Thumper is breathing oddly

[MyBoyHarper]

I took Thumper outside earlier for about... 1.5 hours (photo's in his blog soon) and he was active as could be.However, I noticed an oddbehavior. First, he's breathing somewhat funny. He'll be breathing fine, then he'll take in this BIG breath of air (like someone sighing) and his head kicks back for a few seconds while he does it, then he releases and goes to breathing normally again. He does this about once every 5 minutes.

I don't see any discharge, no sneezing, however my initial thought wasn't a URI anyways. I'm really not sure what to think, however this is new. What's not new is this 'ticking' sound in his nose when he breathes. The vet assumed it was cartlidge whenever he was examined soon after I got him. This odd breathing and kicking his head back with a deep inhale is new however, and it has me a little concerned.

Thoughts?

 

[Maureen Las]

I will make a guess that he has some kind of partial nasal obstruction (cartilage?). If he breathes normally when he is not active it could be that he is getting enough oxygen (maybe while at the vets) but that when he gets in a situation of needing more oxygen (running outside)that he stops throws back his head to get a deep breathe in an attempt to get more air.

I am only guessing as I am not a vet.
Although I know that you are going through a lot with Chance..it sounds like Thumper needs more tests done by the vet.

 

[Runestonez]

The breathing thing Dandi does sometimes...but not the clicking. I just put it down to sort of like when humans do the same sort of thing...or daydreaming...Since Dandi was atthe vet for his check up a few weeks ago I know he is def healthy!

 

[Maureen Las]

Unless this is a rabbit's way when they are outside in the fresh air picking up scents but the ticking sound doesn't make sense.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

Thanks guys, as soon as Chance is done with the tests, I'll probably be bringing Thumper in. He's gettin old (4 going on 5) and he was rescued just a few months ago. His conditions were less than pathetic, so there's really no telling to what the problem is. The vet only did a once-over type exam, nothing in depth. And I think he was only assuming as to the cartlidge in the nose. I'll probably bring Thumper to the new exotics vet I am bringing Chance to now. At least with that guy, I'll get a good, clear answer to the problem -- if there is one.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

angieluv wrote:

Unless this is a rabbit's way when they are outside in thefresh air picking up scents but the ticking sound doesn't makesense.

I'll try to get the ticking on video tomorrow and post it for you guysto hear. I'm not sure if the video mode on the camera will pick it upor not, I do know it's good about picking up too much dang backgroundnoise though. I'll try to get in a quiet room with him (no ac running,ect) and see if I can get the ticking sound on video.

 

[Maureen Las]

Hopefully MBH..theire will come a day when your rabbits are back to normal and you don't have to go to the vet everyday(although that new vet sounds like a keeper)

 

[MyBoyHarper]

angieluv wrote:

theire will come a day when your rabbits are back to normal

HAHAHAHA! Yeah right. I don't think my rabbits know the meaning of normal.:craziness

I'll tell you the truth, Chance is a handful, but Harper is my biggest handful. He always will be. He's so prone to stasis and gas and blockages and URI's and UTI's, it's un-freakin-believeable. He'll be on supplements and antibiotics for the rest of his life. Right now he's battling a UTI. Last week it was mushy poo. 3 weeks ago, it was a bladder stone. :whatevah

 

[TinysMom]

Wait a minute...

....I thought normal was just a setting on the dryer????

:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

Am I missing something?

(Then again - I thought that "LIFE" was a cereal that came in a box too..so when asked if you "had a life" you checked your cereal cupboard...)

Peg

angieluv wrote:

Hopefully MBH..theire will come a day when your rabbits are back to normal

 

[MyBoyHarper]

LOL Peg!In my house "rabbits" + "normal" are two words that do not go in the same sentence.

 

[Maureen Las]

Right now my best friend is having the kind of problems that you are having with your rabbits.

One keeps getting abscesses and the elderly mini-rex is having problems with one of his legs.


It seems as if she is at the vet everyday.


I felt like that with Beau (my dental patient holland lop). I went through a lot with him last fall having to take him a couple hundred miles to a dental specialistand then make the same trip one month later.
I took Babette his bonded wife with him and she gotarespiratory infection when we got back (she is almost 7) and I think it really stressed her out.

When the rabbits are sick I am a nervous wreck.

 

[Haley]

Geeze, I have no clue on this one.

Can you get a video? That might help. Is it happening all the time or just when he's outside?

 

[MyBoyHarper]

Haley, I'm going to try to get a video, but I won't be back home till late tonight. (If anyone has checked the website of the rescue I work for, my best friend who runs it is getting married, yay!) So I am driving pretty far to get to the wedding.

As soon as I get home tonight, I'll take some video of the ticking. I may not be able to catch video of the odd breathing, since he won't be outside exerting himself. I'll let him run around the house some and see if he does it.

It really sounds as if cartlidge in blocking his nose, causing the ticking, and it's also inhibiting his ability to breath correctly or something. I think a vet visit is in order as soon as Chance is done.Heck, I may just call the exotics vet, schedule to bring Thumper in the same day as Chance, and get it all over with at once.

 

[Haley]

How is Thumper's breathing?