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Respiratory problem with no discharge?

DemiS

Warren Veteran
I think cookie may have some kind of breathing problem. Quite a few times when he's been drinking (either from a bowl or bottle) he makes funny noises and sometimes ends up sneezing like he's accidentally breathed in some water. I didn't think much of it because i quite often do the same thing. I also posted a while back about him making funny grunting noises, one day he did it whilst he was resting, but since then he mainly does it when he's eating or when I pick him up. Today after giving him his pellets he almost choked, started making horrible noises and trying to paw at his mouth, I grabbed him straight away and did the bunny swing , anyway he was absolutely fine after and went back to eating. Now those 'signs' alone I'd just think oh it was a one off but now im starting to think he may have some issues with breathing and eating/drinking at the same time.

I'm taking him to the vets tomorrow morning, they are good with rabbits but I like to get a bit of information beforehand because I know there are some very experienced owners and people who have used much savvier vets on this forum. Any ideas or anything I should discuss with the vet? What checks should they do on him, can they look inside a rabbits nose? I know rabbits can get things like snuffles but cookie's nose has always been completely clear, no discharge or anything
 
I think cookie may have some kind of breathing problem. Quite a few times when he's been drinking (either from a bowl or bottle) he makes funny noises and sometimes ends up sneezing like he's accidentally breathed in some water. I didn't think much of it because i quite often do the same thing. I also posted a while back about him making funny grunting noises, one day he did it whilst he was resting, but since then he mainly does it when he's eating or when I pick him up. Today after giving him his pellets he almost choked, started making horrible noises and trying to paw at his mouth, I grabbed him straight away and did the bunny swing , anyway he was absolutely fine after and went back to eating. Now those 'signs' alone I'd just think oh it was a one off but now im starting to think he may have some issues with breathing and eating/drinking at the same time.

I'm taking him to the vets tomorrow morning, they are good with rabbits but I like to get a bit of information beforehand because I know there are some very experienced owners and people who have used much savvier vets on this forum. Any ideas or anything I should discuss with the vet? What checks should they do on him, can they look inside a rabbits nose? I know rabbits can get things like snuffles but cookie's nose has always been completely clear, no discharge or anything

There are a few things that can cause the symptoms you describe, including nasal polyps, inflammation within the upper respiratory tract, a 'structural problem' and/or inflammation relating to the soft palate, to name a few. What pellets do you feed ? Science Selective by any chance ?
 
There are a few things that can cause the symptoms you describe, including nasal polyps, inflammation within the upper respiratory tract, a 'structural problem' and/or inflammation relating to the soft palate, to name a few. What pellets do you feed ? Science Selective by any chance ?

Thanks Jane. They're on a 50:50 mix of excel and SS, but it was an SS pellet that caused the problem, which was surprising because I thought it was excel that had the bad reputation for choking rabbits
 
Nope, it's SS

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...abbit/page2&highlight=science+selective+choke

Personally I would never feed SS to a Rabbit in my care. Perhaps leave them out til Cookie sees the Vet xx

Wow that's interesting I would of thought with the length/shape of SS pellets rabbits would take longer to chew them, excel pellets being so small and round and easy to gobble look a lot more likely to block a rabbits airway. I will probably switch to excel only, although it's not just food, cookie seems to splutter even with water. I'll take them to the vets in the morning and see what they say :) I saw online that you can soak pellets before giving them to rabbits for buns prone to choking, although I'm not sure they'd appreciate a soggy mush of pellets
 
Wow that's interesting I would of thought with the length/shape of SS pellets rabbits would take longer to chew them, excel pellets being so small and round and easy to gobble look a lot more likely to block a rabbits airway. I will probably switch to excel only, although it's not just food, cookie seems to splutter even with water. I'll take them to the vets in the morning and see what they say :) I saw online that you can soak pellets before giving them to rabbits for buns prone to choking, although I'm not sure they'd appreciate a soggy mush of pellets

Very few Rabbits do !

Hope all goes OK at the Vets x
 
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