my fuzzy lop/ angora

Question
Hi, my rabbit unfortunately died tonight.  He seemed fine this morning,  but,
when I checked on him tonight he was dead. I have been reading up on
causes...
I definitely found him with a  messy bum.  I usually give him a bath once a
month...but this was caked. I just moved into a new place, I was worried he
was depressed because of less space to run around.  He was always alert and
happy when I was around.  His diet consisted of timothy hay, pellets (newly
introduced with dried fruit etc.)  spinach, carrots and strawberry toppings or
banana every once in a while.  His water was refilled once a day.  He had
been drinking less water in the last 2 days.
I noticed when He was drinking his water I could hear stomach noises.  I feel
terrible that he died and didn't realize he was sick.  Do you know what he may
have died from?

Answer
Dear April,

I am very sorry about the loss of your bunny.

Unfortunately, only a necropsy would give a definitive answer.  But the fact that he had a messy bum and you heard gas noises a couple of days before he died suggests that he was having intestinal problems, possibly secondary to another problem.  I know it comes too late for your bunny, but if you notice even the slightest thing unusual about your bun, these steps can help you prevent disaster:

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

The messy bum was a sign of severe cecal dysbiosis, which might have been a result of the pellets he was getting.  Please read:

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

and then this one, which explains about healthy and not-healthy pellets:

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

Rabbits are extremely subtle about signs of illness, and it's easy to miss a tiny change that could signal trouble.  I wish I could have helped you sooner.  I am so sorry.

Take care,
Dana