Is Max Sick

[Haley]

Hi guys!

I dont know if I should take my Max back to the vet again. He has had a little bit of a runny nose for a while now and sneezes maybe 5-6 times a day. This all started in April and I took him to the vet right away. The vet put him on Baytril for 10 days, and it seemed to clear up a bit. Then it came back. The vet put him on Baytril again, this time for 3 weeks. Its weird because it did seem to let up a bit when he was taking the Baytril, but it never really went away. It could just be coming and going and its just a coincidence that he was on the meds..

Anyway, Im kind of just thinking it might be allergies. I havent changed the food or hay or litter or anything, but I know it is a bad time of year for MY allergies, so maybe his too?

I just dont know what to do, and I really dont want to spend more money on vet expenses if it is just allergies. He is eating/drinking/pooping fine and he acts fine. The nasal discharge isnt thick and it is clear.

Should I be worried at all? I love my little guy and I dont know what to do about this!

Any help/advice would be appreciated

Haley

 

[naturestee]

Did the vet ever do a culture of the discharge? If not, I recommend having that done. Sometimes it's allergies, but some rabbits also have chronic infections that need ongoing treatment. It could also be that Baytril wasn't the correct choice of antibiotic, and a culture and sensitivity test would show what the best antibiotic would be.

 

[Haley]

thanks for the reply naturestee.

The vet didnt do a culture on the discharge. I think he was trying to save me money by just putting him on the baytril to see if it cleared up...but its gonna end up costing more in thelong run!

I think I will probably see how he is over the holiday weekend and take him in again next week. Is there any way to tell if its allergies besides just ruling out an infection? They vet did check his lungs and said everything sounds normal and he checked his teeth, but I read that they need to do an X-ray to really rule out the possible tooth problem...

I wonder if i could give him a little childrens benadryl to see if it helps at all...I should probably just wait and ask the vet. Im thinking I may need a more rabbit-savvy vet on this one....

Haley

 

[naturestee]

Do not give him meds that the vet did not prescribe!

Other than observing him over several seasons, there's no way for you to tell if he has seasonal allergies. Try taking his hay outside and shaking the dust out of it, and sifting the dust out of his pellets with a collander. Be careful about using household cleaners and sprays around him too, in case that's the problem.

 

[Haley]

Thanks for the advice. I made him an appt with the vet for late next week in case things havent cleared up.

Also, im really not that irresponsible to just give him meds without my vets advice..sorry to scare you. I forgot to mention that when I was there the second time the vet gave me a bottle of benadryl (which he said is the same as children's benadryl) and he said that if the baytril didnt work after a month I could try the benadryl for a few days to see if i got any results. He said it wouldnt do any harm and would be worth a shot before bringing Maxin againfor culture/sensitivity and/or xrays.

Im also cleaning out his cage again today and I'll sift out his food and hay. Its so weird because its not constant.He had alittle nasal discharge this AM and i heard him sneeze, and then I come home today and nothing. Oh well, better safe than sorry.

Thanks again!

Haley