do bunnies get hiccups?

[SnowyShiloh]

Something weird just happened! I was just looking at and talking to Tallulah in her cage, where she was sitting with her front paws in her food bowl (as usual) looking at me. Then she started bouncing up and down! She did it every 3 or 4 seconds for about 30 seconds, then stopped. It really looked like she was hiccuping. She didn't make any noise and didn't seem disturbed by it, she was just sitting there and wasn't over excited. Anyone know what happened?

 

[tundrakatiebean]

I've heard peopl say they do, here's an old thread about it

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=4194&forum_id=1&highlight=hiccup

 

[Marietta]

I've also read about people saying that bunnies can have hiccups in another forum. They also said that buns can do the noise humans do when they hiccup. I wouldn't know, sometimes my bun sits with his body straightened, his front paws barely touching the ground, and I can see the middle and back part of his body moving like in waves, I don't know how to describe this. When he does that, he also gets a bit of a disgusted expression on his face, but I don't know what this is or if this has something to do with hiccups. He never bounces or makes the hiccup noise, though.

Marietta

 

[Starina]

My bunny got hiccups when I first brought her home and she finally had her first veggies. She ate them so fast that poor baby TinkleBunny got hiccups. She hasn't gotten them since her first month here.

~Star~

 

[Ivory]

Well, hiccups are a spasm of the diaphragm. I don't know how strong a rabbit's diaphragm is, because if I remember correctly their chest muscles are pretty weak. But I'm sure it's possible for them to hiccup.

 

[Ivory]

Marietta wrote:

I've also read about people saying that bunnies can have hiccups in another forum. They also said that buns can do the noise humans do when they hiccup. I wouldn't know, sometimes my bun sits with his body straightened, his front paws barely touching the ground, and I can see the middle and back part of his body moving like in waves, I don't know how to describe this. When he does that, he also gets a bit of a disgusted expression on his face, but I don't know what this is or if this has something to do with hiccups. He never bounces or makes the hiccup noise, though.

Marietta

What you're probably seeing are the involuntary muscles in his gut moving, digesting food. It's not always obvious in the darker or patterned rabbits, but you can see it in the white, solid bunnies better for whatever reason.

 

[Marietta]

Ivory wrote:

What you're probably seeing are the involuntary muscles in his gut moving, digesting food. It's not always obvious in the darker or patterned rabbits, but you can see it in the white, solid bunnies better for whatever reason.
[/quote



Thank you, Ivory! I was wandering if this was a natural behaviour or if there was something wrong with him. I'm so grateful that you made this clear for me!

Marietta

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Very interesting! Thanks, everyone! I don't think she was making any sounds, but I was on the other side of the room. It was rather cute. Most things she does are cute, though!

 

[polly]

I have bunnies that hiccup and sometimes they do make a little noise its kinda cute soon settles down though.

edit to say i can tell when its hiccups cause their head bobs like we do

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Polly, Tallulah's head was bobbing and that's why I thought it was hiccups! So funny

 

[polly]

yesah its kinda cute Saffy is very vocal anyway the first time it was the noise i noticed first then the head bobbing