What could have been the cause of my rabbit's death?

Question

Bella passed away Saturday, at age 2 years... turning 3 years tomorrow. :( We're not sure what caused it, but I read that unspayed females have a high risk of getting ovarian cancer and other types of disease in the reproductive system. She has had 2 or 3 litters, none of them survived, and during the last couple weeks of her life, she did not eat or drink. Is this is a sign to some kind of disease? I cannot find anything helpful in the internet. Thanks in advance...

Answer 1

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm no expert as I am brand new to the world of bunnies. I'm just an animal lover who took in an outside caged "pet" rabbit that some spoiled brat ditched onto her elderly grandparents when she felt like moving on to next and didn't have time for the poor bunny any more.  Ideally, I'd have prepared a lot more before taking in any new pet, but my priority was to rescue her from our soaring temperatures down south in the states...over 100 degrees here for the past 3 days! So alas, she's resting comfortably inside my air conditioned home now.  And now I'm reading everything I can get my hands on about being a responsible caretaker for this little creature. And again, while I haven't learned it all, I did read that rabbits cannot go without food, and are not even to be fasted before a surgery the way other animals are. Their digestive system is very complex.  So any change in appetite or especially a total refusal to eat for even a day should be considered serious and the animal should see a qualified vet. I just wanted to pass this along in case your other rabbit were to show these signs you'll know there's no time to wait and see if he/she gets better. Take them in and have them checked out. Sorry I couldn't provide you any answers as to cause of your Bella's illness and death at such a young age, though it sounds like she likely had a disease or condition, possibly even a blockage, that eventually led to her starving herself to death. I would keep a close eye on the companion bunny and if she shows any of the same signs, don't wait to take him/her in. Thank you for sharing your story.

Answer 2

It sounds like she had somehting and was hiding it well. Not being spayed could have been the reason but its hard to say

Answer 3

Yes, it is a sign, the rabbit starved to death.  It had nothing to do with being spayed.  If a rabbit is getting pregnant then it doesn't have the chance of cancer that a celibate doe would have.  She sounds like she got sick and you did not know.  Some things to look at, you said she had 2 or three litters but they did not make it.  Were they live births?  Did she eat them (happens frequently when disturbed).  How long after the last litter did she die?  Was she a dwarf?  They sometimes have congenital defects and die young.

Answer 4

anything could have caused it, but cancer is the most likely cause. the litters dying was a sign you shouldnt have bred her, just spayed her and her friends, even the male one. which i highly reccomend. if she died, the other female is probably on its way, probably of the same cause and a trip to the vet to get her spayed is a good idea.