Rabbit may have lower respiratory tract infection… prognosis?

[Annabelle's mommy]

Hi everybunny!

I noticed about a week ago that Anna had discharge around her nose which was tainted a yellow colour.  It hadn’t resolved and so I took her to the vet this morning.  The vet said she looked good, and was not concerned until she listened to her lungs… She said she heard a crackling noise, and that this is “going into pneumonia territory”.  She prescribed some metacam for any inflammation and ten days worth of antibiotics. 

I’m worried however, as all the sites I’ve read online make pneumonia/lower respiratory tract infections seem very serious.

The vet did not seem overly concerned right now… as bun is still eating/pooping, and has high energy. She said to come back if she doesn’t look better in a few days or stops eating.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? I’m glad I brought her to the vet when I did, as otherwise she seems perfectly healthy, but I’m still concerned about this infection  For some reason I immediately think of the worst case scenario, and read all the stories of fatal lung infections in bunnies… I’ve cleaned Anna’s house/pen, and put a humidifier in her room… Any other advice would be appreciated!!! Having a sick bun is a dreadful experience, and I hate that they are so good at hiding symptoms… and whether or not I’ll be able to accurately tell if she’s getting better

[Bam]

I have gone through something similar. My bun Bam had a lower respiratory infection in Aug 2017. The vet heard it when she listened to his lungs, she also did an x-ray to determine the extent of lung involvement.

Bam got antibiotics for two weeks. For the first 5 days he also got Bricanyl (terbutaline), a painkiller (Metacam) and ranitidine to protect the stomach lining.

He made a full recovery. He was at least 6 years old at the time so he wasn’t a youngster. Just like your bun, his appetite wasn’t affected by the infection. That is a huge plus of course.

It’s always very tough to have a poorly bun, but now you have made sure of proper treatment for Anna, so for now it’s just a waiting game. You must’ve caught it in good time because she still has good energy and an appetite.

A few days after the course of antibiotics is finished, you could take her in to have her lungs listened to again. The crackling should then be gone.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Wishing your bunny a ((((Speedy Recovery)))))

[LBJ10]

Pneumonia isn’t necessarily the end of the world. However, sometimes you have to get a bit creative with the antibiotics. I would have your bunny rechecked after this round of antibiotics is finished.

[Author]

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