Worried About My Bunny!

[ChasingHailee]

My rabbit Sirius is a Rex, I got him from a family friend. He was born 03/13/15. I brought him into the vets just to get a regular checkup and the vet there was concerned about his sneezing and put him on Baytril tablets mixed with a type of syrup.

He's been on this since 05/23 and he's not better. Although I got concerned this morning, he has a very red eye and the fur all around it is matted. I'm pretty worried. Any ideas?

 

[Blue eyes]

Did the vet do a culture test to determine precisely which bacteria was causing the issue? It doesn't sound like he did.
I would definitely ring the vet and give them an update. They will likely want you to bring bunny back in. The culture test will allow them to determine the appropriate treatment rather than just a general one.

Do you know how rabbit savvy this vet is? Most vets "claim" to know rabbits but rabbits are very different from other pets typically seen by a vet. A good way to find a good rabbit vet is ask for a reference from a local rabbit rescue (not generic shelter, but a rescue that only has rabbits).

In the meantime, here is a good article that explains more about the many causes of sneezing. This should be resolved sooner than later since the longer it goes, the worse it can get.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

 

[ChasingHailee]

My vet has worked with rabbits for quite a long time, but sent me to Wedgewood pharmacy and gave me a prescription for chloramphenicol, but since it can cause cancer in humans, it's very expensive. Also, shipping and handling is a lot. I feel awful for not being able to afford treatment for him while he just gets worse. Also, I can't afford a $300 culture and test as that is how much my vet's office costs. I'm out of options here

 

[JBun]

Since the baytril doesn't seem to be effective, ask your vet about trying a different antibiotic. Sulfatrim is often used for rabbits with URI symptoms, and is cheap and readily available woldwide. Injectable penicillin or a cephalosporin are also other commonly available antibiotics that can be used.

If you haven't seen any colored or white snot(indicates bacterial infection), in rare cases allergies can also cause clear snot, sneezing, and clear eye discharge. In these cases it may often be a sensitivity to the rabbits bedding/litter or even sometimes a particular type of hay, in which case changing the type of bedding/litter or hay can resolve symptoms. A sensitivity to household chemicals/scents or cleaners can also sometimes cause these symptoms. Another thing can be a foreign body(eg hay) stuck up the nostril, especially if the discharge is primarily occurring on one side.

Also ensuring a clean living environment can help alleviate symptoms in some cases, as ammonia buildup from the urine can irritate a rabbits respiratory tract.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Bacterial/RhinitisRabbits.htm

 

[BrokenMermaid]

You could ask your vet if they'll let you work out a payment plan for the testing and treatment. Not all vets do, but I hace had vets agree to it and it really helps.