Allergies or Infection

[Hoppers]

Hello

I’m hoping for some advice please.

I have two house rabbits, aged around 4.5 years.  Both had myxomatosis a couple of years back and lost part of their noses as a result but their health is generally good

Around three weeks ago both started some mild snuffling. One sneezed quite frequently and repetitively. Blocked nose symptoms really. No eye issues or anything else visible. Some clear discharge from noses but not huge amounts. Both have been off their food to some extent. Happy to have herbs, nuggets and fresh grass but no real appetite for hay.

They’ve had a week of antibiotics and it didn’t really improve. One has now had a week of antihistamine and I’ve not seen much improvement there either. The other hates being picked up and is quite paranoid so is hard to catch to medicate.

Their general health is good. Weight, teeth and digestion are fine. They are a bit lethargic and not eating as I’d like though. They do perk up when treats come out and at times seem fine. I’d like to let them in the garden but if there could be allergens outside I don’t want to make it worse.

I assume the issue must be environmental as both have been affected at the same time. I’ve not changed anything in the indoor environment. No smoke, new cleaning products, air freshener etc. They have sawdust litter, which can be dusty, but this has never been a problem before.

I’ve kept them indoors for a few days to see if that will help. Possibly a change of weather and some rain could reduce outdoor allergens? If it is an allergy, is it likely to clear up without further treatment?

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks very much.

[DanaNM]

How long has their total course of antibiotics been? 1 week is very short, as respiratory infections can take a long course of antibiotics to kick (with 2 weeks being the absolute minimum, it’s not uncommon for longer to be needed), or a different antibiotic.

Dental issues (esp with tooth roots) are also a possibility, but the fact that it’s both buns and timing suggests either something contagious (that they both got) or an environmental trigger as you suggested. Could their hay batch be moldy perhaps? Not sure where you are in the  globe but the humidity has been making me paranoid about hay!

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

I agree that 1 week isn’t long enough. It’s either something contagious or something environmental. What antihistamine are you using? I found Benedryl tends to make them sleepy.

[Hoppers]

Thanks for the replies. I went back to the vet today and they took a nasal swab so should hopefully get an answer soon. He suspected Pasturella so should be able to treat soon either way.

I’m in the the UK. Hay seems ok but I changed batch anyway. The antihistamine was Piriton.

[Bam]

Piriton (chlorphenamine) is the type of antihistamine that has drowsiness as a side effect. It would’nt make the other bun lethargic though, although if one bun is drowsy the other bun could perhaps become less active as well, since bonded buns often “mirror” each other.

[Hoppers]

Quick update. Pasteurella swab was negative. I’m due to start a new course of antibiotics today.

I’m now wondering whether digging around in a dusty area could have caused their issue. They dug extensively in some stones in the back garden and I noticed after how dusty the area was. That was probably a week before I noticed symptoms.

[Bam]

Earth and soil contains a whole host of bacteria and fungi, f ex aspergillus. But rabbits are “designed” to dig -and I bet your buns had a great time digging! These  bacteria and fungi are normally not harmful for people and animals with a good immune defense, but it’s  always “dose-dependant”. (This is why aspergillus mold in hay can cause illness even in healthy animals and humans -too much of it will overwhelm anyone).

I hope the new antibiotics will help. It’s not rare to have to try a few different antibiotics or combinations of antibiotics to overcome a problem.

[Hoppers]

Thanks for the reply. I was wondering about the effect of dust rather than any actual bacteria. Not sure if inhaling dust could cause ongoing issues.

They both lost part of their nose a few years back due to Myxomatosis so may be more prone to nasal issues.

 

[Bam]

Dust in the form of silicaceous particles can cause silicosis (of the lungs). Other types of dust like coal can cause similar diseases (pneumoconiosis), but that’s practically always due to long term expose.

But it’s quite possible that dust can irritate the nasal mucosa mechanically. It should go away after some time after stopping the the exposure though. Antibiotics will only help if there’s some sort of infection -but compromised mucosa will of course be extra sensitive to infection and might benefit greatly from treatment to allow the body to heal.

(I’m very happy to hear that your buns survived myxomatosis. In some contries (notably Australia) myxomatosis vaccines are banned).

 

[Hoppers]

Thanks again for the feedback, it’s much appreciated.

[LBJ10]

I agree with Bam. Considering they are missing part of their noses, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume they have lost part of the natural defense the mucosa. It’s possible they both inhaled something while digging in the dirt.

[Em]

Sorry if I missed you say it, but have they had x-rays or any other scans of their head to check their nasal cavity/teeth?

I ask because my bun was misdiagnosed as having allergies. Then they suspected URI. She would have chronic sneezing episodes but unlike yours had a fair bit of discharge. Culture swab yielded nothing significant. Turns out she had massive rhinoliths that have developed in her nose, and it was why nothing was working to relieve her symptoms.

may or not be the same thing happening for your bun, but if everything else fails to help it may be worth asking for x-rays or even skull CT.

[Hoppers]

Thanks for the comments, Em. As both bunnies are having a similar issue I assume this is caused by an infection or something environmental as opposed to a physical problem.

They’ve started a course of Doxycycline so hopefully that will clear up the problem.

[Hoppers]

Hello, back again. Rabbits have had about 10 days of Doxycycline now. No major improvement.

One is snuffling quite a bit. Both lacking appetite. Not sure if I need to persist with antibiotics or if another approach is needed.

They’re still eating fresh grass, herbs, nuggets and fibafirst haystacks, so not losing weight so far luckily but no appetite for hay and just not quite right.

[Em]

I would proceed with scans if they haven’t had any already. Either skull CT or X-ray. Just to be sure.

[TinyPawTracks]

Maybe the lack of appetite is a side effect of the Doxycycline. Be sure to double check all observations with the vet.

 

[Hoppers]

Thanks again for the comments. Scans and x-rays feel like a big step, financially as well as in terms of having to knock them out.

It feels like it should be easier than this to treat what seems to be some kind of blocked nose.

The lack of appetite was there already although possibly the medicine hasn’t helped.

People have mentioned sometimes doing a month long course of antibiotics. I’m on about 12 days now and not seeing any obvious sign of improvement.

Maybe worth treating for pasteurella even though the swab was negative?

 

[Em]

I only suggest scans as I’ve been in the same boat and wished I went for scans sooner. One of my guys ended up aspirating the pus into his lungs and it caused devastating pneumonia.

due to the fact your buns have had nasal surgery before, my concern is that their noses are simply too blocked up with pus for antibiotics to work properly. My two also went down with URIs as the same time; for them it was so chronic, that they both developed rhinoliths in their noses due to them being so blocked.

it’s up to you; if you want to push on with antibiotics. You can also try injections (I.e. penicillin) if the bacteria they have in their noses is not resistant (have they had culture sensitivity tests done?)…

 

 

[Hoppers]

Hello Em. Thanks for the comments again. That’s worrying but possibly helpful.

One of them had a nasal swab with the aim of looking for pasteurella but came back negative. Not sure if that would have shown other infections if there was anything to find. I’ll check with the vet tomorrow.

It gives me some more talking points for the vet though so I really appreciate your help.

They didn’t have nasal surgery incidentally, the nose just partially dropped off by itself. (Before they were living with me). I suppose it has the same effect though, less ability to filter foreign objects.

 

 

[LBJ10]

What about having their sinuses flushed?

[Hoppers]

Hello LBJ10.

I was wondering if that was an option, I will look into that. Thanks.

 

 

[LBJ10]

I imagine it would at least give you an idea of whether their sinus/breathing problems are the result of mucus buildup alone.

[Hoppers]

Hello again.

Good news, the vet still feels there’s nothing serious at the moment. Their general health is good. Heart, lungs, teeth, temperature all fine. Possibly a seasonal issue that will clear upz although I’m not convinced by that. Just going with Metacam for now rather than more antibiotics.

Bad news, I’ve been quoted £1,040 for a rhinoscopy. That sounded like the most positive option to look for a problem. Vet is sure the issue is in the upper respiratory area, and that seems like the best way to identify a problem.

It’s about now I wish I had some insurance.

[Author]

Messages