My poor lil bunny

Question
This afternoon I went to go feed my bunny and he was acting a little weird but he ate two pieces of lettuce and drank some water but just didnt seem like himself so i put him up in his hutch away from my other bunny so I could monitor his drinking and eating put three hours later when i came back from the store and checked on him he was upside down and kind of twisted and dead..... I know bunnies can die suddenly but why was my bunny upside down??? It seemed like a painful way to die and how long should I wait til I get another bunny for my other bunny that is very upset.....I only had the bunny for two months and he was from a rescue?? I am so confused

Answer
Dear Nichole,

I am so sorry about the terrible 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.

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.

Please contact your local rescuer for help with bonding your surviving bunny to another companion soon, as rabbits can die from grief.

I am very sorry for your loss.

Sincerely,

Dana