Runny Nose advice

[Wtfalcons111]

So one of my rabbits has a runny nose and maybe someone can help me. When I first noticed the runny nose i took him right to the vet. The vet took a sample and saw a few white blood cells so he put him on some anti biotic for 10 days. The runny nose went away for a week or two but has come back. So i took him back to the vet and the vet did another sample of his nose. He says there is no white blood cells so he can just have allergies. He said the only way to tell if it is snuffles or not is to do a culture for $88. Since my rabbit is showing no other signs of being sick(such as sneezing, white puss out of his nose,ect.) I chose to wait. The rabbit is acting completely fine other then just having a wet nose. It is clear. The vet did say the nose looked better. So with all this I have been talking to my co workers at work and they said he might be allergic to the dust on my floor. He is on a concrete floor and he runs around that room. I wonder if anyone else has seen this to be the problem and if so did you just have to move your rabbit to correct it? I hear pumpkin seeds have zinc and they can help with the runny nose. Has anyone else hear of this? If anyone has any information or tips that would be great. The doctor also said it can be normal for some rabbits to just have a slightly wet nose. I am unsure and wanted to see if anyone else had some input.

Thanks in advance!!!

Anthony

 

[plasticbunny]

Maybe the vet should check his teeth? Worst thing a runny nose can indicate is malocclusion, overgrown teeth, and oral abcess.

 

[tonyshuman]

Well, the antibiotic course should have been a bit longer. We say 14 days minimum for rabbits. If the antibiotics were not taken long enough, most of the bacteria could have gone away, but some will still remain. I also want to know if your vet called it "snuffles". That is an out-of-date term that would indicate to me that your vet is not rabbit-savvy. The price is normal for a culture, but the use of the word "snuffles" makes me concerned. I'd check if your vet is in our listings here in the Infirmary section of good vets, and if not, find a different one.

 

[Wtfalcons111]

He did use the term "snuffles". He said you would probably know it as "snuffles" and I did. What is the more up to date term? He did check his teeth and they were good. Are pumpkin seeds good or bad? Or only in moderation?

Thanks

 

[tonyshuman]

Pumpkin seeds are a treat due to the high protein content. The mineral content isn't enough to be a big improvement, unless you gave more than would be good for the GI tract.

Snuffles is a catch-all term for all upper respiratory symptoms. There are a lot of different possible causes. The most common one is infection with pasturella bacteria.

Here's a list of all the possible things it could be:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Differential/respira_diff.htm
And a more readable explanation: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm

Also we have a good Library article on runny noses:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12016&forum_id=10

If the mucus is clear, it is probably not bacterial. However, since the antibiotic helped at first, it's possible that the infection just wasn't totally treated. It would be good to do a longer course of the antibiotic, like 21 days.

This is our list of rabbit vets. I'm not sure if the closest one would be in your state since I know a lot of cities are close to each other in the New Jersey area.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_forum.php?id=9

I have not heard of looking for white blood cells on a nasal swab. They usually look for bacterial cells. Also, you cannot tell if a rabbit is having tooth problems without an x-ray because it is the roots of the teeth that would be causing problems, not the part of the tooth that you can see.

What kind of bedding is he on? If it is pine or cedar, that can cause mucus production.

 

[Wtfalcons111]

Thank you those links were very helpful. He is not on any bedding. He always kicked out his bedding so the only bedding is in the litter box which is carefresh. Carefresh is what I used to line the whole cage with. Well I should correct myself. He did say he didn't see any sign of bacterial cells. The first time he saw a few and now he didn't see any. I'm going to hold back on the pumpkin seeds then as an occasional treat.

Thanks

 

[Wtfalcons111]

Thank you those links were very helpful. He is not on any bedding. He always kicked out his bedding so the only bedding is in the litter box which is carefresh. Carefresh is what I used to line the whole cage with. Well I should correct myself. He did say he didn't see any sign of bacterial cells. The first time he saw a few and now he didn't see any. I'm going to hold back on the pumpkin seeds then as an occasional treat.

Thanks

 

[tonyshuman]

Carefresh shouldn't be a problem. What he said about bacterial cells makes sense, but I still think a longer course of antibiotics should do the trick. My guys love pumpkin seeds as a treat--to the extent of trying to get into my seeds for the garden! Let us know how he does, good luck.