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Trance

Wispa & Zola

Mama Doe
is putting your bunny in a trance a bad thing or a good thing?

ive read mixed information on it, some saying that its them frozen with fear others saying their relaxed!
 
Personally I do not agree with 'trancing' a Rabbit
I believe that they 'play dead' as a fear reflex reaction. By 'playing dead' they hope the 'predator' will realease them

Janex
 
I agree - I believe the latest research shows that there are raised levels of stress hormones in rabbits' bodies when they are tranced.
 
I've not really experienced a bun being more friendly after a trance, but hey I haven't really ever tranced them.

I'd guess if a bun genuinely does seem more friendly after, it would be a hormone response like adrenaline or similar - think about how if you've ever been really frightened about something, when the experience suddenly ends you feel a 'rush' of relief. Maybe that's what you're seeing - a bun suddenly relax again when it no longer feels in danger of being eaten?
 
when i put barney on his back ( I hold him like a baby basically) to put his sore hock cream on and let it soak in he munches biscuits for a bit then stops and goes into a trance for like 5 mins (usually with a biscuit/pellet hanging out of his mouth like a cigar) and then come round carries on eating biscuits. is bizarre. I am sure he doesn't want to be held upside down but is strainge how he is fine for a couple of mins at the start and then suddenley goes and then comes back.
 
I don't like doing it because it seems so unnatural - they seem to be paralysed and I am always worried that they are going to stop breathing (OK, I am just SLIGHTLY paranoid). So - I don't do it for fun, and if I need to get at a rabbit's underside I would try to do it by having them 'sit' in a more upright position, with their hind legs sticking out in front and their main body upright (supported by my hand and my front). However, this is not always possible and if I have a very wriggly rabbit, or I need to do something right underneath with the rabbits very still so I can concentrate, then I do trance them. I don't know how stressful it is for them, but it certainly is for me.
 
Trancing is not a pleasant experience for rabbits, but it can be a very useful thing to be able to do for cutting nails, etc. (unless god blessed you with 4 arms :lol: )
 
Trancing is not a pleasant experience for rabbits, but it can be a very useful thing to be able to do for cutting nails, etc. (unless god blessed you with 4 arms :lol: )

I agree with this, it's also handy if you need to check their teeth. I think opinion is divided on whether trancing is good or bad, i personally wouldn't advocate it but then again i have seen rabbits lying quite happily on their backs in the cage before (the usual roll on the side up against an object). Our little girl does this fairly often and will lie on her back with her legs stretched out for at least 30 secs (call it a "self" trance if you will) :lol:
 
I only tried trancing once to clip some nails......it was a bit of a disaster. I find it easier to hold them like a baby to clip & check buns etc, I supose in someways it is trancing (i.e. they are on their backs) but they never become glazed over and one will happily eat pellets.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about bum checks for Rosie Nethie come flay season, she is way to small & wiggly to hold like a baby. I got her claws clipped by holding her against my chest & the OH pulling one paw out at a time.
 
After asking about this myself a while ago, I only trance Bertie for nail clippings. As I do is nails every 3-4 weeks, I've got much better and quicker at it, so the whole things over in 3 minutes tops.
I tried to do his nails without trancing him, and he stressed big time, and it took ages as I could only do one set at a time, so weighing it up, I prefer to get it over with as quickly as poss with minimal fuss and stress to him.

Interestingly, he now happily spends quite a bit of time rolled on his back, and rolling over side to side :?
 
but is strainge how he is fine for a couple of mins at the start and then suddenley goes and then comes back.

My understanding is that this is all part of the 'fight or flight' mechanism, i.e. the theory is that by going into the trance state, the predator will loosen its grip and the bun will then suddenly spring out of the trance.

I don't think seeing buns lying on their backs voluntarily is the same thing, it's the context of being 'forced' onto the back that is stressful, not necessarily the posture itself. It's a bit like concluding that chasing someone so they are really scared must be ok because you've seen people running for pleasure and they seem to enjoy it, so it must be ok.
 
I see 'trancing' as the lesser of two evils.

I can fight with an upset struggling rabbit to administer medication or cut claws and risk serious injury to us both or I can 'trance' the rabbit for a couple of minutes max. and get whatever unpleasent task needs doing done fast with minimal risk to us both.

I will add there are rabbit that will not 'trance' and are nigh on impossible to keep on their backs. Both of mine have been Dutches :roll:
 
Yes I agree trancing can be useful on the odd occasion but I certainly wouldn't advocate it if it can be avoided at all.

To add to your list, Santa won't trance either, she's small and wiggly and causes merry havoc whenever a vet has tried too :lol:
 
i put her into trance because her bottom was messy, with her in trance it was easy to cut the poo out and clean her up. she was under for 3 or 4 minutes max and was fine afterwards, she ran off but only because she realised i was holding her and she doesnt like that yet. about 5 minutes later she kept coming up to me and following me which she doesnt do ever!!
 
I read in an old rabbit book that trancing is a good trick to show your friends :shock: :shock: :shock:

I would never do it to my buns, I just get the vet to clip their nails :lol: Its so much easier ;) They havent needed them doing in ages now though :D

I have a bun that sleeps on his back all the time but he would probably freak out if I tried forcing him onto his back :lol:
 
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