I had a 6 1/2 year old newfoundland dwarf rabbit who died today. I found her in her run, which is attached to the hutch laying over on her side with her eyes open, i don't understand how she died though she was eating, pooping and drinking all ok, there was no change in her diet (would feed her a treat- a rabbit treat or a small bit of a digestive biscuit no more than twice a week-). Could anyone indicate why she died, was it a heart attack? Old Age?
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Help on Understanding why my bunny died.
- Thread starter jdaisy14
- Start date
WTF?! I thought rabbits can't eat biscuits because of the wheat/oat and sugar! Might have died from boredom or illness. You'll need to get her dissected by vets to find out the cause of death. A healthy rabbit can live 10-12 years.
MimzMum
Wise Old Thumper
jdaisy, I am very sorry to hear your bunny has passed. You have my sympathies. ((((hugs)))))
There are many reasons why a bunny can pass suddenly. It is true that you would need a post mortem to determine the cause of death and that needs to be done I think within the first 24 hours. If she was an outside bunny something could have scared her (fox, cat or dog) and she went into cardiac arrest, or she may not have been showing obvious signs of illness since rabbits are prey animals and can hide their sickness very well to not draw a predator's notice to them.
6 1/2 is more middle age, but it is not uncommon for a bunny with an underlying condition to die a bit younger than 10-12...being outdoors can contribute to that as well. House bunnies tend to live a bit longer in general because you are interacting with them more and can catch something amiss easier.
Was she your only bun? If not, you may want to take any other bunny who lived with her to the vet for a check up just in case it was something viral.
It is true that bunnies should be fed a proper diet to keep their insides working well; things like hay and fresh greens if they can tolerate those, occasionally pellets but I have found my house bunnies do just as well without them.
Again I am sorry for your loss.
Binky free wee bun. xx
Fawncasca, may I just say that your post came across as a bit rude. My apologies if you did not mean it to be so. But please can we all remember to proofread our posts and try to answer others' questions in a manner that does not sound harsh, as it is difficult to tell over the internet what kind of tone you are using when replying, especially in a situation where someone is grieving a loss. Thank you.
There are many reasons why a bunny can pass suddenly. It is true that you would need a post mortem to determine the cause of death and that needs to be done I think within the first 24 hours. If she was an outside bunny something could have scared her (fox, cat or dog) and she went into cardiac arrest, or she may not have been showing obvious signs of illness since rabbits are prey animals and can hide their sickness very well to not draw a predator's notice to them.
6 1/2 is more middle age, but it is not uncommon for a bunny with an underlying condition to die a bit younger than 10-12...being outdoors can contribute to that as well. House bunnies tend to live a bit longer in general because you are interacting with them more and can catch something amiss easier.
Was she your only bun? If not, you may want to take any other bunny who lived with her to the vet for a check up just in case it was something viral.
It is true that bunnies should be fed a proper diet to keep their insides working well; things like hay and fresh greens if they can tolerate those, occasionally pellets but I have found my house bunnies do just as well without them.
Again I am sorry for your loss.
Binky free wee bun. xxFawncasca, may I just say that your post came across as a bit rude. My apologies if you did not mean it to be so. But please can we all remember to proofread our posts and try to answer others' questions in a manner that does not sound harsh, as it is difficult to tell over the internet what kind of tone you are using when replying, especially in a situation where someone is grieving a loss. Thank you.
jdaisy14, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your rabbit.
Can I just say I too treat my rabbits, including an odd bit of digestive biscuit and even toast now and again, oh or maybe a snippet of cracker (!!) - not all at once of course, or necessarily everyday - so do not think for one minute that other than perhaps a little naughty, that it is the cause of your loss. In fact it is HIGHLY unlikely. As is boredom in this case. I am sure she had a good quality of life (you mentioned a run). She was eating, pooping etc as normal and the fact you are posting on here indicates you cared very much for her.
Many of us will have had bunnies who have died suddenly (including me), and are non the wiser as to why.
Bunnies are very fragile and you could have lost her for a number of reasons - non of which were your fault. So please, although you may feel sad, do not feel responsible
So sorry,
Cara
Can I just say I too treat my rabbits, including an odd bit of digestive biscuit and even toast now and again, oh or maybe a snippet of cracker (!!) - not all at once of course, or necessarily everyday - so do not think for one minute that other than perhaps a little naughty, that it is the cause of your loss. In fact it is HIGHLY unlikely. As is boredom in this case. I am sure she had a good quality of life (you mentioned a run). She was eating, pooping etc as normal and the fact you are posting on here indicates you cared very much for her.
Many of us will have had bunnies who have died suddenly (including me), and are non the wiser as to why.
Bunnies are very fragile and you could have lost her for a number of reasons - non of which were your fault. So please, although you may feel sad, do not feel responsible
So sorry,
Cara
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No offence intended but if you feed your rabbit biscuits and toasts, whether it causes their death or not it's still going to be a factor in lowering their immune system and general health so they are less likely to be able to fight off illness etc. It's like a human eating McDonald's instead of 5 fruits and veg a day then when they are suffering from severe flu they find something to blame instead of their poor immune system.
Hope OP gets through this and finds a new bun.
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
FORUM RULES:
Tone of Posts
The forum should be a supportive place to visit. It is possible to disagree with something without turning it into an insult. Sometimes it's not what you say but how you are saying it that causes a problem. For example, if someone is feeding their rabbit in a way you consider bad you could say:
"Why are you feeding your rabbit that rubbish? You should have done more research and fed it this instead. You better change it quickly before your rabbit dies."
Or
"Have you thought about swapping to pellets? Quite a few forum members feed these as they have more fibre so are better for their gut."
The first is likely to get you a warning from admin and chase the rabbits owner away. The second is friendly and tactful and will encourage the owner to listen to your advice. Sometimes it's difficult to be patient if you see something happening you think is wrong but staying calm and polite will generally get the most successful response in the end.
OP- I am very sorry for your loss
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Sorry for your loss. Whilst biscuits shouldn't really be fed to rabbits I think it's highly unlikely that contributed to sudden death especially if she was eating and pooing fine. There was no way you could have anticipated a death like that.
The only way to really find out is to have a post mortem. I had a bun who died in similar circumstances once but she was deaf and very anxious and I suspect she had a heart attack. Although I'm sure it is a big shock and you must be devastated, I actually felt comforted about my bun who died suddenly as I knew she led a good happy life up until the point she died. So often rabbits go through weeks or months of illness prior to their death and at least you know your bun didn't suffer like that.
Sorry again for your loss.
weedug
Mama Doe
I am very sorry to hear that you lost your little bun
.Unfortunately I can't tell why she died. It could have been a number of reasons, including a heart attack.
I'm also very sorry that you have been made to feel worse through an insensitive post
.Binky free little girl.
elmoandfern
Mama Doe
I'm so sorry for your loss I can only echo what others have said and say you certainly shouldn't blame yourself. A PM may give you answers but the important thing is that your bunny had a happy life with you x
I can only echo what others have said and say you certainly shouldn't blame yourself. A PM may give you answers but the important thing is that your bunny had a happy life with you xNo offence taken
. However, I do think you are taking the 'treat' thing far too seriously. It's all about balance and proportion and the amounts we are talking about (certainly in my case) is neither here or there in fact my rabbits diet is primarily Grass (all day free range), Hay, Herbs, and 1 daily small handful pellets. And my lovely Rosie is 11 (or 12 - paperwork not to hand) this year. She and her partner certainly thrive on their diet and lifestyle Personally I never go to MacDonalds - I don't even eat meat ... but the odd visit there is also unlikely to do anyone any long term term if taken in moderation. The odd treat never harmed anyone
marleysworld
Mama Doe
I'm so sorry your bunny died. Sometimes it happens this way. Not all rabbits live to be 10 years.
It could of been bad genes or maybe shock from a fox visit.
As other people have said the only way to find the reason is a post Mortem but that won't tell you the circumstances as to why it happened.
It could of been bad genes or maybe shock from a fox visit.
As other people have said the only way to find the reason is a post Mortem but that won't tell you the circumstances as to why it happened.
parsnipbun
Wise Old Thumper
I am very sorry to hear that you lost your little bun
Unfortunately I can't tell why she died. It could have been a number of reasons, including a heart attack.
I'm also very sorry that you have been made to feel worse through an insensitive post
Binky free little girl.
I am also so sorry. It is very very very unlikely that these rare treats dud anything other than make your bun feel loved and treated.
Captain Helen
Wise Old Thumper
I'm so sorry you lost your girl Binky free little one xx
Binky free little one xx
little-laura
Wise Old Thumper
Please bare in mind there's a person on the other side of the screen who has just lost their bunny so try to put across your view , advice and opinions gently
Op - I'm so sorry for your loss did you get a postmortem?
