Hello, I came home from a small trip to find that my nearly seven month old female bun, Fiona was acting oddly aggressive. She began thumping a lot that night in the cage, even throwing herself into the cage sides for no reason while I was trying to sleep. I thought maybe she was mad I moved her cage to a new room in the house since it began a few days after that. The very next day I began to notice she was making sneezing sounds, however the more I hear them the more they sound more like snorts. I've kept an eye on her and her eyes aren't goopey or watery, neither is her nose. She is acting pretty normal, still loving, no biting me, still playful and eating food and treats, she is drinking a a little more water than usual but even her bathroom habits are the same. She's a little bloated, someone mentioned she could be in heat for the first time? Should I be worried about the sneezes/snorts?
Sneezing/snorting?
- Thread starter Hauuns
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Sounds like what some describe as a grunt? Grunting is one of the several potential signs of hormones. I assume she is not spayed? Grunting, lunging, growling and biting are all possible signs of hormonal behavior.
Rabbits don't actually go "into heat" the way, for instance, dogs do. Rabbits are induced ovulators. So being mounted by a male induces her to ovulate.
It sounds like hormonal behavior. You may want to consider spaying her.
Rabbits don't actually go "into heat" the way, for instance, dogs do. Rabbits are induced ovulators. So being mounted by a male induces her to ovulate.
It sounds like hormonal behavior. You may want to consider spaying her.
When a rabbit 'throws' itself into the sides of it's cage, it is usually because the rabbit is panicking and terrified. It's possible something frightened your rabbit, especially accompanied with the thumping. Or something else may have happened, like a health condition that caused your rabbit to panic.
If your rabbit is truly sneezing and doing it consistently, there may be some sort of respiratory issue going on. They won't always get a runny nose with it. The event of your rabbit panicking could also be related if she might have choked and this has lead to the current possible respiratory issue.
If by 'throwing' herself at the sides of the cage, you mean she wasn't actually running into them but biting or going at them because she wanted out, then this could just be a boredom and behavioral issue. And if it isn't sneezing that she is doing but more like grunting at you because she is upset at something, It could be that she is upset about you being gone and is letting you know it.
From your description it could be a possible health issue or it could be behavioral. You will need to determine which is actually going on. If you aren't sure you could video it and post it. That may help us figure out what is occurring. If she is in fact sneezing and it is happening frequently, then it would be a good idea to have her seen by a vet. This is especially important if she is showing signs of bloating and a distended belly. If you really do feel like her belly is distended and not normal, you really should have her seen right away despite her not showing any signs of lack of appetite. A bloated belly can very often indicate a serious health problem. If you take her to the vet, it would be good to bring a fresh fecal sample for them to test. Is she eating her normal amounts of food? Any changes in her poop, is it mushy or smaller than usual?
If your rabbit is truly sneezing and doing it consistently, there may be some sort of respiratory issue going on. They won't always get a runny nose with it. The event of your rabbit panicking could also be related if she might have choked and this has lead to the current possible respiratory issue.
If by 'throwing' herself at the sides of the cage, you mean she wasn't actually running into them but biting or going at them because she wanted out, then this could just be a boredom and behavioral issue. And if it isn't sneezing that she is doing but more like grunting at you because she is upset at something, It could be that she is upset about you being gone and is letting you know it.
From your description it could be a possible health issue or it could be behavioral. You will need to determine which is actually going on. If you aren't sure you could video it and post it. That may help us figure out what is occurring. If she is in fact sneezing and it is happening frequently, then it would be a good idea to have her seen by a vet. This is especially important if she is showing signs of bloating and a distended belly. If you really do feel like her belly is distended and not normal, you really should have her seen right away despite her not showing any signs of lack of appetite. A bloated belly can very often indicate a serious health problem. If you take her to the vet, it would be good to bring a fresh fecal sample for them to test. Is she eating her normal amounts of food? Any changes in her poop, is it mushy or smaller than usual?
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It's tough because she is giving everyone but me an attitude and she is eating normal amounts, her poop is normal as well, still small and round. She seems to be eating faster and seems thirstier. However, she literally is acting hormonal which is why the sneezing/snorting sound is confusing.
