My rabbit died...why?

Question
My rabbit was sick since yesterday.  He did not eat or drink water, his tummy was bloated, and his ears were very cold.  He was very lethargic and I noticed that he kept laying his head on his water bowl.  I took him to the vet this morning but the receptionist told me she could only squeeze him in 2 hours later.  When I brought him back home, I gave him water to drink and I tried to keep him warm by covering him with towels and rubbed his tummy to help relieve the bloatedness.  I thought he was getting a little bit better as he moved around a little bit...but at one point he let out a cry and fell to his side.  He struggled to get back on his feet.  And as I tried to help him up he let out another cry. His eyes were covered in clear tears and he let out a urine looking fluid.  I panicked and immediately drove him to the vet, but he died upon arrival.  Did my rabbit die of heart attack or spinal cord problems?  When he was sick, he was very lethargic but he could still stand up on all fours.

Answer
Hi,

I am sorry for the loss of Huckleberry.  That is never easy.  

Your description sounds like a condition known as ileus.  It basically means the the digestive system has shut down completely.  When this happens, the beneficial bacteria that helps to digest food starts to die...the decaying bacteria is toxic and cause gas (which bloats them).  This also leads to other toxic bacteria, mostly clostridium and e coli, to grow and they are toxic.  The change in climate in the digestive system results in the drastic altering of the pH which causes gastric ulcers.  Since the intestinal walls are quite thin, the ulcers are particularly dangerous.  If the pressure builds inside the gut such as gas or by contractions from giving GI motility drugs, these ulcers can rupture.  Usually it's very quick...the eyes will tear up, the rabbit will arch backwards while pawing with it's front feet and will scream from the pain.  Mercifully, it is over in a few brief seconds.

Ileus, and it's related condition stasis, is never a primary issue.  It is always a symptom of a much larger problem.  The gut in a rabbit is very delicate and any number of things can cause stasis/ileus.  Pain, infection, dental issues, tumors and injuries can cause this.  But by far, the most common cause of this is something in the diet or something they ate but shouldn't have.  Most of the time, we find that the rabbit has eaten carpet or plastic.  Something caused an impaction in the gut which stopped all movement in the gut....basically, constipation.  Right now, moldy food products are a major concern due to the terrible baling conditions for last years hay crop.  And the products in the pipeline right now are bottom of the barrel from last year.  Mold, which causes mycotoxins, can produce lot of gas and bloat...and lots of pain.  This is not generally a condition that causes death overnight but more over the period of a few days.  Rabbits are prey animals and are very good at hiding these conditions until it is too late to help them.

I know this might not be a good time to do this...but with time, look back over the past week or so and see what it could be.  Was he a carpet eater?  Did he get hay or pellets that might have been moldy?  Like I said, anything can cause ileus.  Even with a necropsy, the real cause may never be known.

Randy