Snuffles

[Thumperbun]

Hi everyone,

I have a 3 year old holland lop name thumper. I have had him since he was an 8 week old little baby and I got him from a reputable breeder. Ever since he was about 10 weeks old, he has had snuffles. However it is getting tougher to control. He has milky white discharge frequently. He had a bout of E cuniculi about a year ago which resolved with prompt treatment w/ panacur and meloxicam. Other than snuffles he is a healthy bun otherwise and very spoiled. I feed him oxbow hay, Sherwood pellets, litter box dumped and cleaned every 2-3 days and I use paper pellets. He has free range of the apartment while we are home and goes into a playpen when we are gone. I am constantly vacuuming and steam mopping my floors to keep it as clean as possible for him. No scented laundry detergent for his blankets, etc. right now he is on baytril 2x a day for 3 weeks for sneezing and discharge. I have noticed a slight improvement. I am at the vet every month since his sniffles always come back. Teeth are fine, no GI issues. Has already had a culture done and countless labs. The abx the vet has prescribed are baytril, Bactrim, and orbax in the past. bactrim seemed to work the best when he was on it. Now he is just on baytril. I give him Sherwood prevention tablets daily to boost immunity. My vet says the next option is a sedated CT. I do not feel comfortable with him undergoing anesthesia considering he already has respiratory issues. Also within the past year I have pulled $5k from savings to pay for his medical care. I can afford medications and monthly vet visits but I cannot afford another few thousand and the other options are too invasive anyways and he is only 3 pounds…. I don’t feel comfortable with him going under anesthesia at all. Any antibiotic suggestions from those of you who have dealt with chronic snuffles or any general suggestions? Supplements? Thank you

[DanaNM]

I’m sorry you are going through this. I haven’t dealt with this personally, but i know some members have had success with using a nebulizer along with treatment.

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

Snuffles is often used as a “catch-all” term that describes the symptoms. Did the vet confirm this was pasteurella? Or is it some other type of bacteria? How were his teeth checked? Did you have x-rays done? There are a few different possibilities here. He could have chronic pasteurellosis. He could have a really stubborn URI. Or he could have another problem, like tooth roots invading the sinus cavity.

If he has pasteurella, you may want to consider trying a different antibiotic since there are reports of resistance developing with “traditional” treatments. Azithromycin is sometimes used for stubborn infections in rabbits. If he doesn’t improve with a different antibiotic, then he may have a chronic case. Rabbits that fall into this category often have to be treated with antibiotics on and off for their entire life. Some people have found that using a nebulizer or periodically having the sinuses flushed helps with symptoms.

Tooth roots are what I have more experience with. My bunny had tooth roots growing into his sinuses. This caused chronic problems, but all we could do was treat the symptoms. Every so often, bacteria would build in his sinuses and he would have to be treated with antibiotics. Then he would be “OK” for awhile.

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