Reply To: My bunny is breathing so heavy

[Bam]

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.