Rosas dead.

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Rosa the Rex, the sweetest rabbit I had, is dead ok, here's the story-

I went outside to take care of the rabbits, around 2 (i had watered them at 5 that morning). I was giving them scraps (potato peelings and such) and cleaned the ice out of their water bowl. I planned coming back to water them - I didn't. :evil: I got distracted when coming back in, and I didnt. I've done it plenty of times before, but I screwed up this time. It's my fault she died - no other way she would've died so suddenly. She died of dehydration. She was perfectly healthy one minute, I don't water them on time, and she's dead. Well I went back about half an hour ago, panicking because I forgot to water them, and Silver and Cali greeted me. Rosa did not. I lifted up the dog house, and found her limp underneath it she wasn't warm, but rigamortis hadn't set in.

I took her down to my friends house. We'll be dissecting her to see what happened, but I already suspect the answer - dehydration. he's skeptical something else could've happened, and she'll likely become dog food.

I want to save her hide. It's such a pretty color, and so soft.


RIP Rosa I'm sorry for my mistake

 

[3mina]

Unless you forgot to water them for three or four days, I don't think so, even forgetting til the next morning wouldn't do it.
Rabbits have multitudinous ways and methods of dying and most of them don't leave a trace but dehydration takes several days, not hours. It doesn't make it any less painful but you not watering the rabbits for a couple of hours could not have killed her.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

She was a year old (not technically confirmed, but the guess based on what rabbtitry she came from).

What else would've killed a rabbit in a couple hours? Anything to look for when we open her up?

 

[Schipperkesue]

Agreed. It was not dehydration. Winter is hard for my rabbits too. The temperature dips and the water freezes. They drink quickly when I waterer them once a day and chew ice when the water is frozen. I am not consistent as to when I water either and will water in the morning one day and in the afternoon the next. No one dies. It was not your fault. She was not dehydrated.

 

[Bad Habit]

I third that it was not dehydration. As for what it was, I don't really have any suggestions, but I very highly doubt it was dehydration.

 

[Schipperkesue]

Correlation does not imply causation.

That means that just because to things occur together it does not mean one caused the other.

 

[skysthelimit]

True to what everyone is saying.

I've had a few buns just drop dead like that, for no apparent reason, so high temps, or low ones, not predators to induce sudden fright.Nothing. Rabbits can be very fragile creatures. Then again, so can we.

 

[Truckinguy]

Sorry about your rabbit. I worry about when Morgan and Fred die, they are friendly and healthy and she is a great mother.

I can work some long days sometimes and the rabbits can have frozen water for 12-14 hours fairly often and they are fine, even when Morgan is lactating. Don't beat yourself up about the water, rabbits can appear healthy one minute and die shortly after.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Well, we decided not to dissect her. My friend trains his hunting dog for trials and such, and they aren't allowed to use white rabbits, and dark rabbits are hard to come by. So she will be used for dog training. Guess we'll never know.

I also made the decision to put down Cali (my other doe). We don't have vet funds, and I don't think the rest of her life will be quality. She will become dog food. I'm not going to kill her, but she's going to a nice woman whose doing that for me. Ugh. I paid $40 for her ): and her brother, who we also had to put down (he was a healthy buck, but no one wanted him and we had no room for 2 bucks, argh!). So far my rabbit adventure has gone completely down hill.

The bright side is my dad is going to build raised hutches, and I currently have Charlie (my only doe at this point, once Cali is gone) is living with me inside my room,and Silver (my buck) gets to have an entire 48sq ft to himself!