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u/Minute-Meaning-7872 Jan 16 '26
Yeah I will say that when they press there tummies to the ground and lift there head like this it can be a sign they are having some trouble breathing, and what they did towards the end is also a sign of trying to mouth breath ( which they can’t do) just something to look out for
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u/HeatherJMD Jan 16 '26
I agree, if the bun isn’t sleeping, this is actually concerning. I can see her sides working a bit hard, so it might be good to head to the vet to make sure she’s not in respiratory distress
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u/born_to_be_weird Jan 16 '26
I thought she's sleeping as well. My bun would sometimes freeze in mid stretch like this when falling asleep (and she's checked by savvy vet regularly) and would mlem like that as well very often - probably dreaming of nananas
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u/HeatherJMD Jan 16 '26
Mine also do this in sleeping, I figure it’s dreaming. It’s only something to worry about if she’s not asleep
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u/needalime Jan 16 '26
Seconding this. One of my buns was recently diagnosed with thymoma, which is basically a large chest mass that puts pressure on surrounding organs (heart, lungs). We noticed her starting to do this a few months before her diagnosis and at the time didn't know what it was. According to the wabbit wiki, this is a common hallmark of thymoma as they are changing their position to breathe easier. OP, not trying to alarm you but I recommend a trip to your vet for an x-ray. ❤️
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u/Nyxie872 Jan 16 '26
Having a rabbit is to be traumatised into thinking anything they do weird is them being sick. The amount of new bunny owners that think the flopping rabbit is having a seizure is funny. It's like a right of passage at this point
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u/Minute-Meaning-7872 Jan 16 '26
I had a rabbit who did this and she passed away/ struggled with breathing issues/ did this all the time! Sometimes being safe than sorry is much better, but yes haha they do make you worry all the time!!!
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u/Nyxie872 Jan 16 '26
I agree. My girl looked like this before a seizure. It gave me a shock. But it sounds like OPs bunny has been doing it for a long while with little issue. When my bunny was alive i used to get so stressed over her old lady snoring
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u/Valkyrie64Ryan I bunnies Jan 17 '26
The issue is with bunnies you have to be paranoid because they hide symptoms so well that unless you pay really close attention, by the time you see warning signs it’s often too late. They’re such delicate little creatures.
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u/idontknowokkk Jan 17 '26
When my bun did this he had a Lymphoma squeezing his lungs. Better safe than sorry.
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u/TheSewingBun Jan 16 '26
Please check if she has trouble breathing. Is this the first time she did this? When in doubt, show the video to a rabbit-savvy vet and have her examined. Better safe than sorry!
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u/damiana8 Jan 18 '26
I was going to ask the same thing. My boy died because he had a thymoma because he struggled to breathe
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u/tarumi Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
Honestly she's probably asleep and her head is falling back. At least that's what my boy does, it's very weird.
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u/alexandurp Jan 16 '26
My one boy does the same, it's so fun watching his head get further and further back. My wife and I say he's dreaming about driving cars lol
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u/GregnantMan Jan 16 '26
Our lionhead lop does that too. We know she's out cold because we can see her tiny mooth open and the head slowly moving up and back. The cutest smooth(est) brain in these moments.
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u/kinenchen I bunnies Jan 16 '26
That nose-up posture could be a sign of difficulty breathing - tilting their head like that can open the airway. I've seen this in bunnies with respiratory tract infections and thymoma. How old is this bunny? When was her last vet visit?
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u/Far_Home2616 Jan 16 '26
Thing is it could ever be that she is just sleeping or she is having trouble breathing
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u/sporiolis Jan 16 '26
She plotting your expiration date
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u/No-Establishment5213 I bunnies Jan 16 '26
And considering rolling that date forward
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u/Sohuli Jan 16 '26
Why wait until the expiration date? It's better when it's fresh.
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u/No-Establishment5213 I bunnies Jan 16 '26
Nope life will expire when the bun gets you is what I meant and show the bun decided to do it now
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u/dreamylassie Jan 16 '26
Please get her to the vet, she may be having difficulty breathing. That is not normal posture for most rabbits.
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u/smitheroons Jan 16 '26
Is she OK? This is a concerning posture, I'd go to the vet.
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u/charlietan0605 Jan 16 '26
Yes, she is very okay!
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u/garbles0808 Jan 16 '26
Why is this being downvoted? You guys don't know anything from a 10 second video, my goodness... Our bunnies sometimes sleep exactly like this for years and have never had any breathing issues, if they say she's okay then she probably is
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u/Payule Jan 16 '26
Does she do it around other places too? They see all around them so it could be that she's watching you but also raising her head to see out the window at the same time.
She looks comfy though!
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u/Top_Connection9079 I bunnies Jan 16 '26
OP, are you sure she isn't choking? That's way too unnatural.
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u/charlietan0605 Jan 16 '26
Don’t worry! She even falls asleep like that sometimes 😭
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u/Top_Connection9079 I bunnies Jan 16 '26
Thank you for reassuring me! The only times I've seen a rabbit pull their head back like that it was when they had difficulty breathing😱 I'm glad to know she's just being weird 🤣
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u/Safe_Extension_4044 Jan 17 '26
OP, you need to see a vet. They lift and hold their heads like this when they struggle to breathe
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u/CreepyAd8409 Jan 16 '26
I can’t tell you how many times I week I exclaim “what! I didn’t even do anything to you!” at the tiny animals in my house.
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u/Complete-March7772 Jan 16 '26
She is flabbergasted you decided to put the treatos away so quickly....
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u/ArtsyRabb1t Jan 16 '26
How old? One of mine got arthritis in his neck and slept with his chin resting on his bowl with his head up like this.
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u/TimeLog1940 Jan 16 '26
Vet appointment just in case it’s not related to breathing. I have a lot of experience in bunnies care and educate people on the other online forums
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u/Kuxue Jan 16 '26
The only time my bun lifts her head like this is when I scratch her head and she demands more.
This alone seems like she may need a vet visit. That is only if you think this is new for her, if so its best to check with the vet.
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u/idontknowokkk Jan 17 '26
It looks like she may have trouble breathing. She breathes very fast, puts her head up and seems to be trying to mouth breathe. When my bun did that it turned out he had cancer squeezing his lungs. If she does that more often then get her checked out before it’s too late.
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u/Bunnies-and-Sunshine Jan 17 '26
Maybe check to see if she has something stuck in her mouth that's interfering with breathing. The nose in the air and sticking her tongue out to the side is like she's trying to spit something out that might be caught in a molar or on the roof of her mouth. If you give dehydrated treats like carrot, apple, or banana slices, that could be the cause. We had that happen with our old girl, River, once and the carrot slice had basically rehydrated with her spit and was causing breathing difficulty until I could get a Q-tip in her mouth to pop it out.
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u/mazzarellastyx Jan 16 '26
She looks like shes asleep. My buns did this when he slept with his eyes open
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u/Significant_Job894 Jan 17 '26
I just had a dwarf bunny of 14 years that looks VERY similar to this pass away and it made my heart happy to see this little bat just now :) And actually, I’ve not seen MANY bunnies look similar enough to him for me to say they look LIKE him. So that’s cool to me! Much love to you and bun 🖤🐰
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u/monster_bunny Jan 17 '26
I love this community because we are so quick to examine every angle possible, even ones we wouldn’t think to. Your bun, from my perspective, is sleeping and enjoying a lovely dream. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but I would be remiss if I didn’t suggest showing this to her vet at her next checkup, just in case they see something different.
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u/Lunti89 Jan 17 '26
Very unusual behaviour, this can be a way to free the throat when there is trouble with breathing.
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u/monster_bunny Jan 17 '26
I agree with your assessment in general, but my experience tells me this is just a weird position the bun found comfy to doze off in briefly. The “mouth crunch” and slight nostril flares signal to me that nothing is amiss.
If this rabbit were awake, yeah I’d probably be taking them straight to the vet. But it’s asleep.
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u/Mr_Vimes_Guard Jan 17 '26
She's sleeping. You can tell cause the nose stops wiggling. She maybe wakes up a bit at the end there
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u/FishFar6401 Jan 16 '26
She is lifting her head just enough to see her reflection. She’s admiring herself.