Why did my young female rabbit die suddenly with breathing issues and bleeding?

I'm so sorry you lost your bunny. Please accept my condolences. Unfortunately, seemingly sudden death can happen in rabbits but without a post-mortem examination (necropsy) then the best we can do is guess at the possibilities. Now, I don't have his entire history so some of these things may not relate to him but typically this is the list we go by: 1. heatstroke 2. heart attack (can happen from underlying disease or a severe fright) 3. viral or bacterial disease 4. toxin ingestion 5. underlying kidney or liver problem 6. GI stasis (the GI tract stop moving) 7. heavy intestinal parasites burden 8. cancer 9. old age (could he be older than you thought) I didn't see that your vet did anything wrong or prescribed any incorrect medications. Again, I am so sorry for your loss. Please take care.

Sorry about Atheistan. A severe respiratory infection (penumonia,rhinitis) such as Pasteurella, could have lead to sepsis and invasion of the brain. This could have resulted into rear paresis, seizures and death. There are several other infectious diseases possible and a necropsy (post mortem examination) would lead to answers. Good luck.

Hi there! I am so, so sorry to hear about Boo. Losing a pet is never easy, and losing them suddenly is even harder. Unfortunately, there's no way for us to tell for sure what happened to Boo without completing a necropsy (post-mortem examination and testing). From the symptoms you mentioned (bloody stool, seizure, lethargy), it could have been multiple issues, including a bacterial infection, gastric ulcer, viral hemorrhagic disease (a virus that can cause bleeding and seizures), parasites, or a clotting disorder. Rabbits are generally very good at hiding their symptoms, so if Boo got sick very quickly, you may not have noticed anything wrong. There was likely nothing that you could have done to prevent this if she was acting normally. My deepest condolences to you and your family.

I am so sorry that your rabbit died. Without actually examining the rabbit it is difficult to know the cause of death but he might have had an infection or tumor that caused death. If you want to get another rabbit then you should disinfect anything the rabbit came in contact with in case it was an infectious disease. Once again, so sorry.

Thanks for reaching out about Boopsie. She needs to see a veterinarian tonight, especially is still bleeding and anorexic. Discharging blood can be from uterine cancer, a urinary tract stone or other serious causes. The sooner this is dealt with, the better the prognosis. Good luck.

Without any other information to go on, it would be impossible to say. I highly recommend bringing one of the rabbits that has passed away to your vet or a local veterinary school to perform a necropsy. This can give some insight to any infectious diseases or toxicities that could be transmitted without symptoms. Fly strike, getting into something toxic, sudden temperature changes, extreme fear, etc are all potential causes as well which is why further information or examination is needed.

These signs might be compatible with a urinary tract infection/inflammation. These signs must be checked as soon as possible as urinary tract infection can be dangerous in rabbits as can lead to stress and degenerate to more systemic signs. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!