10 yr old rabbit convulsed & died - my fault?

Question
Hi, my 10 year-old rabbit was eating his clean pine shavings yesterday after shunning his new pellets for a few days. I thought he had gone back to eating them. He often will go a few days without eating much from the new bag - I don't know if it's new bag smell or what, but he's been like that for at least a year. I did give him a small carrot yesterday but did not take the time to give him alfalfa like I should have when I saw him eat the pine shavings. He had been drinking and peeing just fine, but I don't believe he has eaten much since Tuesday because of the new food. (Today is Sunday.) Tonight he convulsed, kind of running around/thrashing around his cage and then collapsed and died, with an opaque clear mucus coming from his nose. I know you can't definitively say, but could this be from eating the pine shavings? Should I have tried harder to feed him alfalfa and carrots while he decided to start eating pellets again? Or was this just old age and his time? Thank you for any advice & insight you can give.

Answer
Hi Jennie,

I am sorry about your rabbit passing.

Generally it's not recommended to keep rabbits on pine shavings because of phenols that gas out from them, that cause liver damage and death.

Also when a rabbit is off his normal food and behavior you must assume there is a serious problem and try to determine what it is.  Sometimes food pellets are bad.  Sometimes being off certain foods mean an infection affecting their sense of taste/smell.  It isn't a wait and see kind of thing.  And if it goes on for more than a day it's time to get in to the vet immediately or emergency vet.

Not giving him hay is a serious mistake.  Probably what drove him to eat his litter.  Out of hunger.  Hay should be able to be eaten 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It's the thing they should be eating the most of, their gi tract health depends on hay.  

Again, I am sorry for your loss. I am sure your boy knew you loved him very much and had many good years of love and care from you.  If you are a Christian, you can also look forward to the day you will get him back.  I will keep you and your little guy in my prayers.