# Runny Nose/Sneezing Any Remedies?



## Kazumi (Mar 17, 2009)

So I decided to pick up a foster today and She has already got me worried sick. I spoke to the person I got her from and she has told me that its probably allergies. The rabbit is a Mini Rex and is eating, pooing, and drinking normally. She has no green/white colored discharge comming from her nose its clear from what I can see. Her eyes are clear and otherwise she looks fine. Its just she sneezes here and there and has a runny nose. 

So any suggestion for at home remedies? I'd hate to take her to the vet if its just allergies seeing as she is eating well, drinking and pooing and doesnt seem sick other than the sneezing which by the way she seems to be doing a lot less as the day continues on. She is also eating hay without issues. I was told that she was pretty young about 3-4 months old.I'll post a couple pictures so you can all see what she seems like.

Alert, clear eyes





















All and all she looks real good and healthy and chubby  So I'm only concerned. Of course When I went to pick her up she was around other rabbits and her cage was lined with pine shavings could this be the solution to her problem by chance? I'me using Carefresh for liter so hopefully it will clear up here quickly.

Oh before I forget Her name is 

Kahlua


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## Maureen Las (Mar 17, 2009)

Kahlua's a beautiful rabbit. . 
and it looks like you will be a good mom to her as you are worried already..

Couple thoughts ..

if she was sneezing a lot and had a runny nose and it is already diminishing then itprobably is an allergy maybe from the pine shavings but....

I believe that it is always a good idea for a new rabbit to get an initial vet check and maybe that is something that you would like to do for your own piece of mind. 

Ihad an episode at my shelter which has always stuck with me. We had a bunny named Bud (adopted to a forum member with his mate, Kali) who had fits of sneezing with no nasal discharge. We determined that it was an allergy as the fits were so sporadic ..sometimes only occuring once a day.He was adopted out and the vet and adoptive family thought that he had an allergy as he didnt show symptoms at the vet visit and only sneezed sporadically at his new home. In time, however, he became lethargic and developed araspy chest and heavy breahing.By the time he was treated the infection was so entrenchd the antibiotics used couldn't contain the infection and he passed.

All the books generally say that an infectionlooks bacterial if there is a thick discharge. I have not found that to be true (also in several of my own rabbits). My dentally challenged bun, Beau, sneezes when his teeth are bothering him 

I say wait a few days and see if the sneezing ceases in his new enviornment but if it doesn't I would take her for a check up to a rabbit knowledgeable vet just to make sure/
But we will hope that it is just an allergy and it will diminish in new better surroundings.


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## mardigraskisses (Mar 17, 2009)

My rabbit is having the exact same problems. I'm using Carefresh litter as well, but I'm going to switch it to Yesterdays News. If he's not better in a week or two I'm taking him the vet.

AND THAT BUNNY IS GORGEOUS! :shock:


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## Kazumi (Mar 17, 2009)

Thank you guys for your comments. 

I think just to be safe I'll take her to the vet but I'm also going to be contacting the Stock Shop out here and see about finding some kind of medicine just encase it is allergies or possibly a respitory infection, and get her meds. cheaper there then at the vet. Save a little bit of cash. To be honest I am kinda aggrivated with the person who owns the rescue you'd think she'd let me know exactly what the problem was and what I would need to do...that was not the case. I will also see with this change in litter perhaps that will help stop her sneezing.

Yea I was taken back by Kahlua's pretty, sweet face  She is truely a beautiful rabbit. 

Thanks again guys


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## Maureen Las (Mar 17, 2009)

What's going on ?

our hours are different so i was in bed when you responded to my post
i don't know what your vets are like there but make sure the vet knows rabbit medicine and it would be best to have him suggest the medication to you and then you could run that past the forum here.


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## tonyshuman (Mar 17, 2009)

Yeah, I do think a vet check is needed for this gal, and for any new bunnies you introduce into your home. I even typically have my guys get a vet check after I adopt them from the shelter (where they are seen by a vet as well) because I want to make sure they're not going to bring in any nasty thing to my bunnies. In a rescue situation, I think every bunny needs to be seen by a vet within a few days of being taken in to make sure he gets the right treatment, regardless of what the previous owners say. They may not have noticed anything wrong with a bunny if they didn't spend much time with it, which is often the case.

Definitely keep her away from your current bunnies in case she has something contagious, and wash up very well between groups. She should be seen by a vet to rule out URI or tooth problems. I agree that it could have been caused by the pine, but if it doesn't go away completely within a few days of being on carefresh, it needs to be addressed. I am reluctant to say "just give her antibiotic X that you can get from the Stock Shop" because of the prevalence of highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria in rabbits--particularly those that cause URIs. The best thing for a vet to do is to take a swab, culture it, and test what antibiotic(s) it is resistant to. Then the vet can tell you which antibiotic to give to the bunny. Just picking out an antibiotic without doing this runs the risk of killing all but a few very strong resistant bacteria, which can then turn into something terrible or gain resistance to other antibiotics. IE if you give a drug that the bacteria is only slightly sensitive to, it might kill off the weakest 75% of the bacteria, and the remaining 25% will grow stronger resistance to that and even to other antibiotics.

Good luck with this girl! She does look a healthy weight, and she looks healthy overall (eyes, as you mentioned, are clear), but you really never can be too careful when it comes to URIs.


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## Kazumi (Mar 17, 2009)

*angieluv wrote: *


> What's going on ?
> 
> our hours are different so i was in bed when you responded to my post
> i don't know what your vets are like there but make sure the vet knows rabbit medicine and it would be best to have him suggest the medication to you and then you could run that past the forum here.


Kahlua went to the vet today and she said Kahlua looked okay besides her nose and sneezing. She suggested for me to pick up some Terramycin and give it to her through her water every day and see if that helps clear up her runny nose(vet does not think its an upper respatory infection but might turn into one). So I picked some up at the Stock Shop which it was cheaper there and I put some in Kahlua's water hopefully this will help clear up her sniffles. If it doesnt the vet told me to return and we will have to see what the next step is. Hopefully this will help clear up Kahlua's runny nose. I'll keep everyone posted.


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## Maureen Las (Mar 17, 2009)

Most of us with individual house pets don't use terramycin for our housepets , however , I do think that it is used in rabbitries and in other facilities that house large number of bunnies.
it is a safe drug for rabbits but be sure to watch that she is drinking an adequate amount of water . 
and keep us up-dated


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## tonyshuman (Mar 17, 2009)

Another thing I forgot to post that I read about in an old infirmary thread is putting eucalyptus oil in a bowl of steaming water or a vicks vaporizer, and putting the bowl and the cage under a towel together.


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## Maureen Las (Mar 17, 2009)

*tonyshuman wrote: *


> Another thing I forgot to post that I read about in an old infirmary thread is putting eucalyptus oil in a bowl of steaming water or a vicks vaporizer, and putting the bowl and the cage under a towel together.


I think that that is for chest congestion ; I don't think that she is 'stuffed Up" but just has a runny nose and is sneezing
if she had nasal or chest congestion that is a treatment that has been used !


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## Kazumi (Mar 18, 2009)

A scarry Update:

So its the day after St. Patty's day and I had to wake up early to go pick up my car from the night prior(partied and I dont drink and drive) After I picked up my car it was bout 6am I went to Kahlua's cage, she seemed still sleepy as I took her out of her cage and held her on the couch. Well While holding her and giving her some love I noticed a white mucus coming out of her nose! Competely white and right then I knew I needed to get back to the vet.

So I called around to find another vet seeing as the one I saw yesterday probably missed something. I found one (banfield) in a petsmart here in az that treats rabbits(and they were cheaper too!). I got the first appointment I could and rushed Kahlua to the vet again. This time around they checked her more throughly and confirmed that Kahlua indeed has a Upper Respitory Infection! I was glad to hear that we now know what is causing Kahlua to be so sneezy and snotty nosed but at the same time mixed with worry I was angry with the last vet who had told me she didnt believe it to be a URI. I guee I know who to go to for my rabbit the next time it happens.

So These were my orders.
5cc twice Daily of Trimethp/sulfamthzl
Alpafa
and some Plain Yogurt(which she wont eat any suggestions to get her to eat it would be great!)

So Kahlua is on the road to recovery at least I hope.


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## Pet_Bunny (Mar 18, 2009)

*Kazumi wrote: *


> and some Plain Yogurt(which she wont eat any suggestions to get her to eat it would be great!)




Pebbles has the same problem (sneezing, wet nose and some discharge). This occurs frequently in dusty conditions (dust from the food pellets). We have treated her before, but learned she will have this for the rest of her life. It doesn't affect her quality of life, but she does sneeze and uses her paws to wipe her nose. The sneezing does not affect any other bunnies aroundher.

If you feel her nose is congested, I have used the CLARITIN Nasal Pump (allergic congestion relief) recommended by my rabbit savy vet to help some of the congestion.

For the yogurt,you can use the syringe. But there is some people who say you don't really need yogurt for your bunnies.


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## Maureen Las (Mar 18, 2009)

Rabbits cannot digest dairy products although at 1 time this was prescribed What you need to get is a probiotic. This would be the type of microorganisms that are found in yogurt but without the dairy 

They are sold at some petstores as benebac in the US but could have other names in Japan. You can get it in a powder or gel. 
You can also use a probiotic for horses called probios which is sold in farm stores. Most probiotic for mammals are basically the same . The one microorganism that you are looking for is lactobacillus casei. 

I would guess that even a human vitmain store might have something helpful 

I will post the links to benebac and you can print it out and take the ingredients with when you go looking for it . it doesn't have to have the same name but basically the same microoganisms. 

These products are to prevent the antibiotic from causing a GI upset in Kahlua from the antibiotic.

here are the links and I'm glad that you sw another vet ...tetracyline is often used for prevention rather than treatment.

http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/1401-BeneBac-Pet-Gel-Powder.aspx

http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf%5Fid=60551203&dept%5Fid=684&brand%5Fid=807&Page=
Like I said the products need to be microorganisms for small animal or horse with ingredients similar to the ones in benebac and probios


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## tonyshuman (Mar 18, 2009)

uhoh. Yogurt=no, as angieluv said. Bene-Bac is much better. I'm glad you got it checked out, though. Do you have at least 2 weeks of antibiotic? 

good luck!


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## Kazumi (Mar 18, 2009)

*Thank You everyone for the advice on the Yogurt. I was just doing as the vet said but I'm glad to hear that Yogurt=No since she wont eat it anyways. I'll try the other stuff *

*tonyshuman wrote: *


> uhoh. Yogurt=no, as angieluv said. Bene-Bac is much better. I'm glad you got it checked out, though. Do you have at least 2 weeks of antibiotic?
> 
> good luck!


Yeah I have up to 10 days of medicine for her. So she'll be good.


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## ra7751 (Mar 19, 2009)

I amconcernedwith this thread. I really think you have wasted money and time and still don't have a rabbit savvy vet. As others have stated, yogurt is not appropriate for hind gut ferments like rabbits. They can't digest lactose. A high quality probiotic like Bene-Bac is appropriate. The use of yogurt comes from the "dark ages" when very little was known about a rabbit....and they were generally treated like a cat.

The use of sulfa drugs is also another outdated treatment. We now know that sulfa drugs are not very effective against the pathogens that usually cause upper respiratory infections. In addition, sulfa is very rough on the beneficial bacteria in the gut and this usually leads to serious GI upsets. Sulfa has also been linked to a very serious GI issue known as Tyzzer's Disease. And I hope that you are not giving 5cc of sulfa. Is that correct.....5cc? I have not used sulfa drugs in any species in several years and have no plans to do so in the future.

The proper way to treat this condition is to check for infection by culture and sensitivity. Infection diagnosis 101. The most common pathogen in an upper respiratory infection is Pasteurella Multocida but we have seen other bacteria also. And this could be secondary to something like a dental concern and an inexperienced vet will most likely misdiagnose a condition such as this. Assuming Pasteurella is the root cause, the primary choices of antibiotics to fight this particular bug would be Zithromax, Chloramphenicol or Convenia.

For your rabbit's sake, I urge you to either have a serious discussion with your current vet regarding the direction of treatment or either find a rabbit savvy vet that uses more modern treatment options. In my non-professional opinion....I just don't like the way this is going at this time.

Randy


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## Maureen Las (Mar 19, 2009)

I understand Randy's concern about this thread when I realized that I thought Kazumi was in Japan (another member?) instead of Arizona.

Kazumi, 

If I had known that you were in the US (DUH!) I would have advised you to ask for a stronger med than the sulfa drug and also a culture and sensitivity prior to giving any drug .

A rabbit saavy vet in this country shouldn't be telling you to give a rabbit yogurt. 
How is kahlua doing ? Also did the vet prescribe 0.5 or 5 ml of the sulfa drug ?
I will post the rabbit saavy vets in Az if you feel that no progress is being made with kahlua. A weaker antibiotic may work temporarily but many times the infection will return with a vengeance

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11588&forum_id=9


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## Kazumi (Mar 20, 2009)

So many things have happened all at once and I'm trying to take this all in so please be patient with me.(I'm a tad bit overwhelmed today)

its .05 cc's twice a day. This vet did come recomended thats why I went.

Kahlua is doing fine actually. She seems more active and her nose seems to be clearing up nicely I did pick up the other alternative besides Yogurt benebac and I'm doing what I can at this moment. Right now Kahlua seems to be doing better and I will try to keep everyone updated.

Randy I'm sorry that my thred has kept you uneasy, please note I have now visited two vets and its not that I'm not trying to do whats best


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## Maureen Las (Mar 20, 2009)

Hi kazumi ,

Please don't take this personally. If you had been on the forum long enough you would know that Randy get annoyed with vets who attempt to treat rabbits but arenot up to date in their knowledge. 

We're glad that Kahlua is better andI did get your pm and will respond in a moment 
Maureen


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## tonyshuman (Mar 20, 2009)

We don't mean to sound offensive, but it can be frustrating to deal with these "dark ages" treatments over and over again. The problem is that new and better treatments have been around for probably 10+ years, so people like Randy have been hearing about them for a long time, without seeing them as widespread as they should be. The problem is that many vets have gone to school "in the dark ages" when it comes to rabbit treatment. Change can be slow, and it is frustrating both for the people who want the change to happen and the people who don't.

We realize that you're doing the best you can for the beautiful Kahlua. You did everything that you're supposed to, it just seems that the people you've been relying on for info aren't on top of their game so much. Did the recommendation to go to Banfield come from a rabbit owner? They're ok for dogs and cats, but I hear terrible things about how they treat rabbits, and unfortunately a great dog or cat vet could be totally useless at treating rabbits. In fact, Banfield has a really bad name among rabbit people.

I don't want to be harsh, but I agree that this is not the best treatment for her. You need at least 2 weeks of a drug, and a culture and sensitivity test is probably best, and may lead the vet to prescribe a stronger antibiotic. However, if it does appear that she's getting better, and at the end of 10 days of treatment she's fine and dandy, it may have worked. You may want to investigate a different rabbit-savvy vet (check our listings for AZ rabbit vets or the house rabbit society) to take her to at the end of the treatment course for a re-check, and at the very least for future health concerns. It can be really hard to find a vet in an emergency situation.

We really don't want to sound mean, we're just concerned about the health of Kahlua. Sometimes it takes a kick in the pants to get someone to take care of their rabbit--we know that you really want to take good care of her, but the advice you've been getting (to go to Banfield and from the vet there) hasn't been top-notch.

I hope she continues to improve!

Here's links to rabbit-savvy vets:
http://www.bhrabbitrescue.org/vet.html
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11588&forum_id=9


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## Hazel-Mom (Mar 21, 2009)

Kazumi, please don't rely on the Banfiels/Petsmart vets for your rabbit! They claim to treat rabbits, but they have no clue what they are doing! We took Hazel there once, because we didn't know any better, but got out of there fast, and found a real rabbit knowledgeable vet.

Please do find a REAL rabbit vet in your area. Your bunnies will thank you for it


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## BrandonB (Mar 24, 2009)

I WOULD have the vet culture the discharge from the nose. It could be serious if not given proper attention. It could be in the lungs which may cause Pnemonia (sp?). This is CRITICAL with rabbits. If allergie are found to be the cause, speak to the vet about benedryl, rabbits can take it but it does depend on weight.


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