I think my rabbit has a cold

[ggb]

Hello! I have a 5 year old male rabbit named Keke (yes, Keke is a girls name but when I got Keke I thought Keke was a girl, sine the pet store informed the individual that gifted him to me). Yesterday morning I was suddenly awoken by loud snorting noises coming from my bunny, as if he was having a lot of trouble breathing, almost like he had a stuffy nose. I freaked out and immediately checked for snot-like fluids but there were none. Still, knowing that this is a very bad sign anyway, made an appointment with my vet. She took x-rays to check for any disturbances in the lungs or heart because she didn’t see anything in his nose either. She also did a bunch of blood work.

Blood work came out perfect, she was very happy with that.

The x-rays were great in regard to his heart and lungs, as well as his sinuses, nothing looked congested. However she was shocked at what his belly looked like. (I should have made note earlier, he has a very healthy appetite still, fed him green lettuce before the trip to the vet and he ate it all no problem). This was about 3 hours after I had fed him, and he still had a very full stomach, as well as a large amount of gas in the his intestines beyond his stomach. Now my vet is thinking about GIS, and when I thought about it, his poop has been a little small, but he still has a very healthy appetite!) However this still didn’t really explain the nose/breathing difficulty. The vet sent me off with an anti-biotic, a medicine to help move his bowls, as well as a pain killer.

This morning the newest development is I found brown snot around his nostrils, and since then his breathing sounds more and more stuffed as if there is liquid present (his nose is also starting to swell it looks). His breathing is still very deep and very slow. I called my vet and she told me that he has the anti-biotics in him, and to wait and see if it gets worse. As of now, after another 12 hours of observation he seems steady. But I am very insecure about his real health status. I have been doing a lot of reading of what the issue could possibly be, if the breathing/nose issue is somehow related to his digestion. 

Anyone else ever experienced something to this? Does anyone have any suggestions? If you have had a bunny with a stuffed nose what did you do to comfort them? He seems to be so uncomfortable regarding his nose and breathing 

[Roberta]

Has your vet taken a sample from his nose and run a culture ???? or did he not have the discharge at the time ?

[ggb]

There wasn’t any discharge at the time, she said that there could possibly be a “deep sinus infection that you can’t see via x-ray.”

[bullrider76543]

it sounds like a upper respiratory infection, I would take him right back ASAP, just because your vet didnt find anything that first time doesn’t mean there isnt anything there now, especially now that there is a discharge!! how is his appetite an has he been pooping?

[ggb]

He still has no problem with eating, gets excited when he sees that I am bringing him something new to eat, gets lively, etc. I even get him to play with toys and he reacts. Poop is more frequent, but still small for what would be normal for him. 

If I brought him back would there be something else my vet could do? He was injected with an anti-bitoic at the vet, and I have been giving him an oral one.

[Roberta]

I agree with bullrider. I’d head back to the Vet pronto and insist on a culture for the discharge or see if they can get a look inside with and endoscope or something.

[ggb]

You think so? It’s only day 2 of administering the meds I was given, (Orbax, Metacam and Porpulcid (sp?), plus the injected antibiotic I didn’t catch the name of). 

[Stickerbunny]

Call the vet and ask. Different antibiotics work on different things, so the vet may want to put him on a different one. When my bun had a URI my vet used baytril, which is a kind of generic one, cleared hers up in a week. But, any time there are new symptoms it is best to discuss it with the vet. They may say finish the round of antibiotics before bringing him back in, or want to run a culture now that there is discharge.

[Sarita]

Did she check his teeth?

[ggb]

The vet checked his teeth, everything seemed fine. This morning I noticed his paws are quite matted, which leads me only to believe he’s been wiping any discharge away. His poops are now much more frequent, closer to his normal size, with the exception they’re very soft, but not soft enough they smear, they’re just sticky and are getting stuck to him all over. I suppose I’ll give the vet another call today, and may insist on bringing him in for her to take a sample from his nasal cavity. I also live in New York so there’s a good chance if I don’t go today I won’t be able to get him in again until Monday because of this blizzard we’re getting.

[bullrider76543]

I would watch him closely, Mr. Hopper my oldest had a sticky poo problem that caused a bacterial infection to spread up to his lungs and we almost lost him. I would try to back off on pellets and greens and try to push hay until you talk to the vet!! he might be having a digestive issue along with the infection! I would keep your emergency bunny kit ready this weekend! Always better to be safe then sorry in these cases since bunnies are so good at hiding ailments!

[BinkyBunny]

When your vet checked his teeth, what was done exactly?

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