A rabbit who is treated like a cage animal and left alone inside their enclosure day in and day out is very likely to become lonely and depressed. Instead, it's best to treat rabbits as companion animals. Give them a lot of time every day to spend with you.
Keep your rabbit occupied with toys
Like most other pets, rabbits love to play with toys. Without the stimulation that playing provides, rabbits can become bored, stressed, and depressed, and may resort to destructive behaviours like chewing.
Let Him Say Goodbye
Allow your rabbit the opportunity, if possible, to say goodbye to his mate by giving him time alone with the deceased rabbit's body. Many times the surviving rabbit will sniff, nudge, groom, and even hop on their mate.
Petting a rabbit may be a great method to soothe them and help them relax. If your rabbit is defensive, scratch him behind the ears and forehead. Keep an eye on your rabbit's body language to see if he's still on the lookout for danger.
Paralysis of one leg may be associated with a fracture, nerve damage or a dislocation. Paralysis of both hind legs is more likely to be associated with a spinal injury such as a fracture or dislocation. These sorts of injuries are common in rabbits. Any rabbit showing signs of paralysis should be seen immediately.
As rabbits get sick and begin to fade, their vital signs will also change. Typically, this will result in a low body temperature, a weak pulse, and rapid breathing. The average rabbit body temperature should range from 101ºF – 103ºF, while the pulse should be 150-300 beats per minute.
While rabbits don't get psychological depression in the same way as humans, their behaviour can become subdued when they are ill or kept under stressful conditions. A change in your rabbit's behaviour can indicate many things: They're lonely. They're in pain or sick.
Some rabbits can become depressed if they're left alone when a friend passes away. Your remaining pet may also stop eating and drinking. If this happens, or you think your pet seems lethargic or just not their usual self, take them to a rabbit-friendly vet as soon as possible.
If your rabbits look tucked up and quiet with their chins tucked in and noses not twitching this can be a sure sign of them feeling unhappy or stressed, as this is not a normal position for a rabbit. Moving or running away. Your rabbits may turn and move away from you (or each other) if they're unhappy.
It's extremely important to contact your vet straight away if you notice your rabbit is eating less than normal. There are many different problems that could have caused your rabbit to stop eating, but some of the most common include dental disease, stress, and gut problems.
Some rabbits become more affectionate, shadowing their human carers everywhere they go, while others deal with their grief by being grumpy and grunting or running away when anyone tries to interact with them. They may even show signs of aggression, even if they've never been aggressive in the past.
signs of pain, such as not wanting to be touched on parts of its body. teeth grinding. flinching. difficulty with breathing, especially if your rabbit is breathing through its mouth rather than its nose.
Every rabbit is unique, which means they display stress in different ways. The most common signs of stress to look out for in rabbits include: Hiding: Rabbits will often hide if they are feeling stressed or uncomfortable. Changes in eating habits: Stress can cause rabbits to either overeat or lose their appetite.
Hypotension – Low blood pressure is common in collapsed rabbits for many reasons, from gut stasis to heart disease. Dehydration – Rabbits can dehydrate very quickly and can hide the initial signs of this critical condition until they collapse and show signs often attributed to Floppy Bunny Syndrome.
If your rabbit is quieter than normal, is sitting still and hunched up, does not want to move about, or has not eaten for more than 12 hours, contact your vet as soon as possible.
Often a rabbit in pain will sit hunched up, unwilling to move. A rabbit that sits hunched up, with eyes half closed, and firm teeth grinding is likely in pain and needs a vet check form filled out and supervisor notified.
You notice changes in your rabbit's gait or posture. You notice your rabbit's fur appears dull or is missing in places. You notice your rabbit is drooling, has facial swelling, or is having difficulty eating. You notice signs of upper respiratory issues with your rabbit.
Rabbit syndrome is an antipsychotic-induced rhythmic motion of the mouth/lips, resembling the chewing movements of a rabbit. The movement consists of a vertical-only motion, at about 5Hz, with no involvement of the tongue.
What Can I Do If I Suspect Floppy Bunny Syndrome In My Rabbit? The majority of rabbits affected by floppy rabbit syndrome will recover within 2 to 7 days, and it appears that the severity of the condition does affect the length of recovery time.
- Signs a rabbit may be suffering from stress/fear can include hiding/chewing cage bars/over-grooming/altered feeding or toileting habits/over-drinking/playing with the water bottle/sitting hunched/reluctance to move/repeatedly circling the enclosure.
When a rabbit goes into shock, their body will become still or limp. The heart rate will be slow and difficult to detect and the rabbit will have pale white gums as a result of circulatory problems. Rabbits in shock will also have very cold ears because their body temperature is plummeting.
Tonic Immobility, often referred to as “Trancing” or “Hypnotising”, is a technique for handling rabbits that has been around for many years. It takes advantage of the rabbits' tendency, as a prey species, to “play dead” and stay immobile when placed in a vulnerable position, on its back.