Sneezing

[Lilsakli]

Hi Jbun,
Is this a proper dose: baytril 20 mg/ml
He weighs 4.5 lb
So he was prescribed 0.5 mL 2x/day.

yea he did not sneeze at all at the vet appointment or in the car, so I wondered if it is allergen. I also had Timothy hay in the carrier. I just can’t figure what is causing the sneezing.

between you and me, I also have been sneezing a lot myself, but for me, it was definitely caused by small pet select Timothy hay, which was why I switched to standlee brand.

the baytril cost over 50 dollars and the vet check up 86. First time I ever had a sick rabbit and am surprised by the cost. Am I able to try OTC Benadryl if his sneezes do not clear up in 2 weeks after taking baytril.

 

[JBun]

Baytril dose for rabbits is 5-10mg/kg twice a day. That would be about 2.2-4.5mg per lb. So that would be 10-20mg for a rabbit the size of your bun. So it's the minimum dose, but with it not being a confirmed URI, that's the dose I would expect.

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Common_drug_dosages_for_rabbits
You have to remember that rabbits have a sharp sense of smell. And there are loads of scents and odors in our homes that we don't pick up on or are just used to, especially at ground level, that could easily affect a rabbit that is much more sensitive to such things.

For the hay sensitivity, for you too, there are other members sensitive to timothy, that seem to do alright with orchard. So, just a second option in case you need it. Though it also has to do with the maturity of the cut. I once bought a bale of standlee timothy that had more mature seed heads, and must have had loads of pollen. Because, though I'm usually fine with timothy, this bale had me tearing up and sneezing immediately when I tried feeding it to my rabbits. Had to give it away.

Welcome to the cost of owning an 'exotic' pet. I know, it's expensive. And I guess I'm so used to it, your bill sounds normal to me. Usually the cheapest I walk away with is $150. One cost cutting option that you'll learn, when possible, ask your vet to phone in prescriptions to pharmacy's that carry pet meds. You can also tell your vet you'll have an online pharmacy call in for a prescription to be filled. It is usually a third of the price the vet charges. Somethings are just easier to get from your vet and pay the extra. But common ones like meloxicam and some antibiotics, are easy enough to get from pharmacies. Though with some vets, they will push you to buy meds from them because of the money they make off of it, so you may need to be insistent that you are going to get your meds from the pharmacy instead.

Baytril you can get in tablet form from costco, for much cheaper. But you do then have to divide the pill and mix it with something so you can syringe it in. I use pure maple syrup, some people will use juice or mix it with banana. It does help if you kind of know the meds you'll need before going to the vet, so you can look it up beforehand and know what form the med will be in(syrup, tablet, etc) and where you'll be getting it from. It is more complicated, but if you don't mind the extra hassle then it can save you some money. So just something to remember for future prescriptions.

Yes, it's the children's benedryl suspension that is typically used. Though I would only do the cherry flavor, as it's the only one with only sucrose, and without artificial sweeteners which some rabbits can be sensitive to.

 

[John Wick]

Speaking personally about the benadryl (one of my rabbits takes it for allergy-related congestion), make sure you get the plain children's version, not the "plus congestion" version that has added stuff in it.

The cherry flavor is the safest bet, yes. I will say that my rabbit only likes the bubble gum flavor, which uses sorbitol as a sweetener. She has been fine on it. Online you'll find lots of warnings about xylitol, which is a similar, but distinct sweetener from sorbitol that is not safe to use. The bubble gum is technically safe since it is sorbitol. That being said, as JBun mentions, cherry is the safest bet as sorbitol, being artificial, could have adverse effects. The other option is grape, which I believe is also sucrose sweetener.

 

[Lilsakli]

Update: hello all, just wanted to give an update for those that are curious. I had to make a difficult decision to give up this little guy as I could not handle three unbonded rabbits. His sneezing never went away during his time with me, but I can certainly say it was environmental as his foster mom hadn’t noticed any sneezing. He’s currently up for adoption at the house rabbit network under the name Stamets.

 

[Indywtf]

Update: hello all, just wanted to give an update for those that are curious. I had to make a difficult decision to give up this little guy as I could not handle three unbonded rabbits. His sneezing never went away during his time with me, but I can certainly say it was environmental as his foster mom hadn’t noticed any sneezing. He’s currently up for adoption at the house rabbit network under the name Stamets.

Sensitive little angels... He's in our prayers for his new home.