Bella breathes loudly when i hold her and makes a crying sound when i put her on her back?

[1357rabbitlover]

Bella is 4 months old, for about a fortnight she has been breathing loudly when i hold her, she breathes normally any other time, it's only when i hold her, it's like a panting sound but through the nose.
And recently when i put her on her back to clip her nails (which i have been doing with her from the first day i got her) she makes a panicking noise, it isn't a squeal or a grunt is like she's crying.. like this video of this bunny.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u-2EalfAyU[/ame]

What does this mean? Is she in pain?

 

[kkiddle]

It MIGHT be pain, but if it's only when you are holding her it's probably from fear. I've heard that rabbits will cry/scream if they are REALLY scared.
If she starts to do it any other time (like when she's on the ground, ect.) I would take her to the vet. But it sounds like it's from fear to me.
=)

 

[1357rabbitlover]

No, she only does it when i turn her over on her back.. but the weird thing is, is that she always jumps up on my lap and flops down, maybe she just doesn't like it when i force her to do it? I have put her on her back to clip her nails since the first day i got her, so it's strange how she's just started to do it now.. :?

 

[kkiddle]

Hmmm. I would bring her by the vet just in case. Maybe she tweaked something in her back that only hurts when you flip her.

 

[Ellie]

My rabbit does this every time I told him. He HATES being held... I feel so awful cuz that noise breaks my heart.
Also, I brought him to the vet to get his nails trimmed because I don't trust myself, and he made that noise the whole time but 10x louder and faster. I literally almost passed out because it upset me so much. It could potentially be the nail clipping that's upsetting him, like it did to Buster.

Not sure what else to say... sorry! But if she is doing it a lot I'd suggest taking her to the vet.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sounds like Nikki--she doesn't want to be picked up or handled and does the same thing. If your bun is eating and voiding normally and getting around alright I wouldn't worry. My son helps me do nails, so he holds them upright while I do one paw at a time. Maybe you can solicit some help.

 

[1357rabbitlover]

Yeah, she's eating, drinking, and pooping fine.. the noise is awful isn't Ellie! The first time i heard it i panicked and thought i had seriously injured her.

Do bunnies remember if you hurt them when you cut their nails? because the time before last when i was cutting Bella's nails i made her bleed and she jumped up so it must of hurt a bit.. just wondering if maybe she has remembered this from last time and now thinks that it's going to happen all the time?
Thank you for the replies, i was worried but i'm glad it doesn't mean anything serious!

 

[gmas rabbit]

I have always had big bunnies, so clipping their nails by myself if next to impossible, at least for me. I take them to the vet technican - she charges me $12-15 to them. I set the rabbit on the examining table covered with a towel so they don't slip, slip my arm around them and tuck them tightly against met. The technican retreaves on foot at a time and clips the names. This would work if you can get someone to help you.

 

[1357rabbitlover]

She doesn't kick or anything, she lays still so i can do it myself, she just cries I don't really want to add on more stress to her by driving to the vets, or groomer.