H-e-a-r-t-b-r-o-k-e-n!!!!

I'm so heartbroken and guilty ... I lost my beloved bunny, Cinnamon, last Friday morning, 08/24/12. [tears]

We adopted her 8 years ago from a litter that were cared for at my daughter's school. Her father was a Dutch grey and white rabbit and her mother was a small domesticated cottontail rabbit. Her mother is still alive and well, I'm happy to add.

She was my little buddy and my sidekick. She was feisty, very energetic, responsive and independent. I was the only one she truly trusted and felt very comfortable with. I'm very attentive to her needs and usually notice changes in her behavior. But I'm saddened by her sudden death and would like to know what caused it.

Well, last Wednesday, my 14-year old gave her a bath and cleaned her hutch. Usually we bathe her in the bathroom's vanity bowl half-full of water and allow her to soak her bottom in nice warm water to clear away any pellets and urine from her bottom area. After my daughter bathed her, I noticed that she wet her from head to toe.

She dried her off fairly well and put her back in her hut with lots of Timothy hay and a dish overflowing with pellets.

The following day, Thursday, all seemed well with Cinnamon. Later that night, I noticed that she was cuddling up in the corner of her hutch were she usually relieves herself. I peeped in but I saw that there appeared to me no waste in that area. So, my daughter and I assumed she was relieving herself in the opposite end of her hutch that was covered.

The odd thing about it was she was laying very, very low to the ground with her head down and eyes slightly closed. Occasionally, she would move into the covered area for a few minutes then come back out and position herself back up against the corner of her cage/hutch.

Later that night while we were watching TV, she made frequent trips back and forth but there was quite a bit of noise. We wondered why she was making so much noise but we did not turn on the light to see. A few hours later, around 1:00am, I went to bed.

Upon waking the next morning, I ate breakfast then noticed an unusual foul odor in the room. I lit a candle, then proceeded to open the blinds at the window next to her hutch and greet her every morning as usually. I opened the lid to the hutch, reached down and stroked her back as I talked to her. She didn't move. Her legs were spread out in a way she did not normally lay. She moved her head slightly but not her body. I began to stroke her around her neck and call her name but she did not get up. I immediately knew something was wrong!

I screamed for my daughters to come downstairs. We took her hutch apart and I picked her up with one hand securely under her bottom and one hand under her head and held her close to my chest like I always do. I called her name ... "Cinny, what's wrong honey!" She moved her head and opened her eyes. She took one gasp for air and squealed, she took two more gasps for air. She squealed one last time and passed away in my arms.

We're all devastated. This happened so fast. We fail to notice the subtle signs that something was wrong with her. After she passed away, I checked the bottom of her hut and I noticed that she had not pooped and had not passed any urine that day. A little bit of the water from one of her water bottles was gone but the other one was still full. The most alarming thing was traces of blood on the lining paper. I'm not sure if it came from her vulva or anal area.

Reflecting back on her behavior, I did notice that she had begun to turn her back to us and stare slightly upwards at the wall. I thought she was bored or maybe depressed. She was also drinking a lot of water days before she passed away. I guess she was cuddling up in the corner to support herself. She was so smart ... I bet she positioned herself in that corner so we could see her and maybe respond. When she was moving into the covered area, I now realize that all the noise was probably her trying to steady herself and get her legs under herself ... she was becoming paralyzed. When I found her, half her body was outside of the covered area with her head laying up against her food dispenser.

I am at a loss ... I feel so guilty that I did not notice she was in distress the night before she passed away. It appears that she hung on until I could get to her. I know my presence, having her in my arms and talking to her was calming to her but I wonder what kind of pain this type of pain she was in. It hurts to think that she was suffering all night but I would like to know if a rabbit squeals under these conditions, are they in pain or just expressing fear???

I would like to know what caused her to pass away. Could it have been E. Cuniculi or maybe uterine cancer? I read that female rabbits who were not spayed had a 85% chance of developing uterine cancer. Could that explain the traces of blood? What kind of disease or illness will manifest itself and cause such rapid deterioration within a 24-hour period? What could have caused her to pass blood?

Has anyone else experience an unusual odor when your rabbit got sick with this type of illness? After she passed away, the odor went away. I wonder if it could have been coming from her digestive system while she was exhaling?

Any insight you can give me on what may have happened to my precious Cinny will be greatly appreciated.

I hope my story will enlighten someone else as to how important it is to know the signs and symptoms of illnesses most common to rabbits. Recognizing subtle changes in our bunnies as soon as possible and seeking medical attention right away will give them a better chance of recovering and will allow us to maybe ease their pain with medication and our tender loving care.

So sorry to hear about your bunny Binky free I'm not sure what could have happened but ya really not supposed to bath bunnys as they can't get there body temperatures back up and if you do bath them you have to make sure they are completely dry right to there skin as bathing them can stress them out maybe she went into stasis if she wasn't eating or pooin u really should have got ya bunny straight to the vet as for the blood are you sure it was blood because sometimes there wee can change from yellowy to bright orange depending on what they eat dandelions make them have bright orangey red wee it's still a sad time losing any pet and I'm sorry R.I.P bunny sleep tight

I am sorry for your loss

It is absolutely impossible to say why she died, a Post Mortem examination would be the only way to possibly obtain some answers. All the symptoms you describe fit with the end stage of numerous conditions. Uterine Cancer is very likely in an unspayed 8 year old Doe, especially in the presence of passing blood. But as I have said, a Post Mortem would be the only way to find out

RIP Cinnamon

Thank you, ((Jack's Jane)) and ((Wendle)).

Yeah, it appears it was the culmination of an unseen disease or illness that crept up on us. She usually gets a bath every couple of weeks depending on her hind area.

Most often I am the one who bathes her and I only wet her hind quarters and I dry her off very well to where she is completely dry. My daughter wasn't as proficient as I was but even so, I wonder if that could have caused her quick demise?!?!?

After doing some extensive research, I'm thinking it may have been a combination of E. Cuniculi and maybe uterine cancer (because of the passing of blood).

Just wondering if anyone had experience such a fast decline in their bunny's health that led to death within 24 hours of exhibiting Wry head symptoms?

CinnamonsMom said:

Thank you, ((Jack's Jane)) and ((Wendle)).

Yeah, it appears it was the culmination of an unseen disease or illness that crept up on us. She usually gets a bath every couple of weeks depending on her hind area.

Most often I am the one who bathes her and I only wet her hind quarters and I dry her off very well to where she is completely dry. My daughter wasn't as proficient as I was but even so, I wonder if that could have caused her quick demise?!?!?

After doing some extensive research, I'm thinking it may have been a combination of E. Cuniculi and maybe uterine cancer (because of the passing of blood).

Just wondering if anyone had experience such a fast decline in their bunny's health that led to death within 24 hours of exhibiting Wry head symptoms?

Click to expand...

It is possible, yes. Especially if the Rabbit's GI tract has also stopped working (Gut Stasis)

It is abnormal for a Rabbit to require any sort of bathng. So if Cinnamon was not able to clean herself and was getting a mucky bum on a regular basis that alone is a symptom of an underlying problem.

Also remember that rabbits hide their illness very well, much better than cats as they are prey animals so need to do this for the best chances of survival, they can seem to go down hill very quickly for that reason.

I'm not sure what the smell could be but you didn't notice any flies or maggot near her did you? As Jane says it could be a number of things but one of my bunnies I had quite a few years ago was old and used to get a mucky bum. I bathed him and dried him off (he was probably left a little damp) and the next day flies laid eggs on him. I did notice and got him to the vet straight away and had him treated but he died after I got him home. I think it was just too much for him as he was also 8 years old. I blamed the mucky bum down to age but now know it was most likely diet as I fed him the muesli type food and as much of it as he wanted! I also noticed a horrible smell, that was the first thing I noticed which prompted me to check him underneath and I only saw the maggots from really checking him in his fur as they burrrow right into the skin and are not as easy to notice as you may think!

Anyway I felt ever so guilty for not noticing it sooner but now it has made me very vigilant in looking for any signs of my rabbits acting strangely. I take my rabbits to the vets for the smallest things now and I'm sure my vet thinks I'm mad but I would prefer to be sure they are ok as I now know how quickly they go down hill.

((Jack's-Jane)),

After a bath, she would usually get a mucky bum about a week later ... sometimes her wet poop would stick to her fur and when she sat down, it would cause the dry poop to stick, creating a mess. So, I would give her a nice warm bath and gently rub the mess away using a baby wipe.

I just wanted to keep her area clean to prevent it becoming a breeding ground for infections or a rash. Otherwise, she did a very good job of cleaning herself.

((Lady Logamorph)),

I'm very upset with myself for not noticing these changes in her behavior. Up close, there was no noticeable odor emitting from her ... no signs of maggots or anything ... just light traces of blood in her bum area.

I'm thinking she may have been breathing hard and this odor may have been coming from her internal organs or digestive tract.

I'm trying my best not to think about her death, especially when I picked her up and she was gasping for air and squealed a couple of times ... just a horrible memory for me.

I really want to thank all of you who have shown your concern, shared your story and information. I do feel better knowing that others have experienced similar situations and felt the pain I'm feeling because I lost my sweetheart, Cinnamon.

I really, really miss her and look forward to seeing my baby again. I'm not sure I will get another bunny or any other pet. The loss of my Lhasa Apso dog about 5 years ago was devastating to me and more painful than I ever would have imagined. Now, with the loss of Cinnamon, I'm experiencing the same devastating pain. I keep playing different scenarios in my head, even though I know it's futile.

I wish I could turn back the hands of time but I know I must keep living, focusing and moving forward.

We are planning a nice burial for Cinny on my daughter's school grounds where a few of the other bunnies are buried. I need to find or create a nice concrete paver or headstone to mark her grave. I will do a little more research online to see if I can find something nice or have something inscribed that will reflect our love for her. Amazon had a few but they were basically the same and rather pricey. If you guys know of a place where I can purchase something nice, please let me know. Thanks!