• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Pastuerella

Denny

Mama Doe
a friend of a friend has a bunny that has pastuerella (sp) and she has paired the bun up with another bun which is healthy not realising that she should'nt have :( the question is, will the healthy bun contract pastuerella straight away or will it take some time :?: also, she has another bonded pair, how far away should they be from the pastuerella bun :?: I assume that they cannot go on the same ground etc and she should be washing her hands etc before contact between them all.

How quickly is pastuerella contracted and how is it passed on from bun to bun :?:
 
Its usualy passed through sneezing the germs or rabbits touching noses when one has a disscharge from the nose. Not sure how far the germs are fired out of the nose but its got to be a few feet. Chances are that they will all endup getting it if they live in the same garden. :( . It can be carried on your clothes too if the rabbits nose has been in contact with them. They can catch it and sumtimes dosent come out straight away and may lay dormant for a while. val
 
cheers Val :thumb: thought that might be the case :( did'nt realise you could spread it through clothes though so your right chances they will all get it then :cry:
 
Erm, I've always wondered about this, I can only speak from my experience but Fern had pasteurella for many years of her life - she was diagnised at 2yrs old ish along with her teeth problems etc. She was put to sleep at just over 5 years old, for those 3 years she lived with Charlie bun who never ever got it. They shared the same cage, snuggled together and really were never apart - he even stayed over at the vets with her. He never showed any signs at all. So either he has a natural immunity to it, or he just managed to never catch it. He's not the healthiest of buns either so if anyone was going to get it, it would be him!
 
thats interesting Bev :? so it might not neccessarily be passed on or just lies dormant in some buns :? was Fern and charlie housed inside or outside :?: wonder if the conditions they live in make a difference :? :?
 
Denny said:
thats interesting Bev :? so it might not neccessarily be passed on or just lies dormant in some buns :? was Fern and charlie housed inside or outside :?: wonder if the conditions they live in make a difference :? :?

They lived indoors, none of my vets ever even mentioned that Charlie might get it. He used to clean her gloopy nose and eyes for her too. That must be true love! :shock:
 
Hi Auntie Denny :D Billy and Bobby were together for over 7 years :D Bobby was chronic with Pasturella(SP) and Billy is fine :D we lost our poor bobby a year ago now :( But Billy is fine and never a sneeze :D

I think it is down to the emunine system :? of the none snuffly bun :wink: If they are fit and well their is no saying he will catch pasturella :D

But thats in our experence only :D
 
Yeh, it is thought that most bunnies carry pasteurella but never show any symptoms. Like Scoot says a lot seems to depend on an individual buns immune system. Stress can trigger an asymptomatic bun carrying pasteurella to develop signs of 'snuffles'. I have had several bonded buns, one with occassional 'snuffles' and the other never showing any sign of infection. JCO and Buns xx
 
cheers everyone, that has made interesting reading as the books dont really say if you can keep a healthy bun with a snuffly one or if they transmit the virus or not :roll:

JCO, did your buns live inside? I am just wonder if a snuffler benefits more from being an indoor bun, especially in the winter as it would protect their immune system from the elements of the weather :? :?
 
Outside or in...Hmmm :? Snuffly buns need lots of fresh air so central heating is a bit of a 'no-no' as it dries out the buns respiratory tract causing more irritation and inflammation.As do lots of fragranced cleaning products that may be used around the home. So if a snuffly bun lives indoors it is best to be in a room which can be kept at a steady 16c with good ventilation but no direct drafts. If bun is used to living outside then a good supply of dust free bedding, adequate waterproofing of hutch/shed and again good ventilation. As much as we may like to turn up the heating and snuggle up in a warm room when we have a cold it can actually make a bun with a compromised respiratory system worse to be in a too warm environment. So indoors or out I'd say FRESH AIR are the key words!! :D As well as protection from direct drafts and rain.Hope this helps....!! :D JCO xx
 
I heard that it was airborn but when i told my vet that i wanted to put Alfie (who has pasturella) with another bun with the same problem he said that its not always conteageous (SP??).
 
Well, it is infectious but if a bun picks up the bacteria he may not become 'ill' ie will be an asymptomatic carrier. So an asymptomatic carrier could potentially infect another bunster who may go on to develop symptoms. To be absolutely sure the 'bug' causing a buns 'snuffles' is pasteurella a deep nasal swab needs to be taken and then a culture grown. Getting a deep enough swab from a conscious bun is tricky, the bacteria can be deep in the paranasal sinuses. If just a swab of the discharge is used it may come back as 'no bacterial growth' which is of course misleading. Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacteria which guinea pigs can pass to rabbits. It causes serious upper respiratory tract infection in both. This is something to consider for those who house Rabbits and Guinea Pigs together. Err, I'll shut up now before I bore every-one to death about bunny bugs and snotty noses :lol: JCO xx
 
Well my bun Pip has had snuffly nose on + off for the past couple of years. Seems to be worse at times of stress and she has gone a couple of months without it reappearing! Have noticed she is bit snuffly on the odd day recently, so we will be off to the vets soon. But I do also have two other rabbits (they don't live with her but have contact through the bars) and they are absolutely fine, no hint of a snuffly nose. I can't really keep them separate because they all run around the garden, but that is just my experience. All my buns are kept outside.

Nicola
 
Thanks to Denny for raising the question.

Mr Binks also has the most sneezy fits I have ever come across for as long as we have had him. His former mum said that she had noticed the sneezing, but there was never any discharge.

Mr Binks is going for the snip tomorrow *gulp* and we are hoping to adopt a ladybun to share our home with us all. Probably a good time while under anaesthetic to get the deep nasal swab.

Thanks for the info!

leepodlet, x
 
podlet said:
Thanks to Denny for raising the question.

Mr Binks also has the most sneezy fits I have ever come across for as long as we have had him. His former mum said that she had noticed the sneezing, but there was never any discharge.

Mr Binks is going for the snip tomorrow *gulp* and we are hoping to adopt a ladybun to share our home with us all. Probably a good time while under anaesthetic to get the deep nasal swab.

Thanks for the info!

leepodlet, x

thanks for the thanks Podlet :D I just asked the question that I have been asked though :lol: :lol:

Interesting replies though :? :?

I am sure Mr Binks will be fine tomorrow and he will reap the benefits when he gets a sexy lady bun :wink: :D :D
 
Well I am sure I read somehwre that 80% of bunnies have pasturella so that would mean that a lot of them have it but without any symptoms.

Kim had pasturella but apart from the odd wee drip at her nose and the very occasional sneeze she was absolutely fine. She started out as an outdoor bun but managed to work her way indoors :roll:

I paired her up with Aggie and they were together for several months before Kim passed away (she had heart and kidney failure which may have been caused by the pasturella).

Aggie never showed any signs of getting it from Kim and is still a happy and healthy bunny :D

Before I got Kim she had been an indoor bun - I think she picked up the pasturella during the monehts she was at the SSPCA.

Being totaly honest if I had another bun that had the pasturella symptoms like Kim (ie very minor and in otherwise good health) I would put it in with my other buns (not Mash cause he is older) simply because it did not affect her way of life at all.

lol Pam
 
Interesting topic and excellent replies :!:

p.s JCO - your info was not boring in the least... in fact I've bookmarked this topic for the excellent info you provided. So please keep all the valuable info coming - peeps that find it boring, don't have to read it.

Thanks again.
 
U were lucky but i dont think its right to put another rabbits heath at risk, far easier to get another pastarells rabbit for a partner. val
 
Very interesting reading, has certainly educated me about this..
and while we are talking about pasturella.. anyone got a girlie with it that needs a snuffly boyfriend?? If so i know the perfect fella :wink:
sorry couldnt resist.
 
There are always those animals that have what may seem to be imunity from things but in the main its best to give a good all round picture of these things. Pasturela is catching to other rabbits so its best not to take any risks. val
 
Back
Top