Chronic Breathing issues?

[HipHopBunny]

About OB’s past: OB has always had a little heavier breathing than the others, at one point it was particularly bad, so I took her to the vet discovering that she had a respiratory infection, which had been on my list of possibilities. She got better with the antibiotics, but when she breathes, she just sounds like a watering sprinkler. She breathes even more loudly when she is nervous, and she is a timid bun. My suspicion is because I got her from someone who doesn’t control her rabbit population very well  😥 (I now know the consequences of it, I didn’t before, and these buns had stolen my heart) I’m concerned though wondering if this will be chronic.

This afternoon I was sitting with her, and she was breathing fine, normally, then she started occasionally making this “Humph” sound. Not all the time, just one every 10 seconds or so.  It only happened for a few minutes though. This is the first time I’ve noticed this sound from her, I’ve noticed her heavy breathing, yes, but this sound is new, and could it be because she was eating pellets at the time? I don’t think it was choking, OB likes to preserve the flavor of her food. LOL.

She has always been a rather delicate bun, seeming very fragile at times, and head-strong at others. Does she have chronic issues? If so, how can I treat them? Is there a treatment? I don’t think that this is another respiratory infection, for she doesn’t sound like she did when she had one.

I want to avoid taking them to the vet as much as possible, for they do not have their RHDV2 vaccine yet, so I would only prefer to take them if it was an emergency or to get antibiotics.

Thank you in advance! 🙂

[HipHopBunny]

Hi all, I’ve been stressing over OB. She’s seemed so fragile lately, but other times she’s very solid, such as when she head-butts me asking for pets. 😆 I don’t know… her leg hasn’t gotten any better for those of who followed that thread, and her breathing is still heavy. I’m guessing it’s chronic, she wasn’t like this when she had a respiratory infection. Am I worried over nothing, or is there something I can do to help her? Thank you in advance. 🙂

[Wick & Fable]

Sorry no one replied to your initial posting! When it’s a new behavior, that is noteworthy. Also, when I think of fragile buns, I often recall many instances where there was an underlying issue which taxed everything, making them seem prone to a lot more. For example, my Wick had a half year battle with his URI, and then what seemed like an endless battle against ringworm. We then found out he had syphilis, which is there since birth, so his immune system had been fighting against the infection the entire time, potentially making him slower in reacting to those other treatments. Just a theory, but it tracks for me.

X Ray’s can be a helpful evaluative tool to check out if there’s anything that may be impairing breathing. Aside from the occasional sound, are there any other signs that seem odd? I know there are days that my Wick is just more vocal than usual.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[HipHopBunny]

Thank you for your response. 🙂 She breathes heavily on a normal occasion. Not really heavy like a respiratory infection, or like she’s having trouble, just sounds like a sprinkler. Sometimes she will sound normal though. 🙂 Oh, she isn’t fragile in that way, she is more of a package that says “handle with care” when I groom her, she just feels so delicate in my lap, if that makes sense.

[HipHopBunny]

Hi all! Just now I was sitting down with OB, she flopped and her breathing sounded like seagulls. She’s fine now, though. Am I over-worrying about her breathing?

[LBJ10]

It sounds like she has something obstructing her airway. I would have to checked to make sure it isn’t something that could be treated. There are cases where a bunny has a congenital problem with their pallet or sinuses, but I wouldn’t assume anything until other causes have been ruled out.

[HipHopBunny]

Thank you for your response! 🙂

She is so on-and-off. The last time I noticed her breathing was a few weeks ago. 🙁 She was excited this morning and did a lot of binkies, could that be it? I’m just a reluctant bun mom, refusing to believe that my babies have something wrong going on inside their beautiful bodies. 😥 Maybe I’m just being paranoid. She’s pretty good otherwise and doesn’t look like there’s anything blocking her way. OB’s a tough bun. 😀 Off topic, but her leg is still the same way, though it doesn’t seem to be bothering her, for she still loves taking my seat right when I’m about to sit down. 😆 Thank you again! 🙂

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