yoga stretches, or discomfort?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 13sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 9 months ago by LittlePuffyTail.

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- 06/22/2013 at 12:55 AM
  Dwarf Sparrow
  Participant
  184 posts
  I adopted Merida in early February; during the first two months or so that I had her, she would occasionally do these strange stretches where she pushes her pelvis down towards the floor (see pictures below). They only lasted for a moment, like more normal/common bunny stretches do. (Thus the poor quality of the photos; I had to zoom in and take them quickly with my phone camera before she finished.)
  
  Once she did these stretches while licking my hand, so I figured she wasn’t in pain, but another time I saw her tense a back foot and spread her toes, almost like she had a cramp, so I’m not sure that they were always pain-free.
  
  I did take her for a check-up when I noticed she was doing them every few days; she passed her physical with flying colors. No bloodwork was done, but I did have x-rays taken to soothe my neuroses and there was nothing besides a few small bubbles of gas on their way out.
  
  The weird “yoga” stretches are much less common now (possibly because I stopped giving her yogurt treats as soon as I realized they were no good for her?), and she continues to be a normal, happy, healthy bunny in every other way, so I don’t worry too much… Basically I’m wondering if anyone else has seen a rabbit stretch like this?
  
  notice the chest off the floor and the pelvis down a more normal, if somewhat hunched, position immediately after the “yoga” sequence was completed
- 06/22/2013 at 1:00 AM
  tanlover14
  Participant
  3617 posts
  One of my buns does this also. I personally don’t think there’s anything to worry about – he always just looks like he’s stretching when he does it.
- 06/22/2013 at 1:11 AM
  NewBunnyOwner123
  Participant
  1930 posts
  Harley does this quite frequently and it’s his que that he is about to do a nice big yawn. I hope to snap that picture if I can ever find myself ready for it!
  
  I wouldn’t be worried about
- 06/22/2013 at 1:18 AM
  Dwarf Sparrow
  Participant
  184 posts
  Thanks tanlover and NBO. I’m prone to worrying, and as I had never seen the lops I had when I was younger do this, of course I worried when Merida did it lol
  it’s good to know it’s normal for other rabbits
- 06/22/2013 at 8:21 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Meadow does this, and when she does, it’s about 50/50 that she is heading into a gassy episode. As soon as I notice that positioning, I am on high-alert and keeping an eye on her.
- 06/22/2013 at 12:03 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17030 posts
  I have read that some bunnies press their bellies against the ground when they have gas. It’s cleaver, really, an auto-tummy-massage technique. You could perhaps help her by rubbing her belly a little, in case there is a some gas.
- 06/22/2013 at 1:45 PM
  tanlover14
  Participant
  3617 posts
  As NBO said, Tanger always does it when he’s about to let out a big yawn.
  
  But possibly the yogurt treats were causing her to be gassy?
- 06/22/2013 at 1:48 PM
  Dwarf Sparrow
  Participant
  184 posts
  Whatever it is, luckily I haven’t noticed Merida stretching this way as often as she used to- if it is gas, does anyone know of something I could give her to prevent it? I’ve heard mint can help prevent or eleviate gas (?) and I try to give her a few leaves of it every couple days.
- 06/22/2013 at 1:49 PM
  Dwarf Sparrow
  Participant
  184 posts
  tanlover, that’s what I was wondering, too
- 06/22/2013 at 1:55 PM
  tanlover14
  Participant
  3617 posts
  Simethicone is great for gas – it’s infant gas drops and you can get it pretty much anywhere. When you give them to her, keep her to move around though for a few minutes to help get her stomach moving around. Sounds silly but that trick worked great for one of my buns who kept falling back into stasis.
- 06/22/2013 at 1:56 PM
  tanlover14
  Participant
  3617 posts
  Oh wait, prevent… hmmm. I’ve heard that about mint and anise also but I’m not sure how true it is. It WAS the first thing my bun in stasis would eat and it can’t really hurt in my opinion if you can spend the money for her. I know sometimes those herbs can be crazy expensive. We grow mint in our little herb garden so thankfully I can usually just pick off a few sprigs for anyone not feeling well.
- 06/22/2013 at 4:43 PM
  Dwarf Sparrow
  Participant
  184 posts
  Yeah, I have some simethicone in case it ever gets really bad.
  Buying mint from the grocery store was indeed getting expensive, so I bought a little mint plant from a local garden store- I can’t say he’s particularly thrilled to still be in the little temporary planter I bought him in (I live in an apartment), but he’s still throwing up new sprigs so *shrug* works for now
- 06/23/2013 at 2:59 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17030 posts
  If you can’t get hold of fresh mint you can give dried mint, the kind you’d use to make herbal mint-tea. I fed that to my Bam in the winter when he had a stomach-ache and there wasn’t any fresh mint available. You don’t have to give a lot of it, just a teaspoon. Both my bunnies eagerly eat dried mint.
- 06/23/2013 at 2:31 PM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  My bun Olivia does this as just a stretch, but when Bindi does it, it usually means his belly is uncomfortable and gas/stasis is imminent. I guess you just have to know your bunny since it seems to be common for just stretches and discomfort.
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