• 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.

Cause of death?

one of my 4 bunnies passed away yesterday. She was 3 years old and had been seemingly healthy. Sunday she was fine. Monday I noticed she was laying with her hind part in her liter box and her front part out. She ate her pellets and straw as usual, pooped, pee'd, and drank. Tuesday morning she had pushed her bedding aside and was laying on the bare floor of her cage. No poop or pee in her liter box, wouldn't eat or drink, and her eyes had matter in them. I immediately took her to the vet. He said she had very little movement in her bowels (per auscultation). They kept her to give her fluids and medication but sadly she didn't live through the night. There had been No change in her diet! Any ideas what would have caused the obstruction?
 
one of my 4 bunnies passed away yesterday. She was 3 years old and had been seemingly healthy. Sunday she was fine. Monday I noticed she was laying with her hind part in her liter box and her front part out. She ate her pellets and straw as usual, pooped, pee'd, and drank. Tuesday morning she had pushed her bedding aside and was laying on the bare floor of her cage. No poop or pee in her liter box, wouldn't eat or drink, and her eyes had matter in them. I immediately took her to the vet. He said she had very little movement in her bowels (per auscultation). They kept her to give her fluids and medication but sadly she didn't live through the night. There had been No change in her diet! Any ideas what would have caused the obstruction?

I am very sorry for your loss :cry: There are so many possible causes of 'sudden death' and really only a PM examination would provide some possible clues as to 'why'. Gut stasis does not always involve a full obstruction, but prompt diagnostics are needed to rule an obstruction out as surgical intervention is needed in cases of GI tract obstruction. Gut stasis can occur as a secondary symptom to another problem, many Rabbit illness can include gut slow down as a secondary symptom.

Are you in the UK ? Are all of your Rabbits fully vaccinated against both RHD1 and RHD2 (Nobivac Myxo-RHD Vaccine and Filivac Vaccine) ?

Again, I am very sorry for you loss :cry:
 
Thank you for your reply. I'm in the US and non of my rabbits are vaccinated. I guess it was stasis as she did have some bowel sounds but they were very hypo active. I'm also worried about how the other ones will react to her being gone. They are all caged separate but in close proximity.
 
one of my 4 bunnies passed away yesterday. She was 3 years old and had been seemingly healthy. Sunday she was fine. Monday I noticed she was laying with her hind part in her liter box and her front part out. She ate her pellets and straw as usual, pooped, pee'd, and drank. Tuesday morning she had pushed her bedding aside and was laying on the bare floor of her cage. No poop or pee in her liter box, wouldn't eat or drink, and her eyes had matter in them. I immediately took her to the vet. He said she had very little movement in her bowels (per auscultation). They kept her to give her fluids and medication but sadly she didn't live through the night. There had been No change in her diet! Any ideas what would have caused the obstruction?


Welcome to the Forum, and I am so sorry to hear of your loss :(

As there can be so many causes of sudden death, only a post mortem would tell you what was going on, and whether it could be passed on to other rabbits.

Sometimes rabbits get an obstruction and it's notoriously difficult to treat.
 
Back
Top