Mini lop drooling constantly. Vet says no teeth issues. Help?

[sidewalksauce]

In November of 2019 I “rescued” a year and a half old mini lop named Maui from a neglectful owner. He had an eye infection, his nails were growing in a totally different direction, poop matted to his underside, etc,. We took him to the vet, got medicine for his eye, and turns out he has cataracts in the other eye. Great! That explains the scanning. I digress. About a month ago, I noticed wetness around his mouth and on his chin. “He’s fine.” -my mom. Well, a couple days later, his chest was SOAKED. “We may have to put him down.” -my mom. Entire front side soaked, licking his chest raw (it was BLEEDING), and constant pawing at his mouth. He was eating and drinking fine, though. He acted completely normal besides the drooling and such. Took him to the vet a couple days later. Tooth problem? Apparently not, according to the vet. Vet shaved his chest and gave us a spray to help heal it. Also suggested we get him a probiotic incase it was a digestive issue. We did, and have been giving it to him since. Drooling decreased rapidly over the next week. He had a constant tiny wet spot on one side of his mouth, though. I assumed my mom knew since she put him away every morning. Also want to point out- and I dunno if it’s related- but like for two days (not in a row), he refused to eat (legit would sniff the food and dramatically turn towards the wall). He was also not able to walk properly and had a tilted head. I thought ear infection? Called the vet and she said we could bring him in. Moment I was done with the call he has fine. Eating and walking normally with no head tilt. This happened AGAIN, but instead he didn’t refuse to eat. He doesn’t do that anymore, luckily. Also wanna point out he has mites and we’re trying to treat it. He pulls out his fur, which leads me to believe the constant drooling could be due to a hairball? I’ve also heard some rabbits dribble in stressful situations, so maybe, just maybe, it’s because of stress from the mites? Recently he’s been drooling more. The wetness has spread to his chin and other side of his mouth. Eating and drinking normally. I’m just asking for suggestions on what it could be or what I should do, because my mom swears it’s a hairball. Should I start feeding him pineapple a couple times a week to break it down? Thank you to all who help!

[Shimmer]

A rabbit that is drooling defintely needs veterinary attention. It is not normal, and this is excessive with the skin being affected as well. At the moment, all that seems to be happening is that the symptoms are being treated but not the cause.

I would still be thinking about dental issues and asking the vet for skull x-rays. Even if the teeth appear to be OK (which often can't be determined in a conscious rabbit), there may be an issue with the tooth roots, or maybe an abscess.

Some of the other symptoms you describe could be associated with the EC parasite (eg head tilt, problems walking). It is a common parasite to affect rabbits, and many that are infected won't show symptoms unless they are under stress. EC is treated with Panacur (oral, daily for 28 days) and an anti-inflammatory (eg Metacam, oral, daily). Maybe discuss this with your vet as well.

Mites are often an issue when a rabbit's health is compromsed in some way. So you really need to get to the bottom of the other issues, as well as treating the mites.

You can also ask your vet for a referal to a rabbit / dental specialist, or maybe ask for a recommendation on here for a rabbit-savvy vet in .............(whatever town you live in).

[bunny momma]

Above is some great advice. Allow me to add my thoughts.
What is your bunny's diet? Could some vegetables/greens be causing digestive issues? It does make me wonder since he improved with some probiotics. True hairballs in rabbits are not as common as a combination of foods, fur, and sometimes foreign material (fabric/carpet) the bunny ingested.
Did your vet prescribe any motility meds to keep your bunny's digestive system moving?
They sometimes lick areas that are painful.
Not eating is a serious issue since eating keeps their GI system moving and a sluggish GI can quickly become a critical issue.

[Jack's-Jane]

I agree with both Shimmer and bunny momma. I would suggest that you seek a second opinion from a 'Rabbit Savvy' Vet. Your Rabbit needs some diagnostics to try to ascertain the cause of his symptoms, which are certainly abnormal.

Not all small animal Vets are very clued up about Rabbits. Are you in the UK ? If so take a look at these links re 'Rabbit Savvy' Vets :

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-w...friendly-vets/

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-w...ndly-vet-list/