Fiver’s Twitch and Dirty Hind Feet

[MimzMum]

Does anyone remember when I posted a while back that, while Fiver was relaxing, he would suddenly begin twitching like he had the hiccups?

He was doing this again two nights ago. I put my hand out to him to see if I could get him to snap out of it, he did, then when I took my hand away, he went right back to doing this little jumpy twitch just like he had a bad case of hiccups. But he didn’t have hiccups, because he would stop if I put my hand towards him and then he’d stand up. His front teeth click together every time his body twitches and I suddenly am worried that he may have some kind of neurological disorder?

Has anyone every ahd a twitchy bunny? If so, what did you do about it?

I might add that sometimes, while he’s eating his cecals (which he has to turn around for because he’s gotten too plump to just bend at the waist) his back end will also twitch, but that looks more like the skin shivering as if he has something making him itch.

And while I have managed to calm his poopy butt somewhat, he still tends to step in his uneaten cecals. I just had to have my daughter help me soak and wash and dry his hind feet because they had quite a few stuck to them…not good for his sore hock. He is down to the minimum pellets and I am cutting back his leafy greens again for a bit.

I have to think about taking all three bunnies in for a checkup and nail trim, etc. here pretty soon. But I thought I’d run this past everyone while I’m waiting to grab an appointment.

Thanks very much!

[BinkyBunny]

Regarding the twitching. I’ve seen Jack do that a a few times in the last five years. It only lasted about a minute. I always thought it was how people had described the bunny hiccups, and he didn’t do it continiously or that often, so I never worried about. I never noticed his teeth clicking together though. I am no help with that part of it.

However, regarding the back shiver/twitch while a bunny is eating cecal – I can tell you that Bailey used to always do that shiver twitch thing when she would bend down to get her cecals. That was just her way. She also would have more of a messy butt problem too, so I am just thinking that when she consumed her cecals, they were just bigger and alot more to deal with (I know….EWWW!) and so consuming them was more of a chore, which is why I would see more “effort” going into it, hence the shiver/twitch. Unlike Jack and Vivian who just have the dainty little bits that they can easily get to and consume.

[jerseygirl]

I see both mine do a sort of twitch when eating cecals – I just figure it’s the intestine moving things along, I don;t really know, but I do see it. As to when their lying down, not so much.

[sgregory]

my bun does the butt twitch thing when i give her banana. she’s always done it, and does it with a couple other things too. i always thought it was a sign of joy for what she was eating, because she LOVES banana.

but i cant imagine buns like eating their cecals that much?

[sgregory]

second paragraph here:

[sgregory]

oops.. i tried to turn them into links.. ^.^ apparently i still dont know how, lol.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2008/4/Rabbit-muscle-spasam.htm

second paragraph here:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/warrenpeace03.pdf

[sgregory]

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2008/4/Rabbit-muscle-spasam.htm

second par. here:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/warrenpeace03.pdf

i think i got it!

[jerseygirl]

Ha! “Classic Bunny Butt Twitch” That’s a new one! We often think the cecal thing is a bit gross – eating poo etc but it isn’t poop but a nutrient rich substance. Bunny caviar? Eew!
As to bunnies eating banana….that has to be the cutest thing ever! I’ve just started this and have to be careful I don’t keep giving it as I just like to see them eat it.

[sgregory]

lol, me too! i had to stop buying bananas for a week or two so my bunny would become obese with a dirty bottom. ^.^

[jerseygirl]

Too cute.
Regarding the hyperlinks ^ The one “second paragraph here” works but for some reason the other two you added won’t – at least for me. Cut and pasting them works ok though.
Edit: Oops, turns out I’m citing that 2nd paragraph re the cecals. I must have read same somewhere else.

[sgregory]

i’ll never learn.
well, yeah, i guess everyone will have to settle with copy and paste! lol..

[jerseygirl]

Don’t be too hard on yourself – I doubt it’s you, just some weird glitch at the moment. They probably work for anyone else.  Thanks for the article anyway. I hadn’t seen this one. Warren Peace hehe!

[Elrohwen]

When we first got Otto, he would do the twitching them when he got excited. At night, he would stand up on his hind legs and twitch for a minute or two before jumping out of his cage and doing binkies all over. I haven’t seen him do it in a few weeks, but for him it was definitely a sign of being excited and ready to run. I’m not really sure why Fiver would be doing it while relaxing … have your asked your vet about it? Maybe they would have an idea.

[bunnytowne]

How interesting I never heard of this.   So happy bunnies can twitch when they really enjoy a food. 

[wendyzski]

I can also attest to the “Happy Bunny Butt Twitch” – in Pepper’s case it’s usually set off by somethign like a bit of strawberry or banana

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