Why did my beautiful bunny die?

Sorry this is a tad long.......My beautiful bunny Bambi died the other day. I can't stop thinking about what could have happened....can't stop looking for answers. He would have been 9 in August so a good chance of old age but why so sudden? In the past 2 months or so he has been so attentive and licking and lightly biting me (I know this can be a sign of a rabbit in his twilight years). Anyway I've never felt so close and loved by him. He was a house rabbit so I bought him a self heating pad about a week ago and he loved it! He would lay on it and seem so relaxed. So relaxed that I thought he had become lazy as he was enjoying the comfort. It was since then I seen a change in him but as I said thought he was being lazy. The other night he nibbled one tiny bit of a mini cheddar (which he loves). The next day I noticed he hadn't ate his cucumber or dry food. I found him lying there letting his water bottle drip over his eye. I took him out the hutch and he ran into my bedroom (rather than the living room where he would normally go) He found a spot and laid there really lethargic. I think this is because he was planning on passing away peacefully. I phoned the vet and got an emergency appointment. He died on the way there. I can't come to terms with it as I want to know what happened to him and if I could have saved him if I acted sooner. His heart was beating faster usual a few days before it. I should have done something then but wasn't until the day he was actually dying that it was clear something wasn't right. By then I was too late and probably stressed him out by taking him to the vet. He was always so healthy and expected when he died it would have been more gradual. I know now they deteriorate quickly so that was obviously what happened but what was it?

All symptoms included:

Faster heartbeat than normal (last few days)
More affectionate and bonding and sometimes getting giddy and wanting to mount me (last couple of months)
Slight sneezing (last couple of weeks)
Runny eyes (every so often but especially the night before he died)
Slight diarroeah (every so often but last couple of weeks)
Lethargic (last few days)
A lot of molting (last few years)
Stuck poo at rear end (last year or so)
Right eye half closed (night before he died)

Does this sound like old age or something I could have prevented. I don't intend trying to replace him as I just couldn't but big IF I did would not like to repeat any mistake I made in looking after my beautiful little baby.

Thank you for reading and any suggestions how this happened.

I am very sorry for your loss It is impossible to say for certain why he passed, there are so many possibilities. A post mortem may shed some light on 'why', but some people dont feel able to have a PM done.

If by saying a 'fast heartbeat' you actually mean faster than normal breathing then that can be a sign of a lower respiratory tract infection/pneumonia. This would tie in with the sneezing and runny eyes.

A true faster heart rate can be a symptom of heart disease, as can lethargy.

But as I said, all this can only be guess work. It is clear how much you loved him and the fact that he passed quickly is awful for you, but 'better' for him than weeks of being very ill before passing.

The mucky rear end and apparent lethargy could have been due to age related arthritis. Older Rabbits, like humans, can get stiff and achey and their mobility will be reduced. A Vet would be likely to prescribe a daily dose of a non steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Metacam if arthritis is an issue.

I am sure the cheddar snack did not cause his death, but for future reference they are not a suitable treat for a Rabbit. It is likely they would cause gastrointestinal problems Some fresh herbs such as corriander or a few dandelion leaves are a much better treat for a Rabbit

I really am so sorry for your loss

I am so very sorry for your loss.

As Jane says, it is impossible to say why unless there is a PM.

It sounds like he had a wonderful life with you and was very much loved. Sleep tight little one x

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my beautiful baby boy, Badger, very suddenly a month ago. Like you, I can only guess at what happened, but I'll likely never know. Hugs xx


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I am very sorry you lost your bunny. Unfortunately as Jane says its difficult to know why.

I'm so sorry Binky free Bambi xx

cazzababy said:

Sorry this is a tad long.......My beautiful bunny Bambi died the other day. I can't stop thinking about what could have happened.... I think this is because he was planning on passing away peacefully. I phoned the vet and got an emergency appointment. He died on the way there. I can't come to terms with it as I want to know what happened to him and if I could have saved him if I acted sooner. His heart was beating faster usual a few days before it. I should have done something then but wasn't until the day he was actually dying that it was clear something wasn't right. By then I was too late and probably stressed him out by taking him to the vet. He was always so healthy and expected when he died it would have been more gradual. I know now they deteriorate quickly so that was obviously what happened but what was it?



Does this sound like old age or something I could have prevented. I don't intend trying to replace him as I just couldn't but big IF I did would not like to repeat any mistake I made in looking after my beautiful little baby.

Thank you for reading and any suggestions how this happened.

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I am so sorry for your loss. I think what you said above makes sense to me .. He was planning on passing away peacefully. He ran into your bedroom which was your special place.

Sometimes we feel the need to 'fix' a companion that we really can't bear to lose, who's been so close to us for so long. Sometimes they leave so fast we know there would have been nothing we could have done to prevent it.

I believe there was nothing you could have done to prevent Bambi leaving

I'm so sorry for the hole in your heart and time will heal

I'm really sorry you lost your bunny - 9 is a wonderful age and it sounds like he had a lovely life

I'm not saying this to be funny or sarcastic but my 87 year old grandmother had all those symptoms too. She had watery eyes, poop stuck to her butt, a droopy eye, heart suddenly racing, really, every single one of those symptoms... they are all the things every living thing gets when they are old. I just wish she could have died quickly and suddenly at home like your rabbit, instead she was in a nursing home/hospital for 3 more years. She got all sorts of various ailments, bed sores, strokes, cancer, and even though she couldn't walk, see very well, or hear and wanted to die they kept her alive 5 more years. So sometimes I think a sudden death is a blessing in disguise. Of course it doesn't feel that way though, it really hurts. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Many thanks

Jack's-Jane said:

I am very sorry for your loss It is impossible to say for certain why he passed, there are so many possibilities. A post mortem may shed some light on 'why', but some people dont feel able to have a PM done.

If by saying a 'fast heartbeat' you actually mean faster than normal breathing then that can be a sign of a lower respiratory tract infection/pneumonia. This would tie in with the sneezing and runny eyes.

A true faster heart rate can be a symptom of heart disease, as can lethargy.

But as I said, all this can only be guess work. It is clear how much you loved him and the fact that he passed quickly is awful for you, but 'better' for him than weeks of being very ill before passing.

The mucky rear end and apparent lethargy could have been due to age related arthritis. Older Rabbits, like humans, can get stiff and achey and their mobility will be reduced. A Vet would be likely to prescribe a daily dose of a non steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Metacam if arthritis is an issue.

I am sure the cheddar snack did not cause his death, but for future reference they are not a suitable treat for a Rabbit. It is likely they would cause gastrointestinal problems Some fresh herbs such as corriander or a few dandelion leaves are a much better treat for a Rabbit

I really am so sorry for your loss

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Thank you very much for your reply. Yes all makes sense what you have said so was probably a mixture of things. I did take him to the vet previously about his mucky rear and they thought it may be back pain. They gave me a source of paracetemol for him. After that it he wasn't getting it as often. I've given him the odd mini cheddar as a treat ever since he was little so know that wouldn't have killed him. It was just that when he didn't bother with that I definitely knew something wasn't right. He had a good life and was very much loved. I will miss him dearly but happy we had the opportunity to have such a beautiful, sweet bunny. Looks like his time was up then but I always thought because he was old and still so healthy he would have lived til he was about 14. Wishful thinking!!!

Sarah1989 said:

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my beautiful baby boy, Badger, very suddenly a month ago. Like you, I can only guess at what happened, but I'll likely never know. Hugs xx


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Thank you. I am also sorry to hear about Badger. It's heartbreaking!!! I hope they are both in a happy place xx

bunny babe said:

I am so very sorry for your loss.

As Jane says, it is impossible to say why unless there is a PM.

It sounds like he had a wonderful life with you and was very much loved. Sleep tight little one x

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Thank you. Yes he was very much loved and will be extremely missed x

MightyMax said:

I am so sorry for your loss. I think what you said above makes sense to me .. He was planning on passing away peacefully. He ran into your bedroom which was your special place.

Sometimes we feel the need to 'fix' a companion that we really can't bear to lose, who's been so close to us for so long. Sometimes they leave so fast we know there would have been nothing we could have done to prevent it.

I believe there was nothing you could have done to prevent Bambi leaving

I'm so sorry for the hole in your heart and time will heal

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Thank you very much for your lovely message. That's a lovely thought that's why he ran into my bedroom. I know that time will heal but wish time would go quicker!!! It's so strange walking in with no hutch and no Bambi
.

Max1 said:

I'm not saying this to be funny or sarcastic but my 87 year old grandmother had all those symptoms too. She had watery eyes, poop stuck to her butt, a droopy eye, heart suddenly racing, really, every single one of those symptoms... they are all the things every living thing gets when they are old. I just wish she could have died quickly and suddenly at home like your rabbit, instead she was in a nursing home/hospital for 3 more years. She got all sorts of various ailments, bed sores, strokes, cancer, and even though she couldn't walk, see very well, or hear and wanted to die they kept her alive 5 more years. So sometimes I think a sudden death is a blessing in disguise. Of course it doesn't feel that way though, it really hurts. I'm very sorry for your loss.

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I think it may have been old age but just difficult to say as rabbits can't communicate to tell you whats wrong. I hope it was old age and that way it was going to happen anyway. If it was his time then I'd rather have let him go than putting him through anymore pain. Sorry to hear about your grandmother. That is very sad and heartbreaking my thoughts are with you xx

Thank you all for your lovely messages it has made me feel a bit better and I think it was probably a mixture of things that led to him passing away. Things that come with old age. I just wish animals could communicate the way we do and we could help them more xx