Welcome to BB Sylvia! I’m sorry to hear your rabbit is sneezing — Wick had a URI (upper respiratory infection) when I first got him, and he would sneeze very regularly and aggressively. The fact that his nose and paws are covered in nasal discharge is concerning, because this can lead to topical issues, in terms of fur loss, irritation, and the moisture can attract bacteria.
I can recall what my experience was with WIck’s URI, and some observations and considerations I have as a result:
1) You can do a culture to see what exact bacteria is causing the issue, if it it is a respiratory infection. Cultures take time, and they can be unreliable. Personally, I did not opt for a culture with Wick. We started right with treatment.
2) Different medications will result in different results and reactions, because every medication combats a different “family” of bacteria. While one medication may d nothing and be extremely hazardous (I’m sorry to hear about your experience with the medication), another medication may be exactly what’s needed. For Wick, we found the right combination of medication on the third time around. Do you remember what medication you were given? I wonder if the vet may not be as knowledgeable, leading him/her to prescribe something non-standard. Safe medications include: Bactrim, Baytril, and penicillin SHOTS (not oral). I believe some people do sensitive tests on medications by getting the bacteria culture and seeing what affects it in-lab.
3) No sneezing does not mean the infection is gone. Some times, people may stop treatment early because symptoms stop, but once you stop treatment, whatever bacteria are left over will begin to multiply again, and thus the sneezing appears in repeated episodes. It’s generally good to go a bit longer than what you think is needed to ensure the infection is gone. I believe some people do cultures at the end to see if it is “negative”.
… So my main curiosities would be, how rabbit-savvy is the vet you have been working with and what treatment was attempted initially?
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.
.
