Bunny sickness?

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Moonika

Active Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Messages
39
Reaction score
5
I have a male mini Rex about four months old, and he seems to be sneezing and sniffling often.

It’s been going on for about two weeks now, and I just moved him outside a few days ago. He has just a tiny bit of white discharge from his nose, and he’s rubbing his face often. Other than that he is normal and eating well, his personality hasn’t changed a bit.

So my question is, could it be something serious such as snuffles? Could he be irritated by wood chips? Or can bunnies get allergies with similar symptoms? And could it be contagious? I have other bunnies too.
 
Bunnies can get allergies, and several are sensitive to the dust from woodchips. It could also be an infectious disease; how are the rest of your bunnies? Does he appear to having any difficulty breathing or wheezing sounds? I would take him off woodchips for now so you can eliminate that as a cause, as he appears okay in himself. If the purulent discharge continues please take him to a vet as there are several bacteria and viruses that can cause respiratory symptoms. If he does start to appear to be unwell, keep him away from the other bunnies too and keep an eye on them.
 
If it was just clear discharge, allergies/sensitivities could be a possible cause, but because you are seeing white discharge, that means it's a bacterial infection/upper respiratory infection. So yes, it can be contagious.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm

Snuffles is just a general term for a respiratory infection, though most often it's used to refer to a respiratory infection from the pasteurella bacteria, but there are several other bacteria that could be causing this instead. Whether or not your bun has pasteurella or a different bacteria causing the URI, you would need to have a deep nasal swab done and a culture and sensitivity test to determine the exact bacteria involved.
 
@JBun @Popsicles My other bunnies are perfectly healthy, and he doesn’t seem to be bothered by it too much. It’s just that he touches his face often and has often sneezing. And he has a dab of white discharge every so often.
I was thinking on getting the “Vetrx rabbit veterinary aid”. Does this look like it could help him?
 
I don’t particularly love herbal remedies, so I would say no, but be I’ve never used it. If it is parasitic, maybe, but if it is a bacterial infection then it won’t make much difference. Like jbun said, going to the Vets is the only way to diagnose it properly.
 
Last edited:
Any discharge that is not clear is a sure sign of an infection. That means that a vet visit is necessary. Rabbits always appear normal otherwise -- don't let that fool you. By the time a rabbit is obviously showing problems, it is usually too late to fix it.

With snuffles, it is important to treat ASAP. The longer you wait, the worse it gets and the harder it is to treat. It will not just go away on its own. It isn't like a human cold that runs its course. If not treated promptly, it could also become chronic which would mean vet visits and treatment for the rest of bunny's life. Far better to try to nip it in the bud as soon as possible.
 
I can’t afford to take him to the vet, so I’m trying to look for remedies at home for him :(
 
I can’t afford to take him to the vet, so I’m trying to look for remedies at home for him :(

You're playing with fire. As I stated above and as explained in detail by our health moderator, you are most likely describing "snuffles." This needs treatment that requires prescription meds. Take a look at this other resource about this condition:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

This has already been going on longer than it should without treatment. If you seriously cannot afford a vet, then, sorry, but you should surrender all of your pets to those who can (and will) provide treatment when needed. Some vets will take payment plans. Just ask.
 
You should never take on a pet without considering the extra costs involved when they get unwell. Herbal remedies rarely work, and only then they only work for some things. Serious infections need proper medical care. It is not fair on your rabbit to let him suffer - you wouldn’t leave yourself or your family members without seeing a doctor. Like blue eyes said, let someone else take care of him if you can’t, or do the right thing and seek proper medical advice.
 
I did consider that pets can and will get sick. I’m just not able to take him to a rabbit specialized vet in my area. I would rather do anything I can for him at home.
And I don’t like this feeling where people seem to be INSISTING to me it’s snuffles and that I should hand him over to someone else, where it might not be so. Though I do appreciate your concern.
I am going to try everything I can at home, and if it comes down to it, where he seems he is not improving, I love him enough to find a vet to treat him. :)
 
And I don’t like this feeling where people seem to be INSISTING to me it’s snuffles and that I should hand him over to someone else, where it might not be so.

We are only going on what you said. You said there is whitish discharge. THAT IS a sure sign of infection. You asked if it something serious like snuffles. It is. So, yes, from your description, it is snuffles. Jenny explained it. Her link supported that. My link supports that. I'm sorry you don't want to accept it. We are trying to help.

Here is a quote from the one reference:

If your rabbit is sneezing and/or shows signs of nasal and/or ocular discharge, especially if such discharge is whitish and thickened, she needs to be seen by a veterinarian and have a sample of nasal discharge taken and sent to a laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing. Once your vet receives the results of the C & S test, s/he will be better able to prescribe the particular antibiotic (or combination of antibiotics) that should be safest and most effective for your rabbit's infection...
Don't stop the antibiotics early, and don't put off treatment! A seemingly simple condition such as sneezing could develop into a potentially life-threatening problem, such as pneumonia or a systemic infection.
 
Any vet would be better than no vet at this point, and just because a vet is rabbit savvy does not mean they cost any more. You obviously didn’t consider it because he is only 4 months old, so you shouldn’t have gotten a rabbit if you aren’t in a position to care for him properly right now.
We are telling you it is highly likely it is something dangerous, you asked our advice and we told you. The only way to know for sure is to see a medical professional.. to risk his life at home is irresponsible and very sad.
 
Thanks for the help, I will look into getting him better care, I’m sorry if I came off as someone who is stand-offish, in denial, or even aloof. I’m not, I just want to make sure no one is trying to make me paranoid or for me to take him to the vet if it was something minor.
Thanks for the input, I didn’t know respiratory illnesses could be so serious in rabbits. You all opened my eyes to that. I have had rabbits for years and never had this issue before, so it is very new to me.
I would genuinely feel terrible if anything were to happen to him. I do not take this lightly. :)

As a bonus, say hi to Jester the Mini Rex! (Attached photo) :D
 

Attachments

  • 6F174C17-B486-4DA0-B9A5-2963D742A2A0.jpeg
    6F174C17-B486-4DA0-B9A5-2963D742A2A0.jpeg
    139.8 KB · Views: 8
Last edited:
Yes, respiratory illness in rabbits is different than it is for us. We get colds due to virus' and they eventually clear up. With rabbits, when they have white or yellow snot, it's a bacterial infection that needs antibiotics to clear it up. Otherwise the infection can continue to worsen and spread from the nasal passage and also cause bone deterioration. If it was only clear discharge that you were seeing, then that would have been different. Clear discharge can sometimes mean it's something less serious that can sometimes be remedied by changing things in the rabbits environment.

One other thing the vet can check for is if you feed hay, on occasion rabbits have been known to get hay up the nose and this can cause bacterial discharge. So the vet should look up the nostril to check for that and also check for white snot in the nasal passage.

The likely thing the vet will do is prescribe something like baytril or smz/tmp. The important thing is making sure to continue antibiotics 2 weeks past the last of the symptoms clearing up. This is to make sure you are getting rid of the infection completely. And if you don't see improvement on the antibiotic you are given after the first week, make sure to tell your vet as you may need to switch to a different antibiotic. It's also important to see a vet that has some experience with treating rabbits and making sure they are prescribing a rabbit safe antibiotic. Some antibiotics given orally to rabbits can be deadly, such as amoxicillin.
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/Safe_antibiotics.htm

Other than getting your bun to the vet and on antibiotics, I have read of other rabbit owners using echinacea to help boost the immune system of rabbits with respiratory infections, and they seemed to feel it was helpful. I've never used it with my rabbits, so can't say anything to that, and as with using any supplement it's always best to consult your vet first. As for the type used exactly and amount, you would have to research it. So things like this can help but still won't clear up the infection on their own.

He's a cute boy!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top