How to check whether a bunnys nose is healthy?

Hello,

I was looking into taking on another rabbit to keep my neutered girlie company. I looked at a few buns at the weekend and wanted to check they were healthy. I checked their eyes and they were clean and bright but I couldn't tell whether they had a wet nose or not. Their feet weren't matted from cleaning their nose but is it normal for a bunny to have a slightly wet nose? I was trying to give them a full inspection but I found it difficult to see whether they had any nasal discharge. I think that maybe their nose was slightly wet but how can you be sure? What are the signs of Pasturella?

If a bunny does have pasturella is it curable or will the bunny always have it?

How can you tell whether a bunnys nose is healthy or not?

Soz for all the questions but I want to make sure I get a healthy bun as I would hate for my bunny to catch anything.

Hoping you can advise me,

Nicola x

A rabbit shouldnt have a wet nose. Sometimes when there very stressed or hot they may have a wet nose but its not the norm. Pasturrela is not cureable and will be past on to a partner. val

Look for gunky discharge and sneezing, and check the eyes too as nose and eye issues tend to go hand in hand - so look out for sticky patches around the eyes.

Pasteurella is treatable but it never truly goes away forever, and once a bun has it it comes and goes forever.

My Fern bunny had pasteurella and she went through good patches and bad ones, however, she lived with Charlie for her whole life (5yrs) and he didn't catch it from her. They shared a cage, he licked/cleaned her gooey eyes and nose for her all the time, but still he never caught it. So perhaps its not as contagious as we sometimes think.

Good luck in your search. If you go to a rescue the buns are normally checked out by a vet already so they can mostly tell you if they suspect it has snuffles or anything.

One other thing, if you do see a bun that has a wet nose check what its drinks out of - my two prefer to use a bowl, this means that they always have wet noses! (well until they come and dry them off on my clothes! :lol: )

Hello,

Thanks very much for your advice. The place I visited take in rescue bunnies but also have a few of their own rabbits for sale. They were in a shed full of hutches.

There were a couple of rabbits that had been there for a long time and those were the ones I felt most sorry for as they looked like they could do with a good run around outside, breathe in some fresh air and feel the grass beneath their little paws.

When I picked one of the buns up they went straight over on their back like a baby and enjoyed being fussed over. His eyes were lovely and clean, his paws looked fine. His nose wasn't wet around the outside of his nose but I suppose it was the perspective I had of him, being held like a baby, I could see right down his little nostrils and it was here that it looked slightly wet. There wasn't any mucky discharge, it was just slightly wet like water. Is this normal?

He was drinking from a water bottle.

If I knew he was healthy I would like to offer him a home and give him a chance to enjoy some freedom and do normal bunny things.

I just want to make sure he is healthy as I would hate for my other bunny to catch anything.

Please help,

Nicola x

Hi,

Just bumping this one up to the top to see if anyone can give me any advice.

Thank you,

Nic x