didn't let go for ages.

Pen x
 
Thanks hun, i do believe she was hallucinating just before she died as she was looking at something and moving her head a around, I like to think she was seeing an angel coming for her, maybe her 'real' mommy. She also wet herself on me but i didn't care, i just held her close and didn't let go for ages.

Pen x

Thats a nice way of putting it, reading your story made me cry! As it reminded me of my special baby, she died at 6 and a half and i would get her birthday and christmas cards and presents (she got a stocking full of pressies)
I found her lying on her side in her cage when i went upstairs on my 18th. I hope, as it was a natural pose, that she passed in her sleep :(
 
Its horrible to witness but as others have said I don't think the bun is aware its happening. Its happened to 3 of my buns when they've gone to the bridge, I was in the waiting room at the vets with Hopper when it happened and by the time I'd got his carrier open he was gone. I'd left Fred at the vets to be syringe fed and sadly he passed away there, the vet was with him when it happened and said he appeared to fit/spasm. Lastly I was with Sox when it happened to him, he'd been poorly all day and I knew we were going to lose him despite all our attempts to save him. When it happened I just held him and stroked him until it was over - I take some comfort from being able to do that for him. It sounds like it happens to alot of buns maybe it is just what happens?
 
So when a bun spasm, is there any further reason to take it to the vet? The reason I ask is if there is no reason to do it, and no remote chance of saving my bun, then I much prefer my bun to pass away in my home, because it's where she was brought up all these years.
 
So when a bun spasm, is there any further reason to take it to the vet? The reason I ask is if there is no reason to do it, and no remote chance of saving my bun, then I much prefer my bun to pass away in my home, because it's where she was brought up all these years.

These are buns who spasm right as they die, they are not 'fitting' as such....it's just part of the passing process and they are literally gone in the space of a couple of minutes max.
 
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