sudden death of bunny; blood around nose and mouth

Question
My bunny died and had blood around her nose and mouth but seemed healthy when i got her. she ate food but wasn't drinking water. can you please help me

Answer
Dear Ronald,

I am sorry about the loss of your friend.

Sadly, there is absolutely no way to confidently ascertain a cause of death without a post-mortem exam, preferably including histopathology of major organ tissues.  The signs you describe are very vague, and could have been due to any of dozens of different things.

One unusual finding is the blood around the nose and mouth. If you are in Australia, Europe, or the UK, then this could be due to a calicivirus that causes Viral Hemorrhagic Disease:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/vhd.html

But blood around the nose and mouth could also be caused by trauma/injury, or even a pulmonary embolism.  No way to know without more information.

If you noticed signs of unusual behavior before he died, then please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

which might give some clues.  But unless you can provide a lot more specific information, this is the best I can offer.  

If the body has been kept very cold (not frozen), and it has been less than 24 hours since death, a necropsy may still be possible, if you feel that would give you closure and peace of mind.  You can find an experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to call and find out what your options might be.

I am very sorry for your loss.

Sincerely,

Dana