What does it sound like when a rabbit coughs?

[m.e.]

Rex and Peanut were just laying on the floornext to each other, and Rex started making these grunting noises. Theywere short and close together, kind of sounded like he was forcing airout, but that's what he sounds like when he grunts. He wasn't hunchedover or anything, just laying on his side, feet out behind him, makingthese rapid little sounds.

To my paranoid mommy mind, it sounded like he was coughing :? Do rabbits even cough? How would I know for sure if that was it?

 

[Buck Jones]

Have never heard a cough, perse. Have experienced gasps for air from ailing bunnies, but Rex doesn't appear to be distressed. I wonder if this is another thing that rabbits are supposed to be incapable of, but people report of anyway? Like vomiting or passing wind?

Be interesting to see what appears in this thread.

Buck

 

[m.e.]

Well, I haven't heard it since. The time of thatpost was 10:30 pm, and I was awake with the bunnies until well after 1am. They did engage in some vigorous binky-ing and Bunny 500's, nosigns of anymore "coughing" or whatever that was.

The thing is, I fear that because I'm rarely home for more than a fewhours (these are the last couple weeks of the semester), that I may notbe picking up on any new developments that I can't immediately see orfeel when I'm doing the daily checkover.

It honestly did sound like a cough, I don't see why he would have been grunting, but who knows...:?

 

Im not trying tobe funny here But ihave never heard a rabbit cough, but i have heard a chicken sneeze and a rat bark, Both times it has happenedforthe first time itreally took me off guard , You knowthe feeling you stand therehalf frozen with fear and dontknow what to think , or whatto do .

Has the rabbit doneit again since the firsttime? Can you hear any rattlingin its chest when youhold your ear to it ?call me weird but i do this toall my animals and if i think ican hear something i whisk themoff to the vets ,, most times its nothingbut theres always the firsttime that it could be something.

 

[m.e.]

I'm at class at the moment, but he's definatelygetting a more thorough check-over when I get home today. And I'll behome with him all day tomorrow so I can keep an ear on things, so tospeak...

Having done a search, it seems that rabbits can and do cough, and itcould be anything from asthma to pneumonia to pastuerella. I'm inclinedto believe that it's nothing too serious given his lively demeanor. ButI will definately bring him to the vet's if I feel something is wrong.

*fret*fret*fret*

 

well as you knowwe will sit here and fret * fret * fret* with you till wehear something more , Hope everythingis well . keep usposted .

 

[m.e.]

Okay, I've just gotten home and looked him overclosely. Eyes are bright, no nasal discharge, clear breathing sounds -in other words, nothing out of the ordinary

I haven't heard the coughing again, which could be due to the fact thatI haven't been home much today, but it could also be that it was afluke occurance. I'm certainly hoping it was the latter.

At the moment, nothing about his demeanor suggests a trip to the vet'sis needed. He and Peanut will be going within the next month anyway, soif nothing else happens I'll just hold off until then.