Bunny sneezing fits & limp leg??

[Alissa]

Hello! I have a 3 month old mini lop that I purchased from a local pet store. (I know, adopt don’t shop. I tried for months to adopt but there were none in my area). I noticed after I got her that she began sneezing like crazy. I contacted the pet store and they said it was probably allergies. We switched out the blankets in the cage to newspaper, changed the food, litter, hay, everything, yet she still sneezes. There is no weird yellow or white discharge but I’ve noticed she has boogers in her nose. I’m thinking that if she was sick, my other bunny would be as well but he is not. (He is neutered). I’ve also noticed that when I pick her up and set her back down she has a crazy sneezing fit. Another thing, if I listen, sometimes her breathing sounds raspy. Moving on to her leg. I had put both of my rabbits away after roaming one night and everything was fine. A couple hours later I took them out to roam again and I noticed that she was walking funny. My rabbits have never fought or been mishandled, so I have no idea what could have caused the injury. I know that rabbits show no sign of pain so I don’t know if it hurts her or not. She puts weight on it and still binkies around the room, happy as can be. When she walks/runs, she lifts her leg a little and walks weird. I have attached two videos, one of her sneezing and the other of her walking. I am going to take her to the vet ASAP but I wanted some insight on what could be wrong before I went. Thank you!

[Bam]

I can’t see your videos.

Hopefully the leg problem and the sneezing are unrelated. A bun can of course get a sprain etc from running around and binkying. Keep a close eye. Is her appetite good? Have you examined the foot for visible injury (a broken nail, a broken toe etc are things you can see.) If you touch the foot, does she react with pain?

The sneezing and boogers does suggest she may have a “bunny cold”. They are as a rule caused by bacteria of some type. Standard treatment is antibiotics, for example Bactrim, for 1-2 weeks.

Your other rabbit has been exposed if the two share a living area, but it is not uncommon for just one rabbit to develop symptoms. The bacteria that cause rabbit colds are very common bacteria that the majority of rabbits can carry in their noses but not become sick from. In very young rabbits, the immune defense is still immature, so they are more susceptible. Pet store rabbits can also have been brought up in less than ideal living conditions before they came to the pet shop, and being in a pet shop is also stressful. Stress takes a toll on the immune defense – luckily your bun now has a lovely home now where her rabbit needs are being met!  (It is also believed that some rabbits are genetically predisposed not to be able to keep common bacteria in check – but this does not have to be the case with a very young rabbit.)

A vet would have to prescribe antibiotics.

[Alissa]

Thank you both for your feedback! Sorry the videos didn’t work, I wasn’t sure how the website worked when I uploaded them. @Bam, In response to your questions, she is eating normally and yes, my boyfriend and I examined her foot. My boyfriend thinks that the injured foot looks different than the uninjured, but I don’t see it. We gently touched each foot for a reaction but didn’t get one, she doesn’t seem to be in pain. Do you think I should take both rabbits to the vet if he had been exposed as well? He still shows no signs of any illness but I want to make sure he will be ok. @Jerseygirl, thank you for your feedback! If it is a sprain, does it heal on its own, or should I get her checked by a vet just in case?

[jerseygirl]

Hi Alissa

The video files were not working so I removed the link from your post. I do not think we can add video via the “Add Media” button at this point. The forum is only just back up and running and it’s undergoing changes to get operating at it’s full potentional.  You will probably need to add the video to a sharing site then provide links here for members to view them.

 

Bam has given some good advice about your bunny so I wont add to that. I do agree about a possible sprain. My 1st rabbit sprained her front leg once and i noticed it right after I had been holding her and put her down. She only went the distance of 1 foot but somehow she got a sprain!

 

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