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Rabbit seizure/fit

22 10:01:18

Question
I really hope you can help me. I just lost my rabbit, he was 15 weeks old and was absolutely fine and happy the night before he had his seizure. He was eating fine, drinking fine and interacting with me as usual. However, I got up the next morning to find him frantically trying to get up, so I picked him up and to my horror found he was actually having a fit with his eyes rolling back in his head and struggling like mad.

I managed to calm him down and he was ok for about 15 minutes, although a bit dazed, he was aware of his surroundings. But he then had another seizure, the same as the last. I contacted the vets but unfortunately he did not hang on until they got round, I lost him shortly after as he continued to have more seizures.

At his last few breaths I noticed his stomach was blowing up and feeling very lumpy and gurgling a lot.

Can you help with any of the matters here? I have no idea what caused the seizures, or even what they were. Could they have been epilepsy? And why was his stomach blowing up near the last few moments - is that normal or something to do with an illness?

It would help me if you could answer any of these questions, although I'm not sure if you will be able to - I did read your profile, but all the others who seem able to answer are away on vacation.

Kind regards and many thanks

Jen

Answer
Hi Jen,

I am very sorry to hear about your young bunny passing.  Such a short time with you.

Without actually having a vet do a necropsy there's no way to know for certain what happened to him.

I can give you a couple possibilities.  My first guess was that he had a couple strokes.  He could have had an embolism and/or heart attack at the end.  I don't know what's arond him, it could even have been poisoning, but I think stroke is more likely.  I would almost say positively it was a congenital defect type of thing you'd never have been aware of otherwise.

This kind of death is in my opinion one of the saddest because there's nothing you can do or try to prevent it.  Rabbits can have strokes, heart attacks, seizures/epilepsy, blow an artery and bleed out, just like people, just as unexpectedly.  It's probably the biggest fear we have as pet owners.

I will tell you that you being there with him made a big difference.  He didn't die alone.  He had a friend, his master, there with him, who loved him.  Just having someone there makes an enormous difference.  You're there with him living the pain with him too.  And you'll grieve for him as well.

Again, I am sorry he passed away.  If you are a Christian as I am, take some comfort in the secure hope you will be able to see him again.