PLEASE HELP: BUNNIES ARE SNEEZING

[Revaa-]

Hi everyone!

This is my first time using Binky Bunny Forum so I apologize if anything is not according to the template.

I have two a 6 month old holland lop bunnies, both female and not spayed yet. We have been meaning to take them but due to the pandemic it’s a little delayed, they turned 6 months old on June 23. They are both from the exact same litter. The dominant one, Lola, had started sneezing one evening but I hadn’t thought anything of it. 2 weeks later, she is still sneezing, and my other bunny, Ella, is sneezing as well. I’d say it’s frequent sneezing. I have checked maybe 100 times for watery eyes and runny noses, wet paws, tilted heads, and loss of fur but I got nothing! No coughs or strange behaviour either. I have basically ruled snuffles out. They are still excited to eat, and poop/pee normally in their litter box. I’m just stuck and I really hope they are okay. They eat HAGEN rabbit pellets, and green veggies we grow fresh in our garden!

Next, I thought they were allergies. I’ve changed their bedding too. Our pet store actually ran out of Aspen bedding 2 weeks ago and ANY AND ALL Aspen bedding was backordered already and we could not find them anywhere. Due to this, we were forced to switch to pine just until the aspen was back in stock. I did a ton of reading and pine is a ‘happy medium’, but causes sneezing? Aspen came back in stock 2 days ago and we switched it out immediately. They’re still sneezing. We switched out their old hay bag for a brand new one in case it was dusty, and they’re still sneezing.

We had called a vet and she said as long as they are stable (eating/pooping normally) there is no need to come in.

Just today, I was reading and they could have dental issues? I tried checking but I’m not too sure. We will book a vet appointment soon but I just want to double check with everyones thoughts on here.

Thank you!

 

 

 

[LBJ10]

I wouldn’t freak out just yet. Give the switch back to the aspen litter a little longer, just in case it was the pine after all. How many times are they sneezing? And is it many sneezes in a row or just here and there? They should eventually see a vet if the sneezing continues. As long as they are eating and pooping fine, it likely isn’t an emergency. Dental issues can cause sinus problems, but I would think your bunnies would be more apprehensive about eating. Also… they are only 6 months old. It’s less likely when they are that young. My guess is they both have a URI caused by bacteria that was already there and something caused a dip in their immune systems. Has anything stressful been happening in their environment lately?

If you are housing them together, you want to make absolutely sure that they are both indeed female. You don’t want any surprises and believe me, it happens more than you might think. Even if they are both female, you will need to watch for hormonal behaviors. Separation is necessary if they become aggressive toward one another.

[Revaa-]

Sometimes they sneeze 5-6 times in a row. Sometimes (especially Lola) sneezes 8-9 times in a row. But this only happens maybe once/twice a week. The rest of the week it’s maybe 2 or 3 sneezes spread out throughout the whole day.

My sister tends to pick them up, and neither of them are very fond of it, but, she has been doing so since the day we got them. Other than that, no changes.

We have triple and quadruple checked that they are both in fact females. We had first originally got Lola (the dominant one), and a month later, Ella. The first 2 days they tended to circle each other which got me worried. But after that, they were very close. They cuddle, groom one another and eat together.

[Wick & Fable]

It does have a URI sound to it as I’m reading it. My Wick had a URI and the first sign was repeated sneezes in a row, even though there was no discharge or runny eyes. He never really has those symptoms until during treatment, since we started treating early.

If it’s a URI it’s not something huge to worry about — it can be treated with antibiotics.

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]

Yep, I agree with Wick. Sneezing many times in a row suggests a possible URI. Like I said, not a huge emergency. But they will need to be seen soon by a vet so they can be treated. It won’t go away on it’s own, you’ll need antibiotics.

[Hazel]

Agree with the others. You might also want to get your sister to stop picking them up, it wouldn’t be good to cause them additional stress right now.

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