Choking in Bunnies

Signs your bunny is choking

When Suzie choked, the first thing I noticed was what sounded like sneezing. I rushed over to her and saw that she was drooling and moving her head around a lot. I grabbed her and witnessed her eyes rolling back, she was gasping for air, I could hear the gurgling sounds, and then she went limp. It was one of the scariest moments I have encountered.

What to do if your bunny is choking

Months before Suzie choked, I had read about the bunny Heimlich and other techniques. I never thought that I would one day have to save Suzie from choking. I'm not going to attempt to give instructions here, but instead, I'm going to provide you with a link that describes the bunny Heimlich maneuver, and other techniques.

Photo courtesy of Stephan Flores aka The Bunny Guy.

http://www.vgr1.com/choking/

Vet Visit ASAP

After a choking incident, it is important that you take your bunny to the vet. The fluid can get into the lungs and cause pneumonia and an antibiotic will likely be required. Suzie needed an antibiotic because the fluid went to her sinuses.

This is a picture of Suzie resting after her choking incident. I took her to the vet and to work with me.

Gas in Bunnies

Extremely Dangerous

Gas is very painful in bunnies and it will cause them to stop eating, which leads to no pooping. A bunnies GI tract must ALWAYS be moving. Input = Output

Not eating or pooping in 12 hours for a bunny can become deadly very quickly.

Warning Signs

If your bunny isn't eating or pooping, that's usually the first thing you notice. If your bunny is hunched over, hiding, or grinding his/her teeth, they are likely in pain. A bunny will not eat if in pain and not eating stops the digestion.

A few items to keep on hand: A recovery food like Oxbow's Critical Care, a syringe for feeding and giving water, and Simethicone (infant gas relief)

What to do

Due to space in this website layout, I'm going to give you some links to a couple of excellent sources. It's too important for me to leave anything out.

I found the following link on Special Bunny.org http://www.specialbunny.org/gas-stasis/

The following is a very informative video from House Rabbit Society VP, Mary Cotter

http://www.howcast.com/videos/514701-How-to-Help-a-Rabbit-with-Gas-Pain-Pet-Rabbits

The items pictured are items you want to keep on hand and will learn more about in the links.