Sudden Death?

Question
My 3 year old rabbit died suddenly this morning. I took him in for a necropsy but they said it could take awhile to get all the results back. So I am just searching for answers.

He was fine until last night when he suddenly started getting very lethargic. He still had some appetite but seemed confused by his food he would start to eat a piece of vegetable but would look like he forgot it was there in his mouth. He drank some water but not much. No loud rumbling in the tummy. He wanted to lay on something cool like tile or the bare bottom of his litter box.

He ate all of his vegetables but wouldn't touch his pellets. But this morning he was really bad so I was taking him to the vet (there are no e-vets in my area so I had to wait until this morning) but sadly he didn't make it and died in my car.

This morning it was like he couldn't hold his head up and he was having like the spasms near his hind area. He couldn't work any of his legs so if I tried to pick him up and sit him back down he just sprawled out. He also began drooling in the car right before dying.

He went to sleep but woke up gasping for air and like rolling his head before he just stopped moving. It was really hard to see and not be able to help.

I have another rabbit as well that I am worried that what he died of could be contagious.

Does this sound like anything familiar?

Thank you for your time.

Answer
Dear Marshall,

I am very sorry about the tragic death of your friend.

As you know, only a necropsy (with histopathology; a gross necropsy might not tell you anything) will reveal the cause of death.  But from your description, it sounds as if your bunny may have had a high fever, possibly because of a systemic bacterial infection.  

Things like this are almost never contagious between rabbits.  The bacteria that might have caused this are probably already present in the other rabbit.  But something may have caused your passed bunny to have a problem with his immune system that allowed this infection to run rampant through his body.  Sometimes per-acute onset of infection doesn't even give the body *time* to mount an immune response, and a bunny dies without even spiking a fever.  I have seen this on a few occasions.

I hope the necropsy results will give you some peace of mind.  But for now, give your other bunny extra love, especially if the two were bonded.  The stress of losing a companion is very stressful, and that alone can predispose the other bunny to becoming ill.  I hope that if they were bonded, you allowed the surviving bunny to visit with the body of the one who died.  This is *crucial* to the recovery of the surviving bunny.  They do seem to have some understanding of death, and this will give her closure.

I am very sorry for your loss.

Dana