• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Really worried about Xena.

Vegan_Bunny

Warren Veteran
Sorry for the waffling. I'm mainly just voicing my thoughts/concerns.

For the past few days I've noticed Xena seemingly struggling with the heat. The other night she really worried me by breathing VERY loudly, almost sounded like "huffing". As soon as I sat up and started really watching her, she suddenly jumped up and ran off into her litter tray and started eating, so I thought nothing of it. (She snores anyway and figured she was dreaming or something). Anyway, tonight I put her and the others out in the run, the sun had gone in and the garden was quite cool with a nice breeze. I let them out of their run..she came out, binkied like a crazy thing and then went back in the run and laid down. :? She sometimes does this, but I was worried so I encouraged her out of the run and shut it behind her so I could watch her. She went straight back to exploring and munching the grass, so figured she was fine.

I rounded them up and put them back in the bedroom. The room is warm, but not boiling. I put a towel in the freezer for them to lay on afterwards and Fiver and Xena immediately sprawled on it. Xena, however, seemed to be in some respiratory distress. :( I watched her for a while and compared her breathing to Fiver and Shadowfax...she was definitely breathing faster and making noises whilst breathing. I felt her ears but they felt ok...not hot and they weren't red or veiny or anything. :? When I went back up to check on her, she was throwing a toy around and pestering Fiver for grooms..she then laid back down and returned to her fast breathing (although she looks like she has calmed down a lot). I put some pellets out for her and she immediately ran over and scoffed them and did her usual bullying act.

I thought at first she was suffering from heat stroke..but thinking back, she was "huffing" when I carried her downstairs to go outside in the first place. She does suffer from the heat and they always have a cool, damp towel to lay on and their window is open constantly. I'm really, really scared that something serious is going on with her (like a thymoma or snuffles or something). For now I'm just checking on her at half hour intervals. I don't think she needs to see an emergency vet, but I'm definitely keeping a close eye on her and going to get her to the vet on Monday if she does this again.

Anybody experienced this before? I have absolutely NO experience with respiratory issues in rabbits. Is there anything else I can do to keep her cool? They have a tile under the bed that Shadowfax likes laying on, but Xena will only lay on a damp towel. :roll:

I took a video just after I had put her in the bedroom. Do you think I'm overreacting? I hope so!

 
Dont have any experience of this. Just wanted to send relaxing vibes to you and millions of healing vibes to Xena x
 
Thankyou. She really has been in the wars lately. :( I hope it's just the heat affecting her, but the fact that she did this when I picked her up is what is worrying me.
 
How is Xena today?

I have a bun who breathes really fast on and off, but he breathes much faster than the video. But Xena could be breathing fast for totally different reasons.

I think a vet check would be best, as you said. It would put your mind at rest too.
 
I don't really have any advice as such but my Baby Pearl suffered with snuffles. She has septrim and all the normal vet stuff but I found the most successful thing was to give her echinacea which in time cleared up the snuffles completely. She used to breath exactly like Xena.

It might be worth giving her that as a complimentary treatment? Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I don't see how it could do any harm? :wave:
 
She seems much better. I've managed o keep my bedroom cool, but she is certainly not breathing "right". It's not JUST the speed of her breathing but the noise, too. It's like she is "huffing" out her breaths..it's difficult to explain. My other two don't make a noise when they are breathing fast. Shadowfax suffers from the heat with her being a large, black lop with very thick fur but she has never breathed like Xena. :? I wouldn't mind so much if it was just the way Xena breathed...but it only recently started and I have had her for a few years now so it's definitely not normal for her. I hope I'm just being a paranoid bunny carer. :lol:

I hate rabbits!! :roll: I think I will get her checked out by a vet next week, though. Shadowfax is due her vacs anyway, so I'll take them all along for the ride...they will be most unamused.
 
So it is usually after exercise that it happens ?

I think a Vet check is definitely a good idea. In the meantime I'd try to keep her as cool and as calm as possible.
 
So it is usually after exercise that it happens ?

I think a Vet check is definitely a good idea. In the meantime I'd try to keep her as cool and as calm as possible.

No, not always. :? That is what worries me. I heard her "huffing" and breathing funny the other night and she had only been laid down. :? I didn't worry too much because she suddenly got up and then hopped into the tray and started eating hay.

The vid was the worst I've seen her and that WAS after having a run in the garden. It took her a long, long time to calm down and she does seem to be more tired than usual. I may just be seeing things that aren't there, though, because I'm so worried. I tend to pick up on the tiniest of things, but this is how I picked up on Fiver's arthritis. I feel like there's something more to this.

She has also been having eye drops because her poorly eye was red and inflamed again, the eye drops don't seem to have helped. I am wondering if this is all linked? :( *Worry worry worry*
 
It may be that she has a compromised lung function, possibly infection related given that she has an eye infection too. Your Vet will need to have a good listen to her lungs and her heart. It might be helpful to show the Vet the video too xx
 
It does sound a little bit similar to what Boris was doing. He had snuffles.

Definitely get her to the vet asap xxx Hopefully it won't be anything serious! Sending some vibes your way :)
 
I don't have any experience of this, but am sending some get well soon vibes for Xena and some calming, positive vibes for you x
 
Thank you everyone. Jane, that's a really good idea about the showing the video, I definitely will. I hope it's not snuffles or something like that. :(
 
I don't have any suggestions unfortunately :oops: but just wanted to send some get well wishes for Xena, I hope it's nothing serious and she feels better soon xx
 
She seems much better. I've managed o keep my bedroom cool, but she is certainly not breathing "right".

I hate rabbits!! :roll: I think I will get her checked out by a vet next week, though. Shadowfax is due her vacs anyway, so I'll take them all along for the ride...they will be most unamused.

:lol::lol:

I do hope that the vet finds something easily sorted.
 
I'd say follow your instincts. As you know, problems are sometimes subtle and barely detectable.

Poor old Hector has always suffered in the heat - black fur and his size must be hard to deal with. He sometimes "heavy breathes" when it's hot and is then fine 2 minutes later. He clearly improves by the evening when it's cooled down.

Perhaps the next hour or so might help you get a better idea?

Paws crossed for you. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mimzy has always had one kind or another of URI from mild to serious and he sometimes gets "huffy" with his breathing. I notice he tends to snore more than my other two as well, which is probably due to a small bone deformity in his sinus cavity that he's always had.

I agree a checkup is a good idea. :thumb: You're not being paranoid. We all know how quickly rabbits can take seriously ill, they're not like other pets. I've run mine in as emergency visits in dangerously foul weather for less. The peace of mind you gain for yourself, and therefore...for bunny, as they pick up on our stress...is worth the price of admission.

Sending all the best and brightest vibes for an easy fix for dear Xena. And maybe when she and you feel more up to it we could see more of her? :love: She's so beautiful! :) I have to admit I watched the video more than once after taking a good look at her condition just to gawk at her :oops: and to see how cute she looks with Fiver all snuggled up to her like that. :love:

Comfy travel vibes for your to and from the vet as well. xxxxxxxx
 
Sorry for the late update. I have been so busy you wouldn't believe. :shock:

Anyway, Xena went to the vets on Tuesday. The vet couldn't hear anything in her lungs because she was hyperventilating. She had a really good, thorough look in her mouth and was happy with her teeth (just about the only thing she has never had a problem with!). She suggested that we could do xrays/ultrasounds etc, but since she had improved over past few days that we could just give her antibiotics and see if that helps. I declined because she hasn't long come off the antibiotics for her foot and she does have issues with her guts. The vet thinks it is pollen affecting her, especially her eye because her eyelid is really not very effective at cleaning her eye and to continue with her drops. I mentioned we have an elderberry tree in full blossom and she said that the pollen from that is very strong (I can smell it from the other side of the garden) and it's likely this causing the issues. It does seem to tally because the tree is now past it's full bloom and the flowers are starting to die, which coincides with Xena getting better. We going to monitor her for now and I'm quite happy that she is comfortable, but will be taking her straight back if she deteriorates.

Thank you for you vibes and well wishes. :love: Poor Xena always has one thing or another, but fortunately never seems to be anything really serious, touch wood!
 
Pleased to hear that Xena is doing better now. I sympathise with her if it was an allergy. I cant stop sneezing and wheezing at the moment !!
 
Back
Top