my rabbit died 2 hrs after coming back from vets

Question
I took our rabbit Tuliee to the vets monday as I noticed she was eating very little, she was hoping about and seemed normal in every other way, she was 8 yrs old. The vet examined her took her temperature and said everything was normal he checked her teeth and said that her front bottom teeth looked slightly abnormal and he would keep her in to file them down the next morning. Yesterday morning he rang and said he had done her teeth, but didnt think that was what was stopping her eating so he had run a blood test and said that she had a severe infection. He asked if I wanted her putting on a drip, I asked what he thought was best he said I could bring her home and rehydrate her with a syringe and would get the same result so I decided to bring her home thought she would recover quicker as she is more used to us. I went to fetch her at 4pm and she was just lying still in the carry basket. The nurses said she was still groggy from the anaesthetic. I was told to syringe waltham rehydration support into her as soon as we got home I did this and 2 hrs later she had died. She always had fresh water, hay fresh greens and occasionally dried rabbit food. I just am in complete shock as when we took her to the vet she was hopping around and when I picked her up she did not move just seemed to be breathing rather heavy. The vet says it must have been the infection. But I was concerned as the sachet I was given to rehydrate her was waltham rehydration support for cats and dogs Is this ok for rabbits as I wouldnt want this to happen to anyone else? Any reply asap would be much appreciated, thankyou. Catherine

Answer
Dear Catherine,

I am very sorry about your terrible loss.  I don't think the problem was the rehydration packet, which should be the same for any mammal.  But it does sound as if your bunny had a severe infection and had to be on antibiotics quickly if she was to begin recovering.  If she was having trouble breathing, it's possible that she had pneumonia or a lung abscess, but only a post-mortem exam would reveal the actual cause of death.

Any bunny can get an infection, so please don't think it was anything you did.  You did the right thing by getting her to the vet and by bringing her home where she could be comfortable.  It's possible that the infection was so severe that nothing could be done for her at that point.  Imagine how bad you would feel if you had left her at the vet, and she'd passed away there!  So you gave her a great gift by being with her at her final hours and giving her the presence and support of the person she loved the most in the world.

Again, I am very sorry.

Dana