SNEEZING

[VA Bun Bun]

Is it normal for a bunny to sneeze constantly? My bun sneezes several times a day andit's not a short sneeze either. He has been sneezing since we adopted him about 3 weeks ago. I thought that maybe it was his fur tickling his nose but I don't know what to think now. And he gets crusty eyes. You know like we do in the mornings. Is that normal too?

 

[rabbitgirl]

no, that's not normal.

Sounds like either allergies or snuffles (pasteurella).

Rose

 

[Stephanie]

I'd get your bun to the vet first thing. Let us know what's going on when you find out.

 

[pamnock]

The sneezing along with irritation of the eyesmay be an indication of a bacterial infection. Many rabbitssuffer general symptoms of rhinitis and the cause can't always bedetermined. You can consult with your vet on blood testingfor the most common pathogens and treatment to relieve the symptoms.

Pam

 

[Carolyn]

Hi VABunBun,

This was written by ouresteemed member, BunnyMommy. It's very helpful.

Keep us posted on how you make out with yourlittle one. I'll be praying and thinking of you.

-Carolyn

* * * * * * * * * *





UPDATE! The testresults are back, and Sherman gets a clean bill of health!

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical practitioner, so any observationsin this post should be interpreted simply as a matter of my personalopinion. Any symptomatic treatment regarding your bunny should be donein affiliation with a licensed veterinarian under the auspices ofestablished medical practices and good common sense.

Now, that being said, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty! As you allknow, Sherman was adopted. Because I only had a marginal picture of hispast medical illnesses and medical care, I became greatly concernedwhen he started sniffling on the day that we brought him home. In allof the research that I’d done before we got him, a common theme emergedin regards to sniffling and sneezing: Respiratory illness is theleading cause of morbidity and mortality in bunnies if left untreated.Some may think that it was overkill to take as many steps as I did andto spend as much money as we have to ensure Sherman’s health, but mypersonal philosophy is that he is now a member of our family, and it’sour responsibility to make just as much effort to maintain his healthand curry his longevity as we would for any other family member.

I’m writing this very long narrative in the hopes that it will helpothers who have sneezing/sniffling bunnies and will give them a roadmapof the steps that they might need to take to restore their bunnies backto full and optimal health.

Sherman started sniffling on the ride home on the day that we pickedhim up. I assumed that since he was outdoors when we went to get himand that the pollen count was extremely high that he was just having anallergic reaction. However, he continued to sniffle and eventuallystarted sneezing too. I continued to check him for discharge—eyes,nose, ears, paws (from wiping his nose), but none ever materialized, soI continued to operate under the assumption that he just had“allergies”. The sneezing and sniffling began to increase in frequencyand finally, around the fifth or sixth day or so, I was on the floorplaying with him. He sneezed and five or six droplets of thick yellowmucus were excreted onto my leg.

Since one of the most definitive indicators of infection is a thickyellow discharge, I got on the phone to one of the 24 hour animalemergency rooms here, one of the best in the city, and spoke to a nurseand asked her if she felt that his symptoms warranted an emergencyvisit or could we wait until the next day during normal business hours.The nurse stated that rabbits were classified an exotic species and assuch their physiology was very delicate. She confirmed that potentiallya respiratory infection could indeed be fatal to our bunny and that hecould decline quickly without warning. In any wise, they couldn’t makea definitive diagnosis without actually seeing him.

So … at 11:00 p.m. that night we packed up my sweet baby and whiskedhim to the emergency room. There he was examined and diagnosedsymptomatically. The vet was able to see signs of the discharge in hisnasal cavity. His official diagnostic impression was “potentialrespiratory infection”. He was prescribed Baytril suspension 20 mg/ml.We were instructed to give 1.0 ml orally every 12 hours for 10 days.The antibiotic was to be kept refrigerated, and we were to shake itwell before each use.

A word about Baytril (generic name: enrofloxacin): My researchindicates that Baytril is one of the few antibiotics indicated to bewell tolerated and effective with no negative side effects to thebunny. It’s my understanding that the bunny’s digestive system is verydelicately balanced and any disruption in its normal operation can leadto death. Baytril can even be used long-term without detriment. Formore information about Baytril, visithttp://www.baytril.com .

On the night of his ER visit, Sherman was also given a subcutaneousinjection of fluids (in his ear). His discharge instructions stated,“Sherman should be rechecked immediately if you see any signs ofdifficulty breathing, rapid breathing, lethargy, depression, diarrhea,or not eating/drinking.”

(*I must also emphasize here as an aside that the best veterinarianfor bunnies is one who sees high numbers of exotic species as theirphysiology is so unique that it requires specialized care.)

Sherman’s symptoms cleared completely two to three days after startinghis medication regimen. Fortunately for me, when I posted this to theboard, Buck and Carolyn had the courage and integrity to tactfullyinform me that there was a real possibility that his symptoms mightrecur and may even be incurable. Painful as this revelation was, Iprocessed it, and filed it away for future reference.

Sherman did very well for a week to 10 days after his recovery. Then ithappened again … a sniffle. I got a little apprehensive, but my husbandtold me not to lose my cool. It was just one sniffle. The next day ithappened again—more than once. The day after that he was sniffling andsneezing, approximately four to five times in total that day. I againlooked for signs of discharge. Nothing.

The next day I called the vet. I was able to keep calm because I’d hadtime to prepare my mind thanks to Buck’s and Carolyn’s warning—butstill, a little voice in the back of my head kept whispering,“Pasturella”. Those of you familiar to the rabbit world know that thisis a word that holds the resonance of many consequences, especially forthose who breed rabbits. This is the dreaded of the dreaded in terms ofrespiratory infections in bunnies. For more detailed information onPasturella, follow this link:http://www.rabbit.org/care/pasturella.html .

I had three primary objectives in getting Sherman to the vet:

· Treatment
· A blood culture to definitively ascertain whether he had Pasturella or not
· To discuss long-term therapy options if he did indeed have the disease (euthanasia was just not an option for me).

Sherman had an in-depth physical examination and the blood test. Theblood test portion of the exam alone came to $74.00. To accomplish thetest, the vet shaved a portion of one of Sherman’s legs and drew bloodfrom there. He warned us that there might be a little bruising in thearea. Sherman seemed no worse for the wear. The blood tests were toreturn in three to four business days.

The doctor told us that based on his physical exam findings thatSherman was in excellent health, and that we were doing a good job ofmeeting his nutritional needs. He checked his vital signs, his lungswere clear, and there were no signs of discharge at all. There was justthe sneezing.

We were told that possibly Sherman had “allergies”. He said that thiscould be due to any number of factors, i.e. dust from his bedding orhay, exposure to environmental allergens, and that indeed it was quitenormal for some bunnies to sneeze every now and then justbecause. During the course of our conversation and as I began toask the doctor more and more questions, it occurred to me that therewas a possibility that the majority of Sherman’s favorite hiding placesprobably were … ahem … a little dusty. He likes to hide under thetreadmill, behind some of the furniture, under the sofa, behind the TV,etc.

When we got home I got down on my hands and knees with a flashlight andinspected. I wasn’t surprised to see that these were particular areaswere rather dusty. We got down to spring cleaning, moving furniture,vacuuming and cleaning carpets. When the carpet dried and we began toallow Sherman access again his symptoms immediately disappeared.

On this morning the vet called and informed us that Sherman’s bloodtest was completely clear; not only did he not have the disease, but hehad never even been exposed to it.

The moral of this story: Although everything turned out well for us, asbunny owners I think that it’s always prudent to err on the side ofcaution. I’d rather be safe than sorry any day. A bunny’s system isvery delicate and they hide their symptoms very well, sometimes untilit’s too late. The story could very well have turned in anotherdirection.

Some points that I think are important:

· A relationship with a veterinarian should be established in advanceof a bunny emergency so that he/she will already be familiar with yourpet’s medical history.

· More importantly, it’s best to establish a relationship with a vetwho specializes in the care of exotics. Bunnies require a level ofmedical care over and beyond the traditional.

· When bunnies exhibit signs of respiratory illness, it’s good to getthe opinion of a medical professional. Sometimes diagnostic testing isrequired.

· Look for signs of discharge from the eyes, ears, nose, or on the paws from bunny wiping his nose.

· Is the bunny acting depressed or lethargic? Is he eating/drinking normally?

· MAKE SURE YOUR VET DOESN’T PRESCRIBE AMOXICILLIN FOR YOUR BUNNY. ITCAN BE FATAL. (A vet with real bunny experience wouldn’t do thisanyway.)

· Carolyn gave Sherman a bottle of a product called VetRx [suB]TM[/suB](http://www.compasnac.com/cvp/14/1438/1438009.htm ). This may be helpful in alleviating yourbunny’s symptoms.

· Your bunny’s respiratory symptoms may not be serious; then to, they may be. Err on the side of caution.

Many thanks to all of you for your prayers, encouragement, and support during Sherman’s illness. You are greatly appreciated.

Hope this helps!

 

[VA Bun Bun]

You knowI did notice some discharge after he sneezes but the discharge waswhite. I am taking him to the vet this weekend and I will letyou guys know. Previous owner had told me that she had himchecked for that same reason a month prior to me adopting himand hehad the blood work done as well and everything cameback normal. He eats and drinks, belive me. He has an appetite that is for sure.Thank you again for the information. Veryimformative!!!

 

[mhiszxpinay]

..sorry if im interruppting..but how does a bunny sneeze? i havent seen or possibly heared emmy sneeze before :?