---
title: "‘I just want answers’: Owner heartbroken after pet rabbit dies following sedation for surgery to fix leg fracture"
url: "/singapore-seen/i-just-want-answers-owner-heartbroken-after-pet-rabbit-dies-following-sedation-surgery-fix-leg"
published: "2026-10-20T02:47:45.000Z"
updated: "2026-10-20T02:47:45.000Z"
section: "Singapore Seen"
authors: ["Cherry Tan"]
tags: ["Singapore Seen","animal","rabbit","vet","animal welfare","death","surgery"]
---

# ‘I just want answers’: Owner heartbroken after pet rabbit dies following sedation for surgery to fix leg fracture

*A rabbit owner is seeking answers following the death of her 10-month-old Holland Lop bunny when he was sedated for surgery to repair a fractured leg.*

A rabbit owner is seeking answers following the death of her 10-month-old Holland Lop bunny after he was sedated for surgery to repair a fractured leg.

Stomper J said her pet rabbit Oreo was still eating, drinking and moving around before she admitted him to a veterinary hospital at about 10am on Oct 14 for surgery at 6pm that day.

At about 5.45pm, J received a message saying the procedure would begin soon. However, an hour later, she received a devastating call from the hospital informing her that Oreo had stopped breathing after the sedation took effect.

## ‘I was handed back his lifeless body’

When she asked for the reason for Oreo’s death, the doctor explained over the phone that rabbits face a high risk of cardiac complications during sedation.

“I told her that if I had been informed of this risk beforehand, I would have thought twice before agreeing to the surgery,” J argued.

The Stomper believes that she should have been explicitly briefed on the risks of sedation before making the call to proceed with Oreo’s surgery.

![Owner heartbroken after pet rabbit dies following sedation for surgery](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/90043fbb23bb0bc2d813c3d18024a6c609b9edb994a15bfc7f76407990fc6420)
*Shortly after Oreo’s surgery was supposed to begin, J received a call saying he had died after the sedation took effect.*

J rushed to the hospital, where she waited for about two hours but was unable to get further explanations from a veterinarian.

She said she was told that the attending doctor had left and no other doctor was available to speak with her at the time.

“I paid approximately a $6,000 deposit for his treatment, hoping he would recover and return home to me. Instead, after just nine hours in the hospital, I was handed back his lifeless body,” she alleged.

J said the sudden loss was especially difficult to accept as Oreo had appeared relatively well before admission.

She understands that rabbits are delicate animals and that sedation carries risks, but wants to know what happened and whether everything possible was done to protect him.

A peer-reviewed study published in PLOS One last February notes that rabbits face a higher risk of anaesthesia-related death because of factors including their small size, high metabolic rate and challenging airway management.

It also stresses the importance of monitoring rabbits’ circulatory parameters during and after anaesthesia.

![Owner heartbroken after pet rabbit dies following sedation for surgery](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/b6ed4c1cd6a40ee09f182c93e0309cd27cf612697963105a46c0c6bc178c00e2)
*J said the sudden loss was especially difficult to accept as Oreo had appeared relatively well before admission.*

## Owner requests medical records and post-mortem

J said she has emailed the hospital twice seeking a detailed explanation and a copy of Oreo’s medical records, including the medications and dosages administered, monitoring records and details of any resuscitation attempts.

She has also sent Oreo’s body for a post-mortem examination on Oct 19 and is waiting for the hospital to respond to her questions.

“I am extremely guilty as I’m the one sending Oreo to heaven,” she said.

J declined to share the name of the hospital with Stomp because she has endorsed its terms and conditions, which she said include a confidentiality clause.

Despite this, she wants to share Oreo’s story to raise awareness and help other pet owners who may face similar heartbreaking circumstances.

“I entrusted Oreo to the hospital, hoping he would receive the treatment he needed for his fractured leg. Instead, I lost him, and I am left struggling with unanswered questions,” she said.

“All I want is to understand what happened to Oreo, why he stopped breathing after sedation, and whether everything that could have been done to protect his life was properly considered.”