trancing?

[bunnyfriend]

 I know there’s some controversy about trancing. What are your guys’ thoughts on this? 

[equalsign]

 I do it to check my girl’s stomach or teeth for issues. Sometimes we do it to clip her nails if she won’t let us otherwise and we’ve already tried another day. She doesn’t seem to mind being tranced. Usually we pet her and make them good for her. She’s not often shocked or upset when we let her out of them. She used to hate it, but our technique has improved greatly. Right now we’re having to do it daily to keep an eye on her jaw, since she just had surgery and the area is still open.

 

Our little boy is untranceable, but is more willing to be handled in whatever weird ways so we can still do what we need to.

 

I think its fine when the need or risk of injury outweighs the discomfort. It’s a goal of mine to no longer do it except for health checks in the near future.

[BinkyBunny]

 My personal feeling is you shouldn’t trance unless you need to get something done — nail trims, anal gland cleaning, some physical check needed.   If you can get through nail trims and anal cleaning faster this way, then that may be the way to go. I don’t know any other way to do anal gland cleaning without putting my bunny on her back — I’d be open to ideas though. 

But as far as trancing just for the sake of trancing, I don’t feel it is a good idea. Though a bunny “seems” relaxed, it is a prey response– basically to play dead, and to be put in that situation in the first place is stressful.  I have even heard of bunnies actually falling asleep and truly getting relaxed afterwards, but in general, that’s not the norm — as it is a stress response.  

 And that “pop up” or jerk that bunnies can do when they are in a trance is also dangerous for them.  It is meant to for a quick escape after they’ve remained motionless —  a way to fool their predator and make a quick getaway.   

The problem is, that that quick pop up can also catch us unprepared — some bunnies will also suddenly kick very hard.  Both things can cause serious injury. 

So my feeling is in general it is a stress reaction and so don’t do unless you have to, and when you do do it, make sure they are held or secured in such a way that will protect them and you from that sudden jerk, kick or escape. 

This is more information that supports “No Trance”  http://www.hopperhome.com/trancing_rabbits.htm

[TriBun]

I’ve never been able to get a rabbit to “trance.” I used to have to hold Rosy down on her back to put medication on her leg, but she was certainly not “tranced,”she would never stop trying to fight me. It makes sense that it is a fear-induced state and I wouldn’t use it unless necessary.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m unsure too. Like BB said their seems to be some thinking that they are not relaxed, and they definitely pop up. It seems to be an unvoluntary relaxed-like state.
I personally feel that if the rabbit is struggling and fighting you-that’s likely more upsetting than being upside down for the matter of seconds involved in a trim so for me, for my bunnies now that’s what we do. For Chuck and Noot-no trancing, they were too old, and stressed to do that. They would tense up if I tried, and they were perfect gentlemen to let me hold a paw and clip so I tranced only for glands for them.

But it’s brilliant for nails and anal glands, and vet exams. Once you get the hang of trancing you can trance anybunny-it was brilliant for the feral rabbits we had-even they would trance making nail trims a cinch.

[bunnyfriend]

Thank you everyone for sharing! I feel the same way, it’s so confusing. With my first bun I accidentally tranced him, not knowing that it existed, while trying to figure out his gender and I was so scared because I thought I had broke his back! He was breathing heavily and it did not look like a good situation for him. Then I read up about it and I felt so guilty! Wilbur is very good about letting me clip her nails and Totoro is such a gentle bun, he even willingly allows me to pick him up, but I have no idea how to clean their anal glands either without flipping them over like BB said…

[equalsign]

Posted By BB on 10/20/2011 09:28 PM

 I have even heard of bunnies actually falling asleep and truly getting relaxed afterwards, but in general, that’s not the norm — as it is a stress response.  

 

My bunny sometimes falls asleep during a trance! It definatly shocked me the first time.

[LoveChaCha]

I only trance for a very short amount of time. I do it to clip the back paws and I’m usually pretty fast at nail trimming. She is of course mad at me, but there is a raisin that fixes everything.

[Emmie]

Woah… trancing? What’s this?

[MoxieSox]

I’m another one who thinks trancing should be left to those times it serves a clear purpose. I don’t agree with trancing a bunny just for the sake of it. I only ever trance Mox to do his back nails (he’s fine with the front ones otherwise, the back are just hard to reach when he’s right side up). Beyond that, I keep it brief.

[bunnyfriend]

Posted By Emmie on 10/25/2011 08:37 AM
Woah… trancing? What’s this?

Trancing is something that happens when a rabbit is flipped onto their backs, they go limp and it’s a temporary paralysis. It is a response they have because they are prey animals and it’s meant for when they get caught by a predator so that the predator thinks the rabbit is dead and therefore relaxes its grip or sets the rabbit down and then the rabbit snaps back and runs for its life. Here’s a link that explains it a little better: http://www.hopperhome.com/trancing_rabbits.htm

 

With my bunnies I don’t need to trance them to clip their front paws or their back paws but I can’t think of any other way to clean the glands  and I really want to avoid doing it. Wilbur definitely does not seem relaxed at all, she breathes quickly and I can tell she is scared, of course that’s a natural response. Plus it just looks wrong to me to see her all limp like that. If anyone has figured out a way to clean the glands without trancing please let me know!

[Craig H]

i dunno i kinda just tried it because ive been trying to clip his nails and have been worried about it so i decided id give it a try but i covered him in a blanket first and made sure i had him supported and flipped him on his back and he stopped squriming enough for me to check about whereaboputs his scent glands were(still checking ) but i dint wanna have him upset so i only tireid it for a min or 2 and i kept the rest of himcoverdd in the blanket, especially his face and eyes,when he was on his back and start to squirm a little i would pet his belly,pretty nice,cause now i can checkup on him at home

[Craig H]

i dunno i kinda just tried it because ive been trying to clip his nails and have been worried about it so i decided id give it a try but i covered him in a blanket first and made sure i had him supported and flipped him on his back and he stopped squriming enough for me to check about whereaboputs his scent glands were(still checking ) but i dint wanna have him upset so i only tireid it for a min or 2 and i kept the rest of himcoverdd in the blanket, especially his face and eyes,when he was on his back and start to squirm a little i would pet his belly,pretty nice,cause now i can checkup on him at home

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