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A Question About Bunny Death

Victoria_B

New Kit
I am so sorry if this is the wrong section of the website.

Our baby boy, Dylan, passed away at 12:07 this morning (October 1st). He went down with bloat at around 10:30 am yesterday, took him to the vet and was told his stomach wasn't excessively bloated and he should be fine. We knew that the time was coming last night because he just was not responding to the medicine we were giving him. My mum and I decided to take last night in shifts, I took the first shift. He was in his hospital cage in the lounge and he was just laying down. I moved him onto my stomach so he could feel my breathing and my heartbeat as he was transitioning, he was on my stomach for about 35 minutes. He was in the groove between my breasts and had his arms outstretched. Then I thought I felt something happen in his body (maybe his stomach?). He then twisted his head back so it was almost touching his tail and started beating my chest with his outstretched arms. This happened for roughly 10-20 seconds. He then released his head so it was resting on my chest, then he took 'gasps'. It was of a motion than a sound, but that lasted around 10-20 seconds. Then he was gone. Is that a normal bunny passing?
 
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I am so sorry if this is the wrong section of the website.

Our baby boy, Dylan, passed away at 12:07 this morning (October 1st). He went down with bloat at around 10:30 am yesterday, took him to the vet and was told his stomach wasn't excessively bloated and he should be fine. We knew that the time was coming last night because he just was not responding to the medicine we were giving him. My mum and I decided to take last night in shifts, I took the first shift. He was in his hospital cage in the lounge and he was just laying down. I moved him onto my stomach so he could feel my breathing and my heartbeat as he was transitioning, he was on my stomach for about 35 minutes. He was in the groove between my breasts and had his arms outstretched. Then I thought I felt something happen in his body (maybe his stomach?). He then twisted his head back so it was almost touching his tail and started beating my chest with his outstretched arms. This happened for roughly 10-20 seconds. He then released his head so it was resting on my chest, then he took 'gasps'. It was of a motion than a sound, but that lasted around 10-20 seconds. Then he was gone. I only want the answer to one question (everything is still raw so I don't need to hear negative stuff right now x) is that a normal bunny passing?

Yes, sadly it often can happen exactly that way. Sometimes a Rabbit may squeel too. They are all autonomic responses as the brain and body close down.

I am so very sorry for your loss :cry:

RIP Dylan xx
 
Sometimes a Rabbit may squeel too.

Yes he did actually let out a little squeak as he rested his head back down. Thank you so much for answering. We've had 4 rabbits (sadly only 1 left) and none of them have gone naturally (one the vet put down by accident!) so I wasn't sure if it was a natural occurrence or something else. Thankfully my mother wasn't present as she wouldn't have been able to deal with it. I haven't even told her that that happened, she just keeps saying "I hope he wasn't in pain". I honestly don't know because it was very traumatic to view but I believe he 'checked out' way before he died.

Thanks so much x
 
Just wanted to say, I'm very sorry that you lost little bun. At least he wasn't alone, so maybe you can take comfort from that. R.i.P. Little bun x
 
Oh we're taking massive comfort in that. I managed to say what I wanted to say to him as he was on my chest, I told him if he didn't want to fight anymore it was okay to go and we loved him.

We got him at 8 months old (8 years ago). Our friend knew his previous owners and they had gotten bored of him (!) and were going to put him in a box and put him in the local river, she said we'd have him and we did. That little boy was the softest thing ever. I always called him my boyfriend because he was always kissing me.
 
I'm so sorry you lost Dylan. :(

My last bunny Neo did something similar when he died - he made a few tiny squeaks, opened and shut his mouth a few times, arched his back and "cycled" his legs for maybe a minute, then took one last gasp and stopped breathing, then completely relaxed. Maybe it's the brain dying and sending out confused signals to the body that makes them do that?

It was horrible at the time but looking back I'm so glad I was with him at the end.
 
First I've edited my post to sound less bitchy. I was worried someone would say "You're supposed to take them to the vet when they do that, you're a bad person" :p

It was horrible at the time but looking back I'm so glad I was with him at the end.

It's traumatic to see it, but like you I'm glad I saw it. It scared me when he was doing it but I figured it was his body just doing what it had to. Like I say I think Dylan checked out hours before the Dylan I was holding went. But I'm just so glad he wasn't on his own in those last few minutes. I hope he wasn't in pain, but I've told mum very little of what happened just "He wasn't in pain and it was quick".

Thank you all so much for your kind messages xxxx
 
Sadly my boy "Rio" died suddenly,He was in my room when he woke me up at 6.00 am with a loud type screeching,I jumped up and he was collapsed on his side,still alive but obviously in trouble.I tried to comfort him and he tried to move towards me,sadly he keened again and was gone,my poor old brave boy he was a tri cloured lop and was eight.I was devasted,I buried him in the garden.
 
One of mine died suddenly and was having all kinds of odd spasms...she screamed too. It was horrible to see but it does happen and it's not something you could have done anything about.

It might be wishful thinking but I feel like once they're at that point they're past knowing what's going on, so it's almost worse for the humans who are with them. I cold be wrong though, I'm no rabbit psychologist!

I'm sorry you lost Dylan. He sounds so loved. :(
 
Yes, I agree there seems to be a point where they aren't experiencing things as they would if they were well. So perhaps they have some pain, but maybe it's not so bad because they are unconscious or semi-conscious and they aren't really processing it.

I think that can happen with people too. My grandmother died at home after organ failure and countless heart attacks in hospital (she was literally having multiple heart attacks every night) and the last few days she was basically in a coma. I don't think she suffered at the end because she just wasn't really there any more.
 
Sadly my boy "Rio" died suddenly,He was in my room when he woke me up at 6.00 am with a loud type screeching,I jumped up and he was collapsed on his side,still alive but obviously in trouble.I tried to comfort him and he tried to move towards me,sadly he keened again and was gone,my poor old brave boy he was a tri cloured lop and was eight.I was devasted,I buried him in the garden.
I am so very sorry about Rio x The best we can do is comfort them so they know their mum/dad is there for them.

One of mine died suddenly and was having all kinds of odd spasms...she screamed too. It was horrible to see but it does happen and it's not something you could have done anything about.

It might be wishful thinking but I feel like once they're at that point they're past knowing what's going on, so it's almost worse for the humans who are with them. I cold be wrong though, I'm no rabbit psychologist!

I'm sorry you lost Dylan. He sounds so loved. :(
I'm sorry to hear of your fur babys passing x I agree I think they aren't there anymore. It was traumatic to witness, mostly I think because of the 'bending' and beating my chest. He was very loved :)

Yes, I agree there seems to be a point where they aren't experiencing things as they would if they were well. So perhaps they have some pain, but maybe it's not so bad because they are unconscious or semi-conscious and they aren't really processing it.

I think that can happen with people too. My grandmother died at home after organ failure and countless heart attacks in hospital (she was literally having multiple heart attacks every night) and the last few days she was basically in a coma. I don't think she suffered at the end because she just wasn't really there any more.
I agree with the coma comparison actually because he was unresponsive for the most part so I'm thinking any pain was more like a twinge. Also he'd been dosed with painkiller so that may have helped ease any pain.
 
It's horrible to witness ,and my heart bled that he left this world in distress,he was such an old softy gentle rabbit,Binky high and free at the bridge Rio.
 
It's horrible to witness ,and my heart bled that he left this world in distress,he was such an old softy gentle rabbit,Binky high and free at the bridge Rio.

I don't think they're in distress, I think they are gone before then, spiritually. I'm sure my bunnies (and the others) at Rainbow Bridge are playing with Rio
 
I don't believe in any kind of life after death myself and I think that makes it both harder and easier. But whatever helps people, I guess.

I take comfort in knowing that death is a natural process and it's a merciful release from pain and suffering.
 
I don't believe in any kind of life after death myself and I think that makes it both harder and easier. But whatever helps people, I guess.

I take comfort in knowing that death is a natural process and it's a merciful release from pain and suffering.

Ignore this reply, I read your reply wrong. I don't know how to delete.
 
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I'm really sorry you lost Dylan. It's really hard.

They do all sorts of things at the end of their lives, before they pass over. I've experienced a number of rabbits doing what you describe, and also making a little squealing noise.

Run free little one :love:
 
I think are other rabbit, Ben, realized something was different today. He and Dylan weren't bonded per sé, but they saw each other everyday for 8 years so before buried Dylan we showed Ben, he started to stress out. Today he was running into the places he would usually smell Dylan and then just looked...I don't know, like he understood.

Also, as to my previous reply, I thought SilverLeafs reply said "I don't follow a Religion...". I think it's my use of the term Spiritually, I just mean the Dylan part had gone and it was just the shell that fitted. Sorry for all the confusion :p
 
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