I think my rabbit has hayfever

He has been sneezing an awful lot lately but is perfectly well in himself. No runny eyes or nose or anything like that so i don't think its a respiritory infection. But another twist to the tale is that he has been sneezing a lot less today and it has been raining a lot so maybe this means there is less pollen around? I don't suffer from hayfever myself so don't really know the ins and outs.
Does anyone have any suggestions of what else it could be or if it is hayfever if there is anything I need to do for him?

Thanks a lot,
Nicola

i dont think rabbits can get hayfever but i would keep an eye on him for a little while just incase he gets a runny nose or eyes and i would go to the vets if this happens, but i could be dust or had something up his nose

becky

hi Nicola.. was it u had one of Cheryl's bunnys?
Afraid i dont know about hayfever in rabbits wouldnt have thought they get that. As becky says maybe its a allergy to dusty bedding? have you changed his bedding/hay etc lately? Or it could be the start of a respiratory infection so maybe if he carries on sneezing take him to the vets to get checked out.

Hi, no it isn't me that had one of cheryls rabbits. There are lots of Nicola's on this forum though. I haven't changed his bedding or anything like that I just use hay and newspaper for his bed at the moment (though I have a peice of vet bed on its way to me) and have had the same bale since I first got him. He is VERY fluffy and has been moulting for a long time so I thought it could be hair getting up his nose and tickling him but he doesnt just do it when he is grooming and has been moulting for ages as I said, so I would have thought he would have started sneezing ages ago.

Thanks for your help, Nicola

hmmm strange. Does he do it all the time or is he just having sneezing sessions? If he is still sneezing tomorrow maybe take him to the vets for a checkup.

I just saw you lived in norwich Nic.. thats why i asked as Cheryl is based there

i know a rabbit who had hayfever!! he had to live as a house rabbit in the end poor thing! couldn't stop sneezing in summer! It sounds like she has got hayfever! maybe a vet check up would be worthwhile though, but tell her it is possible in rabbits as she might be treating something thats not there!

My rabbit was sneezing a lot then got a runny nose so hes now on antibios from the vet. His nose has cleared up but he still sneezes. Before the site crashed someone mailed me to say it could be a teeth problem but only an x ray could say. Are you out there whoever told me?

I had problems with Fern and sneezing - she'd sneeze a few times a day for months on end, we treat her with various antibiotics but she'd still sneeze (this was before her teeth issues) so we concluded that it was something in the house. Then we moved house and she had massive sneezing fits. Again no antibiotics worked so we decided it was the dust.

I don't see why an animal can't have hayfever, but it may be another allergy.

As long as theres no discharge I wouldn't worry about it too much but if it does persist then I'd get your bun checked out - sneezing can be the first sign of teeth problem so its best to check just to be on the safe side.

hi

Here's a link about sneezing - about half way down she says about the connection with teeth - and also that it may just be dust causing it.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html


Edana and the boys (from Cheryl!)

thanks for all your help. I think I will keep a close eye on him and if i see any sign of discharge I will get him straight to the vets. I don't want him on antibiotics unless he absolutely has to be, as he is only 5 months old and I know it can affect them really badly sometimes.

Thanks again, Nicola

p.s. can anyone out there make me a signiture?

emma did mine she is also nown as toby

Pollon could certainly cause an alergy. I think the term hayfever might be a throwing people off as it would be pretty unusual for buns to be alergic so something that is designed as they're main diet

I know of a rabbit allergic to a certain type of hay, he had to be bedded on barley straw!

Sneezing has so many causes in rabbits and only a vet can determine, what is wrong with your particular rabbit.

With Zeus his sneezing was accompanied by discharge and a weepy eye, this was treated with Baytril for a long time until an x-ray proved the infection to be in his tooth roots and a course of a different antibiotics helped to clear it up (usually removal of the teeth in question is needed).

With my first rabbit Fudge, his sneezing was caused by an abcess in his nasopharynx constricting his throat. He mainly sneezed after drinking, had problems eating and had no discharge. This was an extremely rare case.

If the sneezing is obviously seasonal i.e. only during warmer months and rarely if ever over winter than it may be a pollen allergy but I should think that would be a very rare and unusual rabbit!

If the sneezing is occasional then it may be just a bit of dust or something up their nose but if it becomes more regular it needs to be checked out as Zeus licked off his nasal discharge so fast we never realised he had any until he snorted at the vets (while the vet had a scope in his mouth and we saw it before it was removed).

Rabbits do not get colds that they get over by themselves and allergies are rare so if you are at all concerned then ask a rabbit expert vet to examine your rabbit. Make sure that they have fully explored all possibilites and don't just stick the rabbit straight on Baytril.

Caz