PLEASE, help snuffles question?

I took my rabbit Macy to the vet twice now trying to cure her of sneezing with discharge. both times he has given her vibramycin, he just refilled it the second time. he is the suggested rabbit vet in my area- but just from my research I don't understand why he is prescribing her that...
she is not really improving and it's getting expensive to keep bringing her in and for him to keep giving her the same stuff. should I try a different vet? she has been sick for about a month now, and been on the medication almost that whole time. the sneezing and white discharge are her only symptoms- she is eating regularly, active, pooping normal and sassy/silly as ever.
I'm just getting frustrated because he is supposed to be the best in the area but he doesn't seem to be prescribing her one of the suggested medications for pastuerella. she is my baby and a very beloved pet and I just want her to feel better.
any suggestions? any experience with vibramycin? what would you suggest/what has worked for you? and putting her down is not an option, so don't suggest that.

PLEASE HELP!

Wow im sorry that is happening to you and to your bunny, I would try another vet because he's obviously not a good vet like he's supposed to be, sorry I can't help you other then that hope your bunny feels better.

Upper respiratory infections can be extremely difficult to clear up in rabbits, because of poor blood flow in nasal passages making it difficult for antibiotics to get to the infection. One month of antibiotics is pretty typical. Sometimes it can take much longer though. But you should be seeing some sort of improvement in this time. If not, then your vet should be reevaluating the antibiotic and possibly switching to another, as the bacteria may not be sensitive to the antibiotic being used.

Though vibramycin(doxycycline) may not be as commonly used, the antibiotic prescribed really depends on the bacteria involved. Baytril is often the first antibiotic vets will go to because it is one of the safer ones for rabbits, but it isn't always the most effective for URI's. There are others that may be more effective at reaching the infection, but even then you need the right antibiotic for the bacteria involved. Did your vet happen to take a swab of the bacteria and have a culture and sensitivity done on it to find out the specific bacteria involved? This can sometimes help in picking the most effective antibiotic, though the test results may not always be completely accurate.

You could try a new vet, or discuss with your current vet changing the treatment. The best thing when going into the vet is to do your research to be as informed as possible when discussing your rabbits illness and treatment with the vet. If this vet isn't willing to listen to your concerns and work with you, then definitely find a new vet that will.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=13366
http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

update: I finished the vibramycin and then took her to a new vet that I found from the house rabbit society... best decision I could have made! she has been on a new antibiotic and seems to be improving greatly! she is at probably 95% and still getting better each day! I'm definitely an advocate for trying a new vet if yours isn't making you happy.
my old vet made me feel rushed and the visit only lasted 15 minutes with few questions. the new vet visit was about an hour, incredibly thorough and she asked things and mentioned things he didn't even brush on... crazy thing is both visits cost the same! anyways I am a happy bunny mommy now

I'm really glad you found a good vet to help your bun. Nothing worse than having a disappointing experience with a vet, when trying to help a sick animal. A good vet that actually listens and knows what they are doing, is worth their weight in gold :thumbup Out of curiousity, what antibiotic did your new vet put your bun on?

If you get a chance, it would be great if you could post a personal recommendaiton for your vet on the RO vet listings for your area. It's always helpful when someone is looking for a rabbit vet, to actually read of someone elses experience.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/forumdisplay.php?f=21

hamsterdance said:

update: I finished the vibramycin and then took her to a new vet that I found from the house rabbit society... best decision I could have made! she has been on a new antibiotic and seems to be improving greatly! she is at probably 95% and still getting better each day! I'm definitely an advocate for trying a new vet if yours isn't making you happy.
my old vet made me feel rushed and the visit only lasted 15 minutes with few questions. the new vet visit was about an hour, incredibly thorough and she asked things and mentioned things he didn't even brush on... crazy thing is both visits cost the same! anyways I am a happy bunny mommy now

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Reading this made me really happy for you and your bunnie Not often that you hear good news after a bunny gets the snuffles.
I'm curious, what antibiotic did the new vet used that has been working so well?

she is on trimethoprim-sulfa! and I'm happy too! the vet said she didn't think it was pastuerella/snuffles but rather a different sort of upper respitory infection (phew!). hopefully she continues improving and can begin rebonding with my other bun Lola!