Wild Bunny Help, Please

[skwerls_R_soft]

Well bunny didn't make it. DH called again and said that she appeared to have some sort of neurological episode where her back end was doing something spastic and different from what the front end was. She passed away peacefully. She actually was quite calm in the presence of DH...he does have a special charm around all sorts of animals.

On a more encouraging note, my vet gave me some Albon for the bunny. Since I never had a chance to give her a dose I will have some on hand for a future emergency.

Thank you Gabe for your constant support and thanks to you all for your words of encouragement.

[Buddy'sMom]

So sorry, Skwerls. Poor bunny. You and DH are wonderful for having tried so hard to help her. She apparently knew she was comfy and safe in your care.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

So sorry to hear the little guy didn't make it.

[Gabe]

Sometimes the best we can do is to give them a second chance, and that you did. Her injuries were more than could be fixed.

[Bobo's Mom]

You might want to throw a handfull of timothy or alfalfa hay in there for her/him to nibble on as well. You could also put a small piece of carrot in there which will also provide water. If you notice these items are being nibbled then you could sprinkle a pelleted feed around. Good luck, I hope everything turns out. I've always had a big old soft spot for the bunnies.

[ravenlaws32]

sorry to hear that, bunnies ARE SO HARD to rehab . i know i have helped some and others died on me for no apparent reason. this next question might seem morbid but when the bunny passed away did it take a lst breathe and make a popping respitory sound ?? like one pop ??

[skwerls_R_soft]

sorry to hear that, bunnies ARE SO HARD to rehab . i know i have helped some and others died on me for no apparent reason. this next question might seem morbid but when the bunny passed away did it take a lst breathe and make a popping respitory sound ?? like one pop ??

DH says no. No popping noise.
Why would that happen??

[ravenlaws32]

DH says no. No popping noise.
Why would that happen??

i was just wondering , no reason really, just in my experience with the bunnies that have died in my care there was a pop in the end. im doing some research work and i thought i would ask and this case seemed like the right one to ask.nothing happens out of ordinary but some fellow rehabbers i know are researching the problems that folks have with bunnies since there is a high mortality rate and hopefully down the road more info came become avaliable to help bunnies.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I think the pop noise may mean that they had a respiratory infection. Did they make a little clicking noise when they breathed before they started to die? I have found that bunnies aspirate very easilly when they are fed the regular way and that they are very prone to respiratory infections. That is why I tube feed mine: it is quicker, less stress, and no milk in the lungs. That may or may not be the problem. I have only had one make any kind of noise with its last breath, and it was a squeak.

[skwerls_R_soft]

The little bunny we had was way too big to be on milk.

My dumba$$ cat, Booger, brought another one home last night. I heard the screaming in the woods and caught him walking through the yard with another bunny of the same age as the last one in his mouth. The bunny seemed totally unharmed beyond being scared silly. So I put her back near where I saw the cat first with her and put Booger inside (which is not going very well right now I might add...this is an outdoor cat!) It is pretty funny though to see bada$$ killer cat get ninja-ed by my 4lb female housecat It is so hard this time of year to keep an eye on Booger and we try our best. I swear I will never keep another feral cat, rescue or not!

[Bravo]

Sorry to read about the rabbit... there must have been more going on internally than it could handle. You did everything you could.

[ravenlaws32]

I think the pop noise may mean that they had a respiratory infection. Did they make a little clicking noise when they breathed before they started to die? I have found that bunnies aspirate very easilly when they are fed the regular way and that they are very prone to respiratory infections. That is why I tube feed mine: it is quicker, less stress, and no milk in the lungs. That may or may not be the problem. I have only had one make any kind of noise with its last breath, and it was a squeak.

yeah that is first choice that its is respiratory in nature, also trying to figure out the mortality rate . you would think in 2007 more would be known about bunnies but its not lol. there was no clicking as in squirrels who click with pneumonia .

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

It probably wasn't pneumonia then, just a weird quirk with bunny death probably. They die from so many things. I think most of it has to do with their stress around people though. They are so low on the food chain that just about everything is a predator to them, including us, so it freaks them out. I think that is why the majority of them die. And if its not that it is digestive issues. They have such a specialyzed digestive system with the gut bacteria that they get from eating their mothers special night time poop that it is just so hard for us to get their gut flora right. Hopefully, one day soon, someone will find a trick to keeping them alive and healthy to be released.