Why is my bunny breathing fast? (About 120 Breaths per Minute)

Question

I noticed that his chest is rising and falling very fast. Is this anything to be concerned about?

Answer 1

As noted by others respiration of 120 per minute requires an immediate visit to the Vet. Normal Respiratory rate for rabbits is 30 - 60 breaths per minute.

References

• Temperature, Heart and Respiration Rates
• When your rabbit needs to see the vet NOW
• Normal Temperatures, Pulse Rates and Respiration Rates for Pets

Observation I am sitting in my home office with my rabbit & my laptop on my lap. The Temperature in the room is 77, my feet are up on the desk and I am reaching over the rabbit to type. I looked down and notice she is breathing more than twice per second (i.e. 120+ per minute). I took her back to her room where it is cooler. A few minutes later she is resting on the floor and has a normal respiration rate. It would seem that like many other furry animals rabbits breath faster when they are warm. If your rabbit may be overly warm take a look at How can I keep a rabbit cool?

Answer 2

Look for help NOW, I once had one rabbit suffering from these because he was not properly protected from rain, it was pneumonia. As a general rule:

1. Make clean water always available.
2. Protect from sun, cold night and rain.
3. Provide a relaxed environment (e.g. without dogs barking).