Tachypnoea - it's really not my year

My boy Quinn has not been well lately. I say that, but he's been eating like a horse, pooping wonderfully and if he hears a fenugreek crunchie packet he's halfway up the door. That's why it took me so long to realise his respiratory rate was far too high.

After checking on him a few times and seeing his breathing always fast (no fluctuation) I took him to the vets and saw a different vet at the practice than his usual. She checked him over, poked and prodded, listened to his heart and lungs, weighed him, fed him and declared that he was a healthy rabbit and 'maybe he's just stressed?'

This suggestion didn't go over well. I was somewhat comforted that she said his lungs were fine, so I sprayed pet remedy around his house for a bit while remaining somewhat confused. I decided to seek a second opinion and eventually got him to see his usual vet, who took it more seriously. She confirmed the high resting resp rate, said she thought she could hear something and ordered blood and x-rays, diagnosing him with a lung infection.

He was on two weeks of baytril (no effect) followed by depocillin injections (no effect). His resp rate is still 160.

He was referred to a specialist vet, who saw him today. The vet checked him over and couldn't find anything wrong with him either. He did an abdominal ultrasound and an endoscopy, which showed up...... nothing. The specialist doesn't know what's wrong either.

I'm going to collect him tomorrow and he'll start on metacam and twice daily nebulising. If no effect, the next suggestion was a ct scan but betting that's not cheap either. :?

It's been a very trying month.

Oh no sending lots of vibes xx

Has he had a cardiac work up ?

So far there are no signs there is anything wrong with the heart. Heartbeat normal, sounds normal, x-ray normal.

Really sorry to hear about Quinn and his problems. I hope the meds and the nebulising help him. Sending load of vibes for your boy xxx

I´m sorry to hear Quinn is unwell. It´s so frustrating when you can´t find the problem
I hope he feels better soon.

X-rays didn't show up anything? All other structures & organs as they should be?
If it's an infection (shown by bloods, etc), are there any different antibiotics to try? - As well as metacam and nebuliser.

I am sorry to hear that your boy Quinn remains unwell in spite of all the effort you have made to get him diagnosed and cured. Sending you vibes that the metacam, nebuliser, and time will help him breather better. Just one final suggestion. Has he been around anything that may be an irritant-cleaning products/chlorine bleach/painting/new rugs or furniture? So many things off-gas into the air for months and can be irritants to sensitive persons/pets.

Thanks all.

He lives outside. One thing that I mentioned to the vet was that I had a couple of bags of hay (usual brand) that had obviously come from a different supplier and was more like readigrass. It went off pretty fast in the aviary and became dusty. I wondered if that might have done it. Adelaide appears to be fine.

Back to the vet in 10 days for a recheck.

The only thing she could see on the xrays was the lung changes, everything else normal.

Bindi said:

Thanks all.

He lives outside. One thing that I mentioned to the vet was that I had a couple of bags of hay (usual brand) that had obviously come from a different supplier and was more like readigrass. It went off pretty fast in the aviary and became dusty. I wondered if that might have done it. Adelaide appears to be fine.

Back to the vet in 10 days for a recheck.

The only thing she could see on the xrays was the lung changes, everything else normal.

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Did the Vet suggest a bronchoalveolar lavage ?

I had to google that. My usual vet mentioned washing but is not confident to do something like that. The expert vet has not mentioned it.

Bindi said:

I had to google that. My usual vet mentioned washing but is not confident to do something like that. The expert vet has not mentioned it.

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Might be useful if bacterial or fungal infection is strongly suspected.

I don't know that the specialist does suspect that at this point, I think he's leaning more towards irritation of the lungs/COPD type illness.

Meloxadyl and nebulising had no effect. Now on gabapentin and vivitonin.

Bindi said:

Meloxadyl and nebulising had no effect. Now on gabapentin and vivitonin.

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Sorry to hear that there has been no improvement. I hope the new meds will help

Sending lots more vibes xx

Sorry to hear he's still unwell. Sending vibes for a speedy recovery with the new meds.

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Thanks all. The vet said that if he responds to either of these meds it would narrow down diagnosis considerably.

What a lovely picture of Quinn. He has such expressive eyes and a lovely coat. Sending you both more vibes that the medications help him so you and he have a long, long time together.

Bindi said:

Thanks all. The vet said that if he responds to either of these meds it would narrow down diagnosis considerably.

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A lovely pic

If you have time would you mind sharing the specialists thinking behind the new drug regime, I am always keen to learn