Bunny wheezing?

[dolliebuns]

Hey guys! I just wanted to know if this behavior is okay/normal, or if there’s anything I can do to help out my bun. Lately, I’ve been noticing that my bunny (11 week old holland lop) tends to have sneezing fits. It first started out with a couple of sneezes, but now she will occasionally break out into these sneezing fits where she’ll sneeze maybe 5-6 times in a row before it stops. This was a few days ago. Now she’s doing a little better, but I found that she breaks out into random sneezes (or wheezes?) multiple times throughout the day. This doesn’t happen constantly at a time, but will occur maybe 4-5 times randomly throughout the day. At first I thought it may have been her hay because I read that any dust from hay can trigger them to sneeze, but she sneezes/wheezes even when she’s not eating hay and when she’s not even around it. I don’t think it’s the room she’s in either as I share a room with her, so I make it a routine to spot clean her space and litter box every morning and every night with a deep clean at least once or twice a week. I also have an air purifier running all the time, so dust and allergens are pretty much minimized. I did take her to the vet to ask about this (I thought she had the snuffles), but as she didn’t have any discharge present, my vet said that it was nothing and was probably just allergies. My only concern is that it’s growing to be a daily thing now and I’m not sure if I should arrange another appointment for her to get looked at again or if, as the vet said, this is nothing to be concerned about. This said, do you guys’ buns ever do this? Is this normal behavior? I was thinking that if the vet was right, then maybe she’s just a sensitive bun or has chronic allergies.

[Wick & Fable]

Rabbit “allergies” are not common relative to an upper respiratory infection explanation. A rabbit being “allergic” to hay/dust/etc. is the explanation given when all other more likely diagnoses are ruled out. It’s possible your rabbit’s symptoms were simply not very intense when assessed by the vet (the difference between the first day of a cold vs. the 5th day), but if you are indeed noticing an increase of frequency/severity, I would revisit the vet, report this, and see if treating for a potential URI is in order.

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. If it’s getting worse, it would be advised to pursue the matter further. Just because there is no discharge, does not mean there isn’t an infection. She’s also a dwarf breed, so her facial structures are smooshed. Depending on how the sinuses are shaped, it can cause “pockets” where stuff pools making them more prone to infections.

[DanaNM]

I agree with the above. True allergies are pretty rare in rabbits, and they are usually only diagnosed after an infection is thoroughly ruled out.

. . . 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.  

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