Wet nose but okay otherwise? Is this normal?

[henry2809]

Hey everyone! I posted a thread about a week ago about how my rabbit was making a squeaking/whistling sound when he was sniffing (I could only really hear it if I put my ear right up to his nose). It’s been about a week and he is totally normal otherwise – he’s eating, drinking, playing, begging for treats, etc. He does not seem to be having any trouble breathing. I checked on him today and his nose was a bit wet with some watery discharge (it was not thick or colored at all, it was thin and clear like water). I could not see it on his nose, but I could feel it if I touched the area around his nostrils. I have heard him sneeze probably twice in the past week. This exact situation happened back in September and I was so scared that he had either a URI or pneumonia. I rushed him to the vet and she said that he was perfectly healthy and there was nothing wrong with him at all. She said that sometimes dust or hay can irritate their noses and they can make some quiet noises while breathing and it is not necessarily indicative of a health problem. His hay is pretty dusty right now and he sticks his whole face into his hay feeder when he eats it, so maybe some of the dust from the hay just irritated his nose or the fan in my bedroom is moving some dust around the room? I am a little bit worried, but I don’t want to stress him out by taking him to the vet if it’s not necessary. Does this sound like it could be a URI or pneumonia? I was thinking that if it was, it would probably have gotten worse by now and I would know, but I’m not sure if that is a correct assumption. Does anybody have any recommendations or similar experiences? Thanks in advance!

[LBJ10]

A little moisture under the nose is perfectly normal. It’s caused by condensation when they are breathing.

[Bam]

Yes, as LBJ says, since rabbits only ever breathe through their noses, it’s perfectly normal for some moisture to deposit around their nostrils now and then. It’s white or otherwise colored snot that’s an observandum.

 

[Author]

Messages