Why did he die?

[Cavy Tamer]

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Why did he die? I had him fixed about 2 weeks ago. He was fine, though perhaps a little more mellow, for a week after the surgery. Then he got sick. He stopped eating as much, starting drinking more water, he became very lethargic. I took him to the vet and they gave me some medicine that is supposed to help him digest, because the vet thought he had some fur clogging his system. I gave him the medicine and fed him through a syringe, and within a day, he died. This morning, actually. I woke up to him screaming in pain. It was truly horrific.

So, what was his cause of death? Any ideas? I'm assuming a digestive problem, but what caused this?

 

[RubyPiggie2]

The only way to actually know is to have an autopsy done on him. I'm very sorry for your loss, he looked lovely.

Have you talked to your vet yet? It could have been something to do with the surgery.

 

[tbunnysmom]

So sorry for your loss. Our first bunny died during the night after getting spayed, while still at the vet, earlier this year. They offered to do an autopsy, but to me it didn't matter. It wouldn't bring her back or change anything, so I told them not to bother. I can understand the wanting to know. He was very beautiful.

 

[Emily F.]

I would talk to your vet about why he died, maybe he/she would know. BUt, I am truly sorry for your loss. He's a gorgeous bunny.

 

[bunnyluv17]

Stasis is a common problem in rabbits and, unfortunately, is also a common cause of death. Stasis is when something is blocking the digestive tract, and/or there is a problem with the digestion tract. Rabbits suffering from stasis will often stop eating, have very small poop or none at all, and sit hunched up most of the day.

Stasis can be caused by a hairball, lack of fiber in the diet, sudden change in the diet, or other particles that can cause blockages such as seeds or fabric.

There is a possibility that your rabbit died from stasis, but the only way to be sure is to talk to your vet and maybe have an autopsy done.

 

[Cavy Tamer]

His diagnosis was what you just described and he gave me a medication that was supposed to help him use the bathroom. The medicine didn't help at all, and when he died, he had some diarrhea smudged on his body. Did the medicine make him die quicker and perhaps more painfully?

 

[bunnyluv17]

If the vet is a rabbit-savvy vet then he probably did what he could. I think stasis is painful for rabbits, so it would be hard to tell if the medicine made it more painful. Do you know what medicine it was?

 

[Cavy Tamer]

If the vet is a rabbit-savvy vet then he probably did what he could. I think stasis is painful for rabbits, so it would be hard to tell if the medicine made it more painful. Do you know what medicine it was?

Metoclopromide Syrup

 

[bunnyluv17]

I found this site and it lists metoclopramide as a treatment for stasis (scroll down to III. Prescription/veterinary treatment) and says it can help get the digestion moving again, but may take a couple weeks.

You may want to glance over this site: (broken link removed)

 

[naturestee]

Your rabbit had a hairball and the vet told you to force feed and give meds to get the intestines moving (gut motility drugs), correct? I would recommend finding a new vet. The hairball was blocking the intestines, preventing anything from moving through. It should have been addressed first. Instead, he treated it like a blockage-free GI stasis episode. Honestly, I think this may have killed him. All the literature I've ever read (especially Rabbit Health in the 21st Century) says not to force feed or give gut motility drugs to a rabbit with an intestinal blockage because it can rupture the intestines.

I'm very sorry that this had to happen to you and your beloved Lapin. You did everything you could, but I don't think your vet was up to the task. It's unfortunately very common for vets to mistreat rabbits because of their lack of knowledge/experience.

 

[Cavy Tamer]

Yeah, I've suspected this. I was disappointed with how "easy" the solution seemed to be. And its even sadder than I essentially "killed" my own rabbit...

::sigh::

He was a really special bunny, too.

 

[naturestee]

Yeah, I've suspected this. I was disappointed with how "easy" the solution seemed to be. And its even sadder than I essentially "killed" my own rabbit...

Like I said, it's not your fault. You're not the one that dropped the ball here. And you can't be expected to memorize all this health stuff- that's the vet's job. I have a biology degree and work in a lab at a blood center. I have a better memory for this stuff than most people.