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Just been to vet. FAO snuffle buns U/D p25

nessar

Warren Veteran
He said it looks like Barney has a respiratory infection. He said the type of mucus around his eyes is not what snuffles usually causes, and it looks more like a viral infection, but as snuffles is so common it is fairly likely :(

He's given me baytril - 0.4 units in 100ml water to be given for 5 days, then bring him back in if he's not improved. I am not to give him any other water until he drinks this. I should also bathe his eyes with cold tea.

He was also shocked by the fact that he drinks around 800ml water a day so we are going to see if that changes after the anti-biotics. He had also been dribbling (which I hadnt noticed :( ) so teeth may be a suspect for futher issues.

Any advice/experiences/anecdotes/anything welcome!

One of my main worries is: will this stop him getting a friend if it is snuffles?

Oh dear ... :( my poor boy.


eta- Oh and he reccommended a multi vitamin supplement too, would something like this be okay? http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=71&pf_id=53440&co=fr



also... put this here as wasnt sure if it was a health or bonding question, if a mod thinks it would be better somewhere else feel free to move it
 
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Sorry to hear about your bunny being poorly :(

The bun I had with snuffles was any old lady (about 9) so cant give you an advise from my experience. Hopefully someone will come along soon to offer some words of wisdom.
 
Well my vets have taken a swab from Jeremy to confirm the pasturella diagnosis, or to give a different diagnosis, and they will also test the sample to see what antibiotics it responds to. Its costing quite a bit though an I can't claim on my insurance if its pasturella because it would have been a pre existing condition.

Because he is actively unwell, nasal discharge and sneezing, the vet felt it would be too high risk to vaccinate or neuter him, although if the symptoms can be got under control he may be able to get done. If they have pasturella if can pass on to other bunnies, although only 50% show symptoms when they ave the diesease. I wouldn't personally ever bond a bunny with a know condition tht can cause illness pain and suffering, with a healthy bun. If your bunny is able to be neutered though they could maybe be bonded with another snuffle bunny?
 
I have a bunny who is 4 and has snuffles. he keeps getting it every now and then. I was told by someone that he cant go with another bunny cos it is contageous but other people say he can.

hopefully someone on here can help you soon. would love to get buddy a buddy lol
 
My buns are already bonded and one is a snuffle bun. I wouldn't seperate them, it would cause my snuffle bun too much stress and probably make his symptoms alot worse. From what I understand, most bunnies carry the bacteria but only some are symptomatic of it, this is more likely if they have underlying health issues or are subject to stress and trauma. My other bunny is healthy and they were bonded before the snuffles came along.

5 Days is a short course of baytril! It is normally 10 days! It may stop the snot in 5 days but you may need it for longer to help what you can't see going on in his lungs and nose.

xxx
 
buddy normally has a 10 to 14 day course of anti biotics.

buddy is a mixed up bunny lol he was the runt of the litter and very small, his back leg is in the wrong aliment but otherwise a healthy bunny
 
Thanks for the advice so far everyone :wave: Its only a 5 days to see if he improves, I think he is trying to rule out whether it is snuffles or the viral infection. He said if he doesnt improve we'll have to do 10 days. There isnt any snot, just runny eyes and he said a chest infection. It doesnt seem to affect him really, and vet said he was in very good condition in every other way :love: apparently my boy's got good muscle :lol:

I'm going to start giving it tomorrow, I think I'll have to change him to a bottle so I can make sure he drinks it all as he leaves some in the bottom of his bowl. Do they drink it readily? I think I read somewhere that it doesnt taste nice.
 
My boy wont have the baytril without force feeding it to him :cry: So I assume it doesn't taste nice. It is also very sticky too! xx
 
Awww I do hope your bun improves :wave:

I have to say though, I'd be inclined to seek an opinion from a different vet :oops: Giving baytril by water is very 'old school' and I thought it was pretty common knowledge now that it's not particularly effective. Partly because you cannot guarantee the dose that the animal is drinking (as others have said, it is very bitter and tastes horrid so your bun is likely to drink less) which in itself is not good for your bunny, but also because baytril works on peak concentration not on consistent dose levels. So it is far more effective if given as a single dose once a day so that the blood levels peak at the same time, whereas if it is just sipped in water throughout the day there is no particular peak.

I don't want to worry you but it doesn't sound to me as if your vet is not terribly bunny savvy and I would therefore be inclined to get a second opinion from another vet as baytril in drinking water is unlikely to do anything and if your bunny gets dehydrated because he doesn't drink much, that could also cause him harm as it can slow the guts down.

Good luck, I do hope you manage to help your little one. I personally would want to see a potential case of snuffles dealt with quite aggressively with antibiotics as it can cause abscesses if it is left without effective treatment and that can mean the difference between it being a one-off occurrence or something that becomes a chronic, recurring problem.

ETA Santa had chronic snuffles for several years. She was bonded to Dudley for the whole time and he didn't so much as sneeze once, so it doesn't necessarily mean that he can't ever be bonded, although obviously it wouldn't be a good idea to do it while he is actively poorly.

Good luck xxx
 
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I treat Lily with 0.6ml once daily,(she weighs 740g) by syringe, or however she fancies it.Usually a 10 day course.
She is bonded with her brother who on very rare occasions shows signs of snuffles.Hes 2,treated him twice.:wave:
 
Thanks, Santa I will see if I can find a decent rabbit vet somewhere around here. Would be so much simpler if I drove, I think there is one about 45 mins away but doubt my housemate would drive me hour and a half each time! Plus its not very convenient for emergencies.

It's a shame because he seems like he knows what hes on about and he was saying something about pasturella having had a name change so I thought he was fairly up to date.

I've given up on the bottle and using the bowl instead, as he only drunk about 100ml all night which is low for him. I'm measuring everything though to get the right amounts. Good news is he immediately drank about 50ml of it, so either he was very thirsty or doesnt mind the taste too much.
 
My boy wont have the baytril without force feeding it to him :cry: So I assume it doesn't taste nice. It is also very sticky too! xx

My vet told me its really bitter and to mix it with half blackcurrent cordial. Jeremy just lapped it off a tea spoon that way!
 
Yey, Jeremy's lab results have come back staffolococcus (I've just spelt that how it sounds, I have no idea) I'm glad I got the swabs done even though they did cost £50 quid.
 
a bacterial infection but its treatable with a long course of antibiotics apparently.

ETA its one of the strains that causes MRSA but its not MRSA, there are a lot of different types of it, I can't remember which one the vet said but she said its good news anyway, because its treatable.

Staphylococcus -correct spelling
 
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He has finished his 100ml medicated water, so have given him 300ml normal water.

Anyone else find buns with respiratory infections drink more? He's always drunk this much but the vet seemed shocked and worried about 800ml a day. But then I havent had him long so I dont know if hes always drunk this much. No other rabbits I've known did.
 
Could he have conjunctivitis? Mischa had that when he had snuffles as well as an ear infection. All caused by the same thing.

I agree with Santa I would try to find another vet if possible. My vet completely skipped the Baytril and went straight to penicillin injections to hit it hard and fast.

As for giving Baytril I find the best option is either (a) mixed with apple juice, about 1:2 ratio Baytril to apple juice (b) mixed in with some mashed banana or (c) soaked into a piece of bread. This way you know they are getting it all.

Mischa also drinks a lot. :? We've never really worked out why. He's had urine tests and nothing untoward. He drinks about 300-400ml a day at the moment.
 
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