Sniffling-Discharge!

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rokin14

Active Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
25
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Location
Missouri
Yesterday I noticed he had signs of discharge in his nose and coming out some through his nose, now I hear him sniffling to pull back the discharge. I go to Mizzou in Missouri and we don't have a rabbit vet in the area so I have to drive back to STL and take him to the vet tomorrow, also it's Labor Day so no one is open.

I haven't been able to check his paws since I'm a new owner and he doesn't like to be picked up and I'm not completely comfortable flipping him onto his back yet. Any advice on what to do for the night would be greatly appreciated. Lucas is still eating hay, drinking water and I haven't fed him for the night but he did eat last night. I'm really concerned and all these other posts of others rabbits is making me very upset and concerned.
 
A runny nose isn't always a sure indication of a URI. Sometimes dust or debris can cause it, as well as sensitivities to household cleaners, a particular hay or litter, etc. If you are seeing white discharge, that would be a sure indicator of a bacterial infection.

As long as he is continuing to eat, drink, and poop, and isn't showing signs of breathing difficulty or mouth breathing, then he should probably be alright til you can get him to the vet tomorrow. URI's aren't usually immediate emergencies unless the rabbit is showing signs of distress.

It's usually suggested to not place a rabbit on it's back anyways, unless absolutely necessary, as this induces a stress state in a rabbit. You should be able to check for crustiness from wiping his nose, by just feeling the inside of his front legs with your hands, or you can also pick him up and just look behind his legs while holding him.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
 
All of this was SO helpful. Thank you so much. I've been freaking out all day. I've been watching him all day. I won't put him on his back and I'll def. Take some of the advice that was given from the other site.


Taylor
&
Lucas
 
Sometimes to look at my rabbits nose and teeth I lay on my back with the bunny sitting on my stomach and lift him up a little so I can see better.

The best advice I can give you for your bun is try to find a really great rabbit savvy vet even if you have to drive out of your way. I had a rabbit with a respiratory infection and the first vet I went to gave an antibiotic that didn't work and just wanted to continue with the same antibiotic even though sneezing came back. Since the vet wanted to give me a third round of the same antioboitic and my rabbit was getting sicker, I wanted to change vets, so I posted on a rabbit club facebook page asking for a rabbit vet specialist - someone recommended one to me and even though I had to drive an hour away I went to her. She gave me a new antibiotic - azithromycin - and the sneezing stopped and my rabbit got better. He is still fine and has been sneeze free for 2 years.
 
I took him to a vet who owns two rabbits and said she has experience with them and she gave Lucas eye drops to prevent discharge and TMS also known as trimethoprim sulfa syrup as an oral antibiotic. We started him yesterday and from the research I've done it isn't a bad antibiotic. I couldn't make it to my usual vet because she's 2 hours away and it was a bit of an emergency for Lucas. Does the medication she prescribed sound familiar or any knowledge at all would be helpful!


Taylor
&
Lucas
 

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