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Pasteurella can it be passed on... Help plz

bunny-boo

Warren Scout
ok so I may have the opportunity to home a lop bunny who has just been treated for the last 10 days for pasteurella as had a runny nose and the vet diagnosed this. The bunny I am told has recovered and I have been told needs to stay a house bunny, but will be fine to be around other buns, is this the case? will Reuben be ok around this little bun or is this something that will flare up again and could be passed on? thanks
 
It can be passed on to other rabbits very easily. It can come back in times of stress or ill health as well and might need further treatment of antibiotics.
However I think about 90% of rabbits do already have pasteurella but show no symptoms.

Hopefully it will never come back if it was caught early with a good long course of strong antibiotics but it might show up again. For example I would say bonding could be quite stressful.

Snuffle bunnies can live long and happy lives but I think it's a bit of stress for the owner if it flares up. My rabbit has a lot of other problems but his infection has now spread to his ears, he's on antibiotics twice a day and has a nebuliser which is like a big steam chamber to help with the discharge. He's a bit of a special case and probably one of the worst, but just so you're aware of everything before you make a decision.

A lot of rabbits can be completely cured and it might never come back. :wave:
 
Thanks alot for that :)
ok if I put it this way.....would you re-home a rabbit with your other rabbits knowing about the problem this bun has only just finished the antibiotics for? I know there are no guarentees and if she were an only bun I wouldn't care but I would be heartbroken if my decision made reuben ill in anyway. I have been reading on the internet and it says it can be passed and even spread to internal organs :( so unsure but really feel sorry for this bun x
 
My personal opinion? After seeing Grim with it I wouldn't. It's been too heartbreaking to see him deteriorate. There is a very good chance your bun has it anyway but I wouldn't like to risk my current pet's health for another. That's just me though.
 
Has the rabbit had a culture test done of the bacteria in its nose? It may not be pasturella, other bacteria can cause snuffles, although pasturella is the most common as most rabbits carry it anyway.

If your rabbit has been in a rescue, been in boarding, been at a pet shop or at a breeders that has quite a few rabbits, then they most likely have pasturella anyway. It spreads extremely easily, as it is air-bourne, so any rabbit that is housed in the same airspace as many others will likely catch it from others that have no symptoms. It is also important to remember that it cannot be 'cured'. The symptoms and illness that it causes can be sorted, yes, but the bacteria can never be gotten rid of, and so even if the symptoms are treated, it can always reoccur later in life. It generally flares up in times of stress or when the immune system is suppressed in some way. The important thing to remember is that, whilst they may carry the bacteria, most rabbits will never get ill from it, as it is not triggered until the immune system is compromised in some way.

I have two rabbits, Barney has recurring snuffles, and seems to never be rid of symptoms completely, he has bisolvon (thins mucus) about half of the time (used to be daily) and a few weeks of echinacea (immune support herb) when he needs it, but rarely needs antibiotics these days. Annabella, on the other hand, had it once, had a course of antibiotics, and it went, but then she is and has always been a very healthy bunny.

It is not true that she will definitely have to live indoors, Barney seems to do much better outdoors, and I believe that is not uncommon.
 
no I don't think cultures have been sent off...but the vet diagnosed it. I have untill tomorrow to decide ....
 
no I don't think cultures have been sent off...but the vet diagnosed it. I have untill tomorrow to decide ....

Pasturella is a bacteria, not an illness. The illness the rabbit has is 'snuffles', i.e. a respiratory infection, but it is sometimes referred to as 'pasturella' as this is the most likely bacteria to cause the illness and most rabbits carry it anyway, but it is not the only bacteria to cause snuffles, there are others.

Do you have guinea pigs? If so I'd recommend a culture test to make sure it isn't bordetella.
 
Has the rabbit had a culture test done of the bacteria in its nose? It may not be pasturella, other bacteria can cause snuffles, although pasturella is the most common as most rabbits carry it anyway.

If your rabbit has been in a rescue, been in boarding, been at a pet shop or at a breeders that has quite a few rabbits, then they most likely have pasturella anyway. It spreads extremely easily, as it is air-bourne, so any rabbit that is housed in the same airspace as many others will likely catch it from others that have no symptoms. It is also important to remember that it cannot be 'cured'. The symptoms and illness that it causes can be sorted, yes, but the bacteria can never be gotten rid of, and so even if the symptoms are treated, it can always reoccur later in life. It generally flares up in times of stress or when the immune system is suppressed in some way. The important thing to remember is that, whilst they may carry the bacteria, most rabbits will never get ill from it, as it is not triggered until the immune system is compromised in some way.

I have two rabbits, Barney has recurring snuffles, and seems to never be rid of symptoms completely, he has bisolvon (thins mucus) about half of the time (used to be daily) and a few weeks of echinacea (immune support herb) when he needs it, but rarely needs antibiotics these days. Annabella, on the other hand, had it once, had a course of antibiotics, and it went, but then she is and has always been a very healthy bunny.

It is not true that she will definitely have to live indoors, Barney seems to do much better outdoors, and I believe that is not uncommon.

Good post
 
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