Allergies? Treatment?

[litheandgraphic]

Hey guys, so I’m a tiny bit worried about Theodore. He’s eating / pooping / peeing just fine, but I’ve started noticing a tiny bit of white stuff coming into the corners of his eyes. It’s more of a goo than a liquid, and is barely noticeable, but I’ve been keeping a very close eye on him as he’s been sneezing a lot ever since I brought him home. I asked someone in the network of the rescue from where I adopted Theodore, and she said it was likely nothing to worry about — this was before the white stuff appeared — and said she has a bunny that sneezes all the time and is simply something he does, or perhaps he is allergic to something or whatever.

There’s nothing from his nose, and for the most part he’s acting normally, save for one thing: the other day, he got super startled by something (I think I scared him a bit) and ran into his hideaway and thumped his leg a few times. He calmed down after a moment, but he’s seemed just a little tiny bit more skittish since then. I’ve heard that can manifest if a bunny isn’t feeling 100%, so that’s also got me worried, but maybe I’m just inventing and/or overblowing things.

I’ve read that a combination of Echinacea and Golden Root can assist the immune system of rabbits and other small animals, and in many cases has been used to completely treat snuffles… though I don’t think he has snuffles. I think he’s allergic to something? But does the eye discharge happen when it’s just allergies?

I don’t think I’m quite at the point yet where I need to rush to the vet, but if the condition worsens, then of course I will. But first I want to know what you guys think!

[Stickerbunny]

White discharge and sneezing is what happens when my girl is in the late stages of a URI and my vet pushes me to bring her in ASAP, even if I do not have the money, so it doesn’t get worse and potentially turn into pneumonia (which can be fatal) if left untreated. She still eats, runs, plays, etc but she gets congested and sneezes a lot and her nose gets red, then a week or two later her nose begins to be a bit wet and then she gets discharge out her eyes.

Sneezing a lot is not normal in a rabbit. Yes, sometimes things can irritate their noses, but that’s generally the occasional sneeze (like my Powder when he breathes in hay dust will do a few sneezes and he’s done, cause it’s out). Allergies are possible, but with discharge of the eyes, I would say infection more likely.

I am honestly a bit horrified that someone who works at a rabbit rescue thinks constant sneezing is nothing to worry about. :s

I wouldn’t say you have to RUSH to the vet, but he does need to see one. You’ll probably get given Baytril liquid for him, to syringe twice daily. You can have a vet run a culture if you want to know exactly what he has. It’s not that expensive to treat a URI, however, if it gets worse it may require more than just the baytril and will become more costly. Better to cut it off now than wait.

[litheandgraphic]

Thanks so much for the advice, StickerBunny. Even though his symptoms don’t appear that bad, knowing that they could indicate something much worse or lead to something much worse is enough to send me right to the vet! I’ve got a good fund all set up for him in case of emergencies, so I’m not too worried about payment. I appreciate your input!! I think I’ll schedule an appointment for this week.

Edit: Yep, I’ve got him all scheduled to see a good bunny vet this Wednesday. Thanks! 

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