Sudden death : Rabbit

[drmacf]

Hi everyone,

With a heavy heart I post this hoping to get some closure.
As per my daughter's wishes, we bought a pet rabbit in February. the store said he was born in November 2024 and other wise well.

My daughter loved him, used to feed him and play with him. Only thing unusual, he would only prefer eating greens, v rarely hay and barely touched water. Otherwise used to wee a lot and poop all day. Always active, hopping around and asking for treats.

Wife and daughter had gone out for the weekend and as usual was with him. Same routine, plenty of greens, hay and took him outside in the back garden Ran around for a while and then gradually got back
Sunday night thought it was unusual, he started refusing treats and seemed more quiet and withdrawn. Thought nothing much of it, slightly concerned but hoped a good night's sleep would improve
I sleep downstairs and he usually would come and sleep underneath the sofa besides me. Today I woke up at 5 am and couldn't find him
Went to his room and he was dead. Not moving, not responding even to touch
He’s dead. Feel v v sad and also would have to break this news to my daughter when. She's back
What could be the cause? Anything I did?
Please advise me 🙏

Rabbits are great at hiding/masking if they’re not well due to being a prey animal. If it was refusing treats, were they eating at all? They are prone to statis, which if not caught can make them go downhill quite quickly, it’s a case of needing an urgent vet trip as soon as they’re refusing food. However it’s too late to go over and over what happened, but I would say, if you didn’t do much research into rabbits I would do so, if you plan on researching as they aren’t easy pets to have. Hope your daughter is ok.

Thank you
Yes, did plenty of research. Despite best attempts, he would refuse to drink water. Even if you left a full bowl next to him.
Had a ton of hay kept but he would only occasionally chew on it. Whenever you go close to him, he would run circles around you or stand on his Hines, asking for treats.
We did spoil him with endless brocolli, greens and treats
Yesterday took him outside and he dashed around faster than a lightening bolt. I usually allow him to nibble to grass and dandelions but yesterday noticed him trying out some others. Which I promptly dissuaded
Got him back at around 5 pm and he was his usual self, running circles around me.

Night time noticed a change but thought he was sleepy or tired
Hoped a good night’s sleep would be curative
Alas
Just buried him in the back garden
Will now have to break the bad news to may daughter when she gets back
Mum says she might stay one more day and he back on Wednesday
Dunno, I am grown up and seen death on a daily basis, working in this field. This time feel a little heavy hearted and sad
Was two months with us and I looked after him like a son
Did I overfeed him, specially the greens?
Drinking water I just couldn't help, even dipped some of the greens in his water bowl and fed him. Hoping he would get some in

It could possibly be food related as they are meant to eat their body size in hay per day (just a head size in greens). But beating yourself up about it isn’t going to help, but if you do get a replacement I’d suggest going via a rescue if you didn’t previously, so they can support in advising with rabbit care. I’ve got 2 rabbits atm, any change in behaviour and they are straight up the vets. I have lost a rabbit at boarding previously, that one does prey on my mind tbh, if she’d been at home could I have prevented it?

Sounds like gut stasis. If they go off their food they need to go to the vets pretty quickly. Sorry for your loss op

Thanks
I am 51 and never thought I would feel soo much. Almost like the loss of a near and dear one
Is this normal?
It does give me flashbacks of my father's untimely demise. Similar manner, unexpectedly found dead
Sorry to vent, it is painful
He used to come and quietly sleep under neath the sofa. Keep his distance but also keep a watch on me. As soon as I got up, he would come running or hopping and do those circles around me
Until I gave him some treats
Sad
Will be missed

When I’ve lost a pet pretty upset for a couple of days, felt a bit sad for a couple of weeks but after that moved on. If you’re feeling like you can’t manage with the way you are feeling then perhaps you need to seek some support, but if you can manage, see how you go?

Thanks
Much better today
Tomorrow daughter would be back, she’s on her Easter school break
That would be difficult, she loved her bunny

Our cat who was only 10 months got hit by a car 2 years ago. It was so sudden, my dd (then 13) had to wake me. She had a friend at ours for a sleepover so they were staying up late. He was still alive when oh & I drove him to the emergency vets & dd probably thought we'd be bringing him home but sadly his injuries were too severe

She was incredibly brave even though I told her she didn't need to be. We still talk about him a lot. Kids are sometimes stronger than adults! I did blame myself a bit too

We had a rabbit prone to gut stasis and broccoli was one of the triggers for her unfortunately.