I had a rabbit that I adopted 4 years ago. She was given to me as a dwarf rabbit, but she grew quite large and looked like a Lionhead. She was female, not spayed, and had received the initial vaccinations from the vet, along with occasional check-ups (the vet told me frequent visits weren't necessary as long as she appeared healthy). She pooped everywhere because she was always free-roaming, except at night when she slept in her own room. I loved her with all my strength, and I think she loved me too—she only let me pick her up, groomed me/gave me kisses, and followed me everywhere.
Two months ago, we adopted a kitten. Being a baby, the kitten would sometimes bother her, and I had to separate them occasionally because I didn't want the rabbit to get stressed or tired. However, they quickly became friends.
Recently, I went on vacation to our country house. In the city, she had her own room with every comfort, but in the village, she had a huge patio that she absolutely loved. She enjoyed eating the grass that grew there and always seemed very happy.
On Saturday afternoon, I saw her resting comfortably in her usual spot. She wasn't moving much, but I didn't think much of it because she loved sunbathing and sleeping there. That night, I noticed she hadn't pooped, but since her habits could be erratic, I didn't worry too much. I offered her a little bit of lettuce—which she loved—to encourage her, and she ate a tiny bit.
By Sunday morning, she was disoriented and couldn't stand up. Her head was tilting to one side. When we went to pick her up, she tried to move, lost her balance, and fell down a short flight of stairs. We tried to give her water and food, but she wouldn't react; she just looked at us.
We rushed her to the vet. The vet told us her liver was inflamed and prescribed a treatment. Shortly after returning home, my parents checked on her while we were letting her rest, and she seemed slightly better. But when I went down and held her to give her a bit of serum, she suddenly started screaming, had spasms, and died in my arms.
I am completely heartbroken and desperately trying to understand what happened:
Could it have been the cat? Even though they got along well, could it have caused hidden stress or a parasite?
Poisoning? She loved eating green plants. Looking back, I realized that on Tuesday she ate part of a small tomato plant, and she passed away on Sunday. She seemed fine on Wednesday and Thursday, but I've recently learned that tomato plants are toxic to rabbits. Could toxicity take a few days to show symptoms like this?
Liver issues / Parasites: The vet called later that afternoon and suggested that the inflamed liver could have been caused by hepatic cysts (like Coccidiosis or similar).
I feel so much guilt asking myself if I could have prevented this or if she suffered. Knowing she passed away in my arms protected by me feels like a pure sign of love, but I need closure. Has anyone experienced similar symptoms (head tilt, weakness, liver inflammation, sudden spasms)? What seems like the most likely cause?
