My beautiful girl...

At 1:00 today I was sitting here at my PC and I saw a sudden movement. All of a sudden my rabbit Heidi started thrashing around violently. She was all streched out and flinging around for about 1 minute. It seemed like an eternity. I bent down to calm her down and pick her up. She was barely breathing. I was scared to pick her up because it looked like she
had broken her neck. I did anyway because we obviously needed the vet immediately. She was covered in pee and wet poo. She had completely evacuated her bowels. The smell was horrendous. She was totally limp and her head kept falling backward. I got her wrapped in a towel and ran to the neighbours for a safe driver. I was/am a mess.
She died as soon as we were in the car. Not more than 5 or 6 mins since she had the seizure. What on earth happened there? She was fine this morning. She ate loads, groomed herself and Toby. What on earth could I have done differently? It was over in a matter of minutes with no warning.
She eats the same food as the other rabbits, she is very athletic and healthy. I am stunned tbh.
My poor beautiful coffee nose bun. It still not really sinking in.

Blimey. That's horrible. How old was she?

Aw Andrea I don't know what to say. How awful it must have been for you, and such a gorgeous little girl

Does the vet have any idea what might have happened to her?

Thinking of you.

8 months

Could it maybe have been a massive stroke? How dreadful for you Andrea *hug*

Oh Andrea I am so, so sorry for you, we are thinking of you and send you lots of love.

Please do not think its was anything you did/ did not do, these things can happen with rabbits, and they hide illness so well, and often eat, toilet normally and run around madly right until they die.
It is a nasty and devastating shock when it happens, but its sounds like poor Heidi had a stroke or heart attack, as Lynda suggested. :?
It is very difficult to guess without having been there.

What matters now is you, and we are here if you need us.
Big hug coming your way
Adele

Sending you and Toby Big (((((((HUGS)))))))
I hope you get some answers so you can get your head round it all!
Lots of love xx

I'm really soory about your loss, it is completely devistating when this happens but don't blame yourself I'm sure you could not have done more.

I have had something similar happen and I put it down to a stroke, like you I got a friend to drive me to the vets but by the time I got there my bunny was gone, she was also well previously and no signs of illness.

Thinking of you

Mogs

Oh I am so very sorry She was so lovely looking and I bet she had a wonderful nature as well. Oh my, what a shock for you.
It could have been a stroke or a bleed in the brain - to be honest I would have the vet find out as you will only worry and keep going over "could I have done more".
Losing Dutchess on Tuesday was a terrible shock as well - she had been left for 3 minutes, that was all. She was fit and well, no signs of anything wrong - John went in to say hello and give tickles, he went to get some fresh greens for Dutchess and Duke and within those 3 minutes she had left us The vet has said that her heart just stopped - she was a six year old large French Lop - God how we miss her.
We still question ourselves all the time - it is a natural thing to do when you love someone so much.
Run free Heidi - forever in the eternal sunshine now.

OMG I am stunned, I am so sorry for your sudden loss.

lost for words here

Kara x

Oh god Andrea, Im so sorry to hear this. What a beautiful girl. What a terrible shock for you and your family.
Big hugs coming your way!



Angela

Jaypot said:

Losing Dutchess on Tuesday was a terrible shock as well - she had been left for 3 minutes, that was all. She was fit and well, no signs of anything wrong - John went in to say hello and give tickles, he went to get some fresh greens for Dutchess and Duke and within those 3 minutes she had left us The vet has said that her heart just stopped - she was a six year old large French Lop - God how we miss her.
We still question ourselves all the time - it is a natural thing to do when you love someone so much.
Run free Heidi - forever in the eternal sunshine now.

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This is my first pet to die. Jay I don't know how you cope with all those older poorly bunnies. I would be worried sick all the time. You do such a great job. It is when something like this happens to yourself you realise how selfless and giving other people are. I don't want any other bun. I want Heidi back. But you just keep on taking them in, loving them and losing them. It must be awful for you sometimes. I admire you.

OMG I'm so sorry to hear this, what a complete shock for you, sending my thoughts and big hugs at this very sad time x

I'm really sorry to hear that. Our rabbit Daddy had what we think was a stroke a while ago; he went very floppy and "dim" and died that night.

So sorry to hear this sad news. Such a beautiful girl.
Thinking of you at this sad time.

I'm really sorry for your loss, she was a beautiful bunny. It really does sound like there was nothing you could have done. As you say, there was no warning.

Perhaps your vet can give you some idea of the cause and help give you a little closure even though it won't help the missing her.

Tamsin

Adele said:

What matters now is you, and we are here if you need us.
Big hug coming your way
Adele

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Speaking of what matters now, I have no experience with bereavemnt.
How is Toby feeling now? He is stood in the corner of his hutch facing the corner.
After she died I put her in his hutch for a minute. He went over and smelled her, put his face right up to hers and then turned around. He knows she is dead.
Will he be heartbroken? Lonely? Angry?
Does he want to be bonded again? How long do we wait?
<sigh> It's gonna be a tough weekend.

Sorry to hear of you're loss Andrea, please don't blame yourself. I hope the vet can find some answers for you. Lots of hugs from me & Evo XXXX

My vet just rang. She thinks she had a massive stroke.
No warning, they couldn't have helped her.

Just as a precaution, I will be doing all the hutches with Vircon. I will also be checking over the weekend for head tilt, uncontrolled bladders, and waek back legs. Next week we are going to start a worming course as well just in case.

Thanks everybody for all of your support. I never thought it would feel like this.

Holly Go-Lightly said:

Will he be heartbroken? Lonely? Angry?
Does he want to be bonded again? How long do we wait?
<sigh> It's gonna be a tough weekend.

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He might be scared. When Chips lost his brother he went really quiet and when we let him out to play he would just hide behind the sofa. It was heartbreaking. I think seeing their partner dead is an important thing though. They do understand what's happened. I think if they don't see that they're dead you'll have them searching around for their lost bunny. When we have to take one of the bunnies to the vets, them being gone always puts Chips in a very nervous mood. It takes him a good while of sniffing at them and hopping about until he's satisfied that everything is back to normal.

I found with Chips that it was important to get him bonded again quickly. He just seemed scared that whatever had happened to Daddy was going to happen to him. He would run away from us and cower, sit huddled in fear in his cage. I know I'm antropomorphising, but that's really what it seemed like. It was horrible. When we brought back Cassidy it really did help. Just smelling another bunny in the flat brought him out of it. Even though we couldn't get them bonded straight away, it calmed him down and started him worrying about this new rabbit, rather than his dead brother. He started behaving like a normal bunny again.

Definitely give him a couple of days to get used to being alone, but rabbits don't need as long as people do to get over their grief. We were going to give Chips a few weeks, but in the end we only managed a week because he really wasn't coping with being alone. Obviously it depends on the bunny, but don't feel you have to wait a 'respectable' period. I think you'll probably know if he needs a new friend or if he needs some time alone.