We freeze old water bottles and let them have access to them in their cage. If they are uncomfortable they will snuggle right up to them to cool down. Just make sure to rinse the outsides down and get a little melted water layer in between ice and wall so that he won’t accidentally get he tongue or fur stuck to the frost. They like to lick the condensation off the bottles.

LOL my screen didn’t load. Missed the ice pack part.

Rabbit ears are temperature regulators, so a rabbit will expell excess body heat through their ears. Hot ears isn’t necessarily a sign of illness or being overheated, it can just be a natural fluctuation. However if it’s consistent as you state, that is a larger issue.

Fans do not help rabbits very much. For humans, fans are helpful because it cools the water on our skin that comes from sweat. Rabbits do not sweat, meaning a fan will not cool them down. How hot/cold is this closet, and is it possible to leave the door open and place a gate instead so there’s some airflow?

LOL my screen didn’t load. Missed the ice pack part.

Just a heads up that panting is often a sign of the start of heat exhaustion. Coupled with the fact he refuses to leave his cooler parts of the cage on really hot days makes it sound like he is very much overheating. This can be very dangerous and rabbits are prone to heat stroke, and if not cared for properly, can lead to seizures and eventual death.

During the summer I always laid out frozen bottles for Wick and he never would use them even though he was hot, so don’t judge based on that. Can you take a video of him “panting” by any chance? Maybe it’s something else?

Does his breathing make any sounds?

Can you upload it and make it a private YouTube video? This can provide you with a link to post.

Double-check your copy-pasting. I think it’s incorrect (video is unavailable, but that’s the default message if the link is typed wrong too)

His breathing is definitely fast and appears labored, which is unusual.

Did you see a rabbit veterinarian, or a dog/cat vet? What exams were done (mention even things as simple as “held the stethoscope to his underbelly and listened”)?

I second a vet. It could also be a sign of fever or lung problems.

Yep I agree with the others, that doesn’t look normal at all. Don’t panic but maybe be time for the vet now.

Sorry if I was unclear marihamm — I understand that this has been a long-standing behavior you’ve noticed, however, I think many people are in agreement that it’s unusual, and while his behaviors seem normal, there’s a chance this could be rooted to some sort of physical problem. For example, if it is a lung problem, it’d be good to know whether his lungs seem to be stable in that condition, or if there is a potential for it worsening down the line. There’s no knowing whether this breathing is caused by/is a sign of a condition that will 1) not affect his longevity or 2) will worsen and affect his life span and quality of life, without knowing the cause of it.

Finding the exact cause of this unusual breathing pattern is ideal, and that can only be done by a rabbit vet. What sort of avenues has his vet looked at to figure out what this may be? Any hypotheses or suggestions for course of action?

I was thinking more along the lines of a chronic underlying health issue. Panting like that means he is struggling for breath. Try panting for a full five minutes, it’s quite exhausting. Sure you can survive like that.. but shouldn’t really have to.

Edit: this most likely isn’t a reaction to heat. Being so hot you pant… that wouldn’t continue for months.

Posted By Wick on 11/28/2017 6:09 PM

Rabbit ears are temperature regulators, so a rabbit will expell excess body heat through their ears. Hot ears isn’t necessarily a sign of illness or being overheated, it can just be a natural fluctuation. However if it’s consistent as you state, that is a larger issue.

Fans do not help rabbits very much.

I have to respectfully disagree.  There’s a two or three weeks here where the temperature in the house can get in the 80’s, 70’s is much more common.   We have two fans, one for each rabbit.  When it’s warm in the house they lay in front of the fans with their ears standing straight up.  Rabbit’s body temp is about 100 degrees F I think. The 70 to 80 degree fan air blowing over their ears keeps them cool.  Because the house is cool in the morning, one Saturday we left for shopping and the fans were off.  By the time we came home at noon the house was hot.  One of the rabbits ran up to a fan and sat down in front of it…she wanted us to turn the fan on.  

Thanks for the anecdote flemishwhite! Cute story as well.

I did not mean to eliminate fans as a cooling technique, but I wanted to point out they are not as effective for rabbits because of the sweat factor.

Posted By marihamm on 11/29/2017 11:36 PM
Thanks everyone, when I took him to my vet (normal cat/dog but sees farm animals small to large including rabbits) he said his lungs and heart sounded fine. I called him today and he suggested I call some exotic vets. The ones I spoke to said it’s odd especially since he’s eating and using the bathroom ok. I’ve been directed to a rabbit specialist and will be calling them in the morning. Thanks everyone, hopefully it’s nothing bad because that’ll cost a lot of $$$ and make me very sad that I didn’t know my little boy was hurting ?

You’re on the right track maryhamm so you have nothing to feel bad about. Whatever it Is, hopefully you’ll get to the bottom of it now. As parents we can’t know the unseen, but when we have hunches and act upon them – that’s all our dependents can ask of us.

Please update us sometime after your specialist visit. If anyone else notices this happening with their bunny, seeing this thread might help them

I’m glad to hear an exotic vet gave the green light! It’s always good to hear about individual-specific conditions and how health may or may not be affected. Best wishes to you and your bun bun

Glad to hear it.