My bunnies are dying

Question
My 2 lop ear bunnies had 3 babies in July, they were perfect, never had any problems, they one day I left around 10 and came back around 1, they were fine when I left, I fed and watered them, they all ate. When I came back all the babies were lying on their sides, one dead already and the other 2 when I touched them they went stiff and curled their bodies backwards, their heads almost tuched their tails, the they died soon after, they were 4 weeks old and big and healthy, then almost a week later, the exact same thing happened to the mom, but the dad is fine. I jsut want to know what happened to them so I can make sure nothing happens to the dad. Thank you

Answer
Dear Angela,

I'm sorry about this horrific loss.  Unfortunately, only a necropsy would reveal what happened, and in a case like this I would strongly suggest histopathology and toxicology testing on all major organ tissues.  It is probably too late for that now.  But the way this happened suggests that the family may have been exposed to some sort of environmental toxin.  

Were there any pesticides in the area?  Did you recently change food?  (There has been a recent scare--as yet unsubstantiated--of rabbits dying who had been fed Blue Seal rabbit food; if you are using Blue Seal, STOP feeding it immediately, and bring a sample to your vet, who can send it to a good lab for testing.  Do not throw any of it away, but don't use it.)

Was it hot where the bunnies were?  Heat stroke can kill quickly, and if the rabbits are in direct sun, or outside when it's over 80 Farenheit, that could be a reason.

Be sure papa is safely inside with air conditioning, and away from any possible toxins in the environment.

To be safe, it would be wise to get him to a good rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for bloodwork, to see if he was exposed to anything that might have taken the lives of his family.   I hope he will be all right.

Once you all have gotten over the grief of this, know that papa is probably grieving terribly, and needs a lot of love and comfort now.  Eventually, it would help him to be allowed to choose a new mate from your local rabbit rescuer's fosters, once he is neutered.  Please find your rescuer here:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

and also please read:

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

I am so very sorry about your loss, but hope this helps you avoid any more tragedies in the future.

Take care,

Dana