# My rabbit died today suddenly.



## magicalwizard

My rabbit died today out of the sudden. He showed no symptoms at all of sickness. He has never been sick. Always ate and drink water with no problem. Feed them a rabbit mixed food sold at a local pet store. Feed this food all the time. Always have fresh water. 

This morning was fine and all. The after like 4 hours into the day his body started getting numb and week. Then started convulsing and shaking. After that took a few last breaths and died with his eyes open. 

He was not 1 year old yet. Very friendly and tame. 

I liked this rabbit a lot. 
Now I am sad and missing him. 

Is a mystery that he died just like that out of the sudden and I am wondering what killed him. 

This is not the first rabbit I have. Had many different rabbits in the past but none has died like this one did.


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## Azerane

Was there any blood around the mouth/nose/anus? The sudden lethargy/weakness follwed by convulsions sounds a little like VHD/Calicivirus, but it could also be so many other things. Accidental ingestion of something toxic etc.

I'm so very sorry for your loss.


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## magicalwizard

No blood anywhere.


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## squidpop

I'm so sorry. 

Could it have been something poisonous like a house plant or spider?


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## megaminilops

Mixed food or the musli type can cause heart problems, there would be no obvious cause for death. Sorry for you loss


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## pani

ray: Binky free, little one.


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## ChocoClover

I'm so sorry. My first bunbun died very suddenly too. That is very hard, especially when they are so young.


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## HototMama

sounds like something poisonous or toxic got into his system. do you keep him in a cage our free range your house?


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## napagirl

I am so sorry for your loss. I have no idea what could have caused this either.. Mystery deaths are so tragic because it's scary thinking could it happen again...

Back when I was a teenager, my French Lop had a litter of 9 babies that were GORGEOUS. Back then, my rabbits lived outside in a hutch (today I am a 100% house rabbit person). Anyway, the babies were doing great, and about 1 month old. It was going to get VERY windy and cold that night, so my parents had me move the babies and mother into portable cage and put them in our basement. Well, the next morning, all the babies were dead, and mom was alive. There were no physical signs of attack or anything. It remained a mystery to me for 30 years as to why they died. I was talking with a friend who raised rabbits as a child a few years ago. I told him this story. He also was raised in an older house with a basement. He said they probably died of low level carbon monoxide poisoning due their size, while the mother lived. Made perfect sense, as our furnace was also located in the basement.


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## lovelops

magicalwizard said:


> My rabbit died today out of the sudden. He showed no symptoms at all of sickness. He has never been sick. Always ate and drink water with no problem. Feed them a rabbit mixed food sold at a local pet store. Feed this food all the time. Always have fresh water.
> 
> This morning was fine and all. The after like 4 hours into the day his body started getting numb and week. Then started convulsing and shaking. After that took a few last breaths and died with his eyes open.
> 
> He was not 1 year old yet. Very friendly and tame.
> 
> I liked this rabbit a lot.
> Now I am sad and missing him.
> 
> Is a mystery that he died just like that out of the sudden and I am wondering what killed him.
> 
> This is not the first rabbit I have. Had many different rabbits in the past but none has died like this one did.



I'm so sorry to hear this. I just had one pass on me the first week of May and it's tough. 

I also was in a similar situation as I've never had one die on me the way she passed or what she passed from. 

I would say, if you still have fecals, take it to the vet and get it tested. 

You can also get an autopsy. I would do that just to see what happened.

I took my bunnies fecals after she passed and found she was being treated for the wrong illness. She died of Coccidia, and it strikes young rabbits under 2 years of age here in the US. None of my other rabbits I still have (4 in total) have it and I had them all tested afterwards. If I could not have found the cause of death from her fecals, I was going to get an autopsy done. 

VHD and Calicivirus are normally seen outside the US, but certain illness that rabbits in Australia, England etc that they get vaccines for is starting to pop up on the West Coast of the US, but so far none on the East Coast, and I see you are in Miami and I'm in Maryland, so we both are on the East Coast. 

I've had another pet of mine just suddenly have seizures, but he has not died from them and has had them 2 years apart and I took him to the vet and they can't find any explanation on why / how etc he is having these seizures. It's very strange. But sometimes, seizures can come on unexplained and unexpected like what happened today. 

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. It sounds to me like your bun was very special to you , like most of ours are to us, and I know it's difficult to deal with the loss... :bigtears:you take care and if you do take fecals or get an autopsy done, please keep us posted with what the outcome is.

Take care
Vanessa


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## Libertysmama1212

Is a mystery that he died just like that
I am so sorry for your loss this Christmas 2019 we came home and found my rabbit in the same way he was so limp and barely breathing he couldn't blink his eyes I had to rub his head to make him blink he couldn't pick himself up and his ears were falling down we laid there and cried with him and we didn't know how to save him everywhere was closed and it was already too late we knew he wouldn't make it he had three seizures then took his last three breasts and was gone we don't really know what the cause of his passing is there was no blood he was fine not morning I was going to stay home with him and I should have I think he might have eaten some type of chemical did you ever find the actual problem to your rabbit


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## imjay94

Libertysmama1212 said:


> Is a mystery that he died just like that
> I am so sorry for your loss this Christmas 2019 we came home and found my rabbit in the same way he was so limp and barely breathing he couldn't blink his eyes I had to rub his head to make him blink he couldn't pick himself up and his ears were falling down we laid there and cried with him and we didn't know how to save him everywhere was closed and it was already too late we knew he wouldn't make it he had three seizures then took his last three breasts and was gone we don't really know what the cause of his passing is there was no blood he was fine not morning I was going to stay home with him and I should have I think he might have eaten some type of chemical did you ever find the actual problem to your rabbit



my baby was three years old and died with the same conditions you prescribed.. after reading a lot I started to believe that there was no reason. No chemicals no blood no anything. It is just a sudden death with no reason. God bless their souls.


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## SuzyR

imjay94 said:


> my baby was three years old and died with the same conditions you prescribed.. after reading a lot I started to believe that there was no reason. No chemicals no blood no anything. It is just a sudden death with no reason. God bless their souls.



I just lost my rabbit on February 7 (my birthday). I cannot for the life of me figure out what happened. His sister lived in the same room with him, and she is fine. I keep asking myself what could I have done to help him. I feel so guilty, but I honestly do not know what I could have done for him. Except love him, and he was very loved (and so is his sister).


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## jazzyrios975

Today Saturday February 22 2020 my rabbit Benji died suddenly I had got him January 13 2020 with my other rabbit Chip at the same time. Benji was still a baby when I got him around 8 weeks old around there. Yesterday he was fine and he was eating perfectly fine and drinking normally I went to sleep at 10:00 and woke up at 8:00 and went down stairs to feed Chip and Benji and Benji was not moving stiff on his side eyes open and his head almost touching his spine. There was no blood no evidence of what happened just Chip laying by Benji's side. I am devastated of my baby's death even though I only had him for 2 months but he had a big impact on me and he was so kind and so sweet I only want to know what happened.


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## Mariam+Theo

jazzyrios975 said:


> Today Saturday February 22 2020 my rabbit Benji died suddenly I had got him January 13 2020 with my other rabbit Chip at the same time. Benji was still a baby when I got him around 8 weeks old around there. Yesterday he was fine and he was eating perfectly fine and drinking normally I went to sleep at 10:00 and woke up at 8:00 and went down stairs to feed Chip and Benji and Benji was not moving stiff on his side eyes open and his head almost touching his spine. There was no blood no evidence of what happened just Chip laying by Benji's side. I am devastated of my baby's death even though I only had him for 2 months but he had a big impact on me and he was so kind and so sweet I only want to know what happened.


I'm so sorry for your loss!


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## Cloverhouse

I lost one of my rabbits (about 2 years old) suddenly a few weeks ago. He was fine, eating, playing, interacting, running in his wheel and dead less than 24 hours later. The only symptom of illness was diarhea which started late at night. 

My daughter went into the hospital the same night my rabbit got sick so we were literally unable to do anything vetwise, and the droppings were soft, but not runny, clear or bloody until morning when he was too far gone. Just shocking and sad. 

I cleaned and sanitized his part of the house. (I have another house bunny who lives in the other side of the house) and just got another bunny the other day. 

I treat them regularly for parasites and coccidia because they do eat greens from the yard and we have lots of critters around here.

No idea what happened, couldn't find any source of poison etc. The only other time I lost a rabbit this quickly was after a bee sting. Bunny was allergic, had a fit and died.


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## rugerfuzz24

There are certain rabbit diseases that are too fast acting to catch. This happens commonly. Be sure that if any other animals are in the area to clean everything and quarantine if necessary. This is just precautionary. Watch for anything that seems ‘off’. Rabbits are very sensitive so any change, large stressor, or loud noises (thunder storms have caused my rabbit to pass). Sorry for loss and hope this advice helps.


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## laranhomes

I'm so sorry for the loss of your little one. It is so heartbreaking. I don't think I could ever get over the loss of my Bunbun who died suddenly after he had diarrhea, it happened so fast. I still don't know what happened, but I wake up every morning reliving what happened at the vet. I still think of him every day.


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## Pots+Potter

I just lost my rabbit to what they thought was cancer, and now my second rabbit also has high WBC count and will be starting antibiotics tomorrow. Neither one has been exposed to other rabbits but did recently add another grain to their diet for the first time in years. I was wondering if a bad batch of grain or hay could be toxic or have something that could make them suddenly sick. I doubt hay and grain is tested as much as dog or cat food. How do they monitor rabbit food if there is a toxic mold or substance?


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## Shayna

Sorry for your loss. Was bunny on any hay or just grain? Rabbits instinctively hide illness so sometimes you don’t know they are sick till it’s to late. Bunnies that don’t eat hay could be susceptible to bloat.


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## JBun

Pots+Potter said:


> I just lost my rabbit to what they thought was cancer, and now my second rabbit also has high WBC count and will be starting antibiotics tomorrow. Neither one has been exposed to other rabbits but did recently add another grain to their diet for the first time in years. I was wondering if a bad batch of grain or hay could be toxic or have something that could make them suddenly sick. I doubt hay and grain is tested as much as dog or cat food. How do they monitor rabbit food if there is a toxic mold or substance?


Rabbit food may sometimes contain mycotoxins or contaminants, particularly lower quality feeds or if it was exposed to moisture and became moldy. This can make a rabbit very sick and could be fatal.

I believe it would be your state's department of agriculture that tests animal feed. I think you have to pay for the testing unless there is clear evidence of many rabbits becoming sick from a feed, then the manufacturer likely is responsible. 

You could always ask your vet. 

I'm very sorry for the loss of your rabbit.


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