Help - bonding a snuffly rabbit with a healthy rabbit.

Hi :wave:

As title? Long story short, I have a healthy, neutered, single male. Opportunity to adopt single female for bonding but she has snuffles. I saw her for 15 minutes and she didn't sneeze but did have a wet nose. She seems well suited to Jasper but I don't want to end up giving him snuffles too.

I've heard people say they have a pair where one has snuffles and the other hasn't caught it but in ten years of rabbits I've never had a snuffly bun so I have no idea.

Thanks .

Inimical Me said:

Hi :wave:

As title? Long story short, I have a healthy, neutered, single male. Opportunity to adopt single female for bonding but she has snuffles. I saw her for 15 minutes and she didn't sneeze but did have a wet nose. She seems well suited to Jasper but I don't want to end up giving him snuffles too.

I've heard people say they have a pair where one has snuffles and the other hasn't caught it but in ten years of rabbits I've never had a snuffly bun so I have no idea.

Thanks .

Click to expand...

Yes I have one snuffly bun wedded to a non-snuffly. Depends on immune system/genetics etc as to whether it's passed on. I wouldn't hesitate to bond them, but you have to feel right about it.

Inimical Me said:

Hi :wave:

As title? Long story short, I have a healthy, neutered, single male. Opportunity to adopt single female for bonding but she has snuffles. I saw her for 15 minutes and she didn't sneeze but did have a wet nose. She seems well suited to Jasper but I don't want to end up giving him snuffles too.

I've heard people say they have a pair where one has snuffles and the other hasn't caught it but in ten years of rabbits I've never had a snuffly bun so I have no idea.

Thanks .

Click to expand...

I would want to obtain a bit more background info about the Doe. What treatment has she had in the past as far as antibiotics are concerned, are Dental problems involved in her 'Snuffles' symptoms ?? Dental problems can sometimes cause a Rabbit to have a snotty nose/gunky eyes. For the potential longterm management of a Snuffles Rabbit (and of course expense if lifelong Vet treatment were to be needed) it is important to try to identify any possible underlying issues.

Whilst I have had a snuffly Rabbit bonded with a non snuffler with no ill effects to the 'well' Rabbit, it is not something I would do without very careful consideration, just as you are doing regarding the Doe you have seen. I have known problems to occur in some cases.

Is the Doe already spayed ?

Cheyenne is prone is respiratory infections - but so far has hasn't passed anything onto her husbun Lenny. She only gets them when she has been stressed - so keeping her calm and feeding her loads of coneflower (for echinacea) seems to keep it under control.

So providing you can help the doe keep her snuffles under control then chances are it will be okay - but there is always the risk that you are already aware of anyway.

Noodley was a snuffle bunny - she was initially with her half sis & later Joe & they both remained snuffle free. I hope you don't mind me saying but I think its really lovely you are considering rescuing a harder to rehome bunny. Looking forward to hearing your updates

Jack's-Jane said:

I would want to obtain a bit more background info about the Doe. What treatment has she had in the past as far as antibiotics are concerned, are Dental problems involved in her 'Snuffles' symptoms ?? Dental problems can sometimes cause a Rabbit to have a snotty nose/gunky eyes. For the potential longterm management of a Snuffles Rabbit (and of course expense if lifelong Vet treatment were to be needed) it is important to try to identify any possible underlying issues.

Whilst I have had a snuffly Rabbit bonded with a non snuffler with no ill effects to the 'well' Rabbit, it is not something I would do without very careful consideration, just as you are doing regarding the Doe you have seen. I have known problems to occur in some cases.

Is the Doe already spayed ?

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Thanks Jane .

She's unspayed, quite young I think. Not sure how old - probably 80-90% of her adult size. No problem spaying her etc.

As ever I seem to come across people with rabbits they don't want and I end up being sized up as a potential home. The perils of being known as the one who likes rabbits.

She's a Dutch with a longish face, which decreases the chance of (although doesn't eliminate) dental issues. She's had a course of anti-biotics, presumably baytril as she's been to a Pets at Home vet. The people who have her are well-meaning (friends of colleagues), I just always feel sad at the idea of a rabbit ending up alone and unneutered with a condition that might get worse and go untreated when I could give them a nice life. I'm in the middle of moving house so not the ideal time but on the plus side I have no furniture yet so plenty of bunny room :lol:.

Aside from the wet nose she looked otherwise healthy and bright-eyed.

Thanks for your input everyone.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

Don't assume the vet she's been to is rubbish though - it might be, but the Vets4Pets vets in Pets at Home are as unpredictable as any other, and it really does depend on the individual practice/vets.

Thank you. I don't think the vets are rubbish, just standard.

Will make a decision tomorrow. I don't know what to do. I've adopted "healthy" rabbits in the past only for them to die young from unexplained causes, so it's no guarantee.

When I had Boris he was a regular snuffly bun (on long term baytril kept him from sneezing etc) and Beano and Gordon never had any problems, although Boris was kept indoors and Beano and Gordon were outside. Since then we adopted Jake and since getting him he began getting snuffly and has had problems ever since, I was rather worried about Beano and Gordon as they were bonded for a couple of months (before Jake's snuffling) but the bond broke so they are now separated but in the same flat. Beano and Gordon were fine for months until shortly before needed her first dental Beano began having the odd sneeze but no runny nose, she was on baytril, metacam and bisolvon a week before her dental and she stopped sneezing. Now about a month later Gordon has started sneezing, runny nose and sounds snuffly, he's had his teeth checked (he needed a dental when Beano did too) and now he's on the same meds Beano was and already is sounding better. Jake remains to have regular bouts and it's put us in a dilema about getting him a wife and I'm now constantly worrying about Beano and Gordon! So I think it's hit and miss whether your bun will get ill, but good to read stories where bunnies have remained healthy. I'd trust your gut instinct personally, but it has been stressful with my three all having snuffly episodes

Thank you.

I still don't know. She didn't sound snuffly at all in the time I was with her despite being a bit stressed (grabbed and handed to me - not ideal, I can't remember the last time I needed to pick one of my rabbits up aside from trips to the vet). I've had rabbits who have had minor episodes of a runny nose and the occasional sneeze which has always resolved by the time a vet appointment has come around (within a few days) so I never knew if it was a bacterial thing controlled by their immune system or just irritation or whatever.

Just thinking aloud now but I really appreciate everyone's input.

Inimical Me said:

Thank you.

I still don't know. She didn't sound snuffly at all in the time I was with her despite being a bit stressed (grabbed and handed to me - not ideal, I can't remember the last time I needed to pick one of my rabbits up aside from trips to the vet). I've had rabbits who have had minor episodes of a runny nose and the occasional sneeze which has always resolved by the time a vet appointment has come around (within a few days) so I never knew if it was a bacterial thing controlled by their immune system or just irritation or whatever.

Just thinking aloud now but I really appreciate everyone's input.

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Another thing to bear in mind is that if she does have chronic Snuffles spaying her might be more of a risk than usual. I'd certainly want to be very confident that my Vet was Rabbit Savvy so that any decisions made about when/if to spay the Doe were based of reliable advice.