Question about Rapid Breathing

[MayaConsuelo]

I had a little scare with Mr. Bun-Bun over the weekend. I tried to search on this site but the search function doesn’t seem to work (maybe due to the site maintenance going on?) Sunday night when I was about to go to sleep I gave Mr. Bun-Bun some pellets (as I do every night to get him back in his cage.) He sniffed them and refused to eat them (a first!) I noticed he was breathing VERY rapidly. I know rabbits always breathe rapidly but it looked like he was hyperventilating, his ears were vibrating from it. He looked very uncomfortable and was hopping to his litterbox, then back across the cage and laying down, getting up, shifting, etc. It looked like he had to poop but couldn’t. I was so worried, stayed there watching him and petting his tummy gently for about 15 minutes. Then I walked away for about 10 minutes to let him have some space. When I came back he seemed better and ate his pellets so I stopped worrying. Is it possible he was constipated, but it was nothing major so it passed? Also, earlier in the evening my roommate had about 12 people over – Bun-Bun didn’t eat anything strange because he was shy and stayed in his cage… but it may have been the stress of all those people he didn’t know? 

Also, he gets a LOT of eye boogers. I pick one out about every other day. I know rabbits are prone to eye problems, is this typical for his breed? (mini Rex.) The boogers are usually clear and sometimes contain hair (obviously an irritation.) His eyes aren’t weepy, nor are the secretions yellow so I’m not worried about an infection. But the other day he had a GIANT eye booger (covering like 1/4 his eye.) I waited until it moved down to the corner of his eye so I could pull it out safely.

Sorry for all the questions, I’ve searched on other sites and they don’t seem to be as informative as this one! I’ve had Mr. Bun-Bun for 1/2 year now (can’t believe it!) But I’m still a relative newbie. Thanks!

[jerseygirl]

They can certainly get a little out of sorts with changes in the environment (like your roomies guests.) From what you describe it sounds like he had a little bit of gas. So the tummy rubs probably helped. : )

Keep a watch on his eye for more like that. It may have been a one off from hay or some irritant that caused it to goop up.

[MayaConsuelo]

Thanks for the advice. Because of this website I really know what to watch for, I’m grateful for that. I wasn’t too worried because he’s been normal since then. To be honest all my animals were stressed out because my roommate moved out and a new one moved in on the same day. I’m having a good string of luck finding roommates who love rabbits!

[Sarita]

I think you just notice the eye boogers more on rexes because of their short coat.

As for rapid breathing – it really does depend. I think if they continue to be lethargic and breath rapidly then yes, it could be a problem. Sometimes though when they are resting they appear to be breathing heavy. If you pick them up and they still seem to be in distress, then yes, it may be a problem. I can tell you that if he ever starts breathing through his mouth, that is definitely a problem.

I would recommend that you consider annual exams for him to check his weight, eyes, ears, heartbeat, etc. It’s good to have the vet be familiar with him and that’s what an annual exam will help with.

Rabbits don’t get constipated really like humans either. They get gut slowdowns which cans cause impaction in the gut.

[jerseygirl]

I think Mr Bun-Bun could win anyone over!

A tip on the search feature; if you find it not working you can do a search via a site like Google. Type site:binkybunny.com in the search box and the terms/subject your searching for.

[Beka27]

I used to see more frequent eye “boogers” on my mini rex before she had a mate. Now I think Maxie keeps her cleaned up. Before that, I would just gently clean it off while petting. Unless it’s getting very chronic or it looks irritated, nothing to worry about.

[MayaConsuelo]

Aww Beka how cute! Yeah I know Mr. Bun-Bun enjoys it when I groom his face, and lets me poke around his eyes (carefully!) because he knows I’m helping him out. I will definitely be taking him in for regular exams also. He was checked out before his neuter operation 1/2 year ago and was 100% healthy, so he’s good for now.

Yeah my last two roommates had rabbits growing up, and lots of people who have stopped by to visit also did. They’re all amazed at how tame and friendly Bun-Bun is. However, 15+ years ago people didn’t know as much about keeping rabbits as pets, not many people kept them inside and treated them with as much attention as a dog or cat! Even I didn’t know until recently what great pets rabbits can be!

[RabbitPam]

A new roommate is going to bring a whole new set of smells that are unfamiliar to the bunny, all animals really, so there is an ajustment period when your stuff starts losing the familiar scent and they learn that this new creature is also OK. A big new animal in the house (human) can possibly be a predator. Best to arm new Roomie with treats of friendship, so Bun-Bun knows he can eat, not be eaten.

Samantha had daily eye boogers, and also got these clear gooey bits in her eyes once in a while that I gently plucked out. I hadn’t seen that, reported it to my vet who wasn’t concerned and just said to watch for them getting worse. I noticed that it’s been several months since I’ve seen the last one, and I just feel that she grew out of it or got better. It’s best to have that regular vet exam so you both are aware of what’s “normal” and what’s not.

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