runny nose

[sheandg]

I have a 1.5 yr old buck who has started with a runny nose the last couple days and he sneezed tonight. It is a runny nose and under his chin is wet but clear not mucous. He has been eating and drinking good.

I have had him for about 2 months and he has been healthy.



can a rabbit get allergies? He is outside and we are going into fall and it has been dry and dusty out. I have read about snuffles and it terrifies me so I separated him from the rest of my herd to be safe and will watch him.


What should I look for?


he is eating good and seems fine but just worried. Can a runny nose mean something other than snuffles?

 

[Maureen Las]

Some vets have told me if the discharge is clear then don't worry about it, however, if his chin is wet and he is beginning to sneeze then it could be the beginning of a respiratory infection...or allergies

The term snuffles is really not a specific term but when it is used used most people thing of thick yellowish or whitish discharge. .

Ithink it is good that you separated your buck andI think you should continue to watch him carefully. If the condition worsens I would take him to the vet.
Some vets will prescribe an antihistamine for allergies and if you and the vet think that could it could be that it could be tried first.
here are some articles from the library

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12016&forum_id=10

 

[tonyshuman]

Rabbits can get allergies. Snuffles is an outdated term for an upper respiratory infection. The best thing you can do is get the vet to check him, because a runny nose can be one of 3 things: allergies, an upper respiratory infection, or tooth issues that are causing nose/eye issues. The tooth roots can frequently cause problems because they are constantly growing.

It's probably not necessary to separate him, unless you have a very large group. The bacteria that cause upper respiratory infection are always present in a rabbit's system, and they only cause an active infection when the rabbit goes through stress and the immune system is weakened.

So, the vet should swab his nose and try to culture it (to check for bacteria), feel for tooth issues, and possibly do a dental x-ray. If none of these produce a result, it could be allergies.

 

[sheandg]

oh crap I went out this morning and another one of my rabbits is sneezing and white coming from her nose!!!! I am so upset. I put a call into the vet.....


now I am nervous for the rest of them. I have 10 rabbits

 

[tonyshuman]

I really wouldn't worry about the others, because the bacteria that cause upper respiratory infections (pasturella, bordatella) are always present in a rabbit's system, they're just kept in check by the immune system so that the rabbit doesn't have an overwhelming infection. It's possible that all your guys (or just these two that have symptoms) went under some kind of stress lately that is causing the disease to run throughout your herd. Perhaps a cold night with a window open? Perhaps stress from a fall shed?

 

[Maureen Las]

If you can take one of the rabbits in and get the discharge cultured most likely the vet can give you enough antibiotics to treat them all if they should all come down with it.

 

[sheandg]

well I got antibiotics for both with symptoms. It is enroflaxacin they both like it and gobbled it up. Hopefully no one else gets sick. The 2 sickies are off to the side so they can't sneeze on anyone else. Poor things I hate when an animal is sick.

 

[Maureen Las]

enrofloxicin (baytril) also can also be give by injection . If it is given subqutaneously it can cause sterile abscesses over time. The injectable seems to have greater potency

One of the vets here sold me an entirevial of enrofloxicin (baytril) (I have 8 rabbits) butI give the injections intramuscular which is a bit tricky if you are not shown how to do it. Something you might consider

If the rabbit has not been on oral baytril before it may do the trick but many rabbits have built up a resistance to this category of medication from overuse. Keep the rabbits on the meds for at least several weeks ( 5-7days is not enough)
and don't be surprised if you get a reoccurence .

Medications that are more potent (also depends on bacteria involved) are azithromycin (Zithromax), chloramphenical and bicillin , ..also Convenia a cephalosporin , is also being use as a weekly injections for infections
You acted very quickly in getting treatment for them and that is always a good thing

rabbits go downhill fast.
let us know how they do...
it would also be a good idea to get a probiotic like benebac (petstores) or Probios (farm stores) to give them while they are on the antibiotic. Probios is sold for horses and other farm animals but does the trick....

 

[ra7751]

Couple of things here. First, this is a prime reason that Baytril (Enrofloxacin) is no longer veryeffective. This is what I call "shotgunning". Just giving an antibiotic is why we are having so many bacteria become resistant. Human doctors are very cautious about administering antibiotics these days and if they are on top of their game....they only prescribe them when a bacterial infection is confirmed. It seems vets are lagging in this protocol. I hope vets wake up since many bacteria we see in humans are first seen in animals.

Next, Baytril is much more effective when injected. Buffered sub-q is preferred since larger amount of straight Baytril can cause necrosis. Oral Baytril (given by mouth) can seriously disrupt the beneficial bacteria in the GI and cause upset stomach.

And finally, the correct diagnosis protocol is to perform a culture to determine if a bacteria is present. If this isn't a bacterial infection, the antibiotics are doing more harm than good. If there is a bacterial infection, it is most likely Pasteurella. Baytril is not very effective against this bacteria. At this time, the most effective drug against Pateurella is Zithromax. "Snuffles" is an outdated and vague term used in the past that came to mean just about any infection in a rabbit.

I would urge caution in using antihistimines in rabbits as it tends to be somewhat of a stimulant. Not saying they are never appropriate but just used with caution.

 

[sheandg]

I am to give it for 14 days orally. Hopefully it does the trick and I know I caught it very early so I hope it works and they stay healthy for a long time to come