I have 2 mini lop female buns just over 1 year old. They’ve been out all last summer in their eglu but moved into house for the winter, so since about October have resided in a large indoor hutch in my kitchen. Over the past two weeks they have gone outside in the day for a few hours as the weather has slowly improved. Put them out today after breakfast in their indoor hutch which is very secure as is my garden, both rabbits very perky. They had usual pellets, Timothy hay and carrot & water. Nothing different. Got home at 3 and 1 has died and seems to have been dead a while. We are all so upset and don’t know what could have caused this. They are both strong bunchy buns. What would have caused her to die so suddenly like this ?
Why did my rabbit just die like that ?
- Thread starter Bunzzzzz
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Did they both have their 2 vaccinations, for rhd1/myxo and rhd2?
Yes they’d had vacs last year and it was cloudy today so definitely not too hot for them. There was nothing different in their diet and they still had pellets left and still some hay and water. She was her usual greedy self with her morning carrot at about 10.
I’ve looked on forum since and it mentions having traces of blood around mouth and bottom but she had no trace of blood at all. She was completely unmarked and just lovely.
I’ve looked on forum since and it mentions having traces of blood around mouth and bottom but she had no trace of blood at all. She was completely unmarked and just lovely.
There could have been an underlying health problem that wasn't causing any noticeable symptoms, like a heart problem. But there's really no way to know without any symptoms to point to a cause. Only way to know for sure would be to have a necropsy done, and even then it can sometimes come out inconclusive.
I'm very sorry for the loss of your bun. It's hard when you don't know why it's happened either.
I'm very sorry for the loss of your bun. It's hard when you don't know why it's happened either.
Thank you for replies and kind thoughts I really appreciate it. My other bun seems fine. Just looks so lonely now. Should I get another one to keep her company at some point ? We have a rescue centre nearby so I would go there rather than the breeder I bought my 2 from. Would they bond like my 2 did ?
Jenny Durling
Well-Known Member
Yes! Definitely get your bunny a new companion but not until you have enough time to spend getting them to bond. It takes some time and energy. It was about 2.5 weeks for mine which is actually pretty fast. If you can get a second rabbit from a shelter, find out if they have 'bunny speed dating'. It's best for you rabbit to actually pick her own buddy if at all possible.
Update - my other Bun went quite today. Not really eating anything. Took to the vets at 9:30 and they gave her 2 injections, 1 as a pick me up & 1 to get the gut moving. Took her home and she just stayed a bit hunched up, drank a bit. At 3:30 she was pretty much the same, by 4:30 lying to one side, leaning head, cold ears and generally cold. Popped her back in carrier with towel and hot water bottle, tried to give her water/sugar solution. She kicked a bit on way to back to vets but had died by the time I arrived 20 mins later. No blood anywhere. What has caused this ? Why have they both died 3 days apart ?
Did they also get the rhd2 vac? It's a separate vaccination to the rhd1/myxo vac. RHD would be the most likely cause of multiple sudden deaths with rabbits in the UK, if your rabbits hadn't gotten both vacs, and even without any blood showing.
Another possibility could be a bad pellet/nugget issue if you had just opened up a new bag. Or possibly mold in their hay if it's a new batch. Contaminated water is also possible.
I'm very sorry. This must be so hard for you to be going through.
Another possibility could be a bad pellet/nugget issue if you had just opened up a new bag. Or possibly mold in their hay if it's a new batch. Contaminated water is also possible.
I'm very sorry. This must be so hard for you to be going through.
I can’t stop crying.
I though it could be something they’ve eaten but the hay bag they’d had on the go for about 10 days, and the pellets had been going for at least a month. Same water source as usual in their clean water bottle. There was nothing different and they hadn’t been loose in the garden for about 3 weeks so I know what they’ve eaten.
I asked the vet about the vacs and she said it’s nothing to do with those and that she thought maybe neurological but said she’s never seen bunnies deteriorate so quickly with neurological conditions- she was the same vet we saw this morning.
I just can’t believe they’ve both gone in 3 days. I really loved them and I thought I’d looked after them.
I though it could be something they’ve eaten but the hay bag they’d had on the go for about 10 days, and the pellets had been going for at least a month. Same water source as usual in their clean water bottle. There was nothing different and they hadn’t been loose in the garden for about 3 weeks so I know what they’ve eaten.
I asked the vet about the vacs and she said it’s nothing to do with those and that she thought maybe neurological but said she’s never seen bunnies deteriorate so quickly with neurological conditions- she was the same vet we saw this morning.
I just can’t believe they’ve both gone in 3 days. I really loved them and I thought I’d looked after them.
I am really sorry to hear that and my thoughts are with you. If they are gone so fast one after another there might be some kind of virus. I always worry about my rabbits myself only one of my buns was vaccinated and when I've got a new rabbit he was found on street in a cardboard box there was of course a risk for the others so I kept him completely separately from others for a week or more to see if he is healthy because he didn't look good to be honest.
I am not sure how long this virus can be dangerous or if maybe one rabbit can carry a virus without showing any symptoms I don't know just thought a little quarantine won't hurt.
I also bought a few 2nd hand cages for my rabbits previously and disinfected them very good, well the first cage was from healthy rabbits that were not using it anymore as were free roaming, but the other seller told me that they had two rabbits that suddenly died so I gave them complete cleaning with bleach a couple times then rinsed in the shower a few times and after that cleaned again with my usual cleaning solution.
If you will ever think of getting new bunnies please clean the cage and their usual areas very thoroughly.
What else can I say, it's life and there is nothing that your tears could change about it, we are all mortal, humans and animals, you let your emotions out and it is good, then you think about what and who you have left and you need to take care of. Hopefully you'll get better soon.
Jenny I think you are right. They weren’t vaccinated against RHD2 and that’s what it looks like they contracted somehow.
I didn’t know to specify which vacs to get. Another family lost 2 about 30 mins away who had the mixy/rhd1 vac. No blood with theirs either and went really quickly.
I wish I’d known I’d have got them both. I’ll never know where they caught it from but I have to clean or throw away everything and give up to 6 months for virus to completely die before getting another bun
I didn’t know to specify which vacs to get. Another family lost 2 about 30 mins away who had the mixy/rhd1 vac. No blood with theirs either and went really quickly.
I wish I’d known I’d have got them both. I’ll never know where they caught it from but I have to clean or throw away everything and give up to 6 months for virus to completely die before getting another bun
I'm so sorry. Rhd2 seems to be becoming more widespread. With cases of it becoming more common now and that there is a vac available, I'm not sure why more of the vets there aren't on top of this and also suggesting the second vac to rabbit owners. It's such a devastating disease, I really wish they could find a permanent cure for it and not just a yearly vac.
Is Rhd2 in the U.S.? I know vaccinations aren't required, but could we get them from our vet if we requested them? How is it contracted?
There has only been one isolated case of rhd2 in the US. Rhd is rare in the US and is a reportable disease with strict quarantine to prevent it's spread, but it does on occasion happen. Vaccines for it aren't available or approved for use in the US, and not really needed due to the rarity of it occurring. Canada had a more severe outbreak in one region, so they did approve import of the vaccine.
https://rabbit.org/vhd/
Kale Passfield
Active Member
Hey I'm green about rabbit vaccinations. I live in canada which ones should I have and are offered. I got one at 2 months and my one was a rescue with her one kid. I'm pretty sure none are vaccinated with anything.
Kale Passfield
Active Member
Only one that maybe vaccinated with something is the mom since her first rough year of her life is a ?. Someone released her into a park pregnant.
