Blocked nose advice

Hoping someone can give me some quick advice please , and hopefully not be too judgemental of me as I may have done more harm than good !!

Thursday afternoon, sitting out in the garden, when my neighbour came home, he works for a pet food delivery company. He had 17 rabbits in the back of his van which he had just "rescued" from a customer. My wife immediately fell in love with a white and grey dwarf lop ear which he agreed to give to her. We have several guinea pigs, tiels and a dog so he knew it would be looked after.

The poor little thing was in a terrible mess, its fur was matted with excrement and it really stunk. We cut out the main clumps which we could and then bathed the rabbit to soften the stuff too close to the skin. Having now read about bathing a rabbit (yes I know we should have read before doing it but we were desperate to help) it maybe wasn't such a good idea. Am sure you are already guessing the rest.

She is now "full of cold", don't get me wrong she is running around the house happy as larry, eating, drinking and of course leaving deposits all around, but most definately having problems breathing through her nose - obviously not a good thing in rabbits.

Is this something that a vet needs to look at , something we can get at a pet shop , nature with the help of warm cuddles will put it right ???

It would be worth taking her to a vet anyway just for a general check over. She could be pregnant as she was living with 16 other buns. I take it she's not neutered?

Will do Emma, never thought of that !!!
We have been told she is only a couple of months old but knowing absolutely nothing about rabbits wouldn't know how to tell - size , behaviour etc
She is currently doing laps of the living room investigating her new home lol

Well done for helping the little one :thumb:

Sounds like she needs checked by a vet as she could have a respiratory tract infection, which she probably had when you got her. Sounds like she was kept in horrible conditions . Hopefully a course of antibiotics will help.

The vet could check her over when you are there and give a rough idea of age. Also advice you on her vaccinations for when she is feeling better.

She sounds totally adorable

I agree that getting her to a Vet ASAP is essential

Also, you need to keep her well quarantined from your GPs. Rabbits can carry a bacteria in their respiratory tract (Bordetella bronchiseptica) which may or may not cause active disease in them but the bacteria can easily be passed to GPs causing serious often fatal respiratory tract infections. Given that the Rabbit is exhibiting respiratory tract symptoms (Rabbits dont get 'colds' as such) then the risk to the GPs is even greater.

Yeah, she needs to be seen by a rabbit-savvy vet. Rabbits are classed as exotics and, unfortunately, normal vets can sometimes be clueless about how to treat them. You could post a thread in Rabbit Chat asking for recommendations for vets in your area, if you don't know about any specialists near you.

Bunnies don't get 'colds', as Jane said. She'll probably be prescribed some anti-b's and it'll clear up soon. If you're planning to keep her (which it sounds like you are!) then, once she's back to full health, she can be vaccinated against Myxomatosis and VHD - both horrible diseases - and spaying is also strongly recommended. Around 80% of un-spayed does unfortunately get uterine cancer after the age of 5. If there is a chance she could be pregnant then I'd wait another 4/5 weeks or so just to make sure there are no kits and then she could be spayed - depending on her age, of course, because it's advisable to wait until they're at least 5 months, preferably 6, before spaying.

Well done for helping her. Does she have a name?

Would love to see photographs of her at some point!

Thanks again

Believe me, the wife would have taken all 17 if I had let her !!
We have a dwarf netherland coming this afternoon that he hasn't been able to re-house , so it will be a trip to vets with the two of them for a thorough check up and lots of advice.
Getting more of the story now, and the fella they were taken off was in his early 80's and just couldn't cope any more. Must have been a real enthusiast/breeder in the past as there seems to have been several different breeds, I particularly remember a Polish which was pure white with pink eyes. Sad that he couldn't cope but should have asked for help instead of letting the conditions suffer

keep you all posted and hopefully get some piccies posted

Sorry Jacks-Jane and Jemmima, I posted without seeing your replies.

Yes we are certainly looking to keep her, and have another arrival on its way.
My wife is from Thailand and all our pets have Thai names, so our little girl has been named Moo Ping - don't go googling it, it actually means BBQ Pork but its a totally innocent pets name over there :lol:

Well done for rescuing the girl. Make sure to keep her separate from the little nethie, too, just in case. They will need vaccinating and neutering in the future (once their health issues are treated) and then they can be bonded.

Pictures would be nice.

Bartmag said:

Sorry Jacks-Jane and Jemmima, I posted without seeing your replies.

Yes we are certainly looking to keep her, and have another arrival on its way.
My wife is from Thailand and all our pets have Thai names, so our little girl has been named Moo Ping - don't go googling it, it actually means BBQ Pork but its a totally innocent pets name over there :lol:

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Aww, bless! :lol:

Just make sure you operate a quarantine system between nethie, Moo Ping and your piggies until they've been checked by the vet in case either of the bunnies have any contagious diseases. :wave:

If you can pop a picture up we might be able to give you a rough idea of age

Don't worry about the bathing, when they're in that state you get an exception.

As they may have had poor diets, try to stick with mainly hay for now - that will let their guts settle so they don't keep producing the sticky poop. I'd avoid introducing fresh foods until they've settled in and are pooping normally.

The Rabbit Welfare Association has a booklet with some basics here - http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/RWAbrochuremaster.pdf I know there is a lot to take in, but I expect being used to guinea pigs you'll have a head start

Well done for taking the bun in and providing her with a loving home. They truly make remarkable additions to any family. Taking her to the vet is a must. Don't give yourself a hard time over the bathing. It sounds like she needed a good clean and she'll be the better for it. As said before, keep her away from your other animals for now until she gets the all clear from the vet. Providing her with an abundance of meadow hay to nibble on will keep her happy. If you have any mint or lavender, mix some of it in with the hay for a little surprise.

Sorry haven't been back on for an update for a few days.

Moo Ping was given a course of liquid antibiotics, which have been administered twice a day. At the request of the vet we have been keeping her off greens and feeding her hay and dry food. She appeared to be doing quite well, eating, drinking and remaining active.
Until this morning
Came downstairs to find diarrhoa all over the kitchen floor and ping really struggling to breath.
Took her straight to the vet who administered both antibiotic anti inflammotary injections.

She made a further appointment for saturday morning but added - if she is still with us !!

Not looking good but we are trying our best !!

Unfortunately at 19:11 tonight, while being cuddled by the wife, Moo Ping took her last breath and slipped away

So sorry for your loss.
Binky free Moo Ping

Had her for less than a week but has made a lasting impression, our first bunny but certainly not our last !!

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Oh how heart breaking. I am so sorry. Binky free dear little one, and bless you and your wife for your kindness .. She looked a real beauty

.. and I don't believe you gave her a cold or anything by bathing her. I think she must have already had this respiratory infection when she came to you.

I am very sorry to hear about Moo Ping.

I must say that your vets do not sound to be very rabbit savvy. I would not expect a rabbit with severe diarrhea and in respiratory distress to be sent home with nothing more than a few injections. I know that you mentioned you were getting another bun from the same place so I would really suggest that you find a better vet.

I am glad that you gave her a week of feeling safe and loved. I am sorry it has ended in tragedy.

Yeah I have to agree, been taking our dog to this local vet for years and he has been absolutely brilliant - but "ah yes, snuffles, presume you have brought her here because you would like to try to save her" didn't fill me with confidence
Fortunately we held off getting the other bun as a precaution, although the whole 17 would probably be at risk already

So sorry you lost Moo Ping

Well done for giving her a caring home. For however short a time, I'm sure she felt loved.