Pasteurella

So I posted about adopting a bunny he is 16 weeks old and we adopted him from pets at home. He was one of their babies but was separated for adoption due to aggression. I brought him home Saturday and have seen very little aggression other then growling but he's all mouth no trousers and a big softy we have fallen in love with him already. I took him to the vets for his jabs today and a general check up. I explained he hadn't eaten a lot and that he had been sneezing. The vet is concerned about his molars and wants him on a mostly hay diet which is fine whatever he needs. What is more concerning was the sneezing he has puss up his nose and the vet thinks it could be Pasteurella and explained how dangerous it can be. To get him tested would be £88 and his insurance hasn't kicked in yet. So I phoned pets at home and have demanded that they see him and they test him and they do not charge me. I will love him and care for him either way. But having just lost my other bunny I'm so worried about what this is reading up on it it sounds horrible. I guess what I am asking is has anyone come across this before and what can I do? Xxx

if your vet isn't rabbit savvy/exotics then don't waste your time going. find a decent vet and start there. these respiratory infections take hold quickly and get deep into the nose. you really need to see a good vet soon and they will most probably start a course of meds straight away. these will need to be for at least six weeks, if not more. this is to make sure you get to the infection deep within the spores of the nose. if this doesn't work,or if the infection 'comes back', then they can take a nasal swab and test that to see what bacteria is there and what meds will successfully treat it. usually metacam is given aswell as an anti-inflammatory. nebulising is also an option to keep the airways clear.

it is quite complicated and best to get a hold of it asap really. this is why i recommend a proper vet straight away.

alot of us do have snuffle buns. sometimes they clear up for a while and then need top ups every so often. sometimes it can't be cured as such, but they can be kept stable. :wave:

Did the Vet still vaccinate your Rabbit despite noting his infection ?

Pasteurella, whilst having the potential to become serious, is not an inevitable death sentence. Many Rabbits carry the bacteria at a sub clinical level, symptoms may flare up from time to time, especially if the Rabbit is stressed or unwell in some other way.

In your situation I would have expected a Vet to prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic and anti-inflammatories. I would expect the course of antibiotics to be for at least 10 days as short courses seldom help.

Swabs to test for Pasteurella may not be that reliable if taken from a conscious Rabbit. It is often impossible to take a deep enough nasal swab and so the cultures grown may be misleading.

Your Rabbit is very young to be showing Dental problems which points to the problem possibly being genetic rather than acquired (from a poor diet). But your Vet is correct in advising a mostly hay diet and hopefully any Dental issues can be contained if not totally reversed. The nasal discharge may be related to Dental problems.

I would advise you to consult a Rabbit Savvy Vet yourself to obtain the best treatment for your Rabbit. I am afraid I would have no trust in P@H obtaining that on your behalf.

Thank you both. The vet I go isn't pets at home but he is going there to get anti bionics etc as the insurance will now not cover this so pets at home can and won't do it if he doesn't see their vet as much as it pains me!
Yes the vet still vaccinated him is that a good thing? He didn't give me any meds just told me to keep an eye and take him back if he gets worse xxx

Amylou1985 said:

Thank you both. The vet I go isn't pets at home but he is going there to get anti bionics etc as the insurance will now not cover this so pets at home can and won't do it if he doesn't see their vet as much as it pains me!
Yes the vet still vaccinated him is that a good thing? He didn't give me any meds just told me to keep an eye and take him back if he gets worse xxx

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Personally I would not want my Rabbit to be vaccinated if he/she had obvious signs of an active infection. As stated on the Vaccine's Data Sheet:

''Vaccinate only healthy rabbits''

http://www.msd-animal-health.co.uk/products_public/nobivac-myxo-rhd/090_product_datasheet.aspx

I didn't know that about the vaccines I am now concerned. Jeffery has the vets this evening to get tested to see what it is. xxx

Update

Went to the pets at home vets and Jeffery has an infection in his lungs he has a weeks worth of baytril 0.5ml twice a day and metacam 4.6ml once a day. I'm so worried he is only 16 weeks old and he is poorly I know it doesn't matter what age they are it's just horrible we have bonded with him and according to the vet we could loose him. He is still eating so I'm taking that a good sign. Has anyone else been through this is there anything I can do to help? Xxx

Poor boy

Did you tell the 2nd Vet that Jeffery was given a vaccination by the 1st Vet ?

You will need to be very vigilant about his eating and poo output. Any sign of a change in that and you need to contact the 2nd Vet again promptly.

It is likely that he will need a much longer course of antibiotics than 1 week.

Make sure that he eats a good hay based diet as optimum nutrition will help him as he fights the infection. I would also weigh him every 48 hours. If his weight drops on more than 2 consecutive occasions then again you need to contact Vet 2 again promptly.

Watch his respiratory rate/effort too

I hope that Jeffery will respond well to treatment xx

Yes I told him about him being vaccinated but he didn't really say anything about it but he did make a note of it. I wasn't keen on him as a person but he seemed ok with Jeffery he did imply however that if I've only had Jeffery 3 days maybe I should take him back. I politely advised that I have bonded with him and poorly or well he will be staying with me!
Thank you for your advise I will def do all this especially the weighing. I did tell the vet that he pants a lot and he said that's because he has a high temp.

Fingers crossed he is a little fighter xxx

Amylou1985 said:

Yes I told him about him being vaccinated but he didn't really say anything about it but he did make a note of it. I wasn't keen on him as a person but he seemed ok with Jeffery he did imply however that if I've only had Jeffery 3 days maybe I should take him back. I politely advised that I have bonded with him and poorly or well he will be staying with me!
Thank you for your advise I will def do all this especially the weighing. I did tell the vet that he pants a lot and he said that's because he has a high temp.

Fingers crossed he is a little fighter xxx

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Poor wee man He does have an uphill fight on his paws, but I have had Rabbits who have been just as poorly and they have eventually recovered. Some have had longterm lung damage, but they have coped with good ongoing Veterinary Care. Bobbie was the worst, she came from a Meat Farm and she had pneumonia and she was nursing a litter of 5 kits. She was also pregnant again

Despite many many very close calls Bobbie pulled through. That was almost 7 years ago and she is still with us. She has never been able to be vaccinated though as when we attempted it she had a serious relapse. So for Bobbie the risks of Vaccinating outweighed the benefits. But any decision not to Vaccinate must always be made on an individual case basis in consultation with a very Rabbit Savvy Vet.

Sending lots of vibes for Jeffery xx

Poor Jeffrey, I really hope he responds to the treatment, sending lots of vibes for him xxx

Hoping Jeffery responds and is on the mend soon! xx

I don't have any experience of this, but wanted to send Jeffery mega vibes xx

I hope Jeffrey responds to the treatment soon. Sending loads of vibes for him.

And hugs for you. Well done for keeping him and not taking him back. I'm sure staying with you and not being moved around everywhere will be a benefit to him xx

Loads of good wishes for you both,
Well done for keeping him, I really hope he feels better soon xx

Sending lots and lots of vibes for Jeffery. xx

I have a rabbit who has had pneumonia caused by pasteurella infection in his lungs. He has come through it, but it has been a long haul and he will never be completely better. It has left his lungs permanently damaged, but he copes well and he is a happy lad providing he doesn't experience any stress or upset in his life.

Wally had to have a long course of antibiotics, a short course will not clear it. He had a relapse earlier this year and had to go back on antibiotics for a month to get the infection under control again.

During his illness, and also when he had a relapse, we had to nebulise him 3 times a day with F10 in saline. This really helped him. Putting a mask over Wally's face was too stressful for him, so we made a nebulising chamber using a carrier (with cling film over the front mesh door), this worked very well. He still uses the carrier as his den or safe hidey hole.

Wally is permanently on a drug called Corvental. It opens the airways so makes breathing a little easier for him.

Jeffery is a very lucky lad to have found you.

Hope the drugs help and he feels better soon. Sending lots of vibes for Jeffery xx

Thank you all so much for your kind words and advise. He is a lovely little man I still find it amusing that they said he was aggressive.
Giving him the antibiotics is a learning curve for both of us. I am so angry with pets at home and have been very vocal about that fact and they have agreed to cover the costs but once he is better I do intend to take this a lot further. A friend of mine also a bunny lover adopted from pets at home as well on the same day I took Jeffery and poor Peter has a blocked tear duct (which she was told about and was happy about cleaning) but when she took him to the vets he had severe conjunctivitis in both eyes and 2 badly blocked tear ducts. I think its awful that they treat the animals this way!
xxxxx

Have just pm'd you:thumb:

Hope he feels better soon

I had a bunny with snuffles for years who lived and happy and healthy life with her medication and a good vet. I hope Jeffrey can too