Why does bunny shake

Pronounced and frequent head shaking is a sure sign of ear mites or a bacterial infection in the ear. Rabbits with longer ears, like those in the Lop family of breeds, are particularly susceptible to ear infections. Most breeds of rabbits are much more able to deal with cold weather than extremes of heat. If your rabbit is shaking during a hot day, look for other signs to confirm the possibility of heat stroke: A significantly raised heart rate, drooling, lethargy, or convulsions.

Any of these signs mean that you need to take your rabbit to the vet immediately! All rabbits are particularly prone to parasitic infections, with fleas and worms being common problems. Prolonged periods of stress caused by discomfort, danger, and loud noises can cause your rabbit to shake or jitter. This is usually accompanied by other signs of stress, such as an avoidance to being touched and unwarranted aggression.

Make sure that your rabbit has abundant access to food and water, as well as a safe place to retreat to if they are feeling overstimulated. Remove any potential stressors such as bright lights and loud noises and give them plenty of space to process their stress. Gastrointestinal GI stasis is a common cause of rabbit harm and death resulting from improper nutrition and food choices.

Any signs of GI stasis should be taken seriously and need to be examined and treated by a veterinarian. Many wild plants and herbs are toxic to rabbits and can cause swift and permanent damage if not treated quickly. Signs of poisoning are intense and worrying, most often involving your rabbit lying on its side and convulsing.

Act immediately and rush your rabbit to a vet, as eating toxic plants can easily prove fatal. While many instances of rabbits shaking are completely normal, any more severe twitching or convulsing needs immediate medical attention. When in doubt, call your vet for confirmation of anything that looks worrying. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.

Skip to content. Nov 03 Twitching Short, jerky movements are typical rabbit behavior. So, if your rabbit is laying on their side and twitching, it may have a parasitic infection. The most common parasite is E. Cuniculi, which causes a condition called Encephalitozoonosis. Parasites can be treated with antibiotics and pain relief. Early treatment is vital to prevent irreversible damage to the brain tissue. If your rabbit is shaking its head from side to side, this indicates ear mites or bacterial infection inside the ear.

Ear mites and bacterial ear infections are more common in the English Lop and Dwarf Lop rabbits, but any rabbit can be affected. In addition to head shaking, symptoms include:. So, if shaking is localized to the head, this is probably due to an ear mite infection or bacterial infection. These conditions can be treated with antibiotics and fluid therapy.

Inner ear infections are dangerous because they make it difficult for the rabbit to eat, drink, and stay clean, so they must be treated early. Trembling is one of the first signs of a stroke in rabbits. Strokes are quite rare, and trembling can be caused by many other conditions, too. Strokes will also cause the following symptoms:.

Strokes are becoming more common now that rabbits are living longer , but they are still rare. If a rabbit is laying on its side and twitching, this could be a sign of gastrointestinal stasis GI stasis.

Rabbits with GI stasis tend to lay on their sides to try and relieve their gassy tummy. So, if your rabbit is lying on its side, check if its stomach is bloated. This would be a clear sign of GI stasis. GI stasis is a severe condition that can cause death if not treated. To prevent it, make sure your rabbit is eating enough fiber grass hay and drinking enough water.

Rabbits should not be fed processed carbohydrates as this contributes to the problem. If a rabbit is chronically stressed , it will start to tremble and twitch. According to NI Direct head bobbing and side-swaying are signs of extreme stress.

These twitches probably have a self-soothing function. You should try and resolve whatever is causing your rabbit to become stressed. Rabbits are commonly stressed by:. If your rabbit is overgrooming or self-injuring due to stress, your vet may be able to prescribe a drug that will calm it down. But lying on their side and shaking is not necessarily a sign of illness. Rabbits sometimes lay on their sides when they are deeply relaxed.

According to Wabbit Wiki , some people mistake rabbit flopping for illness because it looks as if the rabbit has collapsed. Also, the gentle vibrations are mistaken for muscle twitches and seizures. Shaking is only usually a cause for concern if other symptoms accompany it. As rabbits approach death, some will shake and convulse. These convulsions are automatic muscle contractions.

They will try to shake badly or hide in our hands. You can even feel its nose buzzing and vibrating. Sometimes it happens when you trim their nails. It scares them. Another major cause can be the transition of one home to another. It can cause to rabbits that had a family before and later given to another family. You will see that it will hide and try not to come in front of you in this case. You need to figure out why your rabbit is afraid.

It could be a nearby pet that is lurking on your rabbit. It may be a stray animal outside the house. Try to go after your pet. Let it rest on your lap and gently brush your hair against its forehead and fur. Rabbits are friendlier to a human who is on the ground. Provide him with lots of good toys that will not make him feel alone. Ask your neighbors to relocate their pets to a distant place from the house.

Shaking is a sign of danger. There are many simpler things you can do to avoid this type of shaking in the future. First of all, if you do not want to reproduce any more rabbit babies , it is best if you neuter or spay the bunnies. Neutered rabbits are friendlier and less stressful. Plus they will not pee on every corner of the room to assert their dominance. If you want your rabbit to not get a heat stroke then do not take it out on hot summer days to play outside.

Take them in the evening or morning time. You may also maintain a low temperature in your house for the bunnies. They should not have access to such a place that is poorly ventilated and hot. Always provide it with fresh hay and water so that they keep themselves fresh. Treat them with fruit, vegetable, and leafy greens. If there are pets nearby that are causing your rabbit fear and anxiety, it is best if you track those animals and ask the owners to take care of them.

In this case, you might have to give up on a pet or not let them see each other. You would also make sure that the area they play in, the hutch they live in and their toys everything is clean and tidy. Messy things cause stress to bunnies. Do not invade their personal space. Rabbits love to have their own time and indulgence in it might cause a great shake for them.