Red nose and strange sounds

[jeni]

Hi. So I posted a while ago when my mini rex Jefri started medication for some hind leg weakness and other issues. Since then he’s been a lot better with some bad days but mostly good.

 

Now he’s been having a few weird symptoms starting 1- 2 days ago:

1. About 4-5 times now I’ve heard him make this strange noise. I’ve only heard it when he’s been lying down. Its like a hacking sound.. it sounds gross like when a guy is about to spit. It only lasts a second and he seems fine before and after.

2. This last week he’s had really bad poop butt.. I don’t think he’s been able to digest veggies like he used to.. at least I’ve heard that could happen to some old bunnies. He’s almost 10. Since yesterday I’ve heard loud gurgling in his stomach. I wasn’t sure if it was typical gurgling or the gassy kind. I know no gurgling at all is bad and would generally indicate stasis.  I gave him 1.5 cc simethicone and today his gurgling sounds quieter so I probably didn’t need to add it but just in case…

3. Yesterday he had this weird sound coming from his chest or stomach.. like I could hear his heart beat kind of or there was a tiny microphone in his stomach.. I wont be able to explain this right.. I just know I haven’t heard it before. I guess it sort of sounds like congestion in his chest.. or hollow… bah I don’t know. Its just weird. He’s always been a very loud breather but this was different. Its not constant. Yesterday it was more frequent but I’ve only heard it a couple times today for few seconds.

4. He sounded a little snotty since yesterday… during a face check I looked up his nose with a flash light and on one side it was pink and open but on the other side (which is usually also pink and open) it was very red and there was some mucus in there.  Here’s a picture.. its hard to see.. I couldn’t get the right angle.. but at the left side you can see its a little red.. its redder in person.

And while I’m posting pictures…

 

So yeah.. he doesn’t seem phased by these new symptoms.. his appetite hasn’t changed, he’s pooping normally, and he seems happy and content. He’s hopping around fine.  I have a vet appointment for Monday. Just looking to see if anyone has any knowledge / experience with any of these new symptoms.

 Appreciate any feedback.Thank you for reading..

 

[Roberta]

Definitely looks and sounds like a respiratory infection… If he has had other problems his immune system could be a bit compromised… Definitely keep that vet appointment and possibly have a look at the vit E levels in his mood… More is better, just a suggestion, I’m not a vet just know by recent research that buns do better with high levels of vitamin E in their diet… Chard, Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Parsley, Papaya, wheat (oaten hay), bell peppers, basil and coriander all have higher levels of vit E and many good brands of pellets also have added vit E.

[Sarita]

Poopy butt could be caused by dental problems or mobility issues not necessarily veggies – I’ve never heard that before. You mention hind leg weakness, that is most likely the reason for the “poopy butt”.

I cannot tell a thing from the nose picture but it doesn’t look snotty to me.

I think it would be a good idea to have the vet check his teeth and just do a thorough exam.

[jeni]

Roberta – Thank you, I haven’t heard that before about vitamin E. I’ll definitely look into it. Is redness in the nose a common sign of a respiratory infection? I’m on my way to try to read up on respiratory infections but any anecdotal knowledge is welcome /preferred

Sarita – Thanks I am taking him to a new vet that is more thorough with rabbit exams. I have been wanting his teeth checked but my old vet was not very thorough in her exam (at least when it came to his teeth) and I didn’t catch it since we were there for another issue. We never had this problem before (with veggies) but I’ve been told a few times (by rabbit owners and my current vet) that older rabbits can develop a sensitive gut and not be able or as able to process certain foods as well. I’m sure he can handle some… like I said I don’t know exactly. Maybe it is the amount or a certain veggie he is having trouble with but mobility is not the issue in this case.. he is fine most of the time.. he can hop away after eliminating and raise himself when he pees. His mobility issues are mostly under control with medications. When he was at his worse with mobility issues he mostly suffered from urine scald. The urine scald is also not an issue anymore. I notice only when I give veggies he has very bad poop butt. This is the only change in his diet. I have been adding them back in slowly one kind at a time to see if I can pinpoint which one (if in fact it is a particular one) is the culprit. I know the picture sucks… I could not get the right angle and he was napping so I didn’t want to disturb him too much.. I also used one of those baby bulb syringes to get some of the snot before I thought to write this post. Most of the snot left was further up. He was being very patient and still (even for him.. he’s very gentle and docile) so I only took a few pictures.

[Sarita]

You sound like you really do have it under control :~) I think you are doing a great job.

[michelleann31]

Aww, poor sweetie, that nose sure looks irritated, but I agree, it sounds like you are taking care of it and being a wonderful bunny parent, and your babies are adorable by the way, keep us updated on what the vet tells you! I hope he gets better soon.

[Roberta]

It sounds like you are doing a great job…
Yes, the vitamin E things was new to me a few months ago I stubled onto it after our rescue lost a bun to floppy bunny syndrome and have been delving deeper into the subject… It helped save a friends rabbit last week that went down with FBS… Things were looking bad then Peta started Baci on Vit E, straight from a capsule orally and she turned around and started to improve by the next morning…

[jeni]

Hi. I haven’t updated because I’ve been so exhausted dealing with this and some other things this week.

The vet took x rays. she said he has arthritis in his back causing the leg weakness. His heart looked fine and said it “could” be pneumonia causing his more recent symptoms. She said she doesn’t think it is e cuniculi or pastuerella. He also has fur mites. He’s on zeniquin for the pneumonia and ivermectin for the mites. continued metacam. She was kind of rude about the diaper I had him in. I said if I don’t diaper him he pees all over his legs and if he has poopy but he gets that all over too. She said he cant be sitting in his own waste for long periods of time… i told her i change it often but she was just rude about it. If it is pneumonia it is probably due to the fact that when I do not diaper him i have to give him baths about 2-3 times a week.. and sometimes everyday. Yesterday i had to give him 2 baths. All the bathing is probably what caused the pneumonia anyways even though it is summer and i blow dry him after. I asked if it could be something stuck in his nose. I’ve wondered this before since for a very long time now he breaths different from other rabbits. I read an article about a rabbits that get things stuck in their nose.. one had a long piece of hay stuck in hers for a very long time. There was a video and she sounded just like jefri. the vet said it is possible but that the head x ray costs a fortune and then if they find something he needs surgery and that costs a fortune..

This vet seemed better than the other but not by much. I realized later that she didn’t even take his temperature while he was there. And when she checked his teeth she said she saw 2 of his molars but couldn’t see the far back ones but said they “should be fine”. She didn’t even look up his nose.. she said rabbits noses are full of crevices and it could just be mucus stuck in them.. what? No. Rabbits don’t generally have snotty noses thanks… she just assumed I didn’t know anything. She did ask a lot of questions and wrote a thorough report after but I just don’t think she checked him thoroughly.. especially for what we paid. These are the expensive vets I am taking him to that are supposed to be so great with rabbits. They’re terrible. I sort of feel like buying my own otoscope and whatnot and checking his teeth myself. I know i have more patience with him than some vet. I wouldn’t give up after 2 seconds. I’m really frustrated. We have no money if things go down hill. we don’t even know how we will pay the rent this month. that’s how bad it is. I’m pissed that i risked it on vets that just wanted to take advantage of us. the receptionist kept trying to make me schedule a follow up for next week that was almost as much as the initial exam $75. And then she said that other owners bring their rabbits in every week for preventative maintenance… who can afford that? First of all… that is ridiculous and seconds.. what sort of place tries to guilt you into doing something so ridiculous?

He’s doing good right now.. He sleeps a lot but he’s eating more hay than usual so that’s good. His legs seem stronger.. he has good and bad days but mostly good.. he’s still a little wobbly but if he falls he can pick himself up so I don’t have to do it for him. The chest sounds and hacking/gagging noises are still there.. but its only been about 6 days on this medication.

Thank you for the words of encouragement last week. I’m trying my best.

[LongEaredLions]

I think you might need to find a new vet. “Preventative maintenance” usually means teeth trimming which should usually be done by normal movement of the mouth when consuming hay. While some bunnies do need occasional teeth trimming, once a week is outrageous.
It’s great that he is eating and generally doing well.
Continued (((((vibes)))))

[Author]

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