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Struggling to breathe?

P

PixieRabbit

Mama Doe
Igor the big white french lop has ear mites, infected eyes but is now lovely and clean. Last night he was breathing rather high pitched and he's doing it again now (mostly when he sleeps) and it's really worrying me.

He was under today when getting dematted and cleaned and they searched all possible reasons behind it and there was none they could find, I've never had a rabbit breathe like this is it normal?
 
How is he breathing? Head raised? Mouth breathing? Is it only at rest, or after exertion that you hear the noise? Did they do Xrays whilst bun was under GA?
 
bisc does this only when asleep. he has tissue scarring in his nose, he's a respiratory bun. the damage in the nose makes it kind of close together when he relaxes to sleep, making the nostrils very narrow and a high pitched whistling noise. quite worrying when you hear it. could be one reason why. obv a vet would need to check and do tests. but just an idea :wave:

eta: sorry, you said the vets looked for a reason.
 
Yes he seems to only be doing this when asleep. He's on a course of baytrol at the moment, so hopefully that'll help clear whatever it is, and I don't think they did an X-ray I actually forgot to ask for an invoice. He's back in for check up soon, but if he gets any worse then I'll be taking him in ASAP. I'm easily worried.

He looks really normal just sleeping in his litter tray head resting on the edge.
 
It sounds like he may have an upper or lower respiratory infection. Did the vet listen to his lungs? Is there any discharge from his nose? He may need a stronger course of abx than simply baytril.
 
bisc makes the honk noise aswell, sorry to say.. sounds like an upper respiratory infection to me. :(

eta: bisc never did have much discharge from his nose. he didn't sneeze much either, but still has an uri. luckily, he responded to a three month course of penicillin injections, however, still got damage and still has flare ups of sneezing and struggling to breathe. he is now classsed as stable but has metacam twice daily for any inflammation in the nose which would make breathing even harder, and also the nebuliser twice a day with parvolex and saline, and every so often gentamicin (this is more for matt though)

i would also advise something stronger than baytril as damage can occur quickly and infection also build up very quickly.

bisc will always do this now, he is fine when awake, but asleep he snuffles, whistles, snorts and makes that honk noise aswell. :( maybe a nebuliser would be good to make sure the airways are always nice and clear as they can be?? it has made a difference with bisc. he still makes the noises but they are much better after the nebulising. :wave:
 
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He listened to his lungs, but I will talk this over with vet. He was already neutered, and the vet said it looked like a very distant neuter, so maybe he was a loved house rabbit at some point and just escaped etc. He could have had an repository infection but it was treated? That's my opinion at the moment, but I will ensure that he is 100% thoroughly checked for this.
 
Poor guy, i'd get him back to the vets. Buns carry bacteria that flares up under stress and alongside other illnesses when their immune system is compromised. Pasturella is one, which can sit in the system and flare up. Also I believe aspiration pnuemonia can cause similar symptoms, this is caused by them inhaling fluids which the sit in the lungs - such as syringe feed, medication, etc which if you don't know his history could be a possibility. I'm also not sure what complications or damage the anaesthetic can cause respiratory wise. Hope you get some answers and get him on the mend soon x
 
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