I don't understand what just happened...

[Fireclaws bunnbutts]

Seriously, what the heck?

One of my four week olds just...dropped dead, like literally no less than 3 minutes ago. I don't understand it.

The babies have been fine for all this time, and all three were fine all day today and then I hear this grunting sound a few minutes ago and see one of the babies flailing around for a few seconds before it goes limp

I don't get it. It *shouldn't* have just randomly dropped dead after being fine it's entire life, after being fine all day and after being perfectly fine less than 5 minutes ago.


The *only* thing that's been different is that I sprayed a wasp with bug killer, but that was over two hours ago and no where near the rabbit cages, and the mother and other two babies and the buck are all fine.

ETA: That I've sprayed bugs before and they've all been peachy.


There's nothing in the babies mouth, his necks not broken, his backs not broken because there's literally no way to do any of those things in their cage. Just, what?

 

[DBA]

The rabbits can't jump? If a young rabbit can jump he can break his back.
You didn't see anything in his mouth, how about further down his throat?

 

[Dood]

A groggy, partially dead wasp could sting a baby rabbit but I wouldn't think it would be enough to kill one :shrug:

 

[Zass]

Enteritis? The age is spot on for it.

From medirabbit:

Bacterial enteritis develops very rapidly, within 3 to 4 days and may cause death before the appearance of diarrhea.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_disease ... tis_en.htm

 

[Fireclaws bunnbutts]

The rabbits can't jump? If a young rabbit can jump he can break his back.
You didn't see anything in his mouth, how about further down his throat?

Well, I mean, they binky, but as far as jumping, there's nothing in the cage for them to jump up onto that would cause them to break something if they jumped off.


I couldn't get a good look down the throat, but again, there was really nothing for them to have choked on either.

I dunno. This litter has been bad luck, only 5 and I always have bad luck with small litters of anything.


Did notice that after the baby died and the bladder released, the urine that came out with milky white, but rabbit urine is milky anyway, isn't it? I know my bucks urine is milky yellow color.

 

[Miss M]

All that has to happen is for the rabbit to get startled. It doesn't need anything in its cage at all. The rabbit gets startled, jumps too enthusiastically, and the back can break. Or it freaks out, starts running, hits the other side of the cage, and snaps its neck.

A rabbit can break its back in your arms, struggling to get out. Those legs are powerful, and sometimes it's just too much for the spine.

 

[ladysown]

if your rabbits pee is regularly milky in colour you have too much calcium in them.

A baby with milky white pee shouldn't happen... should be more a yellowy colour at this age.