# bunny laying on side? :(



## bunnyusa (May 18, 2004)

My 6 year old dwarf, Cloey has been lying on herback/side alot and sticking her legs up in the air, and staying reallystill...it looks like shes dead but when I go over to hershe jumps up. I don't know if this has anything to do with her entireback 'twitching' sometimes, but she's just started doing all this. Hasanyone else's bunny done this??


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## Carolyn (May 18, 2004)

Welcomethe the forum, BunnyUSA,

It could just be that she's getting comfortable or since she's gettingon in years, she might be feeling some pains of arthritis and is tryingto get some relief. Has she always done this or did it juststart?

-Carolyn


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## bunnyusa (May 18, 2004)

hey Carolyn, 

she just started doing this about a week ago.


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## Carolyn (May 18, 2004)

Does she do it often or once in a while?

Is she heavy?

Does she get enough of exercise? 

Arthritis can be as a result of her aging years and in some cases, lackof exercise can upset it. It's common in females and mediumto large breeds. Exercise can help, sometimes it can betreated with medication. It's not lifethreatening, and can beslow to progress. 

That is, _if_ it is arthritis.

-Carolyn


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## DaisyNBuster (May 18, 2004)

My Mums rabbit Hazel is 7 and spends a lot of timelay on her side with her legs out (only since she has beenolder)- It was worrying to see as you said, she only moveswhen called. I would take cloey to the vets to be on the safe side - Asif like Carolyn said it might be arthritis then she might needsomething to make her more comfortable! Is she outside or indoors? Asit has been warm - She might be laying down like that because she waswarm.

But I wouldn't like to take a gues on a bunnies health as I'm not a vet- I would gether checked out by a vet - even just for yourpiece of mind if it turns out its just something like age!

Oh and welcome to the board!

Vickie


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## Carolyn (May 18, 2004)

Good advice, Vickie!


* * * * * * *

BunnyUsa, 

You might try gently massaging the muscled areas of the back, andapplying a _Small Amount_ of heat to the area. A vet maygive you a pain relief/anti inflammatory medication, again, assumingit's arthritis.


-Carolyn


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## bunty (May 18, 2004)

All of my guys throw themselves over on theirsides and at first i was scared they had died or seizured. Some just dothat but my elderbuns lay like that a lot and I went to the vet and wastold it was athritis and also got a lecture about their weight as theyget older


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## Carolyn (May 18, 2004)

Definitely the added weight of the rabbit wouldreduce the workload for the rabbit. If it's arthritis, Cloeymay need help in keeping her hind quarters clean, watch for ear wax asit gets harder to clean herself.

-Carolyn


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## bunnyusa (May 18, 2004)

thank you for all the replies! 

She has some weight to her, but its pretty normal, shes notobese..she's now an indoor rabbit so she's always out of her cage now,running around my room. She's been flipping over on her side maybe onceor twice every 2 days (that I know of) she did it this morning. Also, Icalled a vet and he said she's probably just playing. but it stillworries me.


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## CuddlesMom (May 18, 2004)

*bunty wrote: *


> All ofmy guys throw themselves over on their sides and at first i was scaredthey had died or seizured. Some just do that but my elderbuns lay likethat a lot and I went to the vet and was told it was athritis and alsogot a lecture about their weight as they get older


OMG when mybunny first did that i think i lost all the color in my face i thoughthe was having a heart attack! And he isnt ummmmm calm about throwinghimself to his side! He can be sitting there all then BAM he drops tohis side the lil fellow scared the you know what outta mehahahahaha!


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## BunnyMommy (May 18, 2004)

Not sure if this is what's happening here, but it sounds a whole lot like a "bunny flop":

_Very relaxed rabbits will roll onto their sides oreven on their backs. A favorite way to do this is to first twist one'shead sideways, then fling the rest of the body into line so that thefeet fly out to the side. This is called a "flop" and indicates a veryhappy bunny. A happy rabbit may lie on its side (or back), and stretchor wiggle or sometimes just hold still there. It may even roll its eyesa bit so that the white shows. When you first see this you willprobably be afraid your rabbit is dead, because it looks pretty odd. Ifyou rush over to give it CPR, it will quickly right itself and lookstrangely at you for disturbing a nice stretch.
_

Reference:http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html


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## bunnyusa (May 18, 2004)

that sounds like it exactly! thank you BunnyMommy! I hope thats it.


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## pamela227 (May 18, 2004)

Oreo does that alot, when I have her out to play&amp; when she's in her cage, but as bunnymommy quoted, she's justbeing a happy bunny relaxing 

~pam


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## batbunny (May 18, 2004)

batman does it all thetime...first the flop, then the stretch. when hes ready to resumewreaking havoc, he stretches &amp; yawns &amp; does his littlescreech &amp; hes off like a bullet!


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## pamela227 (May 18, 2004)

lol Oreo usually does it &amp; wedges herselfbetween the side of the cage &amp; either her food bowl or haybowl.. sometimes I think she's going to knock herself out by floppingover so hard.. and against her dish too! 

awww batman screeches when he yawns! How cute!! 

~pam


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## batbunny (May 18, 2004)

hehe yea-the first time he didit, i was a bit alarmed. then he started doing it almostallof the time...its so cute!


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## MyBunnyLovesMe (May 18, 2004)

Megan often rolls right onto her back and sticksher cute little paws into the air. Then she lays on her side. And she'sonly 7 months old so I'm pretty sure my lil girl doesn't havearthritis...she's just a happy hyper little bun!


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## DaisyNBuster (May 19, 2004)

It sounds as if most bunnies do 'bunny flops'.From what MBLM has posted it sounds like thats what it is ! I wouldsay fromthatit probably means you have a happybunny


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## Carolyn (May 19, 2004)

Yay! She's just loving life byflopping! Tucker's not a flopper. Enjoyit. It's the cutest sight!

-Carolyn


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## Dawn (May 19, 2004)

I would say its normal Buster throws him self down on his side I was surprised :shock:the first few times he did it.


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## DaisyNBuster (May 19, 2004)

Sorry BunnyMommy just realised it was you that said about bunny flop! Gotta give you credit for that


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## carrots (May 19, 2004)

Some rabbits like been on their backs. If youcradle a rabbit on there back they will stick out their feet and mostof them will start to relax. Still go to the vet and get it checked outbut i'm sure it's nothing serious. Keep us all usdated.

Catherine x


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## Carolyn (May 19, 2004)

*vickiejcampbell wrote:*


> Sorry BunnyMommy just realised it was you that said aboutbunny flop! Gotta give you credit for that




Amen! Thanks for stating that Vickie!

-Carolyn


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## BunnyMommy (May 19, 2004)

*vickiejcampbellwrote: *


> Sorry BunnyMommy just realised it wasyou that said about bunny flop! Gotta give you credit forthat


LOL! No problem, Vickie! 

I remember the first time that Sherman did one. He scared myhusband to death. He truly thought that he wasdead. I had to tell him, "No, hon. It's just a'bunny flop'. Watch this."

I went over to the cage, shook the raisin box, and lo and behold ... an*immediate* and "miraculous recovery"!lol!


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