Advice Needed - Panting When Travelling

Hi guys,

I had to take the buns to York tonight (25 min car journey). Roxy, who is a rex, was panting within about a minute of starting the journey and about halfway there I was so worried I debated about turning round for home as wasn't sure she'd last the journey (but as I was halfway there I figured there wasn't much difference if I turned and came home, or carried on. I do also have a tendency to over worry, although this was really upsetting to see.)

There was no mouth-breathing, but her body was moving really really rapidly with the panting and she was flopped out, legs to the side, but her head was up in a normal 'alert' position.

I had the cold air coming up through the windscreen vents, so it was cooling the car without being directed right at her carrier.

I also drove really slowly and talked to her all the way there.

My other 3 buns were fine.

Do you think she may have been too hot, too cold, or just stressed out?

She was on the passenger seat with her husbun in the same carrier (he was fine), and I'm thinking about putting her on the back seat when I have to pick her up on Friday. The less visual stimulation while travelling may help? Or should I put a towel over the carrier to help block out the movements? I'm worried that if the panting is because she's too hot, this may not help?

Any advice or ideas?

After this trip, I think I'll be looking for a home-sitter to save putting her through this, but unfortunately this was a last minute trip needed as we're going to a funeral in Wales tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.
Nicky

It's probably stress. Mine always do that when I take them to the vets: they pant during travelling and they pant at the vets as well.

antigone said:

It's probably stress. Mine always do that when I take them to the vets: they pant during travelling and they pant at the vets as well.

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Hi, thanks for replying. Do yours pant to the point where you are really worried for their health?

If it's due to stress, can this cause a heart attack or anything, or are they more than likely to be like this when travelling, but recover well when back out of the car?

p_prod_uk said:

Hi, thanks for replying. Do yours pant to the point where you are really worried for their health?

If it's due to stress, can this cause a heart attack or anything, or are they more than likely to be like this when travelling, but recover well when back out of the car?

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I am a bit worried when they pant, but what can I do? I can't stop taking them to the vets. I don't think that any bunnies like travelling and that's why I am opposed to bunny shows (but that's another matter ). They're always fine when back out of the car.

Please don't feel guilty; you did your best for your bunny, you even made sure that she had company during the trip. I hope she is now all right.

First you need to secure the carrier, when I go on long journeys I tape paper over the 'slits' where they can see out (I only tape the top bit so there's still good circulation), it makes it dark and cosier inside and they can't see cars and tree's whizzing past.

Try sitting you're bun in the carrier for short ammounts of time, maybe even feed them in the carrier. Gradually increase this period of time, then you can start with very short car journeys, keep it as calm and comfortable as possible, avoid going on really bumpy roads or putting the radio on, put the carrier on something soft too so the vibrations aren't too strong. You can try rewarding them with treats while they are in the carrier, or when they're just come out of the carrier.

If they live in a very quiet place, you might want to start playing the radio for them too, get them used to sound

antigone said:

I am a bit worried when they pant, but what can I do? I can't stop taking them to the vets. I don't think that any bunnies like travelling and that's why I am opposed to bunny shows (but that's another matter ). They're always fine when back out of the car.

Please don't feel guilty; you did your best for your bunny, you even made sure that she had company during the trip. I hope she is now all right.

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I disagree, Baby's always in the car going back and forth to my grandma's house and she can't stand being in her carrier, she'll chew and scratch and fling bedding everywhere. If I take her out and have her on my knee, she'll happily sit up and watch out of the window, she doesn't cower back and try hide

Well, I've been keeping bunnies for fifteen years now and none of them enjoyed travelling; not even Nora, my ex-show bunny that I adopted from a rescue (where she was dumped by her breeder when she was too old to be shown).

Rabbits are prey animals and, personally, I wouldn't subject them to unnecessary stress. I don't believe that I should get them used to travelling by taking them on short car rides. It only takes a fifteen minute trip to the vets to stress them up. In fact, my bunnies get stressed as soon as I put them in the carrier and move them away from their familiar environment.

I agree, I have never met a bunny who enjoys travelling. One of ours tolerated it very well. Our current bunnies fair ok, no lasting effects but they know what's coming and lie down very quickly and hope it'll be over soon. We too had a Rex who travelled very badly, lying down and panting - don't know why, she never went on long journeys but she did turn out to have Pasturella and got very easily stressed, collapsing when the vet tried to examine her so she had to be put in an oxygen tent.

If it is stress perhaps some rescue remedy for pets might help?

antigone said:

Well, I've been keeping bunnies for fifteen years now and none of them enjoyed travelling; not even Nora, my ex-show bunny that I adopted from a rescue (where she was dumped by her breeder when she was too old to be shown).

Rabbits are prey animals and, personally, I wouldn't subject them to unnecessary stress. I don't believe that I should get them used to travelling by taking them on short car rides. It only takes a fifteen minute trip to the vets to stress them up. In fact, my bunnies get stressed as soon as I put them in the carrier and move them away from their familiar environment.

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Seven years here and mine have all been fine with it, some a lot more than others though

I'd much rather get them used to stress very gradually, if they start with barely any stress, and time in the carrier/car is built up very slowly, they're not going to be panicking like they would if I just stuck them in the car one day for a vet trip or something. I'd much rather them be slightly stressed once a week or so (Which will go as they get used to it), than let them be incredibly stressed just a few times

I do like to move them around every so often, get them used to different enviroments, and I play the radio quietly to get them used to noise, I don't have to worry about taking them to the vets, or moving house, because they're used to change

Holly did the panting thing for the first hour or so of our journey to scotland from brum then was normal the rest of the journey, she even relaxed enough to eat later on :wave:

All of mine flop, pant, twitch nose rapidly etc and I have stopped the car a couple of times but realised there was nothing that could be done. They have to go to the vet and whilst I admit, I dread it every time, I decided the short term(25mins journey one way) to a good vet every so often (touch wood) is better than health probs. BUT I try to put off the jabs etc because I hate seeing them like that. And I have 11 buns, so imagine the number of visits. I would never move them from their environment unless it were check up etc as I have out of 15 buns never known one who liked being in a carrier...