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| wheezing and heavy breathing | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 11 2014, 07:02 AM (370 Views) | |
| greenfairy | Jan 11 2014, 07:02 AM Post #1 |
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New to the Addiction
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Pancakes (1 year old) just gave birth a week ago and I'm worried that me carrying her out of the cage to the nest box for supplemental feeding has stressed her out. She sneezes occasionally but I'm not sure if its cos of the fur in the nest box or dust or something... There is no mucus when she sneezes. She is still really active, eating a lot and drinking normally... The weird thing is, I don't know if it's sniffing or wheezing but when I feed her alfalfa hay, it seems like she's enthusiastically sniffing the bowl so hard that a wheezing sound comes out and her breathing gets heavy. Not sure if she's overly excited or ill. She's eating a lot and active but the sounds she made are just really worrying. There's no noise when she's lying down and resting though. |
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| NeuBunny | Jan 11 2014, 08:57 AM Post #2 |
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Genetics Geek!
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unfortunately, I can't provide any advice from the description. Pregnancy/nursing can bring on stress, as could carrying her to the nest box. Stress can bring on wheezing. But stress can also bring out hidden diseases (things the normal immune system was handling fine). I make sure nursing does have hay 24/7 (free feed) but use a grass hay (timothy) rather than alfalfa. That might help eliminate the 'overexcited' aspect. Most folks I know who take out nestboxes (I just leave them with mom all the time, so she can nurse whenever she wants) bring the nestbox to the mother, not the mother to the box. Is that an option? Otherwise, without mucus I would be in a 'wait and watch' mode. |
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| NCK | Jan 11 2014, 09:04 AM Post #3 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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The stress of raising a litter can bring out sneezing in some does. It could be that if you have pine shavings or something in her nestbox, they are bothering her nose, but it sounds like it's just the occasional sneeze. I have one doe who used to do that, and her first litter was the worst. I would just keep a close eye on her, and it should go away by the time that you wean her kits. As long as there's no snot and it's not too often, I wouldn't be too worried. It sounds like she gets very excited about her alfalfa! She's probably just sniffing/chomping so eagerly that it gets up her nose. Does she stop the wheezing when she's through eating her hay? Perhaps give the hay a good shake to rid it of any dust/fines before she eats it. If she keeps it up, you might see if another kind of hay would be any better? Hoping she will be just fine:) Please let us know how she does! |
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| ZRabbits | Jan 11 2014, 12:27 PM Post #4 |
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Love My Lions!
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My Flemish Doe will start to sneeze when she buries her head in her hay. I've do also, as NCK has suggested, shake my hay before giving it to her. My doe actually had a sneezing fit last night due to drinking out of her water bowl. Must of got some water up her nose. She also does a little snort after grooming. I've noticed this started about a month ago. Every time she did it I would check for snot, check her eyes, her ears, her jaw. Nothing. No sign of any illness. I guess it's a habit she formed? She's healthy, eating, drinking, no matted front paws, no snot, so I would think it would be just a habit she has. She's our first Big Doe, so it's all new. Like Neubunny stated, "wait and see" would be my suggestion as well. Just observe her. Could be just something she does during kindling and could disappear after weaning. Good sign, no snot, and about when she's completely relaxed, she breathing normally. I would think it would continue, even when she was relaxing, if it was illness setting in? KAZ |
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| greenfairy | Jan 12 2014, 12:16 AM Post #5 |
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New to the Addiction
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Thanks for all the replies. Was quite worried about her the last two days but she was fine today. She did get excited today and sniffed her alfalfa but no wheezing sound and no sneezing or anything like that. Perhaps she was just stressed the last few days. Especially yesterday cos I had to trim her nails. I used to have to bring out the box and bring her to the box cos she would just hop out if she were in her cage. She's a lot better at feeding the babies now though. Today I fed her alfalfa hay and after finishing the hay in her bowl, she gazed at me and I looked back at her for awhile. Then she hopped into the nest box and voluntarily fed the kits though it was in the middle of the afternoon and they had already been fed! Guess she's started to learn from the supplementary feeding cause I always gave her treats after those pretty happy about that so I refilled her alfalfa hay straight after (which I would've done even if she hadn't hopped in to feed them) haha.
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| ZRabbits | Jan 12 2014, 06:30 AM Post #6 |
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Love My Lions!
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I know it is a bit of a worry when it comes to sneezing and rabbits. Glad to hear she's been fine the last two days. Also so thrilled that her Mothering skills have gotten a lot better as well. Amazing how smart rabbits are, isn't it. She understood the routine with feeding vs treats. Would have refilled the alfalfa for her right away as well. KAZ |
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| greenfairy | Jan 12 2014, 03:35 PM Post #7 |
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New to the Addiction
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Yep, she sneezed again at night though I figure its probably the hay, cause she's sniffing it so enthusiastically that she's inhaling it and that's what causes the sniffing and wheezing cause it's been snorted up her nose. Oxbow's alfalfa hay comes mostly in the little bits though, so maybe I would have to try just giving her long strands of hay or something? Haha yes she is very smart but lazy! After awhile she thought just jumping into the nest box and out instantly would be enough to warrant a treat hahaa.
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| ZRabbits | Jan 19 2014, 05:58 AM Post #8 |
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Love My Lions!
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How's everything going? Hope all is well. KAZ |
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pretty happy about that so I refilled her alfalfa hay straight after (which I would've done even if she hadn't hopped in to feed them) haha.
I figure its probably the hay, cause she's sniffing it so enthusiastically that she's inhaling it and that's what causes the sniffing and wheezing cause it's been snorted up her nose. Oxbow's alfalfa hay comes mostly in the little bits though, so maybe I would have to try just giving her long strands of hay or something? Haha yes she is very smart but lazy! After awhile she thought just jumping into the nest box and out instantly would be enough to warrant a treat hahaa.
1:59 PM Jul 11