10 year old rabbit "snorting"

[adrimeowmeow]

Hi guys,


So my 10 year old Dutch bunny named Baby has been doing this snorting thing for awhile and I thought nothing of it until I read some stuff online about how it can be a URI.

She does it only when she's really excited, like when she first sees me in the morning. She also does it when she's running around the house or trying to get up on my lap. SO I've assumed it's just a happy sound she makes.

But I'm reading that snorting is them having difficulty breathing and stuff. She was just at the vet a few days ago where she was diagnosed with cataracts. I don't want to take her there again because the vet was very rude with me and the assistant did not know how to properly hold a rabbit.

Do you guys think it is something I should be concerned about? I don't want to travel far to a good rabbit vet for it to be nothing when she just had a semi-annual checkup.

I'd appreciate advice!

Thanks,
Adrianna <3

 

[majorv]

Does she have any nasal discharge? It could be caused by several things...possibly inflammation or something lodged in her windpipe or possibly a tumor. You're not really going to know without a vet looking at her and possibly taking an x-ray. If it gets worse then it could make it hard for her to breathe. You may want to minimize letting her to exert herself, since it makes it worse.

 

[JBun]

Snorting sounds can indicate a possible URI, but f there is no discharge and sneezing, a URI isn't as likely, though still possible. Some sounds rabbits make are just normal vocalizing like grunting, oinking or honking, especially when they are excited. You may be able to find some youtube videos for an example. So if it sounds like one of these and there is no breathing difficulty, then it may just be normal vocalizing for her. But if this is new for your rabbit, I would suspect it probably not being normal vocalizing. It could be due to old age. It could be a polyp or some sort of other partial obstruction. If you suspect some sort of obstruction or URI, and if it is affecting her breathing and causing any difficulty then yes, you should for sure get her checked right away. But if her breathing isn't labored at all and you still suspect it's not normal, then you may be ok to wait until it is easier for you to get to the vet.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

 

[adrimeowmeow]

Thanks for your responses!

There is no discharge at all. It doesnt sound like labored breathing either, which is why i wasnt very concerned.

Shes been doing it for about a year, and I assumed it was a vocalization from old age.

Im going to probably contact another vet snd see if i can get a doctors opinion. She gets super stressed at the vet and it gets me nervous with her old age.

I wanted to just get some opinions and see if anyone elses rabbits did that as well.

 

[majorv]

We had a rabbit who was 3 years old and started sounding like a goose whenever he got a little excited. We took him to the vet, who took an x-ray, and saw a small suspicious mass in his jaw area. He was fine when he was chilled out, but if he got nervous or excited he sounded worse and it would affect his breathing. That's my only experience with something similar.