Sudden rabbit death

Question
Dear Dana,

We bought a beautiful chin Netherland Dwarf rabbit for my daughter's birthday. He was 7 weeks old when we got him and we believe he was the runt of the litter as he was smaller than the other bunnies at the rabbitry. He showed no signs of ill health other than what we called "sleep" in the corners of his eyes. He was very affectionate, loved to lick us and enjoyed exploring when we let him out of his cage about once daily. Only a week after we got him, he died. I was walking in to check on him during my daughter's birthday party and I saw him seizing and shaking, lying on his side. His neck just flopped over, his eyes were rolling in the back of his head and he could not right himself. 15 minutes later, he was dead. Completely out of the blue.

We are pretty sure that none of the younger children had any contact with him other than getting to pet him once (supervised). After that, the bunny was left in his cage alone - we had a few adults in the area making sure children weren't going in there to mess with him. The only thing we can think of that happened is he was too excited by all the activity in the house and literally scared himself to death.

I know this can't take the place of an autopsy but Peter is already buried and we're not about to exume him. We are going to get another bunny soon and I don't want this to happen again. Is there something we could've done to prevent this? Do you think it may have been congenital since he was a runt?

Thanks for any and all advice you can give.

Answer
Dear Joanna,

I am sorry about the loss of your bunny.  Baby rabbits are extremely susceptible to illness, and a baby 7 weeks old is actually a bit too young to be weaned.  Being taken from the mother too young can contribute to immunosuppression and the likelihood of gettting sick.

Did you see any sign at all of runny stool or other health problem?  A slight loss of appetite?  The bunny being unsually quiet?

If he was very gregarious, it's not likely that he was frightened to death, though it's best to keep a young bunny (or even an adult who is shy) in a quiet place--or provide a refuge where he can feel sheltered and be able to hide from prying eyes and poking hands.

It's more likely that he had either some sort of infection, or may have had a GI tract problem that resulted in death.  As you know, it is not possible to know without a necropsy.

If you do get another bunny, I would strongly urge you to contact your local rabbit rescuer and have the whole family meet a needy bunny who has been abandoned and rescued.  These bunnies have a known health history, are already spayed/neutered, and have a personality that won't change when s/he reaches puberty (as can happen with a baby bunny you buy from a pet store or breeder).  You'll not only be saving a life, but also be sending a message to breeders and pet stores that you will not support their breeding operations, especially when they offer bunnies too young to be separated from their mothers.  You can c contact your local rescuer here:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

When the new bunny comes into your home, I hope you'll have time to have read these articles, which will help you spot and understand the most subtle signs of illness--and they can be *extremely* subtle in rabbits (especially babies).

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

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

And be sure to visit House Rabbits 101 to be sure to have all the right equipment and food ready for your pal:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

Again, I'm sorry for your loss, but hope that this information can help you avoid another tragedy in the future.

Take care,
Dana