Lost A Doe - No Idea Why

[Bad Habit]

Okay, so...

Friday afternoon - doe was fed, saw her eating and drinking.
Friday evening - doe was alive at night checks.
Saturday morning - doe was alive when I did a quick check and took the LH kits to market.
Saturday afternoon - I am unsure if the doe was alive when I returned from market, but I believe she was initially. Some friends came over, I was showing them the rabbits, and Meadow was dead in her cage(frigging awesome, what a great impression...)

She was not yet in rigor, obviously could not perform necropsy immediately, so I put her in the fridge.

When I went back and opened her up, everything looked okay - no blockage, lungs looked normal, liver fine, everything looked as I'd expect a healthy rabbit would look. She showed no signs of overheating. She was just over a year old, had had one litter, was not pregnant(I was actually going to breed her today) and had been healthy enough that I had entered in a show for next Sat.

All I can think of is that she had some kind of aneurism or stroke or something.

Any other ideas? Anything I should watch for in the remaining rabbits?

 

[Zass]

When you autopsied, did you check to make sure she hadn't startled and broken her neck?

 

[MaggieJ]

So sorry you lost Meadow, Bad Habit.

Sudden death in a seemingly healthy rabbit sometimes just happens--and we usually never find out what happened. A broken neck or back is certainly a possibility, along with the things you mentioned.

Do keep a close eye on your other rabbits, but unless Meadow died as a result of being spooked by a predator or something, I doubt very much that your other rabbits are at risk.

 

[ottersatin]

A Heart Attack is absolutely a possibility.
They ovten happen for no apparent reason.
I had a Buck die that way. Found him half in and half out of a Nestbox.
There were no other apparent signs of any stress or disorder.
Sometimes things just happen. Is it possible that it was just time for him to
take his exit? Sorry for your loss.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Bad Habit]

She was only a year old, and nothing had happened to startle her that I know of.

As far as I could tell, her heart looked fine as well - I don't know if it shows damage after a heart attack, or even if it would be affected by being in the fridge for a bit.

I didn't open up along her back/neck, but I did feel along her spine and didn't feel any immediately obvious damage.

 

[Zass]

It's probably nothing to worry about..I mean, in the sense of the rest of your herd. Most communicable diseases have at least some symptoms.
(I don't know any offhand that kill without any sign at all inside our out.)

I'm sorry your lost her.