Sneezing and Eye Discharge

[Mmh]

Hello!

I’m a new rabbit owner and have a 4 month old Lionhead. I’ve noticed lover the past 2 weeks he has started sneezing way more than I noticed before (I work from home so I hang out with him all day) and I hear him sneeze at least 6 times a day,  compared to never having heard him sneeze at all prior to this starting. I already did a lot of research and it doesn’t seem like sneezing is that much of a concern if it’s not super frequent and there’s no nasal discharge? Is that correct? I have not noticed any nasal discharge, but noticed some dry discharge on one of his eyes this morning – first time I’ve seen that. Is that normal? Could this just be allergies? I panic about him anytime I see something new so just want to make sure I’m keeping him healthy 🙂

Thanks!!

[Bam]

Sneezing without discharge can be due to dusty hay or other types of dust in the environment. You can “de-dust” hay by placing some of it on a towel, then pick up what you can with your hands. The hay dust and chaff will be left on the towel, which you can then shake out outdoors.

Its not uncommon for young animals to get a bit of eye crust at times. You can remove it with a moist compress or paper tissue.

Keep keeping a close eye. If a bun has nasal discharge, it will try to remove it with its paw. You should check the paws for matted fur. If a bun gets a stuffy nose, you can sometimes hear a faint whistling sound when you listen closely f ex when the bun is eating. As you are probably aware, thick, opaque snot (white, greenish etc) indicates a bacterial infection.

Also keep an eye on the eyes, look out for redness and/or pus. Runny eyes will cause the hair on the cheeks to matt when the bun cleans its face with its paws.

Rabbits can get bacterial colds, especially young rabbits because the immune defense isn’t fully mature yet. Sometimes they need treatment with antibiotics.

If appetite and poop and energy seem fine, this does not sound like an emergency. Keep being vigilant, though. You do seem to be a vigilant bun owner, which is super great! ☺

 

[Mmh]

Thanks for your reply, that’s super helpful! 🙂 I worry when he does anything slightly abnormal so I figured I’d check. I’ll keep an eye on him, he has his first vet appointment next week anyway.

[Author]

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