Rabbits have a lifespan longer than most people expect. On average, they'll live up to 8-12 years. That time can feel so short when it comes time to say goodbye to our beloved friends.
Unlike their wild relatives, who live for an average of one to two years, domesticated rabbits can live between eight to 12 years.
As far as digestive upsets are concerned, the commonest killer of rabbits under 12 weeks of age is mucoid enteritis or associated digestive conditions like bloat, and gut stasis.
The domestic rabbit, also known as the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), are prone to a multitude of infections that may cause them to die suddenly. Pathogens that may cause mortality in rabbits include those which are bacterial, viral, and protozoan.
ere are three options to deal with your pet's body a er he/she passes. Some people choose to take their rabbit's body home and bury him/her. Most people choose to have their rabbit cremated. With private or individual cremation, you will receive your pet's ashes back.
The most common symptoms of a dying rabbit include a lack of appetite, a loss of strength, and erratic movements. Other signs will vary depending on the cause of death, and sometimes you will not notice any symptoms before a rabbit passes on.
Garden burials may be comforting to the family, but offer no opportunity for the examination needed to establish the rabbit's cause of death. Incorrect burial of an infected rabbit could allow the virus to be transmitted to others, particularly if the body is dug up by predators, warn experts.
It's important to monitor your rabbit closely after they've lost a companion. Some rabbits can become depressed if they're left alone when a friend passes away. Your remaining pet may also stop eating and drinking.
You can pick up the dead rabbit with your gloved hands or use a shovel and carefully, without swinging the body, put it in the plastic bag, then double bag it and throw it away in the trash.
It is recommended that you give your remaining rabbit at least an hour with its partners body. This may seem very morbid to us but it really is the best thing for your rabbit. Stay with your rabbit and monitor its behaviour; it will find your presence comforting and will understand that you are grieving too.
Rabbit is limp, floppy or cold
These rabbits are very, very sick and may be close to death. The common end point of dehydration, shock or sepsis is a weak floppy rabbit, often with cold ears. They tend to sit hunched in a corner and 'feel funny' when you pick them up. Wrap them up warmly and get to the vet ASAP.
The researchers found that the most common causes of death recorded by veterinary surgeons were flystrike (10.9% of pet rabbits), anorexia (4.9%), collapse (4.9%) and gut stasis (4.3%). The average lifespan of pet rabbits was 4.3 years, although survival up to 14.4 years had been recorded.
An average pet rabbit reaches middle age at around 3 to 5 years old, and they become geriatric at 7 to 8 years.
Signs that a rabbit is near death include refusing to eat, an unusual level of lethargy, difficulty breathing, or a sudden change in vital signs. A rabbit should have a body temperature between 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as a heart rate between 180 and 250 beats per minute.
Dead rabbits should be handled with a shovel and placed within two sturdy plastic bags (i.e. double-bagged). The bags can then be placed with the regular trash for pick up. After disposing of a dead rabbit, thoroughly wash and scrub your hands with soap and hot water and rinse the shovel with bleach.
If you find a deceased animal on public property Council can arrange to have it collected. Council cannot collect deceased animals from private property. Please call Customer Service on 9392 5000 if the animal needs to be collected urgently.
Consider adopting a new friend for your rabbit
As social animals, the majority of rabbits do best when they have a bonded friend to live with. This is especially true when a rabbit has always been part of a pair or small group. It isn't a case of replacing the rabbit who has died.
You may worry that your rabbit will be lonely. If you spend a lot of time with your rabbit, they will undoubtedly miss you when you're away, the same way you miss them. The two of you have developed a bond and friendship that your pet rabbit also understands.
Fortunately, if you notice a baby out of the nest box, or an entire litter that is cold, sometimes you can resuscitate baby bunnies, even if they look cold and lifeless.
Barring the odd rogue rabbit that likes the lonely life, rabbits generally benefit from the company of other rabbits. They will often be far happier and content with a mate. Rabbits are not that unlike humans, they also get bored, even depressed, and when they do, they often act it out with destructive behaviour.
Now, researchers have uncovered a particularly bizarre ability that may enable them to avoid getting eaten. According to a paper published in the journal Acta Ethologica, the rodents are capable of recognizing the odor of other rabbits that have been eaten in the feces, or "scats," of predators.
The term "Dead Rabbit" was used as late as the 1880s as a generic term for a young, lower class criminal.
Usually, rabbits play dead when they feel neglected by its owner. They are so stubborn and self-centred that if not calculated, they find other ways to get attentions. For example, they start biting and pulling at their human friend's clothes.