Is my rabbit sick or hurt? Also is excessive flopping normal?

[lifeasweknowit]

Sorry for asking so many questions, it must make me seem irresponsible for wondering if my rabbit(s) are hurt or sick so often. I’m just super worried all the time and if my rabbits are sick or hurt I really want to make sure they get the proper vet care so they can be happy and healthy again. 

Okay so anyway my older rabbit who is a holland lop (possibly a mix i adopted from a rescue) is around a year and a half and IS neutered and has been since early this year/ late late last year. Anyway, before I went to bed I refilled his hay in his litter box thinking that would be enough until I woke up, apparently not because 5 hours later he woke me up by scratching/biting at his stick on vinyl tiles on the second shelf. I didn’t know he had eaten all of his hay because I didn’t put my glasses on instead  I got up and put a towel over it – hoping he would stop. He didn’t so I got his tub of food (in a small rubber maid container) that was pretty heavy and put it over the place where he kept on digging and chewing – well that just provoked him and he started digging 10x harder and faster, I finally put on my glasses and saw that he had no hay so I refilled his hay and then went back to bed but I felt a little guilty so I got his grass hay ball toy and stuffed it with pellets and hay. That kept him occupied so I went back to bed. I have been busy all day, and was cleaning my room (just sweeping up the area cause I made a little mess with the hay from this morning and I also cleaned out his cage, which is an xpen with a second shelf) and noticed that he had one of his paws up? He was just sitting normally but holding his left or right paw up (I forgot which one it was), at this point I was thinking oh no he must have hurt it from this morning. But I gave him some food while I was cleaning and after he ate it he just flopped? Which I heard is a good thing? But he just laid down and then spread his legs out he didn’t really do that whole FLOP to the ground thing. And then as I got closer to his cage he woke up and jumped back down and then followed me for like 2 seconds and then flopped again except near the bars of the cage? and as I was sweeping i guess the broom accidentally touched his fur and freaked him out cause he jumped up and growled and then growled at me when I tried to pet him through the bars of the cage to calm him down, i opened the door and pet him again and then he just flopped? while I was petting him. (again not the actual flop, he just lowered himself down accepting my pets and then his legs just plopped out) Is it normal for a rabbit to “flop” so often? Sometimes he will flop (like actually FLOP to the ground) so its not like he only flops one way – this is probably normal but im just clarifying ha. 

He seems to be hopping normally? Putting weight on his paws? But I mean I haven’t actually stared at his paws before when he walks so i dont know if this is how he normally hops? Everything seems okay, but I’m still worried. He is also jumping onto his second platform which is maybe a little higher than a foot? Maybe a foot and 1/3 or 1/2. Do you think he’s okay? I suppose under normal circumstances I wouldn’t think anything of it but i mean after all that excessive digging from this morning. Also he flops a LOT is that normal? I heard that rabbits who have stomach problems flop a lot, but he doesn’t seem to have any stomach problems (eats normally – pellets, hay and veggies daily, poops normally, pee is normal it’s not sludgy or anything) Sorry I sound so obsessed/ paranoid! 

Oh and also after I’m done cleaning I’m going to take him out, so I guess I could see how he walks when he’s out of his cage 

[tanlover14]

Don’t worry — I think most of us are paranoid bunny parents on here!

My bunnies do TONS of flops, all day and everywhere. I wouldn’t be to worried unless something comes up such as a change in food habits or such (like you mentioned later in the post). He sounds like a perfectly healthy, happy bunny!

As for digging, all mine do all day long is dig! I wouldn’t be too concerned with that unless you notice him actively limping.

[lifeasweknowit]

Thanks! It’s nice to have some reassurance

[LittlePuffyTail]

I ditto everything, Tanlover said

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