# Sneezing and white snot



## SimplyBritt (Feb 28, 2015)

My male rabbit is sneezing and has white snot coming out his nose. I was wondering if it's possible that it's pasteurella. I've been reading up on pasteurella just in case and every site I go to says it's best for the bunny to be put down. He's on Tylan 50 until I can get him to the vet after the 5th for a culture and sensitivity done. If it is pasteurella what are the chances of treatment working, will he be able to bond with my female without him passing it to her and what quality of life would have? Is there any other choice besides culling him? I'd be devastated if that had to happen but I couldn't stand to see him suffer and lose both my rabbits.


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## Azerane (Feb 28, 2015)

The white snot means that there is an infection present which may or may not be pasteurella, only a culture will tell. Most rabbits are exposed to pasteurella at some point in their life, often when they're a kit from their mother's milk, it simply may always be there, but some stress or other illness causing a reduction in effectiveness of the immune system can trigger it. I know it can be managed and I don't think there's a need to put him down. I'm not 100% sure on the issues regarding your second rabbit, but if they're bonded already it's likely she already has it in her system anyway.


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## SimplyBritt (Feb 28, 2015)

That's good to know. I'm trying to keep hope that I'll have some good news when I take him to the vet. I wish I could take him sooner but my car is completely draining me on my finances  He's in pain so I'm trying my best to keep him comfy. He's grinding his teeth a lot with the occasional squeak. They aren't completely bonded because they both need to be fixed so aren't allowed to be with each other without bars between them but they are always by each other's cage when they are out sometimes sitting hours side by side through the bars and share the same living space. I've put my male in my bedroom to try and keep it in one area but trying to keep the kitten away is a different story.


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## stevesmum (Feb 28, 2015)

If he seems in pain and is making unusual sounds he should be seen asap by a good rabbit vet. Is he eating and pooping normally? Perhaps he is having some trouble breathing? I wouldn't wait too long if he is uncomfortable because rabbits can go downhill so fast. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## SimplyBritt (Feb 28, 2015)

He's still eating but will only eat his pellets but not his hay. His poop seems normal and he seems to be breathing fine other than sneezing. The tylan did seem to work but he took a second dose last night but it didn't really seem to do much for him. I'm going to call Monday to get him an appointment. I was able to get some extra money to take him. No one in my area does emergency vetting for rabbits. Just finding a vet that treats rabbits is hard enough.


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## JBun (Feb 28, 2015)

If the vet is open today, I would try and get your bun seen. Grinding teeth is a sign your rabbit is in some distress. It could be from difficulty in breathing, or your bun may be in some pain. Along with a new antibiotic, I would also make sure to get some metacam(anti inflammatory, pain relief). If you live somewhere that has bisolvon(mucolytic), that can also help to thin the mucous secretions and make them easier to discharge.

If you only have pet rabbits, there is no reason your bun needs to be pts, as long as he can get the correct treatment and isn't suffering. Though it is possible for your other bun to contract the bacteria, it's also not uncommon for one rabbit to have a URI, while it's partner remains healthy and fine. Pasteurella is just one possible bacteria that may be involved, and like mentioned, would need a culture to positively identify. 
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm


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## squidpop (Feb 28, 2015)

When my rabbit sneezed white snot I read all the Pasteurella sites that say its incurable and to put the rabbit down too, but since it was a pet I treated. He lived and the sneezing has never come back. The first vet I went to gave me Baytril which only worked for a week and then it came back. When I went bact to the Vet he gave me Baytril again, even though it had stopped working so then I started shopping for a rabbit savvy vet. I found one 1 hour drive away in another town. The rabbit savvy vet prescribed Azithrmycin/Zithromax, and said if it didn't work the next thing would be penicillin injections. But the Azithromycin worked a treat. 

If it where my rabbit and up to me I would skip a the culture and go straight to Azithromycin or Penicillin injections. Especially if the rabbit was going down hill fast. Wouldn't want to wait. Plus I've read here that the cultures are often inconclusive, the nasal passages are so tiny if the bacteria is really far back they can't get a good swab of it, and sometimes a bacteria shows up in the culture that isn't the one that is causing the problem because there can be more than one bacteria in the nose. But that's just my opinion and really up the vet.


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## Blue eyes (Feb 28, 2015)

I wonder if the sites suggesting one cull a rabbit with pasturealla are from breeder sites that suggest doing so to prevent the spread to the rest of their rabbits. (?) I've never heard among the pet rabbit world that one should put a rabbit down for this. In fact, rescues routinely have rabbits with snuffles and just treat it with antibiotics. One of my current buns had it awhile back and was treated (sneezing and white discharge). 

The treatment worked and she hasn't had another incident since. 

She got this after her bondmate had died. I was in the process of contacting a rescue to find another bondmate when I discovered she had this. Ironically, one of the rabbits I wanted to date her with was also in the process of getting treated for snuffles. So I brought him home and treated them both at the same time. They were both fine afterwards. 

The sooner treatment begins, the quicker the recovery and the better the prognosis. If left untreated for too long, it can become chronic.


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## majorv (Mar 1, 2015)

Yes, breeders have little choice but to cull a rabbit with snot. It can spread and affect the others. With show and breeding rabbits, who are typically under more stress than pets, you can't afford to have this spread. There is a new vaccine for pasteurella but many are waiting to see how effective it is in the long term, and the side effects, before trying it.


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## squidpop (Mar 1, 2015)

I think there are different strains of Pasteurella and some are really bad. Sometimes a read the rabbit talk forum and there are a lot of meat breeders and show breeders who have larger rabbitries. Several of them have tried really hard to to treat pasteurella and everything they tried didn't work and it spread through their rabbitry, and most of their rabbits had to be put down. There are also some people who think the rabbit is never really cured, and it will be a carrier after its treated, and if you have kits in a rabbitry that are healthy they may be carriers and if they are sold to others it will spread to their rabbitry. 

But, my rabbit blew white snot and was in bad shape, but he didn't infect his sister who he was shipped with and no other rabbits got it and after treatment he seems cured completely, he has also been stressed with a being neutered and a bout of stasis, but its almost 3 years later and he's never sneezed again. He may not have had Pasteurella, maybe it was a staph infection in his sinuses or something else, or maybe the strain of Pasteurella that wasn't one of the lethal ones. I don't know I just think if you don't have a huge rabbitry or can isolate the sick one, you should at least give treatment a go for a few weeks before deciding to put down. Whatever it is might clear up easily, you never know.


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## SimplyBritt (Mar 1, 2015)

The last thing I want to do is put my little guy down. We have an appointment for Tuesday and I'm seriously thinking of just sucking it up and driving 2 hours to a vet that services a rabbit rescue group I know of. He's still isolated to my bedroom only. He will eat his veggies and pellets but refuses to eat hay which I find really weird for him. Yesterday he seemed to do fine. I didn't hear much sneezing and didn't notice much snot or matting on his paws. He's still not feeling well. All he wants to do is lay under my bed and have me pet him while he's under there lol. He seems to do being a lot better than Friday. Thank you all for your advice!


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## SimplyBritt (Mar 4, 2015)

I took Sir William to the vet today and she said that he's in great condition other than the sneezing and mucus. We did go ahead and put him on Baytril because he's not as bad as I thought and she feels that since he's doing so well that Baytril will work. If not then we will have to sedate him to do tests. We didn't get him any metacam but I did get some benebac for him.


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## Lokin4AReason (Mar 5, 2015)

both of mine had a similar situation ...

the vet told me, it was some kind of bacteria build up in the passage ways 

so they gave me a syringe to orally give it too them ( 0.5 mm ) twice a day ( for 14 days ) along w/ some kind of nose drop(s) ( talk about not liking it and done it for 7 days ) at what can be purchased at the drug store ...

I can get the name of the med(s) at what was giving to me also the name of the nose drop(s) I am using ..


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## Lokin4AReason (Mar 6, 2015)

the nose drop(s) at what the Vet recommended was; 

Ocean Saline Nasal Spray

and the oral syringe med(s) x2 a day was;

Enrofloxacin ( Mums Banana Bread flavor )


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## SimplyBritt (Mar 6, 2015)

Thank you! He's gotten much better for only being on it for 2 days. His sneezing has reduced drastically and so far I'm not seeing any mucus. He's taking his Baytril twice a day .5mm when he's not fighting the syringe. If the Baytril doesn't work I'm definitely going to ask for something different. I've heard a lot of good things about Enrofloxacin but really hoping the Baytril keeps working like it is because I spent $90 on his medicine alone.


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## JBun (Mar 6, 2015)

Glad your bun is doing better


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## SimplyBritt (Mar 7, 2015)

Thank you! So am I.


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## Lokin4AReason (Mar 9, 2015)

I know the feeling. everytime I go, I feel the pinch to the pocket book =0/

but hey, its funny money well spent IMO


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## squidpop (Mar 9, 2015)

Baytril is the brand name for Enroflaxin, so its the same thing .


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## Lokin4AReason (Mar 10, 2015)

awesome =0)


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