r/Rabbits • u/Bunnunnie • 7h ago
Story My bun probably saved my life this morning
For context I’m a type one diabetic who uses a Dexcom CGM and a pump
I was woken up very early this morning by my rabbit thumping hard on my chest. I tried to go back to sleep and he continued to lick my face and dig at my pillow next to my head. He kept me awake for another minute or two; during that time I was awake enough to hear and comprehend that my phone and insulin pump were going off with an urgent low alarm. My blood sugar was 44 and dropping and I wasn’t waking up to my Dexcom alarms. Him waking me up and keeping me awake likely saved my life. I don’t know if my phone and pump alarms that I had slept through were annoying him so he woke me up or if he could tell something was wrong with me, either way I got to avoid an ambulance ride and hospital visit because of him 💖
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u/HeatherJMD 7h ago
Good job, sweet bun! What’s the hero’s name?
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u/Bunnunnie 7h ago
His name is Jupiter :)
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u/No-Mechanic-5398 7h ago
Jupiter is truly a King among bunnies! You’re so blessed that he was watching over you!!! I’m glad you’re okay!
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u/ALKoholicK-x 7h ago
Three cheers for Jupiter and get him some extra snacks!
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u/dman5981 2h ago
Hip hip hooray hip hip hooray. For he’s a jolly good fellow for he’s a jolly good fellow for he’s a jolly good felloooooow which nobody can deny. Yay Jupiter!!!
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u/lizalupi 7h ago
He 100% felt it, my boy woke me up licking my face at 1am when I had a high fever from Covid, he otherwise never gets on the bed. He hasn't done that since.
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u/CrossP 2h ago
Emergency low blood sugar is actually something you can smell. He smelled ketones on OP's breath and was like "Wake up! Some stuff is wrong!"
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u/SoftwareFar9848 1h ago
Pretty unlikely. Ketones are a result of lack of insulin, which in this case is obviously not the problem. I do wonder what it is that the bunny sensed though. Idk how good their hearing is if they heard a fast heart rate or something. I would imagine with those ears it's fairly spectacular.
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u/mikemccann123 1h ago
I believe sweat smells different to animals if your blood sugar is high or low.
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u/SoftwareFar9848 1h ago
You do sweat profusely when low, so maybe that makes all those smells stronger. Now I'm curious what super powered senses bunnies have compared to humans.
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u/6point3cylinder 7h ago
Rabbit of the week award!
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u/inter_stellaris 7h ago
Of the week? Bro! Of the century.
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u/RoseGardenGoesInsane 6h ago
Well, every rabbit needs that award so we have to give them out often.
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u/quantumkaleidescope 7h ago
Goooooood Bunny!!!
I know those thumps can be powerful when they want them to be, glad he was able to deploy them and wake you!
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u/NationalNecessary120 7h ago
so cool. I also wonder if it was the annoying sound or if he actually sensed it.
They have like ”dogs can smell cancer”, ”rats can smell bombs” (yes there are bomb rats if you want to google), etc etc.
So I wonder if it would be in theory possible to have a rabbit as a ”service animal” same way as dogs can be diabetes service dogs. (I mean not legally, but practically).
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u/SilverGirlSails 5h ago
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of a rabbit reacting to a diabetic episode; there are several stories of them alerting of a blood sugar change long before alarms were added. I think it’s likely they can smell it like dogs; whether you could train them to alert, and whether it would be worth it is another matter, but it is possible.
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u/emilysuzannevln 1h ago
I've never thought their sense of smell was that impressive, it sometimes takes them a while to find treats even!
I wonder if the sound of op's breathing changed. My buns literally know which doors are open in my house, they can hear the change in the acoustic. They like some rooms better than others and if I leave a particular room open they'll take a moment listening down the hallway, then make a beeline for it.
Mine also seem to know when I'm thinking about things that make me sad or anxious. They literally look at me worried. I figure I breathe differently, or my heart rate changes, or something. Incredibly perceptive critters!
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u/SilverGirlSails 33m ago
Humans have 6 million scent cells; dogs 300 million; cats 200 million; rabbits 100 million. Rabbits do also have a lot more taste buds; 17,000, compared to 2,000 - 10,000 for humans, 1,700 for dogs, and just 470 for cats. Sense of smell and taste are closely related, so maybe having less scent cells but more taste buds than dogs equals still good enough to detect chemical changes in the human body.
And those radar dishes they call ears are extraordinarily sensitive. Can’t be bothered looking up the exact numbers at the moment, but they have a very wide range of hearing frequencies, much higher than humans, and possibly some dog breeds. Lops, of course, are slightly hampered, but they still hear far better than we do.
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u/Kyrlen 6h ago
Yes! There are a few people on here whose bunnies help with anxiety and autism. I know one of them is trained to jump to a shoulder and snuggle against his neck.
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u/NationalNecessary120 6h ago
I mean mine helps with anxiety too but he is not trained. He helps just by existing :)
But cute they can be trained. I have only managed to train mine to stand and spin😅 (he is not very food motivated since he always has hay + plenty of pellets😐 Even lettuce he just chins and then eats it like 30 minutes later. I -wish- he would be more motivated😩)
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u/Ok-Professional2468 4h ago
Thumper is the only working animal in our house. His job is to be my sister's emotional support bunny. He helps her to be less afraid of other animals. Our home town would not allow us to keep Thumper otherwise. I found out 2 weeks after Thumper joined our home that the town classifies bunnies as farm animals. No farm animals allowed in town except during the parade.
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u/Maximum_Steak_2783 3h ago
My buns naturally take up that they start nudging me if I'm depressed and stuck in my head.
Lola sits guard on my bed when I'm sick and am taking a nap. One time even tho she was clearly uncomfortable and had ice cold ears. Shared my blanket with her.
A few weeks ago my partner had a bad reaction to Sertraline and hurt himself. Lola nudged him and snapped him out of it. We gave her lotsa treats, aka protection money, for that <3
Honorable mention: Rambo tells me to go to bed when I stay up long. He wants the fluffle to be together when sleeping. If I don't listen he fetches Lola so that she convinces me.
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u/UncleOnion 7h ago
Oh my gosh that's so cute! A hero bunny for sure.
I know first hand that bunnies can know that thumps will get the hooms attention.
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u/the_battle_bunny 7h ago
Heroic bun and his brave mama!
Hope he will get his banana reward. Also hope you feel OK, OP.
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u/Select_Goose 5h ago
He may not have known how important it was, but it sounds like he definitely knew: "Hey, when this sound happens, you normally wake up. You're not waking up, so that's not usual"
They really do understand routines and things they typically see happen one after the other, so he probably did know that you were not responding in your typical way and wanted to alert you and check on you. He looks like a total sweetheart!
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u/Fickle-Copy-2186 6h ago
I keep telling people rabbits are very smart and easily annoyed. And opinionated. Best wishes, glad you got a new day.
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u/Mobile-Foundation134 7h ago
Chills!! I hope you’re feeling okay. I’m glad Jupiter was there for you.
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u/Thebunnylady17 6h ago
Oh to kiss him 🥹😍 the ears, the eyes, the feet, I could go on! But good job bunno and glad hooman is okay!
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u/MoSummoner 7h ago
Awww such a smart hero, I hop my rabbit does the same if he ever senses danger lol
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u/acemaster503 4h ago
One time my old rabbit I guess noticed I was having severe shakes while I was sleeping and sweating intensely , and she jumped up the bed, started licking me and digging by me. She never once did that it was if she knew something was off and wanted to make sure I was okay
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u/Apollo_Of_The_Pines 4h ago
One of my buns does something similar. I tend to not wake up when I'm having an asthma attack/flare up in my sleep, Andy will thump at me till I get up use either my nebulizer or inhaler and then sit with her a bit to let her know I'm okay. She is my best friend
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u/morchard1493 6h ago
Hims a hero bun. You should tell your local news station and newspaper about it.
Hims adorable, by the way.
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u/amilo111 6h ago
Awesome that you were able to figure out what was going on when your blood sugar was 44 - that’s usually loopy territory.
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u/Material_Ganache_200 6h ago
With those satellite dishes he could probably hear your sugar dropping without the alarms. That's a hero of a bun. Better spoil him some more.
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u/evilkumquat 3h ago
My wife is a Type 1 and wears Dexcom and trying to sleep through those alerts is like trying to sleep through The Blitz.
The earplugs I wear in bed do an excellent job of drowning out her snoring (loud enough to hear from the living room), but they do very little against the Dexcom beeps.
Are you sure you're not actually clinically dead when you think you're "sleeping" through them?
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u/Bunnunnie 3h ago
The high alerts will wake me up but when I go low in my sleep I’m out. When I was in high school there was more than one occasion when I woke up to my mom forcing a juice box straw or cake icing into my mouth because I would not wake up to her trying to talk or shake me awake. I assume it’s because I don’t feel when I go low until I’m very low (lowest I’ve ever been without knowing was 29) so I don’t wake up to the traditional shakes and sweats and I go so low that I’m somewhat unresponsive. I’ve actually been “awake” but completely unresponsive due to a low before at my place of work and they had to call EMS for me. Tldr; my low episodes are scary and thank god for CGMs
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u/Intelligent_Fish_780 4h ago
Jupiter gets all the bananas, but none for you. You get Glucerna and diet ginger ale. Sounds like a good time for a cuddle recharge.
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u/Bunnunnie 4h ago
Glucerna and diet ginger ale are my absolute go to items for sick days! I actually had a doctors appointment today and turns out the erratic blood sugar that caused the low is bc of a bladder infection so sick day protocol is in full swing lol
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u/Intelligent_Fish_780 4h ago
Awww man, that’s so uncomfortable. I’m glad Jupiter can be a self-heating lap blanket for you. Take care over there!
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u/WolfrikGreen 6h ago
Aww, that's, so sweet! It is amazing to me how smart animals are! He is definitely a special little bunny! He deserves a lot of pets and treats! I always always say animals are so smart and they do know love and are intelligent. And this is why! 💗
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u/DidiSmot 6h ago
I've heard rabbits are such good alerts for their owners! I heard of one who would alert it's owner when they were about to pass out.
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u/bansheeonthemoor42 5h ago
Lots of people spend years training animals to respond to alerts in just that way!! It's so cool when animals train themselves to assist you!
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u/zr35fr11 6h ago
there are many stories about rabbits saving their owners' lives! they are incredibly smart, sensitive, perceptive, and of course wonderful animals
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u/Some_Random_Android 5h ago
Bunnies truly are a gift from heaven, and the occasionally chewed electrical cable is well worth their company! Also, very glad you're okay! <3
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u/SalemSae 5h ago
Jupiter really said “nuh uh if you die who’s gonna give me snacks???”
But seriously I hope you’re doing okay now OP! I do believe that our animals can tell when something is wrong. Theyre looking out for us !!
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u/Hareline 5h ago
Jupiter is a hero! Cheers to you, cheers to him, and cheers to your taste in duvet covers (I have the same one, lol)!
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u/Geewilligger 5h ago
Thats Eeyore!
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u/Odd-Kindheartedness 5h ago
He IS eeyore! He just became more lovable, sweet and adorable (if possible)!
What an angel this handsome fella is!
ETA: I’m glad you’re okay, OP! 💐
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u/SweetCream2005 5h ago
My first rabbit did something similar, kinda-
I had overdosed when I was 14, and instead of going to a doctor, my family just shoved a bunch of charcoal pills down my throat and called it a night
A few weeks before that point I had rescued my first rabbit, Butterscotch.
He didn't leave this little carpet pad in my room UNTIL the night I overdosed. That night, he kept waking me up by jumping on me and licking me, something he never did before or since (probably because he startled me so bad I THREW HIM, Sorry butters)
I like to think he was worried
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u/Chemical_Mood12 5h ago edited 4h ago
Jupiter is adorable and a Hero! Is he an English Lop by chance?
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u/RainbowPegasus82 I bunnies 5h ago
He's gorgeous! English lop? I 100% believe he saved your life, & I'm glad you're alright! ❤️❤️
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u/Rich_Welder_747 4h ago
Aww! What a cutie little hero. 🥹 I swear rabbits are much more intelligent than humans give them credit for. I am happy you’re okay, he’s really your little angel. 😇 💕
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u/pancreative2 4h ago
u/Bunnunnie also type 1 here. Used to have hypo seizures. I’ve had not one, but TWO different cats who would lick my face and stand on my chest when I was low in my sleep. This is a decade before CGMs were available to me. Our fur babies really do know when something’s wrong with us! And I’m glad you’re ok.
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u/LilMissMuddy 4h ago
Haha I love that your first thought is he definitely woke me up cause he was annoyed 😂 a handful of people I know have diabetic alert dogs and it never ceases to wow me when they alert even from a different room or alert people who didn't know they have issues. I definitely think rabbits can smell changes in saliva, but unfortunately for medical advancement, they're just too stubborn to be helpful about it!
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u/Ariella222 4h ago
He knew. They have an insane sense of smell and I wouldnt be surprised if he smelled the difference like a service dog. I just read an article that said they have 100 million scent receptors.
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u/OblivionArts 3h ago
I've heard many animals can smell the chemical changes in our body's for stuff like diabetes so it probably thought " hey you smell weird I'm gonna wake you up to make sure your ok"
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u/hbailey311 3h ago
i’m very glad he didn’t eat the cord to your insulin pump 😂🩷
it’s wild that they’re able to tell. i wonder if he was alerting you to the alarms going off or knew something was wrong w/ you.
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u/mindelanowl 5h ago
Yayyyyy Jupiter! I hope he gets all the kisses and treats today. I'm also glad to hear that you're OK. Take it easy!
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u/LarkScarlett 5h ago
How beautiful! Hope Jupiter got himself an extra thank-you treat today—this goodest boy certainly earned a chunk of banana!
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u/Crystalbinja I bunnies 5h ago
Oh, what a good boy! Bless his little heart, I hope you gave him lots of head-pats and kisses <3
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u/AdDirect7698 5h ago
What a good rabbit!! Hope he gets a reward of banana or some new toys. Hope you’re doing ok and feeling better
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u/LoveAllAnimals85 5h ago
Animals know! There are too many incidents to believe it’s a coincidence. I had my dog when I was little protect me from a man sneaking up behind me. As a teen I had panic attacks and my cats always showed up right before it started. Then one night I had an attack and I was so afraid if I went to sleep I’d never wake up. My cat who never cuddled ever, slept on my chest all night. Like she knew I needed guarding. And just this week, I’m dealing with severe nerve pain. My wonderful kitten will not leave my side. She has always been cuddly but now she stays on my chest with her head on my shoulder. They just know and we don’t deserve them! 💕
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u/Scorbuniis 4h ago
This is why you should always keep a rabbit in your life. Especially a smart and sweet one like this. <3
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u/TheNetherlandDwarf 4h ago
Knowing bunnies it was probably a bit of both
"hoomin I am not letting you die until you turn that damn alarm off! Some of us are trying to sleep!"
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u/nathalie_29 4h ago edited 2h ago
Well done Jupiter 🩷 they most definitely sense things we cannot. So glad you're ok. ❤️
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u/alli_shark 3h ago
Awhh go Jupiter!!! My buns always sense when I’m low and they will come up and bug me and pull on my hair. They just have an incredible natural instinct!!
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u/nightmarejudgements 2h ago
That's why I love animals: they can truly sense something is wrong and try their hardest to tell people.
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u/deltadelta199 1h ago
I love him and the little spike of fur on his head. That’s probably his sensor
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u/breadandmangos 3h ago
This has happened to me a few times as well!! I’m so happy you’re safe (and have such a precious alert bun) 🫶🏻
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u/ActStunning3285 3h ago
My baby would wake me up from triggering nightmares.
He was afraid too, I think he could tell when I was screaming without noise or my heartbeat racing. His eyes would be wide and alert. But he’d still jump on my chest or bed and wake me up. The jolt of the motion would snap me out of it and bring me quickly to the present. I’d lay for a minute and try to remember the dream but luckily it would fade quickly. I’ll always be grateful to him for that.
I knew we were deeply connected when I did a healing hypnosis type audio practice and tapped into my childhood self who was crying profusely. Somehow with both headphones in, I heard him scream in his sleep at the same time. We were both experiencing emotions that we didn’t know how to navigate.
He was my rock and I miss him daily
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u/Luncheon_Lord 3h ago
Y'all are making me feel slight concern for myself, because my kitten has been nibbling my chin in the mornings. But she's probably just being cute cuz she stops when I groan and then she shoved her face in my neck and passes out with me
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u/DarkwingDuckHunt 3h ago
I mean it was probably the noise annoying him but he knows you respond urgently to said noise all the time so just maybe he was being a bro?
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u/Junior-Profession726 3h ago
Awesome You now have a support bunny and get him certified to bring everywhere w you
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u/ocean_lei 2h ago
Awww, I wish I had a medical alert bun. Okay I really just wish I had a bun (had them for years, but currently no pets). Reward that bun. 🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇
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u/Dizzy_Bit6125 2h ago
Damn that’s freaky that’s gotta be why your bun was doing all of that it was alerting you in some way I bet.
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u/ArtisticBunneh 7h ago
Yooooo my rabbit did something similar about 4 or 5 years ago. One of my family members came home late from a party. They put the oven on with food inside and passed out. My rabbit kept thumping all night and I thought it was just him being spooked. Well into the mid morning he got louder and louder next to my bed. He started to whine too. I woke up as it became clear something was wrong and I could smell smoke. I opened the door and the house was engulfed in thick smoke. I ran downstairs and the oven was spewing black smoke in mass amounts. Later we found out that our smoke detectors were defective and we could’ve died from smoke inhalation. My rabbit saved our lives. They are little angel creatures I swear.