Wierd thing happened when eating pellets

[Dasher]

So my sister had the little tupper ware with Dasher’s pellets for today and let Dasher take a few pellets. Dasher seemed to be chewing a little longer than normal and when I offered her another pellet she refused because she was still chewing. She started putting her paw to her mouth as if to try to get something out of her mouth. She looked a little scared so I tried to give her water but she walked away. I freaked out so I grabbed Dasher a few times until I was able to hold her. I was going to try to get my fingers in her mouth and force her mouth open but she was able to jump free. After that she was fine and she took pellets from me. I’ve been terrified to pick her up but it was an impulse thing since I was so scared. She is eating hay now but idk what happened. Was she possibly choking?

[Paige]

I’m glad she is fine now
But usually when my Peter gets some hay stuck in between his two front teeth he will use his paws to try to get it out
Kind of looks like he is cleaning his mouth.
Maybe the a piece of a pellet got wedged somewhere in her mouth?
I have no experience with rabbits choking but I will research this now that you have brought it up

[Deleted User]

Hi there!

I know how scary it can be, once it seemed that Ophelia was choking on a long string of lettuce and I started freaking out. I wouldn’t suggest grabbing her when something like that happens. I’m sure it was just instinct so no worries!

Rabbits are not anatomically designed to be capable of vomiting. It’s something to do with how their stomach and esophagus are connected, so they are no able to have anything come back up. (horses and rats are the same way too. it’s the reason rat poison is so effective- they can’t vomit the poison back out!) So, prying open her mouth will likely only frustrate her. I don’t really know what else to do in the case of a bunny choking, but maybe you could break the pellets in half so they are smaller pieces to chew!

Glad she is ok!

[Bam]

She could’ve choked on a pellet. I suggest you start serving her pellets scattered around the cage instead of in a bowl. Having to search for the pellets will slow her eating down. It can become very serious if a bun gets a pellet into the airways.

You can do a bunny Heimlich if the situation so requires. I once had to with Bam. It’s not like a Heimlich for humans, but it serves the same purpose. It’s good to take a good look at this or other instructive films so you know what to do if a bunny chokes on food: http://www.vgr1.com/choking/

Also listen to her breathing sounds now. (There shouldn’t be a sound). Since she’s eating hay, she’s probably fine though.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Agree, it sounds like choking. My Bindi choked on a pellet once and it was incredibly scary and horrifying. Thankfully, he managed to dislodge it and was okay. But now I never give him hard pellets, I wet them first and make like a bunny pellet porridge. That was too awful to go through again. Chocking on pellets is a common enough problem. Many bunnies, including my Bindi, eat like vacuums. Probably what your girl did, put too many in her mouth at once because she was excited to have the whole container in front of her. Glad she’s okay.

[Dasher]

Thanks everyone! The link was very helpful bam and I saw the videos so I’ll be more prepared just in case it happens agains but hopefully not. I broke her pellets into smaller pieces and spread them out onto a plate so it wouldn’t make a mess but she just threw the plate. I guess she just likes so eat off the floor

[Dasher]

I’ve been scattering her pellets on the floor but she choked 3 times today It’s hard for me to do the bunny heimlich since she doesn’t like to be held and she is kinda big too but it seems like picking her up always helps. After the 3rd time she was fed up with me so she attacked me if I got too close and she made pig sounds at me. She is fine now and has stopped attacking me. I picked up all her pellets so I will either hand feed her or make a pellet mush.

[Wick & Fable]

Is she eating her hay and veggies the same way? Aka does the chewing motion and how she maneuvers the pieces seem normal? My thought is maybe something is happening with her teeth that she cannot grind the pellets as well.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I would def both have her teeth checked at this point and not feed her any more hard pellets.

[Deleted User]

I agree with Wick, I would look into teeth issues.

[Dasher]

She eats still hay and veggies normally. She was at the vet recently and he checker her teeth and said they were fine. One of her front bottom teeth is smaller than the rest but idk if that affects her or not. I usually hand feed her about half of her pellets when I train her and she is always fine when I do. I used to feed her pellets in a bowl and never had a problem because she always knew her pellets would still be there if she took a break. Idk if she gets too excited about pellets being on the floor or what.

[Dasher]

I gave the rest of her pellets in a bowl and watched her carefully. She was more calm ate more slowly from the bowl. She took a break for a while and then went back to eat the rest.

[LBJ10]

It sounds more like it’s a problem with the back teeth. A vet would need to look since there is no way you’d be able to see back there. Since she was chewing and chewing before, then “choking”, my guess is that she isn’t able to grind up the pellets properly with her molars.

[funny-bunny]

Sounds scary, glad she’s okay now. Maybe she was super excited about the pellets, not enough water and just started choking a little. I know, I’ve nearly chocked a few times because not enough water and just the wrong movement put the food in the wrong place. (I wasn’t eating pellets though! haha). I’m sure she’s fine but just keep an eye on her.

[Author]

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