Rabbits sleep a lot during the day because of the extreme temperatures. They remain active in the early morning, late afternoon, and evening. People become worried when their bunnies remain inactive and keep lying down during the day and sleep more than their usual routine.
Why Does My Rabbit Always Lay Down? Rabbits always lay down because of feet injury, tummy aches, floppy bunny syndrome, feeling relaxed and happy, signs of affection, hot temperature, old age, boredom, and ear infections.
It is normal to get worried when rabbits sleep more than usual. You can call an experienced veterinarian when you see their lethargic and unusual behaviors.
Why is my rabbit lying down so much?
These are complex body creatures with different body language gestures, and it is necessary to understand them when you are keeping them as a pet. You can identify their behaviors and gestures from their subtle body language.
Injury on their feet
You rabbits keep laying down so much because of injury and foot pain. Severe pain reduces mobility, and they do not play or jump over.
The issue occurs because of sore hocks, which are the tip of their heel and are covered with fur. Hard or uneven floors cause sore hocks in these animals and remove the fur from this area.
Exposed skin develops injury when it comes in direct contact with harsh and abrasive floors. The issue also comes when they jump or play on abrasive and hard rugs.
The hard wire of the cages also causes foot injury in these animals. In addition, poor hygiene, excessive weight, and long nails cause this problem.
Feet injury can also occur because of weeds, nails, and other abrasive elements in your lawn.
Tummy ache
Sometimes, they are lying down because of the tummy ache and gastrointestinal issues. They do not move around or play with their companions because of pain.
Tummy aches in these animals occur because of changes in their food pattern. In addition, the issue also comes because of the unbalanced diet, which is not rich in fiber.
Loneliness and stress because of their missing partner also affect their gastrointestinal system because they cannot live alone. Rabbits remain in a hunching posture and tuck their legs under their body to create pressure in the tummy area.
Sometimes, they do not have energy because of a poor diet and cannot move around.
Floppy bunny syndrome
The floppy bunny syndrome is the disease in these animals, and its exact cause is still unknown. It causes weakness and their body, and they do not remain active.
Rabbits rest on the floor because of their weakness and decreased energy levels. It can also cause paralysis of their body, which makes them unable to hop around.
The common symptoms of this syndrome are little or no movement. In addition, you can also see weakness and paralysis in the body.
They also stop eating and drinking, making them lethargic and weak. Taking your animal to the veterinarian for a blood test to diagnose the disease is better.
Feeling relaxed and comfortable
The different body postures depict the behavior of these animals. Sometimes they take long naps and keep lying down because of a relaxed and comfortable feeling.
You do not need to worry if your rabbit sleeps with extended front paws in the forward direction and back feet on one side.
The specific posture shows that there is no underlying issue, and they are feeling relaxed and comfortable. In addition, the posture also shows their happy behavior, and they are free from depression and anxiety.
Sign of affection
One of my friends who has rabbits at home always complains that they sleep beside them for hours. It is the body language, and they show affection with their owners.
It shows their affection for their friends because they do not sit beside anyone. They only come near the people which they like.
They show affection when you pet and groom them to make them feel relaxed. Sometimes they also sleep near you when you pet them on their head.
These pets need affection, attention, and love from their owners for their physical and emotional well-being.
Hot temperature
Sometimes they are lying down because of the high temperature. These animals do not withstand the high temperature and become ill.
They cannot survive in high temperature because of the fur on their body, which increase the heat. They retain more heat from the environment because of the hair on their body parts.
They remain inside and cannot come outside to eat and play when it is too hot. In addition, extreme heat in summer is not tolerable for them, and it can also lead to their death.
They cannot regulate their body temperature when outside temperatures exceed 30 °C.
Old age
It is the natural and comfortable position of rabbits in their old age. Older species spend most of their time resting and relaxing their body instead of playing and jumping like younger ones.
Physical activity decreases when these become old because of weakness and lack of energy. It is not a sign of behavioral issues and physical illnesses, and you do not have to worry about them. In addition, these animals also show this body gesture when they are sad and feeling bored.
They are always lying down when they lose their partner and miss them.
Ear infections
Ear infection because of ear mites is common in rabbits which can make them uncomfortable because of pain. It is an infectious disease and can occur when healthy animals come into contact with the infectious ones.
In addition, it can also occur because of bacterial and yeast infections. Sometimes, small foreign particles can also get inside and cause ear infections.
They are lying down because the infection causes pain in their ears.
Use the Q- tips to clean their ear correctly and remove the small particles from them.
How long do rabbits sleep?
Rabbits sleep a lot during the day because of the hot temperature. They spend most of the day time during sleeping and taking short naps.
On average, they can sleep 12 to 14 hours daily. They only become active and play in the early morning and the evening because of less heat.
It is normal to get worried when they keep lying down for more than 14 to 15 hours. People get worried when they do not get up in the morning and evening to play and groom.
They remain lethargic and do not respond when you pet or entertain them.
What to do if my rabbit is always lying down?
They usually rest in the same place for hours because of their normal routine. In addition, sometimes, rabbits show the same behavior because of depression and underlying health issues.
It is necessary to consult the veterinarian when you try to wake them, and they do not respond to you. The lethargic and unresponsive behavior of these animals depicts health issues.
Bonding and interacting with them is necessary because they also show this behavior because of loneliness and depression. Interacting with them and keeping them with their rabbit companions is better so they do not feel sad.
They also need a lot of places for jumping and playing and become sad when there is not a sufficient place for their playing. Do not keep them in the cage; let them out in the morning and evening so they can play and exercise.
Rearrange their habitat and add different toys to renew their interest and make their habitat accessories attractive.
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