Is there anything else I can do? update?spoke to vet

Beebee has snuffles....3rd lot of baytril already.Has those little dandruff mites too and he has Xeno200 for that, being sprayed every 2 weeks, but Im worried about his breathing.The baytril seems to be not helping.Im on the understanding that mites and snuffles are indicitive of bad teeth.
Other than back to the vets,I wonder is there anything Im not doing.
His cage is clean, Im grooming him but not to often, he is on excel Junior/dwarf food and loves it, drinking well and the other end is just fine.
Im observing him and hes rather quiet.Hiding most of the time.I think hes uncomfortable.There must be something I can do?


It has been decided to try Septrin.Any comments on this will be gladly accepted!!xx

Snuffles can be related to elongated tooth roots but not necessarily. It sounds like your bunny may need a different antibiotic if he is not responding to treatment. I have had great success with Engemycin injections, so it would be worth another trip to the vets to discuss a change in medication.

Mite infestations usually take hold when the bunny is feeling run down so they are probably due to his respiratory infection making him feel poorly

I would also discuss alternatives with your vet if baytril doesn't seem to be working - engemycin as Liz suggests can work well, I've also had great success with this on snuffles. I particularly like it because it's just one injection every 3 days so no need to try and medicate a wiggly bunny twice a day!

Santa's snuffles also responds well to metronidazole, she is so tiny we have never managed to get a positive sample culture from her, but suspect that the metronidazole (which doesn't work against pasteurella, one of the main causes of snuffles) works because it is related to her tooth roots so the infection is a different type of bacteria. Has he had his teeth checked at all?

I also use bisolvon powder as this thins mucus in the airways and can help any pus to drain away a little more easily, and also a low dose of metacam daily, this reduces inflammation so again can help to soothe the nasal passages and help the build up of pus etc to drain away. Depending on whereabouts the infection is, I have also heard tiacil eyedrops being used - either into the eyes as normal (eyes drain into the nasal passages so it can help to get the antibiotic into the right place if the infection is in the nose) or I have also heard of it being administered up the nostrils.

Of course it really all depends on what is causing your bun's snuffles, how long the treatment has been going on for etc, but these are all things that I have found works well with my bun so it may be worth you going back to your vet and discussing whether they feel some other options might be worth exploring.

I also agree with Liz that the mite infestation is most likely as a result of him feeling run down - but do clean out very thoroughly and get into all the nooks and crannies so they aren't just breeding in the bedding. Also check your hay as it's possible that they have come in your hay; it's getting towards the end of last year's harvest now so the hay being sold everywhere will be nearly a year old. If it's got damp, for example, it may well have mites in it so have a good look and see if it seems ok.

Good luck, hope your little one is ok xx

Oh Blimey Santa.....I did say to my vet that when Beebs has his pockets picked that his teeth can be looked at.Hes 6 months old, will an anaesthetic be ok for him with his snuffles? Or should he get over the infection before he goes under? Will an op be too much for him as hes under strain currently??
Ive not had a culture taken as hes never been runny.It was a clearish sort of fluid when I first noticed the problem a month or so ago and its not there now..But it was mainly his breathing i noticed and its still ongoing and horrible to listen to although the vet said his chest wasnt too bad.Poor little mite
Incidently,he on 0.4ml of baytril once a day.
The hay I buy is wonderful,I keep it by the back door,indoors.I get it from my pet shop and Mrs Bun has it too and shes abfab!
Ive been using hibiscrub for his hutch since hes had the mites diagnosed....its a wooden hutch but a metal tray to pull out and I use megazorb.

If the runny nose is clear and has not responded to baytril is there a chance it could be an allergy?

yvette said:

Oh Blimey Santa.....I did say to my vet that when Beebs has his pockets picked that his teeth can be looked at.Hes 6 months old, will an anaesthetic be ok for him with his snuffles? Or should he get over the infection before he goes under? Will an op be too much for him as hes under strain currently??

Click to expand...

I think it very much depends on the bun and I'd see what your vet thinks. They should be able to get a reasonable (although not conclusive) view while he is conscious and in consult - although obviously he will need to be admitted if x-rays are thought to be useful. It can be hard to get a swab too, as they need to get deep into the nasal passages, but can be useful if a positive sample can be gained as then you know what antibiotic it's best to use.

Ideally you wouldn't want a bun with an active infection to be operated on, but Santa constantly has snuffles and has never had a problem with anaesthetic to date, in fact she's often better afterwards, presumably because her teeth are no longer bothering her! She always comes round very quickly and eats and behaves normally straight away. You'd expect a chronically snuffly bun to react worse to the anaesthetic and take longer to recover, but she doesn't seem to. So although it's not ideal, I don't think it's necessarily the end of the world either if your vet thinks it's necessary.

Well, back I go then...or I may even call and get Cathy to ring me back so I can discuss our next move.They dont need to see Beebs....hes been back and forth more times than a fiddlers elbow and he hates the journey.
Thanks Ladies for your input.Hes worrying me to bits.

If it's his breathing that is the problem rather than discharge it may be worth getting x-rays taken of his lungs first :? These can usually be done without GA, where as a dental x-ray generally always needs an anaesthetic. Just an idea

If you decide to have a swab taken then he needs to have been off the antibiotics for a few weeks to give an accurate result

The vet just rang...they want to see him thursday at 5pm.Gonna try septrin as baytril unsuccessful.Did suggest engemycin but its not available in a 5% and a 10% is too much of an irritant.Oh,Help!!

Septrin probably is the next step as it does a different range of bacteria to baytril

Not sure what the vet means about the Engemycin though:?

I would ask the vet to take a swab of any discharge as the next step and send it off for culture and sensitivity to see what (if any) bacteria are present and which antibiotics will be effective

There is no discharge..not since the first sign of snuffles a month ago, and then it was clear...like water.Its his breathing i am so concerned about.But the minx didnt do it when I picked him up this evening.
I adore this bunny but hes a worry.The vet is concerned about his breathing.