My Agouti Bunny and her nostrils and breathing

Question
I was wondering- I have an agouti rabbit, about 1-1/2 years old, and most of all the time she is breathing really fast. Also, her nostrils are purple-ish blue-ish. I was wondering if that meant that she isn't getting in enough air to breath. Can you help me?

Answer
Dear Bekah,

Many young rabbits have a rapid rate of breathing because their metabolism is so fast.  As long as she doesn't seem to be *laboring* to breathe, and seems healthy in all other respects, fast breathing isn't a major cause for concern.  

If you're not sure if her breathing is normal, it would set your mind at rest to have a good rabbit vet give her a complete wellness exam including a good listen to the heart and lungs.  You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Agouti and other darkish-colored rabbits sometimes have a purplish pigmentation around their nostrils, and this is normal.  If the pink parts of her nose, the inside of her ears, the pink parts of her eyes, and her lips and gums are nice and pink, then I would not worry about the purplish area near her nostrils.  The conjunctiva of the eyes and the lips and gums are by far better indicators of blood oxygenation, at least for casual examination.

Hope this helps.

Dana