I’ve posted on here about the loss this week of our beloved little bunny Sweep. He had been unwell with gut stasis for two weeks, and although he was eating and going to toilet - he never ever went back to his usual self. He remained hunched up and with his eyes closed. When we took him to the vets and his blood sugar was over 20 - the vets were going to do a exploratory surgery to establish the problem, as the X-ray didn’t show a blockage. But Sweeps heart stopped before the surgery could even begin. Has anyone else had this with their bunnies? Why would his heart just stop like that? They mentioned possible liver lobe torsion but I guess there is no way of knowing for sure.
-
Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
-
Please Note - Medical Advice
Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.
You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.
We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.
Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.
Possible causes
- Thread starter Helen1981
- Start date
I'm really sorry for your loss. Hopefully someone with experience may know.
Thank you, it’s a terribly difficult time and I’m struggling to be honest.
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
There are so many possible causes for what happened that it’s impossible to give you a definitive answer. As I said in a previous thread, sometimes a reaction to the drugs used for a GA can cause an adverse reaction causing the heart to stop. There could have been a previously undiagnosed heart problem, there could have been a liver lobe torsion. Only a PM might give some clues as to why it happened, but even a PM might not give any answers. If the vet ran full blood profiling, not just a blood glucose test this might give some clues. If there was anaemia it could add to evidence of it being a LLT as there would be a lot of internal bleeding.
Thank you for your help. You are right, and I don’t think they will even know. We have to speak to the vet on Monday to discuss things, but they didn’t say they had done bloods etc
Hugs xxx
Thank you xx
It’s normal to wonder why and try to examine the course of events, a PM may give some answers but personally I haven’t opted for one before as sadly it would not have changed what I would have done at the time. You did absolutely everything you could for your bunny, he had the best life possible and would have known how much you loved him.
thinking of you at this sad time.
thinking of you at this sad time.
Thank you so much for your kind words. It was just so sudden, and we weren’t even with him x
I know all losses are sad but I do think it feels worse when it’s sudden and unexpected.
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
I only had a post mortem performed when multiple bunnies had similar symptoms and I hoped it could help the ones that were still fighting; or when one had what may have been contiguous. PMs did not show what I hoped so no longer opt for one, not even when one of my bunnies died within minutes of being normal.
I hope your conversation with the vet on Monday will be helpful by providing more details:
Before he passed:
was he pale or bluish from lack of blood or oxygen?
was his respiration fast or labored?
did he receive fluids or blood work?
was he given any additional pain meds or sedation?
was his body temp low or high?
How long after he was admitted did he pass?
I wish I could bring your handsome Sweep back to you. My spouse and I love our bunnies, yet their fragility and comparatively short lives means we have felt the same pain you are experiencing today when we lost a special furry friend.
Sending lots of hugs.
I hope your conversation with the vet on Monday will be helpful by providing more details:
Before he passed:
was he pale or bluish from lack of blood or oxygen?
was his respiration fast or labored?
did he receive fluids or blood work?
was he given any additional pain meds or sedation?
was his body temp low or high?
How long after he was admitted did he pass?
I wish I could bring your handsome Sweep back to you. My spouse and I love our bunnies, yet their fragility and comparatively short lives means we have felt the same pain you are experiencing today when we lost a special furry friend.
Sending lots of hugs.
Yes it’s so hard to deal with.
Thank you for your kind words, and I am sorry that you and your husband have also experienced this terrible pain of losing your beloved bunnies.
Sweep hadnt been well for two weeks. They were treating him for gut stasis, but he just wasn’t getting better. His blood sugar was very high and they had to give him fluids and pain relief etc. I hope the vet can help us in some way, but whatever she says, won’t bring him back again, and that’s the hardest part of all, not having him here.
thinking of you all.
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
Not sure if this will be helpful, but these are questions I would ask the Vet
1- What diagnostics were carried out to try to find a primary cause of the gut stasis? Gut stasis is usually a SECONDARY SYMPTOM rather than an illness within itself. I would expect a Vet to suggest running a full blood profile, this could flag up problems with the liver and/ or kidneys, signs of infection, amongst other things. Diagnostic imaging eg abdominal X-rays/ CT scan. A urinalysis. A full dental examination. Although a GA is required to obtain a 100% view inside a Rabbit’s mouth.
2 - If any of the above were not carried out, why not ?
3- Did Sweep go into cardiac arrest AFTER receiving sedation for the exploratory surgery, or did it occur prior to any sedation?
4- On admission what were the exact clinical findings ? What made the Vet suspect a Liver Lobe Torsion at that point, after 2 weeks of recurrent consultations rather than earlier on ?
It could be that sadly you will never know why Sweep died. Which does make processing the loss more complicated. If he were my Rabbit and I was told he went into cardiac arrest after receiving sedation for the surgical procedure I would consider that he passed because he reacted badly to the drugs, probably because he was already very sick. Even an apparently healthy Rabbit can have an adverse reaction to a GA, any animal can. As can any human. There is no such thing as a risk free GA. But if the Rabbit is already very unwell the risks will be greater. But a risk that had to be taken as doing nothing was not an option.
I hope that speaking with the Vet will be of some help.But I completely understand that the only thing that could really help is the impossible, for Sweep to still be with you
1- What diagnostics were carried out to try to find a primary cause of the gut stasis? Gut stasis is usually a SECONDARY SYMPTOM rather than an illness within itself. I would expect a Vet to suggest running a full blood profile, this could flag up problems with the liver and/ or kidneys, signs of infection, amongst other things. Diagnostic imaging eg abdominal X-rays/ CT scan. A urinalysis. A full dental examination. Although a GA is required to obtain a 100% view inside a Rabbit’s mouth.
2 - If any of the above were not carried out, why not ?
3- Did Sweep go into cardiac arrest AFTER receiving sedation for the exploratory surgery, or did it occur prior to any sedation?
4- On admission what were the exact clinical findings ? What made the Vet suspect a Liver Lobe Torsion at that point, after 2 weeks of recurrent consultations rather than earlier on ?
It could be that sadly you will never know why Sweep died. Which does make processing the loss more complicated. If he were my Rabbit and I was told he went into cardiac arrest after receiving sedation for the surgical procedure I would consider that he passed because he reacted badly to the drugs, probably because he was already very sick. Even an apparently healthy Rabbit can have an adverse reaction to a GA, any animal can. As can any human. There is no such thing as a risk free GA. But if the Rabbit is already very unwell the risks will be greater. But a risk that had to be taken as doing nothing was not an option.
I hope that speaking with the Vet will be of some help.But I completely understand that the only thing that could really help is the impossible, for Sweep to still be with you
Thank you so much for your help and advice. Sweep was admitted to the vets 3 days after the initial diagnosis of gut stasis as there was no improvement. At this point he was on fluids all day, and had an X-ray - but the X-ray was clear. So we carried on with treatment for gut stasis and adding in more pain relief etc. He just never went back to being his happy and energetic self. When we took him back on Tuesday, the plan was for him to stay in all day for further tests etc, but the blood sugar being so high changed everything at that moment. We are struggling so much with his lossNot sure if this will be helpful, but these are questions I would ask the Vet
1- What diagnostics were carried out to try to find a primary cause of the gut stasis? Gut stasis is usually a SECONDARY SYMPTOM rather than an illness within itself. I would expect a Vet to suggest running a full blood profile, this could flag up problems with the liver and/ or kidneys, signs of infection, amongst other things. Diagnostic imaging eg abdominal X-rays/ CT scan. A urinalysis. A full dental examination. Although a GA is required to obtain a 100% view inside a Rabbit’s mouth.
2 - If any of the above were not carried out, why not ?
3- Did Sweep go into cardiac arrest AFTER receiving sedation for the exploratory surgery, or did it occur prior to any sedation?
4- On admission what were the exact clinical findings ? What made the Vet suspect a Liver Lobe Torsion at that point, after 2 weeks of recurrent consultations rather than earlier on ?
It could be that sadly you will never know why Sweep died. Which does make processing the loss more complicated. If he were my Rabbit and I was told he went into cardiac arrest after receiving sedation for the surgical procedure I would consider that he passed because he reacted badly to the drugs, probably because he was already very sick. Even an apparently healthy Rabbit can have an adverse reaction to a GA, any animal can. As can any human. There is no such thing as a risk free GA. But if the Rabbit is already very unwell the risks will be greater. But a risk that had to be taken as doing nothing was not an option.
I hope that speaking with the Vet will be of some help.But I completely understand that the only thing that could really help is the impossible, for Sweep to still be with you
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
If a FULL blood profile was not taken at any time then it is impossible to know if his liver and kidneys were functioning normally. One thing I forgot to ask you, was Sweep fully vaccinated ? Did the Vet say if his temperature was normal ?Thank you so much for your help and advice. Sweep was admitted to the vets 3 days after the initial diagnosis of gut stasis as there was no improvement. At this point he was on fluids all day, and had an X-ray - but the X-ray was clear. So we carried on with treatment for gut stasis and adding in more pain relief etc. He just never went back to being his happy and energetic self. When we took him back on Tuesday, the plan was for him to stay in all day for further tests etc, but the blood sugar being so high changed everything at that moment. We are struggling so much with his loss
For the sake of your mental wellbeing I would advise that you try to come to terms with not having a definitive answer as to why Sweep died. By constantly trying to find that answer you could be making yourself feel a lot worse. I know this from first hand experience when I lost a Bunny very, very suddenly and unexpectedly at just 6 months of age. I spent months trying to find out why, even a full PM was inconclusive. In the end I had to accept that I would never know why. And even if I did have an answer would it really help ? Probably not as the Bunny would still no be longer alive
This is very good advice. When any of my pets die, I console myself with knowing that I did the best I could for them, and that they had a good and happy life.If a FULL blood profile was not taken at any time then it is impossible to know if his liver and kidneys were functioning normally. One thing I forgot to ask you, was Sweep fully vaccinated ? Did the Vet say if his temperature was normal ?
For the sake of your mental wellbeing I would advise that you try to come to terms with not having a definitive answer as to why Sweep died. By constantly trying to find that answer you could be making yourself feel a lot worse. I know this from first hand experience when I lost a Bunny very, very suddenly and unexpectedly at just 6 months of age. I spent months trying to find out why, even a full PM was inconclusive. In the end I had to accept that I would never know why. And even if I did have an answer would it really help ? Probably not as the Bunny would still no be longer alive
Yes you are quite right, and so sorry for your loss too. How very sad.If a FULL blood profile was not taken at any time then it is impossible to know if his liver and kidneys were functioning normally. One thing I forgot to ask you, was Sweep fully vaccinated ? Did the Vet say if his temperature was normal ?
For the sake of your mental wellbeing I would advise that you try to come to terms with not having a definitive answer as to why Sweep died. By constantly trying to find that answer you could be making yourself feel a lot worse. I know this from first hand experience when I lost a Bunny very, very suddenly and unexpectedly at just 6 months of age. I spent months trying to find out why, even a full PM was inconclusive. In the end I had to accept that I would never know why. And even if I did have an answer would it really help ? Probably not as the Bunny would still no be longer alive
Sweep was fully vaccinated yes. I am not sure if she did the bloods in the end, but I know that was the plan. She never mentioned his temperature, but was so concerned by his blood sugar being 21.4 and rising.
Thank you for you kind words and advice at this very hard time x
