Have you noticed any improvement at all on the medication? Did your vet prescribe it for possible respiratory infection?

Could there be anything in his habitat that’s irritating him. Like sawdust or wood shavings, litter dust, hay dust? etc

Sometimes when one side is effected like this, it indicates a molar problem. Has he had any dental issues before?

A leading cause of respiratory problems and respiratory infections is from the bunny being closely exposed to toxic ammonia it inhales from the urine when it sits on urine-soaked litter, hay and other urine contaminated surfaces. Some litters which are not effectively absorbent enough allow the bunny to be exposed to the ammonia in dangerous levels. Bunnies who sit on ruine soaked surfaces such as on peed on hay can get ammonia toxicity also. The problem is exacerbated from the bunny licking/grooming its feet bottoms after sitting in urine and feces wet with urine. Watch your bunny in the litterbox if it uses one and iIf you suspect there is a risk of your bunny having had been exposed to ammonia toxicity, while you treat your bunny with something from the vet. you can try wiping everything down with a 1 part vinegr to 1 part water solution. You can spray it on and wipe it. You can also give your bunny a footbath with it as the vinegar neutralizes the ammonia in the urine on the foot bottoms.

About the eye discharge, what jerseygirl said was the first thing that came to my mind too – a possible dental issue. Is your vet rabbit-saavy – is he a specialist in exotic animals?

If he finishes up the meds and there is still no improvement, the vet can do a culture test to see what is causing the problem. There may be a better med available.

I think you need to wait the 5 days until he has completely finished the current dosage. Meds of that type, along with natural healing, can take a while and then “suddenly” seem effective. It’s true for humans too. No improvement, then voila. Usually a dosage is a certain number of days because all of those days are needed for the full efficacy. Don’t stop it. See how he is after the last day, and call the vet if he isn’t improved by then.

I would call your vet and give them an update and see if the vet makes any other recommendations or changes the medications.

I don’t know that I would do a vinegar footbath.  But if your bunny is stuffed up it can help to have them in the bathroom when you shower so they are breathing in the moist steamy air (just like it can help humans). It won’t sure your bunny but it can help them breathe better.

Yes, I agree with KatnipCrzy not to do a 50/50 vinegar/water footbath. If you tried a vinegra footbath, only a small amount of vinegar in a lot of water – maybe 5% vinegar. May do just as well without it though. Her recommendation of the moist steam from a shower sounds great but I would take it a step further and put a vaporizer near the bunny (with the electric cord covered by a chewcord protector or well out of reach of course) The constant moist steam may help and the bunny may hang out near it. Thanks, KatnipCrzy.

That’s interesting that the benadryl helped. Perhaps because his sinus has not been draining he’s been more sensitive to allergens (???)

The weepy eye and nose is an indicator of molar probs (especially given he has molar issues). There is a duct that molar roots can impinge on so while the vet did not see abscess or spurs, I strongly urge you to have them investigate the molar roots. An xray would be enough, no need for MRI.

If the problem isn’t stemming from teeth, perhaps it is just the way his sinus is shaped and prone to infections. Or something else again
Administering meds via a nebuliser can help sometimes. Also, nebulising with just water.  He might do well with this if you’re able to use a vaporiser with him currently.

The vet can swab his nose and find out exactly what infectious bug is present but truthfully, I do not know how expensive or time consuming this might be. Your vet might opt to just start a round of different meds straight away instead.

(((Vibes))) for you Fritzy!

Good luck today, and I’m glad you have the appointment. Be very thorough with the vet, ask as many questions there as you have asked us, and take notes for her directions and responses. You want to have a plan of action, and also a plan of what to do “if”. So if what she tries next doesn’t help within a time frame you both agree is necessary, you know if you should call her, bring him in, fill a new prescription or whatever. You don’t want to try things without her knowing, but you need to know how she wants you to contact her if there is little progress and you’ve been given a suggestion you’d like to try.
{{{{{{{{{{{Healing vibes, Fritzy}}}}}}}}}}}}

It’s zithromax – many people have used this for there rabbits with success. I hope it works for yours.

Healing vibes.

I am wondering why you think you need an xray for a molar problem. Did I miss something?

Well if the teeth roots are the problem there is not a darn thing you can do about that. My first rabbit had this problem and it was terribly frustrating and all that could be done was trying to keep his eyes dry. It was his incisors though not the molars.

Nebulizing is a great option though.

Will you be able to continue on with his regular vet? Just get him/her updated on treatment so far? It’s important you feel happy with your vet at a time like this.
If he’s not doing so well on this med, maybe ring and ask if it’s ok to adjust the dosage. (??????)

I think they can flush the tearduct as a maintenance thing to keep dpwn infection.

By the way, I don’t have life experience with older rabbits or ones with dental issues where as Sarita does. She’ll be able to advise you.  It’s just I read so often when teeth are the cause of many issues and given your rabbit has a history, this makes me suspicious about the teeth. Of course, your vet (hopefully the bunny-loving one!) is the best person to direct you. We can really only give pointers and share our own experiences.

I’m hoping for you and your rabbit it is something simpler that can be cleared up on these meds. {{{Vibes for your bun}}}

I have a chronic pasturella case bunny who’s left eye and nostril flare up with white dischage. He goes on antibiotics for 2 weeks (or longer) each time it flares up. We’ll be doing this the rest of his life.

As for a tear duct, i have a Degu who’s tear duct is blocked, they are so small it cannot be fixed. Next to keeping a very clean habitat (And that’s all it took for us) you can keep the eye itself clean with a warm chamomile tea eye press. This helps naturally clean the eye and keep down the chance of infection, plus it’s inexpensive, just make sure the tea bags are 100% natural and no other plants/leaves/etc. in them. (This is not a replacement for antibiotic drops, but a treatment for prevention).

if it is caused by dental troubles- that is something a vet would have to take care of.  I don’t think medications will resolve the problem- only keep infection under control hopefully- for short term use.

Is there any gunk in his nose that you can see? You might be able to clear that using a babies ear syringe. Not to put up the nose but just to use at the tip.

A stuffed nose increases the risk of something going wrong – but only if it is due to a cold et.c. The risk is not increased because of the stuffed nose as such, but because of the general health problem at that time.

f the stuffed nose is due to dental problems, then it should not cause any problems at all.

Could this be a clue, the slobbers being gone?

Just not sure what that would be a clue to. Maybe saliva gland is not over producing like it was? Or saliva is draining away elsewhere? Or sinus used to drain into mouth causing the slobber but now isn’t because it’s blocked up?   I don’t know how that may occur anatomy wise. I had read rabbits don’t have a sinus cavity exactly.  Anyway, it’s a change worth mentioning to his vet.

The mucus being coloured indicates infection may still be present. This has happened since his course of antibiotics?

: ( Poor fella! This is definately mucus? Not pus from an abscess?  I’ve heard that smells awful.  I suppose any bacterial infection could smell though.
Off hand I’m pretty certain you can’t do a flush like we can. Too much risk of them aspirating the solution. And they don’t have sinuses like ours. I think there is a med that can help break down the mucus and get it flowing more easily. Administered as drops or with a nebulizer. Gentamycin? Sorry I can’t be more certain.

A member here (wendyzski) who has a bunny with chronic pasteurella has mentioned putting her in a steamy bathroom to help sometimes. Also she made a box or bag with vaporiser attached and put Pepper in that to help clear the gunk.  She posted a diagram I can find if you’re interested.

Craisins=bunny happiness. : )

No problem Heiku – did you ever ask your vet about nebulizing him?

Hmmm….I thought I answered your email…sorry you didn’t get my reply!

It’s not at all normal for his sinus to have an odor so I would be concerned. Hopefully the dental trim will help with any issues as well.

Does the vet not nebulize because they are not familiar with this? Nebulizing with an antibiotic would help administer medication into the lungs so it can be very effective.

Honestly, I don’t know. I would ask the vet though if you are concerned.

How’s he doing? Any update?