15 month old Big Bunny's spay surgery was cancelled due to concerns of her breathing?

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Hello,

I know that I have brought this up before, but I am very concerned about my big bunny, Storm. She is about a year and 3 months. I took her to a Spay & Neuter clinic today for a spay that I had been putting off due to her breathing and occasional sneezing, and the doctor said he did not feel comfortable doing surgery on her due to the way that she breathes, and advised seeing my regular vet. He said it was not because she was stressed from the car ride and heat, as all bunnies they see are; it was due to how pronounced her inhaling is. I had her since she was 8 weeks old, she is perhaps my favorite rabbit, and she has always sneezed at times, breathed heavily and made somewhat nasally, stuffy noises. I took her to my regular exotic vet TWICE for this, and they said nothing was wrong with her, except that one time, she was "exhausted" due to having a litter of 10 during her first birth. We put her on antibiotics as a precaution, but it mostly resolved on its own and she has never had nasal discharge. She is a very happy, playful, strong, hungry, curious rabbit who loves to dig at things for hours. However, I really want to get her spayed for her health, and to re-bond her with her childhood best friend, Oreo. A vet tech also suggested it might be a nasal deformity as a wild guess.

I always hoped that it was due to her size, because she is 7 lbs, and I had another big bunny who also breathed heavily. I am trying to see if someone cancels an appointment tomorrow, so I can get a 3rd opinion. Has anyone had a bunny spayed who breathed like this? I love my Big Bunny...
 

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What bedding is she on?
I no longer use bedding, but when I did, it was natural paper bedding. I use just mild soap and hot water to clean their area. Her sneezing MIGHT have improved since I stopped giving them timothy hay 6 - 9 months ago, but never heard of a bunny being allergic of it.
 
Sorry I got back so late, the problem may be long term allergies, because around 2 years ago, my house rabbit had been off hay for over 6 months and had only started suffering with breathing when I first gave her hay. The vets said the same but a 4th and 5th opinion said the dust from the hay had clogged up her lungs and nose and she couldn't cough it up. They gave her some medication to help her cough it up and she's a very healthy, happy bunny now :)

I very much doubt it would be snuffles as that's usually more severe, so I'm not going to suggest that but vets may tell you it's a milder case of snuffles.

The only other thing I could think of is weather. My current 75 show rabbits which live in a ventilated shed have never suffered from the cold, but if it's cold where you are (sorry I don't know anything about the climate of Arizona!) she may just have a cold/flu which isn't much to worry about, my outdoor rabbits get it almost every winter, never had any side effects or anything, may get prescribed meds by vet.

Hopefully this helps, I can't think of anything else, as it seems quite mild and she's a Rex which obviously is short haired, and they can't inhale much of their fur seeing as it's short :)
 
Sorry I got back so late, the problem may be long term allergies, because around 2 years ago, my house rabbit had been off hay for over 6 months and had only started suffering with breathing when I first gave her hay. The vets said the same but a 4th and 5th opinion said the dust from the hay had clogged up her lungs and nose and she couldn't cough it up. They gave her some medication to help her cough it up and she's a very healthy, happy bunny now :)

I very much doubt it would be snuffles as that's usually more severe, so I'm not going to suggest that but vets may tell you it's a milder case of snuffles.

The only other thing I could think of is weather. My current 75 show rabbits which live in a ventilated shed have never suffered from the cold, but if it's cold where you are (sorry I don't know anything about the climate of Arizona!) she may just have a cold/flu which isn't much to worry about, my outdoor rabbits get it almost every winter, never had any side effects or anything, may get prescribed meds by vet.

Hopefully this helps, I can't think of anything else, as it seems quite mild and she's a Rex which obviously is short haired, and they can't inhale much of their fur seeing as it's short :)
Hey, I have a question. I promise I’m not being rude.... if your buns get a cold/flu every winter, why keep them in that environment? Being sick takes a toll on their bodies and I’m curious why you would keep them at risk since it continually happens. It is a big deal as they may not make it through it every time.
 
have she had x-ray and blood test to confirm that her sneeze and heavy breath are not caused by respiratory infection?
 
I have not...but because she has had them for more than 12 months, she would not be with me if she had an issue. I took her at around 7 and 9 months old. I will get one, though. Thank you
 
Her breathing actually got a bit worse. Her eyes look a bit red, and she sounds like she is kind of struggling a bit at times...:( Very, very heartbreaking. Vet appointment on Saturday, and hope they figure it out this time. However, she is eating, pooping, running, climbing, etc. normally, and there is NO mouth-breathing. My poor, poor baby Storm.
 
Hi—I saw this thread and I’m having a similar issue. I’ve had my bunny for 2 days now. She came to me via an airplane so she had to get a health certificate from a vet before she came. She seems to be breathing really quickly and her sides move in and out when she breathes and her head bobs sometimes. She lives inside and my heater is set at 70 degrees so she’s not overheating. She’s eating, pooping, playing with me, letting me hold her, and isn’t lethargic at all. She’s not wheezing, and has no discharge coming from her nose. I don’t think she’s stressed either. How worried should I be?
 
Hi—I saw this thread and I’m having a similar issue. I’ve had my bunny for 2 days now. She came to me via an airplane so she had to get a health certificate from a vet before she came. She seems to be breathing really quickly and her sides move in and out when she breathes and her head bobs sometimes. She lives inside and my heater is set at 70 degrees so she’s not overheating. She’s eating, pooping, playing with me, letting me hold her, and isn’t lethargic at all. She’s not wheezing, and has no discharge coming from her nose. I don’t think she’s stressed either. How worried should I be?
Hello, I am very sorry to hear about your bunny. It is a GREAT sign that she has no wheezing, discharge, eats and poops normally... is probably not too serious, as she seems very healthy.

But are the veins in her ears swollen? This is a givaway that she is stressed or hot. From my experience owning several bunnies, new bunnies are ALWAYS excessively stressed in new environments and with new people. Some were not socialized as babies.

I would try to keep her in a quiet area, use boxes or items for her to hide in, and not startle her until she is comfortable. As a precaution, I would double check by calling a bunny savvy vet.
 
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