My bunny is breathing so heavy

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This topic has 12sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 3 days ago by Devany.

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- 06/17/2025 at 8:36 AM
  Devany
  Participant
  15 posts
  my bunny has always been breathing heavy and hard even when he’s relaxing, I just don’t think it’s normal. He goes to the vet frequently and they never tell me he has a heart murmur, I’m just hoping there is someone out there who can help me or tell me what they use to calm down their bun.
- 06/17/2025 at 4:55 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17140 posts
  Define breathing heavy? Do you have a video?
- 07/26/2025 at 2:31 AM
  Devany
  Participant
  15 posts
  I don’t have a video every time I try to catch him breathing he stops. But you can hear him breathe so loud and like a whistle sound. But the vet keeps telling me he’s fine. But if I do get a video how do I put it on here
  - 07/26/2025 at 3:19 AM
    Devany
    Participant
    15 posts
    I tried to upload a video of him breathing because I was finally able to get it but I don’t know if you’ll be able to see it because it says “this post is awaiting moderation”.
- 07/26/2025 at 8:35 AM
  Devany
  Participant
  15 posts
  https://share.icloud.com/photos/0376lBGP_lgLIl_xyd9rK8aWA
- 07/30/2025 at 4:20 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17010 posts
  I can’t hear heavy breathing in this video. Your bun is breathing through his nose and he looks relaxed on his side. That’s how a resting bun should be.
  
  Typically a rabbit in acute respiratory distress will breathe through its mouth. It wil sit up with its head tilted back, it’s chin up. Those signs would be very bad indeed.
  
  Has your vet listened to his lungs with a stethoscope? On suspicion most rabbit vets would suggest chest x-rays to get a look at the lungs. This should not have to be done under full anesthesia if the vet is good at handling buns.
  
  Rabbits can breathe rapidly and “heavily” after exercise or when it’s warm. It can be so the body seems to vibrate or “heave”. This frequently occurs in perfectly healthy buns.
  - 07/30/2025 at 10:47 AM
    Devany
    Participant
    15 posts
    My vet has listened to his lungs with a stethoscope and said everything sounds fine. But when he was listening he did hear a little whistle like breathing but that was it. My vet thinks he has an upper respiratory issues like inflamed nasal passages and told me to try baby Benadryl and that didn’t help him. The only thing that seems to be working is the “homeopet nose relief”.
- 08/01/2025 at 3:33 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17140 posts
  I agree with Bam, I don’t really see anything concerning in the video. What antibiotic did you use? Perhaps he just needs a different one.
  - 08/01/2025 at 5:13 PM
    Devany
    Participant
    15 posts
    My vet gave me enrofloxacin and had me give it to him for a week but it didn’t help with his breathing. The only thing that is helping is the “homeopet nose relief drops”.
- 08/01/2025 at 7:46 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17140 posts
  Enrofloxacin is a broad spectrum antibiotic so it’s they typical go-to for vets. Some bacteria is resistant to it though. Not saying the squeaking is for sure a URI, but sometimes it takes several tries to get it right.
  - 08/01/2025 at 10:32 PM
    Devany
    Participant
    15 posts
    So what should I do? Every time I go they tell me he’s fine especially since he eats, plays, and drinks water just fine. That’s why I was looking into other things and came across the homeopet nose relief drops and they seem to be working.
- 08/02/2025 at 12:16 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17010 posts
  Some buns have damaged nasal mucosa, sometimes from an untreated URI way back in the past. A URI without overt signs like excessive sneezing or thick snot can easily go undetected. I had a bun like that, he was 6 when I got him and he had some health issues. Antibiotics didn’t help his nose, but he had no thick, opaque or colored nasal discharge, so my (very good) vet didnt think he he actually had a bacterial infection, just chronic thickening of the mucosa in the nose and nose area.
  
  Whatever it was, it didnt seem to bother him much tbh. He had lots of energy and good physical stamina. If he’d been a human he could’ve been prescribed nasal spray with corticosteroids to reduce swelling, but cortison is unfortunately not a good option for rabbits. And even for a human, chronic use of steroids can do more harm than good in the long run.
  
  If the homeopet drops are rabbit safe and seem to help him, I think they could be a good choice. Just look into how long you can give them for, maybe make pauses now and then, obv don’t overdose.
  - 08/02/2025 at 8:11 PM
    Devany
    Participant
    15 posts
    Was there anything that you did that did help your bun?
    
    My bun has had many health issues as well he gets gi stasis quite often but hasn’t happened since late may, he’s had an ear infection which was pasteurella and we got that under control. At one point I found him limping out of nowhere and took him in and he had torn a muscle and they didn’t think we would heal from it, my vet thought that we were gonna need a specialist but my bun did end up healing. He gets checkups often but hearing him breathe so loudly scares me.
    
    Sometimes I feel like it’s because he’s not neutered and I do have a cat and my bun does try to get her but she’s already on the older side she just ignores him but he gets so exited to see her and does try to hump her.
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