# How do i know if my rabbits really dead?



## Marshy (Nov 13, 2014)

i never thought id be asking this question bc i was sureee my bunny had died. but after i buried him i went online and found all this stuff of people saying their bunnies had "rose from the dead" or seemed very dead/stiff/cold but then an hr or so later the rabbit was alive and fine.

i played with him and he was fine and then about an hr later i went back into my room and he was laying on his side, stiff, eyes WIDE open, and his feet straight out. 

im sure he was dead but after reading those stories i am freaking out and i feel horrible.

also, what couldve happened? here's what i know..
he was only about 3 months old
he was not sick
he was eating/drinking and going to the bathroom normally
he was active
he wasnt poisoned
he wasnt electrocuted from chewing wires
there was nothing around he couldve swallowed that wouldve punctured his stomach

please help


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## Ana_The_Dreamer (Nov 13, 2014)

Oh my. By your description, I would say; yes your rabbit passed. There was zero heart beat or pulse, correct? 
I'm not sure in what circumstances any bunnies had "rose from the dead", but I'm not very experienced in that area.
I was going to recommend you may want to get an autopsy done on the body, but reading that you've already buried him, that seems out of the question. 
Many things can happen to a rabbit but us humans do not notice. They are very good at hiding illnesses. I thought maybe it was a heart attack on first reading this, but maybe someone else will come along and shed some more light on this.
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. It's always hard loosing a pet! Don't beat yourself up over the question of "was he really dead or not?!", it's simply not worth it. That will only prolong your grief. 
Sending you good vibes. Binky free, little bun. ray:


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## majorv (Nov 14, 2014)

The people who said they rose from the dead must not have checked for a heartbeat. The only time I can think of when this could happen is if the rabbit (usually very young) froze in the cold. If it hasn't been that long since they 'passed out' then warming them might revive them. 

Rabbits who are 2-4 months old are more at risk of dying, usually because they don't transition well from mom's milk to pellets, and it's typicially because their gut didn't mature. At that age or any age, stress can also play a part in a rabbit passing away.


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## fannymanson (Nov 16, 2014)

Its fairly easy to feel the heartbeat on the underside of their chest. Just put your fingers under the chest cavity, forward from the ribs and you can usually feel it.


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## Maureen Las (Nov 16, 2014)

Oh I am so very sorry !!!! It sounds like your rabbit was deceased when you found him. Even the very best owner can lose a young rabbit quickly and without apparent cause. I am sure that it was nothing that you caused. ((Hugs))


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