Two nights ago, I came to bring my four bonded rabbits inside for the night like I always do. I noticed Mops was not eating when I fed them their dinner but I thought he was just waiting for me to leave because I had just carried him in and he hated being picked up. I thought he was just showing disapproval or somehing. I checked later, around midnight, and  he was moving around, doing routines, but not taking food. In the morning he had this look to him as if he had a gas episode. So I took the steps to deal with that, ovol and massages on his abdomen, and I separated him from the others to see if he would improve. Those measures usually work within about six hours with Mops. But they did not work. Mops was not passing anything, not even liquid. He started to refuse water from a syringe, too, he would just let it trickle out of his mouth. I knew it was bad. I went to the vet but he was on a farm call so I waited. By the time I saw the vet, Mops had collapsed and the spot in his abdomen that I in the morning I thought to be gas, was even bigger and rockkhard. It was high up on the left side of his stomach. An xray didn't show anything, only gas around that spot. It was a wool blockage. It didn't show up in the xray but we could feel the mass by palpating him. It was too late. Mops was in terrible pain. Euthanasia was offered to me but after some sub Q and pain meds I took him home. I placed him with my other three, where he just lay down flat, and Lint and Deirdra proceded to groom him for a long time. Lint groomed him even longer than Deirdra. Lint has never given anything more than a quick lick to any rabbit but he groomed Mops goodbye. Neigey just sat off in the distance, kind of clueless. I felt I was about as clueless as Neigey... I knew Mops was dying then. He was dead a half hour later.

I am even more upset than sad because I had always been afraid of wool block with Mops and I wish I had been more persistent with trimming his hair on a regular basis, and I should have brushed him twice a day even though he hated all manner of being touched. I should have force-fed him the papaya tablets which he refused to eat. My Mops groomed three other rabbits plus his own angora self. so he died in this painful way.

Mops yesteray before the vet trip, my male dog and him always got along, since Mops was a kit and my dog was a puppy. I wanted Mops to hop around on the deck so he could get his gut moving but he never did. I wish I had kept Mops trimmed like in this photo.

Woolblock can affect any rabbit, angora ones especially, but I do think I could have prevented this if I had noticed earlier. It is hard to distinguish their litter with four rabbits sharing a space.

Mops was two years and twoo months old.

I can hardly look at my three rabbits left behind by Mops. The quatet aws built around Mops, without him, they will have to rebond as a trio now.

I am just so sorry that he was hurting so bad. Of course, I'd like him alive but most of all I didn't want him hurting.

I will change up their pen and their room too. I need to change it so it doesn't remind me of the quartet.

The new trio is going to be stuck together by Deirdra. She is taking to both mini rexes equally. I am glad. she is such a good bun.

Oh Petzy, I am so, so sorry what a terrible and enexpected loss of such a dear bunny.
My heart and thoughts are with you now, during this hard time.

Please, don't beat yourself up with the "What If's", they are just poison to our hearts. You did so much to keep him healthy and happy, we just cannot prevent everything. Rabbits grooming each other and themselves make it hard to ever stop fur injestion. You brushed him, even trimmed his hair, so much to help and you did a good job, your an amazing Bunny Momma and Mops was one heck of a lucky bunny to have someone love and care for him unconditionaly.

Again, my deepest sympathy and many **HUGS** your way.
 

This was Mops a couple of hours before he died.

But this is how he was in life

Yes, brushing is extra important on wooly breeds, but any rabbit can get a blockage. In angora circles, the paraffin oil is often recommended for wool block but it is controversial. I didn't do it. I still think the tips at the bottom from this site are good.

www.joyofhandspinning.com/angora-care.shtml

I should brush Deirdra, my regular fur rabbit, more too, I did but she is at the end of a molt and still I get this much fur just from a few strokes.

Woolblock isn't just fur, but also food particles that hold the haor together. This is why enzymes are important for rabbits, to break up the mucus holding hairballs together.

Thank you for asking about my remaining three.

They are OK. Deirdra is acting shy which is highly unusual.

I am doing some recementing of Lint and Neigey because deirdra and Lint are very close already and I want Neigey to stop being such a jerk to Lint.

this is a test that is prooving successful. in paired confinement, Neigey is not bullying Lint around over food or other stuff he wants.

those two are tight. Trios are tricky!

A friend emailed me this article in this context. I will have to show it to my vet too.

www.rabbit.org/journal/3-7/gi.html

but my vet diagnosed as hairball.In the veterinary manual it says this about it

www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp

Oh no!  I'm so so sorry for your loss   Don't blame yourself, you gave Mops a great life. (((hugs)))     (((binky free Mops)))

I am so very sad right now to read your sweetheart Mops has gone to the bridge. Gosh, I feel like he is our Mops in a way as you share so much about your beautiful rabbits. I'm very glad for Sarita's last post as it can happen to any type of rabbit. You take such care of yours and Mops had a wonderful life with you and his bunny & canine friends. (((((Petzy)))))     http://www.gratefulness.org/candles...d=11476142

Maybe it will seem macabre, and I hope it is acceptable to show; before his burial I showed the body of Mops to his three bonded rabbits a last time.

Deirdra chased Neigey away from the body.

I think it is good to show this. You can tell that they know. These are very sad but very sweet videos. Made me teary again. I know it was a hard day for you.

Those videos made me tear up again for Mops. They are so sad, watching the 3 give their own little bunny good-byes to Mops. And you giving him a little good-bye touch too. I can see that he meant alot to all of you, and once again I must say I am very sorry for your loss, and give hugs to you and your remaining fur babies.

I will light a candle now, to show him the path to the Bridge.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles...d=11476859