My dog chewed and jumped against the chain link fence and broke the wire holding it to the metal poles. She got out and my husband found her jumping against our kids rabbits hutch. He put her back in the fence and fixed it, but he said the rabbit has layed down on its side and wouldn't do anything but lift its head. He decided to leave it alone for a little bit, thinking it was just really scared and needed to a chance to calm down. When I came home a little bit later, I went to check on it and it was dead. This rabbit was healthy before this happened and my husband thinks it had a heart attack from being so scared. I never heard of a rabbit having a heart attack. Is this possible?
2006-12-20 11:52:31 · 11 answers · asked by LittleMermaid 5 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Sorry for the bad typing, I have had a long day.
2006-12-20 11:53:22 · update #1
Your rabbit didn't die of a heart attack. It did die due to the dog, but most likely not due to a heart attack. Heart attacks are somewhat rare in rabbits.
When a rabbit gets scared it will start running around the cage in circles. If it gets too scared, it will run right into the side of the cage. When it does this, the weight of its rear end behind it all putting pressure on the neck and front portion of the back snaps the neck or back.
Your rabbit died of a broken back from running around the cage when it got scared, then running into the side of the cage. If you have an autopsy done on the rabbit I pretty much guarantee it will prove me right. That's the reason why it could only lift up its head. It was paralyzed from the neck down due to a break in the spinal chord. After a rabbit breaks its spinal chord there is really nothing you can do but have it put to sleep.
I've been raising and showing rabbits for over 24 years. I've seen it happen a number of times. That's partly why my dad and I play a radio all the time for our rabbits. It gets them accustomed to sound so they don't get scared so easily by wierd noises. If you ever notice any of your rabbits acting really scared. Approach them very cautiously. Approaching them too fast could cause them to run around the cage and break their spinal chord.
2006-12-21 23:26:39 · answer #1 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Startled Rabbit
2016-11-02 22:56:38 · answer #2 · answered by isles 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. They are very fragile animals and they are prey animals that when frightened to the point of they can not flee, a heart attack can certainly be suffered.
If not a heart attack, they also can suffer from a broken back in attempt to wildly get away when startled.
As a rabbit raiser, my rabbits go through a lot of scenarios that normally a rabbit would not (or should not) experience. My rabbits are quite used to loud noises such as lawn mowers. I play a radio in my barns to "calm the savage beast".
2006-12-20 11:58:40 · answer #3 · answered by Lotsa Lops 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
First of all, he did the right thing by leaving it alone.
My cat had a fondness for going out in the spring and catching baby rabbits. He'd bring them home totally unharmed as if he believed they were tiny kittens.
However, most died of heart attacks. The few that lived through the ordeal were ones we were able to put away, alone, in dark quiet places.
Domestic rabbits are less likely to die of heart attacks, but it does happen.
2006-12-20 12:09:57 · answer #4 · answered by ljn331 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Yes they can. They will also just give up if they think the situation is hopeless. I've had situations where I've found one of my rabbits lethargic and cold for no apparent reason. A couple of hours on a heat pad, some simethicone (I usually assume it stasis or gas) and syringing water and they're bouncing around again. If I had of left it for another hour though I'm pretty sure they would have died.
2006-12-21 00:58:01 · answer #5 · answered by mbunnyau 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes because we had an autopsy done on my rabbit because fireworks were going off, and it died of a heart attack.
2006-12-20 12:03:19 · answer #6 · answered by Lady Godiva 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
YES, A RABBIT CAN AND USALLY DOES DIE OF A HEART ATTACK AFTER IT HAS BEEN SCARED... A RABBITS HEART RATE IS SO FAST THAT IT DIES FAST....
2006-12-20 12:13:21 · answer #7 · answered by rabbitlady 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes they can have heart attacks if they get realy scared the same kind of thing happened to my mums rabbit, i have to take my rabbit inside everytime we cut our grass as it gets scared.
2006-12-20 11:56:16 · answer #8 · answered by sexymumma 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
yes
2006-12-20 12:00:37 · answer #9 · answered by emilee k 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
they can go into shock if they have that much stress. my bunny doesnt do that, but it is possible... so sorry
2006-12-20 12:52:07 · answer #10 · answered by M T 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋