mouse_chalk
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry, I've been meaning to post this for a few days now but I've either not had the time or just haven't been in the right frame of mind to be typing in-depth things and explaining stuff.
Basically, the other week we noticed Snowy had a bit of a damp nose. Not runny, and there was no mucous or anything, it was just damp, like when I held her, I had a little damp spot on my arm afterwards... We mentioned it the to the vet when she had her nails trimmed, who thought that it possibly could have been due to a reaction to the new oat hay we'd been giving them, which they'd never had before, so we took it out, and it did get better. The vet checked her teeth and said that they seemed fine, although one of her back teeth was slightly long, but the vet didn't think it could be causing too much of an issue..
So, she then got better, and her nose seemed fine for at least a week or so, we kept checking her but it was fine. Then, last week I noticed it was damp again. And I could have been imagining it, but I thought that her nose was slightly yellowy round the edges. Then the next time I looked, no yellow stains. The next time I looked, it was definately yellow, so we took her to the vets Thursday. But by the time we got her to the vets, there was no yellow again! So now I can't be sure if it was just the light, or I imagined it, or she cleaned it off or what.... :?
However, the vet we saw I really wasn't happy with. I can't say that she was terrible, but I didn't feel at all comfortable with her knowledge of rabbits. She said, and these were pretty much the exact words 'she probably has some sort of niggling infection, a bit like when humans get a cold' and Steve made some joke about hayfever and she said 'yeah, exactly that, it might be hayfever'. She said that she wanted Snowy to try some Baytril, and that should shift it.
I mentioned that Liz, our regular vet had checked her teeth before and said that one was a tiny bit long, and I knew that a runny nose could be a symptom, and she said 'well I can't feel anything, but if the Baytril doesn't work, then we will have to knock her out and 'do' her teeth, but obviously we don't want to have to put her under an aneasthetic (sp?) if the Baytril will work' Erm... Hello? Look at the teeth maybe? She looked at the front teeth, much like I do at home, and sort of rubbed Snowy's jaw, but that was it! Correct me if I'm wrong, but they should do more than that to check a rabbit's teeth right? Especially the back ones? She said she couldn't 'feel' anything there, but she didn't look, so how could she know for sure?!!
I really wasn't happy... But I'm just too lacking in confidence to speak up at the time. I mean, after all, she is a vet, and has been through so many years of training and studying etc.. It could have just been that she didn't recognise that me and Steve know... more about rabbits than your average owner, even though I'm by far an expert (that isn't a member here lol), and so she was trying to explain things more simply for us, but then me asking questions about Baytril and her teeth might have given that away? I don't know...
My initial thoughts were to try the Baytril, and if it didn't clear up within a few days to get her back in and insist to see one of the regular vets that we trust and insist that they either do a culture, check the teeth properly, both even... but then I'm wondering if the Baytril could do any harm in the meantime? She's not had it before that I know of, and she's ok on it, except she wont swallow it at all really, even with a bit of pure apple juice mixed in, she just dribbles it out the side..
She's still eating, drinking and being her usual self, apart from the damp nose, and I definately haven't seen any yellowish stains since, but obviously I'm still concerned. Especially since she now lives with 3 other bunnies! They all seem completely fine too...
I guess the other reason I've put off posting for a few days is that I've been worried that people will think badly of me for not getting the best treatment for her or whatever... I feel like I really should have spoken up but I just hate to do so! I feel like a terrible bunny mum at the moment! :tears2:
I've got a pic of her nose that I will upload but it's a bit misleading cos she has Baytril dribbled all round her mouth at the time...
Basically, the other week we noticed Snowy had a bit of a damp nose. Not runny, and there was no mucous or anything, it was just damp, like when I held her, I had a little damp spot on my arm afterwards... We mentioned it the to the vet when she had her nails trimmed, who thought that it possibly could have been due to a reaction to the new oat hay we'd been giving them, which they'd never had before, so we took it out, and it did get better. The vet checked her teeth and said that they seemed fine, although one of her back teeth was slightly long, but the vet didn't think it could be causing too much of an issue..
So, she then got better, and her nose seemed fine for at least a week or so, we kept checking her but it was fine. Then, last week I noticed it was damp again. And I could have been imagining it, but I thought that her nose was slightly yellowy round the edges. Then the next time I looked, no yellow stains. The next time I looked, it was definately yellow, so we took her to the vets Thursday. But by the time we got her to the vets, there was no yellow again! So now I can't be sure if it was just the light, or I imagined it, or she cleaned it off or what.... :?
However, the vet we saw I really wasn't happy with. I can't say that she was terrible, but I didn't feel at all comfortable with her knowledge of rabbits. She said, and these were pretty much the exact words 'she probably has some sort of niggling infection, a bit like when humans get a cold' and Steve made some joke about hayfever and she said 'yeah, exactly that, it might be hayfever'. She said that she wanted Snowy to try some Baytril, and that should shift it.
I mentioned that Liz, our regular vet had checked her teeth before and said that one was a tiny bit long, and I knew that a runny nose could be a symptom, and she said 'well I can't feel anything, but if the Baytril doesn't work, then we will have to knock her out and 'do' her teeth, but obviously we don't want to have to put her under an aneasthetic (sp?) if the Baytril will work' Erm... Hello? Look at the teeth maybe? She looked at the front teeth, much like I do at home, and sort of rubbed Snowy's jaw, but that was it! Correct me if I'm wrong, but they should do more than that to check a rabbit's teeth right? Especially the back ones? She said she couldn't 'feel' anything there, but she didn't look, so how could she know for sure?!!
I really wasn't happy... But I'm just too lacking in confidence to speak up at the time. I mean, after all, she is a vet, and has been through so many years of training and studying etc.. It could have just been that she didn't recognise that me and Steve know... more about rabbits than your average owner, even though I'm by far an expert (that isn't a member here lol), and so she was trying to explain things more simply for us, but then me asking questions about Baytril and her teeth might have given that away? I don't know...
My initial thoughts were to try the Baytril, and if it didn't clear up within a few days to get her back in and insist to see one of the regular vets that we trust and insist that they either do a culture, check the teeth properly, both even... but then I'm wondering if the Baytril could do any harm in the meantime? She's not had it before that I know of, and she's ok on it, except she wont swallow it at all really, even with a bit of pure apple juice mixed in, she just dribbles it out the side..
She's still eating, drinking and being her usual self, apart from the damp nose, and I definately haven't seen any yellowish stains since, but obviously I'm still concerned. Especially since she now lives with 3 other bunnies! They all seem completely fine too...
I guess the other reason I've put off posting for a few days is that I've been worried that people will think badly of me for not getting the best treatment for her or whatever... I feel like I really should have spoken up but I just hate to do so!
I feel like a terrible bunny mum at the moment! :tears2:I've got a pic of her nose that I will upload but it's a bit misleading cos she has Baytril dribbled all round her mouth at the time...
