I think I am dealing with pasturella

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gentle giants

gentle giants

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, Illinois, USA
Ok, here's the story. I went to a rabbit showyesterday, and one of my neighbors had/has a rabbit he wanted to sell.I say, I can take him up there with me and sell him for you. No biggie,right? Well, so I pick the rabbit up Friday night, adn my neighbor hadhim already in a carrier ready to go. I took him home, set him on thetailgate of my truck for about 45 minutes, and then I came out to seeabout getting him some feed and water for overnight.

I don't remember why, but I took him out of the carrier and lookedhim over for some reason (thank heaven!) and instantly I see that he issick. His nose was running with thick, white snot, and he was wheezing.He has been here (quarantined from my guys, don't worry) for about 36hours now, and his nose seems drier and I'm not hearing the wheezing.His paws are all thickly matted on the inside, though, from rubbing hisnose. I have the lovely choice of either keeping him and dealing withthis myself, or giving him back to my neighbor who has already madeclear he will just put him down. That's not the way he put it, butthere are kids on here sometimes. I know he didn't do this on purpose,because although I do not appreciate his views on animals, he ishonest. Now, I have put the bunny (a chocolate English Spot, BTW) on anantibiotic. I don't know if it will help or not, but it's better thatgiving up straight off the bat. If the meds don't work, I will try andscrape up the $30 to get a c and s test done on him, but I really dothink that this is pasturella. Are there any other simptoms/sign that Icould watch for to tell me more certainly if this really is pasturella?
 
Pasteurella cannot be diagnosed by symptomsalone because there are so many other pathogens (viral, bacterial,fungal) as well as environmental causes of "cold symptoms" inrabbits. Tests only reveal as to whether or not the rabbithas produced anti-bodies against Pasteurella (indicating exposure atsome time during the rabbit's life). These tests are not ableto indicate if Pasteurella is the actual cause of the "cold" symptoms.

"Snuffles" is the generic term for cold symptoms in rabbits.You can only accurately state that the rabbit is suffering fromsnuffles -- cause unknown.



Pam
 
So not even a test will tell for sure? So whatthe heck do I do with this guy? I can't have him anywhere nearthe rest of my rabbits, he can't live in the carrier for the rest ofhis life, and of course I can't sell or re-home him like this. Holycrap, I could kill my neighbor for putting me in this situation!
 
Gosh, I feel bad for you, but thank God you tookhim from that neighbor of yours. What an A**. Whydid he have the rabbit to begin w/? Just curious.Hope you get the help you need for him. The poorbaby. :pray:
 
Why did he have the rabbit? He was planning onstarting a breeding program. You don't want to know why he was wantingto raise babies. He has decided to use Rhinelanders instead, though.
 
before you say it is a cold, or snuffles, orpasturella. please look at the enviroment. did he bedding or food getswitched on him? has the weather taken a shape turn in the last fewdays? these can be signs of allergies, and not really pasturella atall, i am not saying that he isn't sick and that everything is okaywith him, but before putting him on 500 different meds and such, lookat the big picture of what is going on in his surrounding right now. wehad a one holland lop that everytime he was placed near woodshaving hewould sneeze white snot, but when you took him away everything wasfine, we figured this out3 months into him being off and onan antibiotic.



katie
 
When i bought my first rabbit early this summer,she came with a hutch. I notice when i got her home that she wassneezing and had a nose discharge. The hutch was nasty. 12' by 2', allwood except for a little wire 5' by 5'on the front door. Icould smell the mold and must from 3 feeet away. I bought her a newwire cage and she was fine in a few days. Maybe you could find a cageto put him in where he can get some fresh air. Maybe the conditions hecame from were not healthy. Some breeders like that do not keep theirrabbits in a healthy eviorment.
 
I don't think it could be allergies, everythinghe is eating, or laying in or whatever, is totally different from whathe had before, and he was sneezing and the like the night I brought himover to my house. At his former owners house he was in a wood and wirehutch, with no hay, no bedding of any kind. I'm sure the pellets wereeven a different brand.
Here, he is in one of those giant dogcrates, with hay and corn cob bedding. His nose seems to be gettingworse too, I went to pick up his water bowl and fill it today and putmy hand in this big glob of snot stuck to the side. Sorry for the grossout image, but I think it kinda illustrates things.
I am going to have to come up with the money to get him tested, it'sthe only choice I have. It makes me really angry to have to do thistoo, this is money I have been working to put back for the general careof my other rabbits. I am totally furious about this situation, but Ifeel really bad for the rabbit at the same time. He has not beenhandled much, obviously, but he still comes and nudges my hand forpetting if I am slow and quiet with him.
 
I forgot to add this, but the guy I took himfrom said that it was cool and rainy the day he bought him, and he wasin the back of a pickup truck on the way home from the sale, probablyfor a couple of hours drive or so. How on earth did he think the poorrabbit wouldn't get sick?
 
How is the Bunny now?

I dont know about over in the USA but here in the UK most Vets treatimmediately for 'snuffles' given the presenting clinical symptoms youdescribe. Waiting for results of a culture for Bacteriology can wastecritical time. My Vet uses an antibiotic called Co-Trimoxazole (SEPTRINPaediatric Syrup) as first choice and it has proved very effective.

I hope the Rabbit recovers. Respiratory disease in buns can proove to be very nasty indeed:X



Janex
 
He seems to be about the same. Hopefully I willbe able to get him tested when I get my paycheck. I have been soincredibly busy the last couple of days I haven't been able to doanything. I don't know, if he does have pasturella I don't think I willhave any choice but to put him down. I mean, he doesn't have much of alife right now, with me having to keep him quarantined and the like. Idon't even want to really handle him at all, I am afraid to stress himor spread the germs to my other rabbits. It's such a stupid situation.
 
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