Rabbit has damp nose

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

oreothebunbun

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2022
Messages
7
Reaction score
4
Hi!
My name is Mara, and in September of last year, I rescued a rabbit that somebody dumped in our community park. He is a youngish male, presumably a lionhead mix, and his name is Oreo! He is really sweet and friendly and loves cuddles.

However, about mid-February, I started to notice that his nose was becoming obviously damp. I immediately panicked and went online to search for answers. I looked through the symptoms for snuffles, but all the photos and videos I found of rabbits with noses clogged with mucus and wheezing hard seemed much more severe than what my bunny was experiencing.

So far, I haven't noticed any significant, worrying changes in the rest of his lifestyle and his behavior. His eyes are clear, bright, and not runny at all (I read that snuffles starts in the tear ducts, so the first symptom was usually runny eyes-however my bunny's eyes are fine). His ears, fur, and bum are all clean and normal. His appetite is good (the only change I've noticed is that he is now pickier about his greens-he prefers the crispier inner leaves of the romaine lettuce instead of the outer ones, and has begun leaving the lettuce leaves that aren't quite to his taste) and his poops are also good (although he has been pooping outside of his litterbox a little more than usual). I also didn't notice any obvious matting on his paws, although he doesn't like me touching his paws that much, so I didn't get to inspect them closely. I have not noticed him sneezing at all. He has not been wheezing or struggling to breathe at all-however when I put my ear near his mouth/nose and it's very, very quiet I can hear him super softly breathing but it does not appear labored so I am assuming it is normal?

Below is a photo I took about a week and a half or so ago. This is when I thought his nose was looking its absolute worst and I was really worried. The part circled in black feels slightly stiff-the hairs feel stiff I mean. It can sometimes feel very slightly damp too-it leaves a tiny patch of wetness on my finger when I wipe my fingertip against it. The bit circled in blue feels slightly damp, and also leaves a patch of dampness on my fingertip when I touch it. If I press the finger I touched his nose with against another finger, it feels ever so slightly sticky (but this could just be my imagination or my paranoia taking over XD ).
Bunny nose 3.PNG
Yesterday evening, when I took a photo of his nose, it looked (to my eyes, please correct me if I'm wrong :) ) much better. Below is a picture of his nose just yesterday:
Rabbit nose.jpg
The hairs on the top part of the nose still felt slightly stiff, but underneath it wasn't wet at all. So I'm really confused: it's as if his wet nose is coming and going!
So I looked online for 'bunny wet nose coming and going' and found out that it could be a reaction to a stimulus in the environment.

-The temperature: The temperature is gradually getting warmer, and most days its now 27-30 degrees celcius. The first photo was taken when the AC was off and all the windows were open, so it was quite a bit warmer than when the second photo was taken: the second photo was taken in cool air-conditioning, with the overhead fans on and the purifier on also (we have a purifier next to the bunny enclosure).
-His shedding: he recently finished a heavy shed where he completely blew his coat and there were some alarming patches of fur missing (they all grew back in though and he looks normal now lol) Because he is a lionhead mix, it was pretty full-on and there were little fur-clouds floating around everywhere, so I was thinking that perhaps this could have irritated his nose? We do have an air purifier, so I kind of ruled dust out as a factor. On second thought...could it be all of these factors combined?

So basically my questions are:

-Is the first picture (the one I thought was worse) something to worry about or does it look normal?
-If the wet nose comes and goes, is it a reaction to his environment?
-Does it look like, according to the description I gave and the photos I took, he has snuffles or some sort of illness?


Sorry that this post is so long - I'm just super worried about him. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope to get some answers soon! Oreo and I will thank you :)
 
Warmer temps can cause the accumulation of moisture around the nose, as the bun is trying to help cool their body by increasing respirations. This can be helped by providing ways to help keep your bun cool in the warmer temps

https://www.stortvet.com/hyperthermia-overheating/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Hot_weather_concerns
Minor dampness around the nose can also happen in a dusty environment or if the rabbits hay or food is dusty. It can also happen due to environmental sensitivities, such as fragrances or cleaning products. Rarely rabbits can have allergies.

What I'm seeing in the photos looks minor and if it comes and goes, to me that points to warm temps or environmental causes. But if you have concerns still, it's best to consult with a knowledgeable rabbit vet. Especially if it worsens, becomes a persistent ongoing issue, and/or you see white sticky discharge(sign of a bacterial infection).

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/illness/rabbit-snuffles/
Medirabbit: respiratory issues in rabbits

https://rabbit.org/veterinarians/
 
Hi,
Thank you so much for your response, it was really informative and helpful! Since he doesn't seem to be displaying any other abnormalities in behavior, health etc, I think I will just keep a close eye on him, and if any other symptoms arise, I will book him in with my vet.

I have just one more question (sorry!)
Do fans, like overhead ones fixed to the ceiling indoors, cool rabbits down? Because I have heard that for birds they don't work to cool them, so I was wondering if they work for rabbits?

Thanks again!
Mara
 
Hi,
Thank you so much for your response, it was really informative and helpful! Since he doesn't seem to be displaying any other abnormalities in behavior, health etc, I think I will just keep a close eye on him, and if any other symptoms arise, I will book him in with my vet.

I have just one more question (sorry!)
Do fans, like overhead ones fixed to the ceiling indoors, cool rabbits down? Because I have heard that for birds they don't work to cool them, so I was wondering if they work for rabbits?

Thanks again!
Mara
Fans can help but don't direct them to the bunnies and make sure they can get away from the draught if they want.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top