Wheezing

[bunadettesmom]

Has this happened to any of you?
My bunny had a respiratory infection about 3 weeks ago and I took her to the vet as soon as I seen. She was running around then sneezed and mucus was just pouring out of her nose. Well we got the medication and it has cleared up but now it seems whenever she gets worked up or excited she starts to wheeze. Not bad but bad enough that I can notice. I made a vet appointment but the soonest the can get me in is in two weeks. Anyone have any idea as to why she could be having this issue. She is a indoor outdoor rabbit. And spends about 1 and a half hours outside, it's broken up into half hour times. One in the,morning once during,lunch and once before dark.

 

[JBun]

Did the vet check to make sure there isn't a piece of hay or other foreign body up her nose?

Otherwise, respiratory infections can take a long time to clear up in rabbits. Usually antibiotics are needed for at least 4 weeks, and they should also continue a week or two past when the symptoms have fully stopped. Many inexperienced vets do not prescribe a long enough course of antibiotics, and the infection ends up coming back, more resistant to the antibiotic that was used. Your rabbit may need another much longer course of antibiotics to completely clear up the infection, though in some cases the infection can't be cleared up completely and can only be managed with ongoing treatments. You should be able to phone the vet and request to pick up another course of antibiotics that will last until your next appt., as you don't want the infection to go untreated for the two weeks until the appt.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm

If the wheezing continues even with more antibiotics, it may be that a different antibiotic is needed, or possibly there is some damage to the nasal cavity from the infection, causing the wheezing sound when your rabbit is worked up.

 

[bunadettesmom]

They gave her about 2 weeks worth of a medication. I gave it to her twice a day. She was good for about a week then She started wheezing again.