my rabbit suddenly dies

Question
Hi, first i like to thank you for taking the time to give your intelligent input on everyones behalf.
I had gotten my 4 month old rabbit in sept 12 06 and it suddenly died nov 9 06. Ive had one bunny before him and she live for 5 years. I don't know what happened. On nov 5 06 he was limp in my hands not moving aggressivly like rabbits usually do when you try and pick them up. I would lay him on his side and he would just lay there still breathing, just not having the energy to get up. Then on nov 9 06 i found him dead in his cage. I feed him just that very night and he ate all his food as usual. please help me.thanks.

Answer
Dear Danielle,

If your rabbit was limp and lethargic on the 5th, but passed away four days later, there should have been time to get him to a good rabbit vet for treatment.  Did he ever get to the vet?  I am sorry this comes too late to help him.  But this is one thing you can use to know if your bunny is sick, and what to do:

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

Whenever a rabbit acts even a little bit "off," it's wise to take it very seriously.  If a bunny is very seriously showing signs of illness, as your bunny was, the only thing to do is get him to the vet immediately for diagnosis and treatment.  I cannot say whether a vet could have saved his life, because there is no way to know from the symptoms what exactly what the cause of his illness was.  It could have been any of dozens of things.

If you need closure and peace of mind, then a post-mortem exam by a good rabbit vet might be the only way.  There is no way to know for sure what the cause of death was without this.

I am very sorry about your loss.

Dana