Further information written by Stephen Flores, carer of Star, in 'The Bunnyguy Newsletter':

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A rabbit choking to death is a lot more common than you might think. Do you know how to tell if your bunny is choking on something? Do you know what you should do if this happens, especially since mere seconds count?

Rabbit often can choke on a piece of salad or rabbit pellet food, especially if your bunny is a particularly voracious eater. Some rabbit lovers do not feed their bunny their pellets in a bowl for this reason and instead, spread their food around on the ground. This forces your rabbit to eat more slowly, instead of gobbling up his food as fast as he can from his bowl.



First, I would like to describe some of the symptoms that would tell you that a rabbit is choking. It is fairly easy to notice that something is seriously wrong, because your rabbit will usually be in a panic.



Think if you were suddenly choking and could not breathe. You would most certainly be in a panic and needing someone to assist you, immediately. Your bunny is no different.

Most likely, he will be racing around and freaking out, because he knows that he is about to die.



If your rabbit is doing this suddenly for no reason, especially if you know that he was just eating or chewing on something, then you must assume that he is choking.

At this point, it is critical that you catch him as quickly as possible, so that you can perform a "Bunny Heimlich Maneuver".



This may be easier said than done, because your rabbit will not be thinking and will be acting instinctively. You will want to be able to catch your bunny as quickly as you can. He may be kicking and flailing uncontrollably, so do not lose control of him and grasp him very firmly when you do catch him.



Sometimes, rabbits are so stunned that they do not race around, but you will see him gasping for air. It may appear that he is chewing at the air, which is sometimes his reaction to try and breathe.



Once again, there is no time to waste and you must get a hold of your bunny as quickly as you can. Hold him firmly, in case he suddenly tries to bolt and run away. You do not want to waste precious time trying to catch him again.



Place your rabbit on your arm with his legs straddling it on each side. Grip his head on both sides with that hand and use your other arm to firmly hold the rabbit on top of your arm by putting pressure on his back.



Raise him up until he is just above the level on your head and then quickly swing him downward. This is just like the Heimlich Maneuver that would be used for an infant human child.



You are using centrifugal force to propel the blockage out of his throat. You may need to do this very quickly, several times to dislodge whatever is blocking his breathing.



Hopefully, this will do the trick. If it does not, do not stop doing it until your rabbit is breathing normally, again. Sometimes, a lot of force is necessary to make it work. Just be sure to hold your bunny firmly with your other hand on top of his back to avoid losing control and flinging him across the room.



I have heard two different stories of rabbits whose lives were saved from performing this little trick. You can only hope that you never need to do this, but better to know about it and never need it, than to wish you knew what to do, in case your rabbit is suddenly choking to death.