sneezing bunny update

[BaileyBun]

Logan has been in and out of the vet since I got him about two months ago, and my vet thinks we’ve finally figured out what’s up with him.  Since he started sneezing literally within 24 hours of arriving home, and hadn’t been sneezing at all at his foster home, plus the fact that Baytril wasn’t working (and Bailey wasn’t getting sick at all) and his sneezing pattern was directly related to things in his environment that I changed, and the fact that his wet nose was never thick or a funny color, she thinks he has allergies.  It’s hard to tell what he’s allergic to, but she told me to eliminate dust and small airborne particles as much as possible.  I have switched the floor in their ex pen area from carpet to laminate flooring (Logan couldn’t figure out how to walk on it, so I put a big sheet of cardboard and grass mats on the floor)- and the best part about this is that he no longer has potty accidents!  I bought a HEPA filter for my room, and I’ve been opening my windows whenever possible to get better air flow.  I am supposed to shake the little bits of hay out and throw them away before I give them hay.  This box of hay I have now has a lot of small pieces, so I’ll probably keep trying different types.  I also switched to Oxbow pellets because they’re a lot less dusty than the stuff they used to get.  I’m still using the same litter- wood stove pellets- because that’s what he had in his foster home.  Basically, I just have to keep an eye on him.  When he starts sneezing, it’s time to dump their hay out and give them fresh hay, open my window, and clean their litterbox (not that I don’t usually give them fresh hay and clean the litterbox, haha, but when he starts sneezing, it’s time to get rid of all the dust I possibly can).  Otherwise, he seems very happy and he even gained a little weight at his last visit, which is good, because he was a little on the skinny side when I got him.  I wasn’t expecting to spend so much so soon after getting him, but he is very much worth every penny (Bailey definitely agrees!  She would be so sad without her best buddy!).  

[Sarita]

He sounds like he’s just extremely sensitive. Glad he’s doing better.

[bunnytowne]

glad he isnt sick with something serious

allergies r so annoying         poor little bunny          glad u r giving him a chance to feel better

[jerseygirl]

That’s good you’re more certain of what’s going on with him. At least with environmental allergens, you can have some degree of control over them. Have you noticed an improvement since the things you’ve been doing?

About the wood pellets, is it the same brand of pellet that he had before? Could the foster carer have even gone onto a different brand then they’d used before?
Reason I ask is that they’re not all the same. I noticed Jersey used to sneeze more and have a wet nose a bit. After a while I noted this had lessened and I believe because I don’t have the same pellets around as I did before. They were lighter in colour and I think they were pine. The ones I have now are reddish brown. They actually aren’t as good which is a shame. I’d have to get the old type again to really test if that was Jersey was reacting to but if I do, then I’m left with a big bag that i wouldn’t want.

[Kate Monster]

Are you using the same kind of hay? Kate kept sneezing when she first came home, when I switched hay it stopped. So there was something going on there, whether it was the hay itself or maybe something that attached to the hay based on where it was cut or maybe it was just an extra dusty variety of hay, I have no idea. It worked out well though, I was allergic to the hay too 🙂 maybe they were sympathy sneezes!

[BaileyBun]

I’m trying to figure out exactly what makes him stop and start sneezing. I’ve been trying to keep a sneezing log (although I’m so busy that it’s hard to really stick to it), and it really seems like having fresh air moving through helps. He also sneezes more when I get to the bottom of the box of hay, where there are a lot of little bits, so I need to figure out a better system for sifting the tiny hay pieces out before I fill their hay rack.
Jerseygirl, that’s a good thought. I’ll have to email his foster mom and see if we’re using the same brand of litter. I know I get mine at the same place she does, and I’ve only ever seen one brand there, but I do notice that each new bag I open looks slightly different that the last. The bag I just opened is darker in color this time, but the same brand. Weird. He’s actually been spending less time in his litterbox, now that I gave him a fun box to hide in, so I’m wondering if that might be helping him, too.
Kate Monster, I’ve been switching hays to find one that works best for him (and for me- I am definitely allergic to many types of hay, especially 1st cut timothy!). When I go to buy hay, I’ve just brought Logan with me and asked if I could give him a handful to see what happens. I also sniff it, and if I start sneezing, or if it seems dusty, I don’t buy it. What’s working well for both of us is organic 2nd cut timothy from a local farm. They also have meadow hay, which I’ve heard is better for people with hay allergies, but I haven’t tried that yet, because I know that he was sensitive to the meadow hay I was using when I got him.

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