Reply To: new bunny sick and just lost old bunny

[Bam]

I am so sorry you lost Buddy. It does sound like an absolute nightmare. When a bun develops nystagmus and other neurological signs, the first things a vet should suspect are a  middle ear infection or e cuniculi. I’m so sorry the ER clinic treated you the way they did.

I’m very sorry your new bun isnt well. He will need antibiotics for this, since bunny colds are bacterial rather than caused by viruses. I hope you have a better vet to go to than that ER clinic?

Bunny colds can be caused by several bacteria, among them pasteurella. It is believed that most buns have the pasteurella bacterium in low numbers in their nasal cavity, but only some buns get sick from it. Reasons why a bun gets sick can be things like young age (immature immune system) or stress, not necessarily “bad” stress. Getting a new home can count as a stressor, even if the new home is very much better than the old home.

Pasteurella and several other bunny cold bacteria are sensitive to enrofloxacine (Baytril). Some buns require a longer course than just the regular 1 week -10 days. The sooner you start treatment, the better. We have had many buns here that have recovered from bunny colds. It is highly understandable that you are afraid that he will die, given the recent tragic demise of Buddy. This is how the human brain works.

I can’t say if your bird is at risk of catching a bunny cold, but we do have other members who have bird experience.