I just need to know (Dwarf Rabbit death)

Question
I bought a baby dwarf rabbit about a week ago. It was very sweet and very cuddly but I noticed it barely had its teeth. It could not eat hard food without me wetting it first. I tried everything to keep the baby alive. I only had the baby bunny for 24 and then it seizured to death. It felt like loosing a child to me for I treated it like it was an infant child. It would get upset if I put it down so I had to carry it everywhere. The baby was fine at first playful cuddly loveable and was drinking and eating as long as I wet it's food and then I was holding the baby in my hands up against my chest and it started having a seizure. I did not know what to do so I layed it down in my floor on a rug and tried to help it. When the seizure was over I knew it was going to die for it could not breath but I tried to keep it's heart going by rubbing it's little chest lightly and talking to it. I do not know why it died. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it. If there was anything else I could have tried to do or done please let me know for future reference for my other rabbits are expecting babies and I do not want to loose another one. Thank you for any information you give me.
Kristina

Answer
Ok Kristina I am so sorry.  I don't know where you bought it but if it was from a pet store or an irresponsible breeder they may have taken it away from its mommy to soon.  Any rabbit that can't eat solid food even by the age of 3 or 4 weeks could have what is called malocclusion and sometimes they just can't eat at all.  Whatever happened it was not your fault.  Whoever sold it to you didn't do a proper health check before it was sold.  Baby rabbits sometimes die.  Their little immune systems are just not able to handle as much as older rabbits, even though older rabbits aren't as durable as other animals.  Rabbits can have so many different things wrong with them and unfortunately sometimes they just don't make it.  If they are going to die its generally within the first 8 weeks and I know in my state it is illegal to sell rabbits that are less than 8 weeks old.

I just feel so horrible for you but you did everything you could.  When your other rabbits have babies they may die also.  It could be from illness, malformation, genetic defects, fading rabbit syndrome, or the mothers sometimes just don't know how to care for them properly.  Just be aware that not all babies survive.

When I first starting doing this my friend told me that if I cried every time a rabbit died I would be crying every day.  I learned to cope.  I found a very beautiful web-site that I read when I am feeling depressed about the loss of one of my rabbits.  Please take a look at it and I hope you can find comfort.

http://www.freewebs.com/hgrabbitry/rainbowbridge.htm

As for why it died I can't tell you without an autopsy.  Its just not worth it to pay the expense of an autopsy and necropsy since that may even be inconclusive.  Instead find a quiet time to remember the nice moments you had with it even though the time was short.  And if you are a religious person just remember the bunny is in heaven now and isn't suffering anymore.  It will be waiting for you when its your turn.

Again I am very sorry.  If you ever ever ever have any concerns about any of your rabbits please rush them to the nearest 24 hour animal clinic or an exotic pet vet.  Even then sometimes it is to late but at least you won't feel like you did something wrong.

When your other rabbits have babies if you need any help please let me know.  But don't forget that often time kits will just die for no reason.  I know it is hard to get over but life has a way of going on.

God Bless you my love and I will be praying that your new mommy bunnies won't have any problems.

Sincerely

Pam