# Blue or Purple Colored Nostrils on a Rabbit



## lilbitsmom (Apr 4, 2008)

I've adopted out a rabbit from Midwest to a young girl and she brought her back to the shelter to have her nails trimmed last weekend.

When we flipped her over to trim her nails, we noticed that her nostrils looked a little discolored, almost like a light blue or purple color.

My first reaction was to immediately flip/turn her over that maybe she wasn't getting enough oxygen.

When I asked the girl if she always looked like that she said "yes". I get the feeling that maybe she doesn't really know.

Has anyone ever noticed something like that and have any knowledge about what it means?

I appreciate any help/insight you can give.

Thanks,
Lilbitsmom (Laura)


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## Flashy (Apr 5, 2008)

I don't know, to be honest, but when Flash was dying his nostrils and the bit below both went blue (due to lack of oxygen), and he passed away not long after, but by that time he was flat out and very ill.

What was the condition of the rabbit? How was s/he acting? How was the breathing?

Also, what colour is the bun? some colour pigments, the darker colours, can be shown on the skin, so that is a possibility too.

I'm sorry this is a pretty useless reply, I hope someone more knowledgeablecan help you


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## lilbitsmom (Apr 5, 2008)

Flashy,

I appreciate your response. This bunny is an Agouti bunny so she is a dark and light colored brown. She looks wild. It may just be her coloring, because she is in good condition and always has been healthy.

Thanks again!

Laura


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## aurora369 (Apr 5, 2008)

I went and checked my two dark bunnies nose colours. 

Coal, who is black, has blueish coloured nostrils. Zeke, who is a castor (brown), has pink nostrils, although it's hard to see his because he keeps trying to lick me.

I think a darker bunny has darker nostrils. I would only worry if there has been a change in the skin colour. 

Many dark colour rabbits have black skin, so this bunny might just have black verses pink skin.

--Dawn


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## Hazel (Apr 6, 2008)

Flopsy is agouti and she has white/light nostrils. If the buns a darker agouti maybe, but this is what Flopsy's agouti looks like:







That's not her, but that's another agouti bunny who has light nostrils.


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## pamnock (Apr 6, 2008)

The pigment of colored rabbits can appear pupleish,and I've also noticed that some healthy white colored rabbits have a pupleish tinge to the skin, especially around the mouth, nostril, tonguearea. 

As Flashy mentioned, rabbit's that are suffering from lack of oxygen will have bluish/purple skin (very apparent in white or light skinned rabbits). A rabbit suffering from congestive heart failure, breathing problemsor pneumonia may also have purple colored skin/tongue.

If the rabbit appears healthy otherwise, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

Pam


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## tonyshuman (Apr 6, 2008)

Muffin's nostrukes are a but blue, and she just went to the vet just last week and they said she was very healthy..:biggrin2:


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## lilbitsmom (Apr 7, 2008)

Thanks so much everyone! I think this bunny is fine, but I'll have her take up close pictures like these and email them to me. That is a great idea!

Laura


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## lilbitsmom (Apr 7, 2008)

*lilbitsmom wrote: *


> Thanks so much everyone! I think this bunny is fine, but I'll have her take up close pictures like these and email them to me. That is a great idea!
> 
> Laura



HA!!! I won't have the bunny do it, but her owner!!! That's what I meant, her owner will take the pictures!!! 

Oh boy, its been a long day! Time to go night night!! :biggrin2:

Laura


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## tonyshuman (Apr 9, 2008)

oh BTW, sorry if the giant Muffin nose pics scared anyone. I was just looking over this post again and realized they're kinda scary!!:shock:


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## lilbitsmom (Apr 9, 2008)

I think they are very cute!!!


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## EileenH (Apr 9, 2008)

I was just thinking how cute her nose was, and you can see her teeth. So cute.


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