Sneezing….

[CowieCow]

Hey my rabbit has been sneezing alot lately. She has never really sneezed before, but recently she started sneezing like all the time. And she’ll start and just keep goin, like 5 or 6 in a row. The think is I’m sneezing more lately too, but it is starting to get into allergy season here in colorado, so I don’t know, can rabbits have allergies?? I was thinking if she was maybe allergic to hay, that’d suck, she’d be kinda screwed don’t you think?!

I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and if they have any advice, or ideas from anyone are welcome. I’m not sure what to do or try, this is my first bunny also, so I’m a little inexperienced myself.

Thanks

Oh and here’s a picture just so you can see and what to help this poor little bunny rabbit.

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Don’t let the cuteness fool you either, she can be a devil….

[CowieCow]

Maybe this one will work….

 

 http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r96/kjgirl17/100_0467.jpg

[IMG]http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r96/kjgirl17/100_0467.jpg[/IMG]

 

[BinkyBunny]

So, let’s see if this works.  I downloaded your picture to my computer and just posted by using the

"message attachment" feature below the text box.   It should really say PHOTO attachment"   We will change that on the next update.

If you upload from your computer, you always have to make sure you have some text in the text box just otherwise it won’t submit.

Though hay can make some rabbits sneeze if you’ve gotten down to the dusty part or if that patch is extra dusty.  But otherwise, your bunny could be dealing with an infection that should be treated with antibiotics.  So it would be wise to have a vet check your bunny out.  Hopefully you have a good rabbit savvy one.   If not, we can help refer you in the right direction.

[Gravehearted]

very cute bunny! I’ll second Binky’s recommendation to get into a bunny savvy vet. If it is an infection, your bunny will need a round of meds. it’s better to have it looked at sooner than later – since infections can get more serious with time.

Also – do you see any crusting along the inside of front paws?

[CowieCow]

I looked and I did not notice any crusty paws….

[Gravehearted]

well i am glad there’s no crusties on the paws – that’s generally a symptom of snuffles.

did you make a vet appointment for her?

[CowieCow]

I did find a vet, but I have not made an appointment just yet. I accidentally bought the wrong litter last week. It’s in the exact same looking bag and I picked up the wrong one. I usually get just corn cob litter, but I ended up getting this scented corn cob instead, and I think that could have been part of it. I’m gonna give it a couple days, and see if the sneezing decreases.

[BinkyBunny]

Hi CowieCow,

Just FYI about corn cob litter.  There is some information out there claims that this type of litter can be dangerous for bunnies. 

"corn cob litter isn’t absorbent and doesn’t control odor, and has the the risk of being eaten and casing a lethal blockage."  – Source http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html 

‘Fungal spores may cause mold, can cause fatal blockages if ingested"  – Source http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html

"WARNING: Never use clay litter, clumping litter, corncob litter, pine chips, or cedar chips. The first three of these can block rabbits’ digestive systems and kill them if they munch on them. The latter two give off phenols which affect the liver in such a way that antibiotics don’t work. (The change is reversible if the chips are removed.) The safest litters for rabbits are the paper ones, such as Care Fresh and Yesterday’s News. Alfalfa and oat based litters will be nibbled by rabbits and can lead to obesity" – Source: http://www.coloradohrs.com/articles/adopt_prepare.asp

The list goes on but you get the idea of what some are saying.   I do know that there is conflicting information about this, and that you will also find information that says it’s safe.  I know of a couple of people who have a had a rabbit die due to a serious impaction that the vets felt was caused by the rabbits consuming the corn cob litter.   So I thought I’d at least pass on what I know about the negative sides.

[CowieCow]

wow, ok, I didn’t know that…. they had her on corn cob litter at the shelter where I got her….. mmm… well I definitely don’t want to hurt her, and the corn cob is so hard, right around her cage she flings it everywhere and if you walk by without shoes on ouch that stuff hurts…. well I guess I’ll have to start looking into a new liter…. any ideas as to like ordering it from somewhere???

[CowieCow]

so I was looking at the sawdust pellets, and do you think that she would be more inclinded to eat them, they do look just like the food pellets you knwo??? what do you use?

[Gravehearted]

I personally prefer carefresh – but have also used woodstove pellets and yesterdays news pellets. My lil digger bunny seems to make a much bigger mess with the pellet styles – but I know a lot of people prefer them.

[osprey]

The sawdust/paper pellets do not taste or smell like food, so the buns will not eat many of them.  When you store them, be sure that you know which is which, or you’ll likely get some odd looks from the buns when you fill their food bowl with litter pellets!

[CowieCow]

So I finished off the rest of the corn cob litter and ventured out to find something better…. well I ended up getting Critter Country. I don’t know if anyone out there uses this or not, but it says its biodegradable, and safe. Made of a blend of plant fibers, basically straw…. Well I put it in and she started eating it right away…. so, I’m not sure what to do. It says its safe, and if it’s made of straw then ya I’m not worried about that part. But do you think that she’s just gonna keep eating it and get like insanely fat?!?! She’s not really fat now, I’d say she’s “healthy” if you know what I mean. I’m just considered that she’s gonna just keep eating it… I suppose a time trial is in place, but does anyone have any comments or suggestions???

[poopy]

ya and i’ve heard of them inhaling small litters like the corn cob and getting stuck in their nose…might want to check to make sure that’s not why she’s sneezing.

if you’re having troubles with litters, better option is to use no litter at all, just line the pan w/ a bunch of newspapers and lots of hay on top

[BinkyBunny]

So good for you for making sure to find a safer litter.   Critter Country is a great litter.  Though it is normal for bunnies to do taste test,I’m not too sure it’s good for him to be eating it like dinner.  I checked around and a few people who have the same problem ended up making or buying a little netted type grid to go over the litter.   Example: http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/data/531/medium/44wire_grid.jpg

[osprey]

I use Critter Country (or its sister product Cat Country) when I cannot find wood stove pellets.  I find it to be a very good litter.  It is made of straw, so your buns eating it should not be too much trouble.  My bunny DJ always "samples" a new litter (he’s even eaten Yesterday’s News) and then gets bored once he realizes that it isn’t food.  Hopefully your buns will realize that the litter pellets don’t really taste that good.

[CowieCow]

Ya I think everything is good, I really like that litter when it gets wet it just sort of clumps up and its really easy to scoop. She’s doing fine with it, she nibbles on it once in a while, but she’s not laying in there just dining out all day so I’m not worried about it. She a gross little rabbit anyway, she likes to eat her poop as well as the litter. I really don’t see what could be intriguing about it… but she’s a strange animal…. maybe she thinks its chocolate. Actually just a funny story to share…. I was getting ready to have a couple choco. chip cookies on day and Cowie was out and about. Well our coffee table is pretty low so I set one down on the table while I was eating the other and she comes running by and just snatches it right off the table and books it for cover. I had to chase her all around the living room. Luckly she didn’t get much just one little nibble but man she is like a dog, whenever we open the fridge or even go in the kitchen she comes a running to check out what’s in there…. she never ceases to amaze me with her strange behaviors…

[BinkyBunny]

Actually all rabbits eat their poop -a particular type called CECAL pellets.   They are different from the round normal little dry poos are called FECALS.  But the CECALS consists of extra vitamins and nutrients that a bunny needs.  Most of the time you won’t see them because I bunny usually eats them right as they poo them, but if a bunny is getting too many carbs in their diet, then they can get an overgrowth of cecal pellets and it can become a  mess.  

Layman’s explanation cecal pellets and why rabbits eat them:  Rabbits are built to make the best out of the low nutrient foods. (comes from their ancestors having to struggle to get enough nutrients in the wild).  Rabbits have a digestive system that collects all the nutrients it possibly can, and it processes the nutrients in a separate digestive area called the cecum, and from there comes this nutrient pack called the Fecal pellets.  (very smelly!).   Those are the ones they eat.

   

[Author]

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