Rabbit ongoing sinus infection

[WillowBee]

Hi all! This is my first post so please let me know if my etiquette isn’t up to standards.

I have a nearly 6-year-old Holland lop I got from a hobby breeder online (when I was still a teenager and did not know much better) who in the last year has had off and on sinus infections. This current infection has lasted for over two months now and she has been on Baytril the entire time (we are under a vet’s care). She is on the medication until she is symptom-free for two weeks. She keeps nearly making it before she has a day to three of nasal discharge. I’ve been changing her litter every other day and have a fan in front to help with ventilation if that is an issue. I just don’t know what more I can be doing for her and wanted to know if anyone had any advice? The vet has offered a CT which I deeply regret that I can’t afford and possibly an x-ray as an alternative but both require her to be in good health. I’ve declined bloodwork until she is better so as not to make her current condition worse as I think the infections are brought on by stress but I told them at the last update I would do it if they think it would be beneficial to determine the cause. We couldn’t do a culture before starting medication, so the medication is not strain-specific at this time. I’m sorry this was so rambling, I love this rabbit and am desperate to do right by her.

 

in short: what more can I do for a rabbit with a sinus infection?

[Wick & Fable]

What is the quality and amount of discharge you see? What symptoms were occurring prior to starting medication (i.e., was there sneezing) and what is still there (i.e., is there still sneezing?).

In short, if there were typical URI symptoms prior to Baytril, like colored discharge, excessive sneezing, etc.,  and now there is no sneezing and the discharge is very minimal and only clear, I would not be too concerned about it cropping up on occasion. As a rabbit owner who is monitoring for URI symptoms, you will be very sensitive and alert to when the nose is wet; in reality, sometimes the nose looks a little more wet naturally due to hay dust and other irritants in non-URI rabbits sometimes, so what you see could be normative, depending on amount and color.

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.

[DanaNM]

She could need a different antibiotic. Do you think you could do a culture to see if another antibiotic would be better? And sometimes they do take a very long course to fully clear the infection.

. . . 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.  

[WillowBee]

Before antibiotics it was thick and white and she was sneezing quite a bit. After antibiotics there have been moments the discharge is clear but right now it’s slightly cloudy and enough to make her fairly sneezy.

Thank you for your help!

[WillowBee]

The doctor did want to culture it but determined it was more important to start medications at the time than to get the culture. She doesn’t believe we’ll get an accurate sample until she’s been off the antibiotics for a little while.

thank you!!!

[LBJ10]

Sometimes they will just try a different antibiotic without doing a culture. It would definitely be more cost-effective, even if you get to antibiotic #3. Azithromycin is often tried for “stubbon” URIs.

IF a different antibiotic doesn’t work, then I agree with the vet that you may want to consider doing X-rays. Considering her age, she could have something else going on. Tooth roots growing into the sinus cavity, for example, can cause chronic sinus irritation and infections.

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