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Coughing Bunny

iggyperdyandme

iggyperdyandme

Alpha Buck
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice?

I have a little girl bunny, Perdy who about a week ago developed a cough. She has seen a vet and prescribed some anti-biotics which seem to be helping but havent shifted it completely. We are due back wed, when the antibiotics runout (10 day course).

She doesnt have sawdust because she is a house rabbit and her friend is allergic and has hay from the same shop we have brought from for years. We also dont use chemicals to clean out her cage, opting for natural cleaning products only (I worry) and have done for years so its prob not and allergy.

The vet had a proper good look at her any said she cant find anything wrong other than the cough.


I was wondering if there is anything else i could be doing? or anyone have any ideas why she has it?

Any help much appreciated.

Hannah and Perdy
 
Hello

I would suggest that she has a chest Xray. This would provide more information about her lungs and heart

When you say she is 'coughing' how do you mean ? Is it all the time ? Only when eating ? Any nasal discharge or history of previous respiratory tract problems ?

How old is she and is she spayed ?

Has she lost weight at all, despite the fact she is eating well ?

Is she more lethargic than normal ?
 
Hi there,

Thank you for replying.

She seems to be coughing as if to clear her throat type noise. She doesnt have any discharge but since starting the anti-biotics she is souding more productive in her cough.

She is 5 years old and spayed, vaccinated no exsisting health problems. She had her teeth checked about 4 months ago by the vet and is the same weight as she was then. She is still eating, being her usual self but she has this cough.

I think i will ask them at the vet for an chest xray. The vet listened to her lungs and heart and took her temp and they said they all sounded ok on Monday.

I am at a total loss with this one. I have lived with bunnies for years and never had one have a cough before.

:S

Hannah and Perdy
 
I agree with Jane in that your vet should have a good look at her chest and the organs in there via x-ray. Just listening to the chest cannot always pick up problems in the early stages, you really need further diagnostics.

Has Perdy had any changes in stature along with the cough? Is she sitting up differently, or for different lengths of time? Does she flop out more/less? Does her head twitch when she coughs? Is her breathing different? Have you noticed it getting worse in the heat or is she kept at roughly the same temperature in the house?

Do you know what breed Perdy is?

Apologies for all the questions. But if we can give you an idea of what to look for and what questions to ask, you'll have more to tell the vet when you go in. You may find it useful to take a video of the coughing if you can, I have found this very helpful at the vet.

Sending vibes for Perdy (lovely name btw!)
 
My Boris has snuffles and he used to cough, in fact coughing was the first sign I saw of anything being wrong. It then progressed and he started breathing rapidly as well. It's not a common symptom but not completely unheard of either. Boris never had an x-ray of his lungs because of his breathing being as bad as it was (didn't want to risk sedating him) but we've had 2 different vets listen to them repeatedly and nothing abnormal was heard. The problem your bunny has sounds very similar to what my little man has been through, but it should be investigated a little further if possible; there could be something completely different going on as well. The fact that your bunny has responded well to antibiotics however does indicate an infection of some sort rather than a heart condition for example. That's what my vet told me, anyway, when I was worried. Also, with snuffles (or pasteurellos which is the proper medical term), longer courses of antibiotics are often needed. 10 days wasn't anywhere near enough for Boris, I think ideally it should be given until the symptoms are gone and then 2 more weeks after that.
 
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