Rapid breathing in new mother

[Archer]

Last month (technically a month and a week ago), a coworker found a rabbit wandering in their yard that was clearly NOT wild.  Not to get into a lot of detail – I was called because I already had a rabbit and was more of a ‘rabbit person’ than anyone they knew.  Shelters called – no report of missing rabbit.  Left info with shelters, but resigned to keep said rabbit.  She’s very sweet, but seems prone to heat and rapid breathing.

But she’d stopped for a long while after taking her in. For weeks, she’d really not breathe super rapidly.  Then, to EVERYONE’S surprise (even the vet, who had seen her twice so far and was fairly sure she wasn’t pregnant… fairly sure….), Sweetie kindled and boom, 3 new babies.

Which are SUPER adorable and just a week old.  But Sweetie’s rapid breathing has returned.  Nose upturned, laying sphinx pose or sometimes on her side in that lambchop position.But always the cage-shaking rapid breathing. (and before anyone says anything about the cage – it’s large, more than three-hops long, and she (and the other rabbit in another cage) get hours of hop time a day. It’s just to keep them from getting into things during work hours, when no one can watch them.  The house isn’t mine, and I don’t have the ability to alter the house like I want to give them a whole room, or even the house to themselves.  I’m working on that, though.  The house issue is a LONG story, and not one I’d like to go into here, so let’s focus on rapid breathing mommy bunny, yes?)

Is this just stress induced from having kits?  Or should I be worried?  I read the nose-up thing she does COULD indicate heart disease, but she shows no other signs of it but the nose-up part.

[jerseygirl]

Thank you for taking her in. You’ve certainly got your hands full now, going from one rabbit to 5. .

My immediate thought was heart also.
Or perhaps a mass in the chest? It is odd that it stopped for a while though.. Do you think ultra sound and/or x-ray would be worthwhile?
Are you able to take her temperature?

Another possible reason is pain, unfortunately. 

[Archer]

It did stop, which is why I’m wondering if it’s stress, or just overheating again?  Our house is at 73, but the upstairs does get hotter than the downstairs, and they’re up on the second level.  She had bloodwork and an x-ray when she was brought in a month ago, just to make sure there were no broken bones from her endeavors, and I’d think it’d catch it then?  

I’m at a loss.  The rapid breathing seems to go away when she’s active, too – it’s only when she’s laying down that she starts doing it.  upright, her breathing feels normal, even when held.

The only concern is the upturned nose.  I suppose I can see if I can get the air turned down a little again, and watch?

I was just hoping someone else saw this in a new momma bun and could say ‘oh, that’s normal after kindling’ or something.  But I can always talk to the vet again (she’s getting tired of me, I’m sure. My other bun had stasis prior to the babies). I was just hoping soneone with more experience might be able to say yes or no,  Vet it is.

…. or not. I just got back to this after getting interrupted mid-typing.

I turned the temp down to 71, and she’s less rapid-breathing, and she isn’t turning her nose up.  It’s the heat.  *sigh* dad’s just going to have to deal. (he’s got alzheimer’s, and he complains about things being ‘too cold’ a lot.)

[jerseygirl]

Oh I hope that’s all it is then. At least that’s something you can easily remedy.
Is there anywhere on the lower floor you could set them up? In the hopes you can keep them and your Dad comfortable!

[Archer]

Sadly nope. But I’ll see about getting a cooling station for her once the kits are grown up and adopted out (they all are spoken for at this point. It was amazing how fast I could find good homes who will get spay or neuter coupons from the HRS before picking up their new fluffers). Right now, everyone’s putting up with the cooler house (I LOVE IT, but no one else does) for the sake of the babies. As long as they’re here, we’re good. And it’ll be near the end of summer when they leave, so….

71 degrees it is. And I’ll ask the vet to check her out before she gets spayed too (she’s scheduled for September 12th, 11 weeks after the babies are born, and 3 weeks after likely weaning), just to be 100% sure.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Awesome that you took her in! I hope that the temperature was the problem after all.

[Author]

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