Benny died

[Bennythebunny]

Please excuse any spelling or grammar I’m writing this with tears in my eyes. Two days ago I cleaned out my rabbits cage and put him inside with hazel his doggy friend that he loves and had him stay inside for most of the day. He seemed fine and doing his usually quarky things. The only thing I noticed was that he only pooped once. And it wasn’t very hard or ball like. He was acting fine and eating all his food so I didn’t think anything of it. I used a vacuum which he has grown accustomed to hearing but for some reason he was a little startled by it and went to hide behind the table for a moment … He came back out when I turned it off and looked fine. Then I put him back in his cage. The next morning I fed him like always and went off to work. It was a little hotter than usual but nothing he hasn’t been in before. He has been living outside for 6 months in San Diego summer and has always been ok. But to take extra precautions I laid a towel on His cage to shade him and block the sun. I had family in town so I didn’t check on him that night. But early this morning I went out to feed him and there he was sprawled out with his eyes open not breathing.

The only thing I can’t think is either he was had a heart attack from the vacuum
Or he had a blockage that I didn’t catch onto
Or he died of heat stroke.

Can anybody tell me why he died and where I went wrong.

Ps his body at 5am was still limp and not stiff.

[pinknfwuffy]

I am so very sorry for your loss. You clearly cared very much for Benny. May he rest peacefully.

Unfortuntely, it is impossible to guess what happened. Rabbits are prone to hiding their illnesses and discomfort so it is possible he had something going on that you never could have known about. This is true for most digestive issues so a blockage could have been the culprit. Since he passed long after you vacuumed I don’t think that would be it but it is possible to a heart attack to occur for a number of reasons. If he was still limp then he probably died within a few hours before you found him, which could be from anything. Had you known he was unwell I know you would have done everything you could have. Sometimes we don’t get that opportunity because our rabbits are too good and hiding it and there is nothing we can do except help them cross the bridge.

He is free of suffering and he had your love all along. Binky free, Benny.

[Bam]

I’m sorry you lost Benny. It seems he was very dearly loved.

As Pinknwuffy says, rabbits do hide illness well. So if they have something seriously wrong with them, they really strive to not let on. It makes it difficult for us humans, because we’d much rather they’d “say” something. But for a wild bun, showing weakness means a predator will notice and come for you, and out buns still have quite a lot of wild rabbit in them.

The vacuum is perhaps a possibility, but since it’s a noise he was accustomed to, I think maybe he reacted to it because there was sth not right with him at that point. It could’ve been a gut slowdown. It can start very slow and then suddenly progress very quickly. It could have been his heart. There’s no way of knowing without a necropsy, and even that’s not always conclusive.

Binky Free ****Benny****

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m so very sorry for the loss of your Benny. I know it’s especially hard when you don’t have answers.

(((((Binky Free Benny)))))

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