# Bunny sneezing. Something lodged in the nostril?



## cheezling (Mar 25, 2013)

Hi everyone!
So a few days ago my Schnuffel has started having those small sneezing episodes.
He's had them back when we were at our old place and because we were in the process of moving, I assumed that it must be the dust.
After we moved, he seemed completely normal for about a week or so. However, a few days ago, when I came into the room at night he sneezed about 4 times in a row. At first I thought that maybe he just got irritated because I just washed his fleece bedding that day (even though he didn't sneeze initially). However, his sneezing has lasted. He usually sneezes after he washes himself, drinks from the bowl, or eats... and sometimes 4 times in a row!
There is no visible discharge; however, I noticed that on the right side of his nose, the fur has gotten a bit crusty. It's only on the right side which makes me wonder if something might be stuck in one of his nostrils and irritating him. I tried looking but I really can't see anything in his nose.
Should I take him to the vet? Or is there something I could do at home?
I am starting to get quite worried although he seems normal in every other way - active, eating, pooping, binkying...
If I could spare him the long care ride and stress then it would be optimal.
Has anyone experienced something similar?

He is about 3.5 months old. I am not really sure of the breed but he is most likely a dwarf cross as he is quite small.


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## qtipthebun (Mar 25, 2013)

Qtip has gotten hay dust up her nose before, which made her quite sneezy. If it doesn't go away after a day or two, may wanna call up the vet to see. Try to take out the big pieces of hay for him (especially if you're near the bottom of the bag) and make sure he doesn't get too much little dust. 
I've also heard of some bunnies being allergic to certain types of hay....


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## PaGal (Mar 25, 2013)

I had that issue with Thumper before. The litter I was using at the time, a recycled paper litter was a little dusty. I changed litters and haven't had a problem since. It could also be from dusty hay. Cleaning out his cage more often may help. If he had this issue last year and nothing has changed in his environment other than the location you live then it is possible it is allergies. Just a few suggestions but I would not let the sneezing go on long before taking him to a vet in case it is an illness.


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## missyscove (Mar 25, 2013)

I've been dealing with two sneezy bunnies myself. Both are now on antibiotics after running a culture and sensitivity and seem to be improving (yay!). 
You're correct in thinking that unilateral discharge can be a sign of a foreign body, but that's definintely not something you'd want to deal with on your own at home. It's also possible there's an infection starting. "Snuffles" is sort of an all-encompassing term for an upper respiratory infection in rabbits. It's usually attributed to Pasteurella multoida, but when you actually run a culture you won't necessarily find Pasteurella (e.g. we found Moraxella and Bordatella). The antibiotics can get expensive and your rabbit may have to be on them for months to clear things up. Some organisms, like pasteurella, are part of a rabbit's normal flora and can become a problem when the rabbit experiences some sort of stress. Basically they'll never go away, but you can get the sneezing under control. 
If he seems otherwise healthy then waiting a few days probably won't hurt. Keep an eye on the discharge too. Just clear, serous discharge is more likely associated with just some irritation from dust, etc, but a thicker, mucopurulent discharge (more "snotty"), is a sign of an infection. 
Our rabbits are great at keeping themselves clean too so sometimes you won't notice discharge on their faces but you will on the inside of their forearms where they've been wiping their noses.


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## Azerane (Mar 26, 2013)

I get the feeling that he may have something lodged in one of his nostrils, likely a piece of hay. My brothers cat had a very similar problem a few years ago, most of the time she was fine, but any time she tried to eat or drink or groom etc, she would have sneezing fits. At first there was nothing visible, and then a strand of grass slowly started sticking out of one of her nostrils. We pulled it out at home (probably not the best idea), there was a few spots of blood but she purred like mad for a long time afterwards and never had sneezing fits again. My theory is to how it got up there is that she was eating grass, sneezed while doing so and ended up with some lodged at the back of her nose and it slowly worked its way forward.

If you can't see anything in there, it doesn't mean there isn't something in there. Since the discharge is only from the one nostril, I would recommend a trip to the vet, they might somehow have a way of taking a peek in there and removing any foreign bodies. If not, they can at least tell what else is wrong with your bun


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## cheezling (Mar 26, 2013)

I am taking him to the vet's this Saturday. Already made the appointment. He seems to be sneezing a bit less today *knock on wood*.
I really hope it's not snuffles.


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## Nancy McClelland (Mar 26, 2013)

ray:


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## HolyHandGrenade (Mar 26, 2013)

My Flemish has gotten an actual food pellet stuck in her vent before. She was eating and suddenly started sneezing like mad and swatting at her nose, and it popped out. I second the notion of trying to peer in and see if there's an actual thing stuck in his nose, in addition to monitoring his environment for new dust that maybe wasn't present a couple days ago. Maybe you hit a dusty part in his hay?


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## tonyshuman (Mar 26, 2013)

Bunnies definitely can get stuff stuck in their noses: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm


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## cheezling (Apr 1, 2013)

So I wasn't sure if I should create a separate thread for this, but I thought I'd update everyone on the situation, and ask a few questions.
Took the bun to the doctor and they took a culture from the nose. Since the test won't be out in a few days, the vet put Schnuffel on Baytril for two weeks. He looked inside the nose and said he can't see anything lodged in there.
So far, he has been on Baytril for 3 days. I give it to him twice a day and try my best for 12 hour intervals. I dilute it with some pineapple juice. Initially I was terrified about stomach upsets because of the juice but so far the poops seem fine.
However, it's been 3 days now and I don't see that much improvement. He may be sneezing less but his nose is still quite wet and the fur is matted on the right side just as before. Is this normal? How long does it take for Baytril to work. I'm worried as I've read posts by others saying that their bunny was already doing great after only 1 day of treatment.
Another thing, I'm wondering is probiotics? What kind of probiotics are bunny-safe and should I be giving them throughout the antibiotics treatment, or only once it's over?
And finally, the culture is going to be tested for Pastuerella and I'm terrified that it might be positive. What should I do then? Are there some bunnies with constant snuffles or is it something that comes and goes a few times each year?
I'd appreciate some help, and if required, I will start a new thread.


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## tonyshuman (Apr 1, 2013)

You should see improvement within 3-4 days of most antibiotics. It's possible that the dose isn't right if the vet isn't experienced with rabbits:
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/Safe_antibiotics.htm
or it's possible that the bacteria present are not responsive to enrofloxacin. The culture test is usually part of a culture and sensitivity test, where they test to see which antibiotics can kill the bacteria. They may come back with better info on which antibiotic to give. Pasturella doesn't mean he'll always be sick, or will frequently be sick. Most bunnies already carry it but don't have active infections. You just need to get this infection under control, and his immune system should keep it in check unless it's an unusual case. Avoiding stress in his life will help keep him as healthy as possible. Often things like moving (like you mentioned) can cause challenges to the immune system, letting opportunistic infections take hold.

I would give probiotics if you can find them. If you can't find ones made for rabbits, horses, goats, cats, or dogs, you can give human ones as long as they don't contain lactose (i.e. not yogurt or milk-based). Something with lactobacillus would be good:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Probiotics/probiotics.htm


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## missyscove (Apr 1, 2013)

A culture and sensitivity is definitely the right way to go. Some buns with respiratory signs need to be on antibiotics for a few months before things clear up and some never see a resolution of symptoms. Snuffles is commonly attributed to Pasteurella multocida, but that organism isn't necessarily there and it can also be present as just a commensal in apparently healthy rabbits.


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## cheezling (Apr 3, 2013)

Sigh... Losing hope in the antibiotic.
His nose is still really wet and snotty. He's not sneezing as much as before and the discharge is clear again (when I took him to the vet it was a little more yellowish), but his nose is really wet. 
I was waiting for the culture results and they never called me back. We have another check-up next Saturday (not the coming one, but the one after).
Should I continue with the antibiotic?
I haven't been keeping the Baytril refrigerated (just in a cool, dark place) and I've read mixed reviews where some say it should be kept in the fridge, and others, that it shouldn't. It's a clear solution.
Schnuffel seems fine in every other way, but since I suffer from allergies during the summer myself, I know how bad a clogged up nose can feel.

EDIT: He also snorts quite a bit. It seems almost as if he's trying to get the snot out but obviously it's not like he can blow his nose like people.


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## tonyshuman (Apr 4, 2013)

Sounds like it's time for a different antibiotic. Hopefully the culture results give you an idea.


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