Can rabbits get sleep apnea?

[rebeccajdaily]

My rabbit sounds like she is snoring or struggling to breathe when she is sleeping... her breathing is quite normal when she is awake... but when she sleeps it is almost like she is wheezing or sometimes makes funny sounds... She seems to be sleeping fine and seems quite mad when I wake her up to make sure she is ok. She is a healthy weight and hops a lot during the day outside of her cage. Is this sleep apnea, snoring, bad dreams? Has anyone else had a similar thing with their rabbit (she is a [muttish] Holland Lop)

 

[Unregistered]

could be a lot of things

Is your rabbit a lop or other flat faced rabbit? They tend to have smaller sinus cavities due to their breeding / face shape, which could indeed cause this problem. Long hair can be an issue as well as rabbits groom themselves even more than cats, but have no way to throw up.

My guess is that it's a combination of breeding defects (flat face and long hair are actually defects that we've selected for), diet and health. Rabbits have extremely sensitive air ways which can easily be aggravated by any dust (even from the litter pan). Rabbits don't communicate well (except when it comes to wanting food), and thus you must be hyper-vigilant about their health issues, if you ever hear your bunny wheezing while it's awake take it straight to the vet as it's likely a respiratory infection. Same goes for a rabbit that has the runs or hasn't pooped in over 8 hrs.

However my guess is you are having the same problem I'm experiencing the same issue with my Lion Head rabbit, and it seems to correlate a little with molting cycles and diet. If the rabbit is currently molting, or if I reach the end of the bag of hay (rabbits should be kept on a 98% hay diet) with all the dust my rabbit tends to wheeze more. Try and pay closer attention and see if you can correlated the wheezing with anything (lack of water, low house hold humidity, dust, chemical cleaners, molting, second hand smoke) and do what you can to remove the irritant.

I've been able to reduce exposure to everything but the second hand smoke that comes in the the walls and floor boards from my neighbor, but noticed when he's 'trying to quit' my rabbit seems to sleep a lot better. I suggest a water bowl instead of a bottle to encourage drinking as is like the difference between a glass and water fountain for us. I suggest using wood or newspaper pellets for litter bedding instead of cat litter or shavings. Get a humidifier for the house if you are in a dry climate, your rabbit will thank you with binkies now that it's coat isn't static filled. If your rabbit is long haired, brush / comb it once a day / invest in a furminator, and possibly hairbuster comb (the hair buster works better on normal coats). Use vinegar and a steam mop to clean up after your buns.