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Rabbit Sneezing

S

Southernhammer

New Kit
Evening all,

Our rabbit is having trouble with sneezing. He's always done it since we got him about 4 months ago and we've spent hundreds on vet bills trying to help. His mucus is white and seems mainly in his right nostril. We've changed the hay a few times now, getting hay with less dust but it doesn't help. It mainly occurs when eating but can have sneeze fits whenever. We've told our vet we are dedicated to helping him get better and they quoted us £600 for getting a swab tested and £900 for a swab and x-ray. Of course these are very high prices but if we have to pay that to help him then we would.

My girlfriend is terrified that his tooth is obstructing his sinuses after doing research so an x-ray would show this. My question though is do you think this is a good route to go? We've tried everything we can think to do and we're worried about him. Has anyone had this done before and has it shown anything up?

Basically any information you can share about your experiences with this would be great. Any recommendations you may have that could help with working out what causes sneezing would be great too.

Thanks
 
Hi there

I'm actually going through something very similar with one of my rabbits. She suddenly started having sneezing fits about a couple of weeks ago. Only thing is that she isn't producing any discharge.

I've taken her to see a specialist and she's booked in for a CT scan next week to see if it can shed any light on why she's been sneezing so much. They're also going to try and take a deep nasal swab if they can. They did say that a CT scan would be better than an x ray as it will show more. Also it wouldn't cost that much more than an x ray.

So in your position I would certainly opt for a scan as you will then know for certain if it is the tooth roots that are the problem. The swabs should also help them identify the best antibiotic to treat any infection your bun might have.

I should me tion that the specialist did warn me not to pin all my hopes on the scan as it might not show anything that would identify the cause of the problem. But I've taken the view that it will at least rule a lot of things out, including dental issues, so for that alone I think it's worth doing.

Good luck, I hope you manage to get to the bottom of it.

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
 
I forgot to ask, are you anywhere near London (I'm on tapatalk so can't see members' locations). If you are, it might be worth asking your vet to do a referral to the RVC. They're the ones currently treating my bun for her sneezing. The cost was £175 for the first consultation and they quoted me just under £500 for the ct scan and swab. It's a bit less than what you've already been quoted and it will also mean your bunny will get seen by a specialist.

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
 
I had a bunny who sneezed on and off for 7 years from age 6 to age 13. He had a bacterial infection that was difficult to eliminate. I had head X-rays and dental checks done and it was not tooth related. He would sneeze worse when eating hay, so eventually he just got pelleted food and some greens.
I tried different bedding products, different hay, cleaning 'our' room more, sifting his pelleted food, and improving ventilation.

Some bunnies are sensitive to certain cleaning products, like chlorine bleach, even if they are not in direct contact with the products.
 
Is the Bunny a brachycephalic ('short nose') breed eg a mini lop or a Netherland Dwarf ? Brachy' breeds being much more prone to upper respiratory tract problems and dental problems.

The diagnostics are really the next step needed and I second the recommendation of The Beaumont at the RCV https://www.rvc.ac.uk/beaumont-sainsbury-animal-hospital. I assume Bunny is not Insured ?If she is then that should cover a lot of the costs.

Finally, Nebulising can really help a sneezy Bunny. You could mention this option to the Vet too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JpVeWhJ8RA

Oh and one more thing, do you use wood shavings for Bedding ? They are not really suitable as they can cause respiratory problems. If Bunny came from Pets at Home then I would not be surprised if you were advised to use wood shavings................
 
Southernhammer said:
Evening all,

Our rabbit is having trouble with sneezing. He's always done it since we got him about 4 months ago and we've spent hundreds on vet bills trying to help. His mucus is white and seems mainly in his right nostril. We've changed the hay a few times now, getting hay with less dust but it doesn't help. It mainly occurs when eating but can have sneeze fits whenever. We've told our vet we are dedicated to helping him get better and they quoted us £600 for getting a swab tested and £900 for a swab and x-ray. Of course these are very high prices but if we have to pay that to help him then we would.

My girlfriend is terrified that his tooth is obstructing his sinuses after doing research so an x-ray would show this. My question though is do you think this is a good route to go? We've tried everything we can think to do and we're worried about him. Has anyone had this done before and has it shown anything up?

Basically any information you can share about your experiences with this would be great. Any recommendations you may have that could help with working out what causes sneezing would be great too.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Scrappy's Little Helper said:
Hi there

I'm actually going through something very similar with one of my rabbits. She suddenly started having sneezing fits about a couple of weeks ago. Only thing is that she isn't producing any discharge.

I've taken her to see a specialist and she's booked in for a CT scan next week to see if it can shed any light on why she's been sneezing so much. They're also going to try and take a deep nasal swab if they can. They did say that a CT scan would be better than an x ray as it will show more. Also it wouldn't cost that much more than an x ray.

So in your position I would certainly opt for a scan as you will then know for certain if it is the tooth roots that are the problem. The swabs should also help them identify the best antibiotic to treat any infection your bun might have.

I should me tion that the specialist did warn me not to pin all my hopes on the scan as it might not show anything that would identify the cause of the problem. But I've taken the view that it will at least rule a lot of things out, including dental issues, so for that alone I think it's worth doing.

Good luck, I hope you manage to get to the bottom of it.

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Hi Scrappy & Southerhammer. Apologies for bumping such an old thread but I was wondering how your bunnies got on? Our Little Tigs is due for a CT scan next week for a similar issue - white mucus from one nose causing sneezing fits and snuffles.
 
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