Sneezing while eating pellets- should I be worried?

[lynne2809]

Hey everyone! My rabbit was eating his pellets tonight and had a sneezing fit. He sneezed about 5-6 times while eating his pellets and then jumped out of his cage. I checked on him and he seemed fine. He ran over to the corner that he usually lays in and flopped over. He didn’t appear to be struggling at all. I offered him a treat after and he ate it like normal. I am worried because I know that bunnies can choke and develop fatal aspiration pneumonia. Would I have noticed more signs of my bunny was choking and aspirated? I also scatter his pellets in hay, so maybe he just got a piece of hay in his nose that made him sneeze? I’m not sure if I need to take him to the vet to get him started on antibiotics for this.

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

Sounds like he is just fine, I would not be too worried at all.

 

[JBun]

Probably just some pellet dust. A rabbit that's choking will usually start hopping around erratically, or dash around in a panicked way at first, then start pawing at their face or doing odd head movements, and may start trying to gasp for air, possibly with an open mouth, in an effort to try and clear their airway. There may also be fluid and food contents foaming out around the mouth and nose.

If you hear actual sneezing sounds, that means there's air moving through a rabbits airway, which means the rabbit isn't experiencing a full airway obstruction or any obstruction, but is likely sneezing due to something irritating the nasal cavity. However, if this is repeatedly and consistently happening, and/or if you're unsure or have concerns, it's always best to contact an experienced rabbit vet for health advice.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
(WARNING: ANY INFORMATION OR VIDEOS IN THE FOLLOWING LINK, IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CLEARING AN AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION INCORRECTLY COULD POSE A RISK OF POSSIBLE PERMANENT AND SERIOUS INJURY TO A RABBIT. IF AN AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION IS A CONCERN, PLEASE CONSULT WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE RABBIT VET BEFOREHAND, AS TO HOW TO PROPERLY ATTEMPT TO CLEAR AN AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION IN THE CASE OF ACCIDENTAL CHOKING).

http://www.vgr1.com/choking/