‘Gagging’ on lettuce

[Phwoffy]

Apologies if this is a bit disjointed – I’m a bit confused so am not entirely sure how to describe it! 

 Monty gets most of his veg at bed time. He carries a bit into his house from wherever he is, and meets the rest of it there (he’s SO good at bed times!). He’ll have a couple of leafy things and a bit of other veg, it gets changed once or twice a week so no boredom sets in. Last week, he had lettuce (romaine, of course), which he has decided he likes recently. We’ve never had any problem before, but something odd and not very nice happened. The leaves are torn up and scattered and he was busy chomping on one when it appeared to get stuck… or, at least, possibly. You know how bunnies shake leaves around so that they can avoid any stalky bits for as long as possible? It looked like that, only, then he gagged. Now, I know bunnies have no gag reflex but that is the only way I can describe what I saw. He still had lettuce in his mouth, but it looked like he’d swallowed something and it had got stuck. He opened his mouth wide, and hunched his body… a gag. He’s a lop, and what alarmed me most was that his ears shot up.

 Anyway, we’ve been monitoring his veg eating, and he’s been having kale and parsley of the leaf variety and has been fine. Yesterday we bought another lettuce… and the same thing happened. It was horrible. Thing is, he just carries on eating. So, munch munch on the lettuce, what resembles a big gag (or two, as last night), ears go up, I panic, Monty grabs some more veg…

 We’ve only noticed this (so far ) with lettuce, and it doesn’t bother him at all. We will be off to the v-e-ts next weekend for his jabs, so will ask them, but just wanted to know if anyone had any idea what was going on/had experienced it themselves? I am, of course, worried sick and watching him like a hawk – much to his displeasure!

[Sarita]

Have you had the vet check his teeth?

[Phwoffy]

Not too recently. He’s completely fine with all other food, so I doubt it is tooth-related but a possibility! Will get them checked when we go next week… Always a fun job with Mr My-Mouth-My-Business!

[Sarita]

LOL – too funny – I know rabbits do not like you touching their mouth area at all…and frankly even if I could there is not way to see those pesky molars way in the back.

[BinkyMom14]

I have a holland lop and I have seen this too, just like you said, mainly with lettuce. I noticed it because I saw his ears flop up. He does it every once in a while, teeth are perfect. From watching him it seems to be when he takes too much at a time or a large piece and he eats so fast. But just as you said he just keeps on eating lol. If you mention to your vet let me know what they say!

[JackRabbit]

Marlee has done something similar when she’s gotten too big of a bite. I’ve never given her a whole leaf before, but I started tearing her salad into smaller bites. She does fine unless I leave a bite too big and she does it again. I’m not even sure Moshi and Kieko even chew sometimes — I think they just inhale!

[Lulu Cuteness]

Your rabbit may be getting to hungry inbetween meals!! This used to happen to my rabbit! He would eat so fast and while he’s eating he’ll start honking and spit the food out and finish what was In his mouth! Or your rabbit could be afraid of you taking his lettuce away from him and trying to eat as much as he can?

[Author]

Messages