Rabbit Dry Heaving & Drooling/Runny nose?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 15sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 10 months ago by Ellie from The Netherlands.

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- 04/07/2021 at 2:30 PM
  Shadow0413
  Participant
  7 posts
  Hi Everyone,
  
  I have an eight year old Bun, Shadow who has been dry heaving after eating any type of veggies and randomly drooling. I’ve taken him to the vet and both the Blood work and CT came back normal except a minor dental issue which the vet doesn’t think is causing the problem. As of right now he is on two medications Orbax (antibiotic) and Panacur (for E.cuni) since he has had that before but very different symptoms. It doesn’t seem to get any better and he is constantly grinding his teeth. I’m hoping to take him to another vet for a second opinion. He also has a lump on the side of his cheek and he’s constantly sneezing everyday. I don’t even want to give him any veggies because it hurts to see him try to pass down the food and I don’t want him to choke. He has no problem with fruits or his pellets. I’m wondering if anyone else has had this problem or they’ve heard about it. I’m really trying to find a solution after getting these tests done and I still don’t know what’s wrong with him.
  
  Liz
- 04/07/2021 at 2:32 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Oh dear 🙁
  
  Does it seem like he could be choking?
  
  Was the lump there when the vet did the CT? I wonder if he has an abscess that is interfering with swallowing or chewing properly? The teeth and sinuses are related, so the sneezing may or may not be related.
  
  I think a second opinion with an exotics specialist is a good idea.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 04/07/2021 at 6:51 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17225 posts
  I will second Dana. A second opinion is definitely needed here.
- 04/07/2021 at 8:03 PM
  Shadow0413
  Participant
  7 posts
  After eating any type of veggie he’ll do a motion of like gagging and it’ll clear up but he’ll go back to eating another piece. Im aware rabbits cannot physically throw up so for him to do that motion is very weird and I’ve never heard of it. Its not like there’s an ingrown tooth in the way that isn’t letting him pass his food.
  
  Yes, the lump was there before the CT and the vet said it is not connected to the dental issue. There was a chronic inflammation in his blood work but that may be the lump since it was there for a while.
  
  I’m definitely getting a second opinion. The soonest appointment they have is in a week, hopefully they can figure out what’s wrong with him.
- 04/07/2021 at 8:51 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  does chopping up his salad very small help?
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 04/07/2021 at 9:18 PM
  Shadow0413
  Participant
  7 posts
  Nope. I’ve even tried giving him piece by piece and he still does it. I just gave him a piece of Carrot and its no problem. It’s anything soft that triggers it. I’m going to get him celery and other crunchy veggies tomorrow to see if it happens.
- 04/08/2021 at 8:05 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Interesting, what veggies do you normally feed?
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 04/08/2021 at 9:47 AM
  Shadow0413
  Participant
  7 posts
  Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Cilantro, Parsley, Spring Mix.
  
  This morning his entire face to his eyes was soaked wet. It was terrifying. I did a deep clean of his x-pen and made it smaller. I’m going to try to make sure he’s eating and drinking water normally as he’s acting very different.
  
  I got an appointment with another vet this Sunday so hopefully he can wait it out until then. I’m having his first vet send over the CT exam and Blood work over to the new vet.
- 04/08/2021 at 2:18 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Poor guy 🙁
  
  Maybe if you explain his worsening symptoms the new vet can get you in sooner?
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 04/08/2021 at 4:18 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17225 posts
  Since it’s just these soft things, I wonder if he is having issues with his swallow reflex. Perhaps the veggies “stick” when he tries to swallow because they don’t end up in a ball like drier foods.
  - 04/09/2021 at 6:31 AM
    Shadow0413
    Participant
    7 posts
    I got him a green bell pepper and celery last night. He ate only the celery with no problem. I have an emergency visit today for him since he barely ate last night and he’s only sitting in one spot. His face is still wet and still sneezing.
    
    Hopefully they can figure out what is wrong with him today.
- 04/09/2021 at 7:19 AM
  jerseybunnies
  Participant
  47 posts
  Please update us on how he is when you get the chance 🙂
  
  These are just my suggestions. Please seek an experienced veterinarian if you have medical needs / questions. Thank you!
- 04/09/2021 at 12:00 PM
  Shadow0413
  Participant
  7 posts
  The vet said that because the CT showed a minor dental disease, some rabbits are very sensitive to any little thing and that might be his case. We are going forward with his surgery to trim his teeth and remove the abscess he has on his cheek. He going to be there over night and tomorrow they will do the surgery.
  
  The vet mentioned that it may be it or it may be something they’re not seeing and have to do further exams. I’m really hoping this is it and he gets better after.
  
  I’ll update tomorrow on how the surgery went. Hopefully it was just to trim and they don’t have to do an extraction on his teeth.
- 04/12/2021 at 7:46 PM
  Shadow0413
  Participant
  7 posts
  Update
  
  Shadow had a tooth extracted and some trimming on Saturday morning. The vet said his tooth was loose and they had to extract it. Since then he is feeling a lot better. He no longer dry heaves or drools. I’m glad they figured out what was wrong with him. They also took out the mass on his cheek. I chose not to send it out to the lab since they said it looked like a fleshy matter. He is still on the antibiotic and the panacur. The vet added an anti-inflamatory for his tooth.
  
  He is back to his normal self but has completely lost his potty training. He is peeing EVERYWHERE but the litterbox. Any suggestions on how to retrain him?
- 04/13/2021 at 8:12 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  That is great news!
  
  He is prob peeing everywhere because he might still be in some pain, but I imagine he feels SO much better with that bad tooth out. I would just give him some time to recover and I’m guessing things will slowly return. You can restrict his space a little if you need to.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 04/13/2021 at 4:00 PM
  Ellie from The Netherlands
  Participant
  2512 posts
  Whew, what a relief! Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery ^_^
  
  About the litter box habits: he’s probably upset about everything and needs some time to settle in again. Rabbits deal poorly with changes and with being away from home.
  
  My boyfriend and I both have autism, but we’ve established that bunnies are a lot more autistic than we are. Rabbits are creatures of habit to the extreme. They can get upset by small changes: when dinner is different, when there’s an unexpected strange noise, and watch them freak out when someone puts a chair in a different place! The world might as well have turned upside down, looking at their reaction.
  
  These bigger changes like an overnight stay at the vet disrupt their schedule, and they’ll need a bit of time to settle in again. Let him work out his new routine. It helps if it’s calm in the house. I always put my phone on silent when Breintje is upset and we don’t do things that upset him, like vacuuming.
  
  Rabbits respond well to touch, especially warmth calms them down. If he lets you, roll up your sleeves and pet him with your bare arms. He may enjoy laying against your arm, so he can sleep feeling safe and secure. Breintje always sleeps a lot deeper when he’s laying against my arm. He can nap for hours when it’s quiet. Calm touch and warmth release happy hormones, both in buns and in humans 😀
  
  I hope that Shadow will recover soon and that the litter box habits will improve!
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