Vet says my rabbit has pasturella – eye cream nightmare

[Floppy]

Took my rabbit to the vet that’s sneezing and has a sore eye. The vet said its pasturella (no swabs done?) and gave me an eye cream. She said this would help clear up the sneezing too. How does she know it’s pasturella for sure? She made out its no big deal.

I have to give Casper the eye cream twice daily, I just did this for the first time it was a disaster! He keeps running away, I tried the burrito and he got out of it. I had to keep picking him up which he hates and I’m scared in case I hurt him. I finally managed to hold him on my lap for two seconds to put the cream in and rub it and he’s not happy flicking his feet at me. How am I going to do this twice a day!! I’ve only had him for 3 weeks is he going to hate me?

[vanessa]

Well – maybe she has seen enough verified pasteurella eyes to recognize it?
Pasteurella is not the easiest thing to treat. I would be concerned that you only got an eye cream, and not a systemic antibiotic. I’d want to try SMZ or Baytril in addition to the eye cream.
You’d be surprised – after a few weeks of snatching him up , creaming his eye, and not eating him – he’ll be easier to handle! I’d have to say that nursing care/medical care has been the quickest way for my bunnies to bond with me. They learn that you didn’t eat them. They also recognize at some level – I believe – that you are helping them. Yes it is difficult at first.
I’m a big fan of the burrito. Some people are able to medicate their buns without it. But even Guinevere, who is snuggly with me, gets the burrito for nail clippings, meds, etc. It doesn’t hurt our bond – although she doesnt’ like it and tries to kick free.
If your bunny can kick out of a burrito – the towel isn’t tucked in properly at his feet. Morgan is the feistiest of my bunnies. She has learned that she can’t get out of the burrito – so she tucks her head in like a turtle in it’s shell. Little so-and-so.
How are you holding your burrito-ed bun? I hold mine like a baby, tip them back just enough to stop the struggling. Typically 10 degrees does it. You may need to go further back initially – like 45 degrees.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By vanessa on 5/24/2017 11:41 AM

Well – maybe she has seen enough verified pasteurella eyes to recognize it?
Pasteurella is not the easiest thing to treat. I would be concerned that you only got an eye cream, and not a systemic antibiotic. I’d want to try SMZ or Baytril in addition to the eye cream.
You’d be surprised – after a few weeks of snatching him up , creaming his eye, and not eating him – he’ll be easier to handle! I’d have to say that nursing care/medical care has been the quickest way for my bunnies to bond with me. They learn that you didn’t eat them. They also recognize at some level – I believe – that you are helping them. Yes it is difficult at first.
I’m a big fan of the burrito. Some people are able to medicate their buns without it. But even Guinevere, who is snuggly with me, gets the burrito for nail clippings, meds, etc. It doesn’t hurt our bond – although she doesnt’ like it and tries to kick free.
If your bunny can kick out of a burrito – the towel isn’t tucked in properly at his feet. Morgan is the feistiest of my bunnies. She has learned that she can’t get out of the burrito – so she tucks her head in like a turtle in it’s shell. Little so-and-so.
How are you holding your burrito-ed bun? I hold mine like a baby, tip them back just enough to stop the struggling. Typically 10 degrees does it. You may need to go further back initially – like 45 degrees.

Buttercup tried that a few times when I had to burrito her for syringe feedings 

Don’t worry about your bunny hating you – they don’t hold grudges for very long and it helps if you’re the one providing yummy foods and toys  Buttercup kicked her legs in disgust every time we put her back on the floor after her feedings and she still came back for a treat a minute or two later and held no grudge. 

[Bam]

I so agree, they do forgive. Last time I cut Bam’s nails and put him back down he was really upset and about to run away in panic -when he saw me grab the treat jar. That made him decide to post-pone running off sulking until after he’d eaten his treat

In my experience, having to give medical treatment to a bun actually seems to create a bond between bunny and human.

[Floppy]

Thanks everyone, last night was another disaster I ended up with two drops on his cheek before I finally got one in his eye! -.- the burrito worked better this time I made it tighter! The vet didn’t give any advice on how to use the drops or anything!

I had asked about an antibiotic, she said the eye drops would do the job. So I’ll wait for the 5 days and see if there’s any improvement. The drops are called Isathal and the active ingredient is Fusidic acid.

What do you use for treats?

The boarding facility I want to use (Rabbit Retreat, Pitlessie) originally said that they would have to keep him inside away from the other buns! I wrote back saying I would need to know more about where he will be kept and how much space he has because he’s used to being free range most of the time etc and then they wrote back saying he could stay in the hutch/run as originally planned as long as I’m happy with it and he just won’t be allowed in the meadow or something.

Can anyone recommend any reading on Pasteurella? I am finding lots of conflicting information!

[vanessa]

I dunno… I haven’t found anything indicating fucidic acid (the ingredient in Isathal) is effective against pasteurella. It is used for conjunctivitis caused by a multitude of bacteria, not all bacteria, and I haven’t found pasteurella in that list. I did fine one list with Pasteurella, and the note said “no data available”. Personally I think your vet threw out the bacteria name because it is well known in the rabbit community. The Isathal may well work – depending on which bacteria is causing the conjunctivitis. But I don’t like it when vets say which exact bacteria it is without doing a culture. And I know that the common practice is to try this and that before doing a culture. So it might work. But I think you’re right to be skeptical of an unproven diagnosis. I prefer it when my vet is strait forward and tells me that it might be this or that, and that he is going to try treating it with this or that. At least I feel I haven’t been lied to. I don’t like it when people spit out a big word because they think I don’t know any better. The eye drops will do the job if it is a topical infection. True.
I use veggies as treats. Lancelot gets Oxbow Natural Science herbal support hay tablets, and Sherwood Forest digestive support tablets, and they are like treats to him. The other rabbits don’t get commercial treats. But when I’m cutting up fruit for myself of my birds, I give the strawberry tops and apple cores (minus the seeds) to the rabbits. If I had to buy a commercial treat, I’d stick with brands like Oxbow and Sherwood Forest. Sounds like you are in the UK – which rules out Sherwood Forest. Whichever brand – and even Oxbow has less expensive less desireable treats – look at the ingredient list. I like short ingredient lists with things I can pronounce. I don’t like to see starchy items first on the list. I prefer not to see things like molasses, middlings, soy, corn.

[Floppy]

Thanks for all your help! His eye looks better already but he is still sneezing, if it’s not better by next week I’ll phone the vet again… Hoping she can prescribe an antibiotic without taking my poor boy back to the vet!

How contagious is Pastuerella? The boarding place has reservations about taking him when I’m on holiday… But the vet said “all rabbits carry it”.

I found this on Wikipedia about fucidic acid:

Fusidic acid has no known useful activity against enterococci or most Gram-negative bacteria (except Neisseria, Moraxella, Legionella pneumophila, and Bacteroides fragilis).

I thought pasturella is a gram negative bacteria!? Casper is still sneezing and although he is eating and drinking, he’s spending a lot of time sitting and lying in the corner of the room on the wooden floor. It’s warm here just now (20c) so that may be a factor, but I’m worried about him.

I’m going on holiday and leaving him at the Rabbit Retreat from the 2nd to the 9th, I’m seriously considering cancelling the holiday if he’s still so unwell. Should I ring the vet and ask them to prescribe Baytril, or should I get a second opinion maybe?

[vanessa]

If get a second opinion. I dont like fusidic acid for psteurella, which is also just a guess. If past. Idthe problem, id want a different antibiotic. I wouldnt trust that vet.

[Author]

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