Need Help – Bunny acting strangely ends up screaming

[BayleyBunny]

Hi, I am new here and I haven’t been able to find anything that sounds like what I am going through.

I am a first time bunny owner, I have an 11 week old mini lop doe, I have had her for 2 weeks. Starting last Sunday, in the afternoon and at night bunny was in her cage and she went bonkers. She was running around like mad around her cage, and wouldn’t stop until we got to her. The second incident ended with her limp and screaming, I calmed her down but at the time I thought she was dying. She went right back to normal after that. Then it happened again the next night in her cage, but we got to her before any screaming happening. Then it happened the next day, she was sitting out of the cage when suddenly was was running all over the place, as if she couldn’t stop. When she did stop she was limp and screaming, my partner got her and held her until she stopped (took maybe 30 seconds) and then she was back to normal. It happened again that night, I noticed she looked odd in her cage when I saw her on her hind legs and her front legs looked like she was fighting off an invisible thing. Nothing progressed as we calmed her down. I took her to my Vet who deals with rabbits and other exotic animals. He did not see anything wrong with her, she was very feisty and active around him even when getting examined, she was licking him. He had asked whether she was moving solely to one side, which she isn’t and her head isn’t tilting or anything. He seemed to think something was scaring her, she is in a new environment and young which could also be causing her to do this. She got her vaccination and for two days we had no incident until now. She was sniffing around her cardboard box when it suddenly looked like her neck was going stiff, then she started running like mad around the room, stopped limp and shaking and screaming. She snapped out of it as soon as she was picked up. She was still a bit stiff for a minute later and then she looked normal. But not 30 minutes later one ear was up and she was ready to start darting, I picked her up and calmed her, she has since been sitting on the couch, as soon as I put her down she urinated, and she has been sitting there for 30 minutes, she has moved across the coach. She perked up when I gave her celery.

 Only changes she has been through is coming home with us, the first incident was over a week later, the day before that I went from pasture hay to timothy hay. She was eating pellets but her urine was chalky so I stopped that straight away. Her diet consists of hay, pak choy, bok choy, celery, a bit of carrot and a berry. She will nibble at her litter, which is recycled paper non toxic and will nibble on a poop or two. Her poop is normal, once she was getting used to the new food it was a bit soft and stinky but it hasn’t been for days. Her urinates quite often and drinks well. It doesn’t seem overly increased and the last few days it seemed like she had really settled.

 So is this fear of something? A neurological disorder? The Vet didn’t seem to think so because she wasn’t showing any signs and she looked very healthy and switched on. I am at a loss, I don’t know what else I can do, I don’t want this to happen when I am not here and she’ll die any help or advice would be fantastic.

[BB & Tiny]

It is terrifying when they do this, because that is exactly what it looks like, they will surely die of a heart attack ! At least I usually feel I will witnessing the event.

BB has done this three times since he came here, mind you no screaming. One time being as recent as a month ago in the dead of night, thankfully while I was sleeping by them. I broke a toe trying to climb into the x pen to calm him down. The racket that is made when they are running wild is scary !

I let both of them out and let them stay free that night while I slept nearby. One time it was the gas meter man wearing neon orange coming to check the meter that set him off, another time it was the man cleaning the furnace ducts. This last time I have no clue what it was ? Dead of night, quiet.

Perhaps other members have some insight.

[BayleyBunny]

At least someone knows and has experienced it. I just don’t know what to do and how to make sure she feels safe and secure so it doesn’t happen again.

[LBJ10]

Some bunnies do freak out when they are scared. The going limp part sounds concerning. It could be neurological and what you’re witnessing could actually be seizures. It’s hard for us to really know since we’re not vets. Maybe take a video to show the vet?

[BayleyBunny]

The Vet didn’t see to think it was a seizure, from what I understand seizures are quite different from what she’s doing. She’s going limp when she’s screaming.

[BB & Tiny]

Yes I have definitely experienced it, except the limp and screaming part. It terrifies me every time he does so, because he is so frightened he loses what appears to be rational thought and crashes into the fence

I don’t even like to think about it, very disturbing. I don’t know how you could make your bunny feel more secure beyond providing the usual safe environment and regular routine ?

I’d keep trying to investigate the limp and screaming scenario.

[BB & Tiny]

One thing I have done because like you, I worry about, what if…when I’m not home..

I added their long expandable cardboard tunnel into their x pen so at least if he is terrified, he has somewhere substantial to hide.

[Binkles]

This probably isn’t what your bunny’s illness is, but on the off chance that it’s related, your description instantly reminded me of the fainting goats:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fainting_goat

They have a congenital disorder that causes their muscles basically go bonkers and either contract spontaneously or go limp in an overstimulation response to being frightened.

[Binkles]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg

[LBJ10]

I originally read your post while on my phone. I just went back and read it again. It definitely sounds like more is going on than her simply being scared. There is a type of seizure where the bunny is conscious and aware of what’s going on. The running around crazy and then going limp and screaming (probably scared at that point if she doesn’t know what’s happening) just sounds like something is wrong. I would still try to get a video of one of these episodes to show the vet. Perhaps he could consult with one of his colleagues.

[BayleyBunny]

She’s going at 4 to the Vet, there’s definitely something wrong. She’s been very quiet today too, she’s sitting and just resting mostly. She’s normally very active. She hasn’t even been laying down flat lately and last week she was doing binkies and then resting flat.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Keep us posted!

It’s really hard to tell by what you wrote-what I was originally thinking when reading earlier in the thread-if she’s fearful, adding a sheet to part of her cage so she feels covered and secured. If she’s going bonkers, more out time. The yelling and running is totally beyond my experience, so I’m glad you are going to the vet!

[BayleyBunny]

Had to give her back, she was definitely having seizures and it would have been on going for life. I am unfortunately not in a good state to care for a sick animal like that. She would need on going care which I just cant afford. Worst feeling in the world but she will be looked after now.

[Bam]

I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I’ve heard bunnies scream – f ex my Yohio screamed when I caught him (stray, abandonned bunny outdoors), it was a horrible scream, really agonizing but I was prepared for it. He then ran around in the outdoors hutch I put him in, quite hysterically, literally bouncing off the walls – but I found that normal, he had “good reason”. And it never repeated itself after that first time. (Just to clarify: Yohio became an indoors bun after a month of quarantine during which time he had a health check and his vaccinations. Yohio is still an indoors bun who sleeps at the foot-end of my bed.).

I would too think there was sth wrong with your bun, because it isn’t normal for a bun to scream except when it’s in total mortal danger (a survival “skill” to surprise the predator so it drops the bun and the bun can escape.)

[LBJ10]

So the vet confirmed that it was seizures? I’m so sorry. You were able to give her back to the breeder then? I hope they are able to give her the care she needs.

[vanessa]

I’m so sorry. That must have been a painful experience.

[BayleyBunny]

Yeah she’s staying at the Vet to go on medication and then they will find her a place that can care for her. I can’t afford on going medical bills for her, it’s just too hard 🙁 she will be looked after.

I got a new bunny, hopefully this one is going to be just fine.

[Bam]

I’m glad she got care. I wish you the best with your new bun.

[Author]

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