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My rabbit died suddenly. What caused my bunny's sudden death?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | unneutered | 8 years and 8 months old | 4.9 lbs

I sadly lost my 9 year old bunny on Friday after a sudden illness and would like your thoughts on what happened please. I’m kicking myself that I should have noticed the signs earlier or that the treatment wasn’t right (I’m not blaming the vet) just would like to know what happened as I’m so confused. I’ve attached the full story as photos as this box has a limited word count! I would be very grateful for your opinion on what it could have been or if anything more could have been done.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 14th, 2020

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.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 26th, 2017

    I am so sorry for the loss of Q-tip. Sometimes these things are just out of our control. You do not say how old she was, but unspayed rabbits are prone to develop cancer in their uterus. It would take an extensive conversation about diet, environmental conditions, possible traumas, ingestion of foreign substances, etc., to even begin to try & narrow the possible causes of her death. If you are worried about your other rabbit, then the best you can do for him is to have a thorough examination by an experienced veterinarian who can discuss all aspects of rabbit care with you, check for parasites, look in his mouth for dental/oral problems, & possibly do some bloodwork ( often not necessary ). Sudden & unexpected deaths are very concerning but do not mean you did anything wrong. But, at this point, only a necropsy could demonstrate cause. Thank you.

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