# Sick Bunny - month long- sneezing runny eye etc etc



## hoofbeats23 (Mar 21, 2010)

Hi, 

My Bunny Hazel has had a runny eye (clear liquid) off and on again for a month. I took him to the vet 3 weeks ago, looked at his teeth said they were fine, listened to his chest, said that was okay, looked in ears etc. Also he's been sneezing more than usual the past month as well.

Anyways, the vet gave me gentamicin eye drops and that seemed to work. 

I thought his sneezing was decreasing this past week but today I noticed a little tiny bit of yellow discharge from his nose! poor thing! He's eating well, acting well, POOPING well (believe me I check the poop!!! we had a scary time with GI stasis in december!!!)

Do you think the antibiotics that he got during his GI stasis could have made him immune compromised or something?? 

Why has he been sneezing for a month? and only clear liquid from the eyes? To now have discharge? Should I keep an eye on him or take him in immediately? soonest will be the day after tomorrow since my vet isn't in on sundays. 

He's in good spirits. Also he has a friend, who shares space with him who's not sick... ?????? has anybody ever dealt with this??

Also his paws aren't gross ( i googled pictures of sick bunnies, they seem to all have boogers on their paws.) 

I'd rather he could fight it off by himself than jump to antibiotics if it's not to serious. 

Thanks so much! any and all input is VERY appreciated!


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## hoofbeats23 (Mar 21, 2010)

p.s. he is two years old (I think) 

3 lb dwarf mix of some sort, neutered male. 

Has been extremely healthy in the year and a half I've owned him up until he got stressed out a christmas this year and got GI stasis .

He is my first bunny but I try to do a lot of research and I scoop his litter box everyday, and he's on a diet of timothy hay (free choice) and a very good pellet. Also he get's leafy greens when I get them at the store all though he doens't always like to try them. 



On another note His buddy is a chubby bunny how ever who's last family NEVER fed him any hay, just pellets and carrots and apples!!! yikes!! p.s. He's not always eating his cecals! yuck b/c then I have to clean them!


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## Pipp (Mar 21, 2010)

Radar had an unspecified rhinitis -- slight wheezing, watery eyes (both), but it wasn't a respiratory infection nor his teeth. His bonded mate kept his eyes clean and he didn't have much of a discharge. The Vet just shrugged and gave me eye ointment. It didn't get better or worse. He was eventually prescribed a systemic antibiotic, but 20/20 hindsight, I shouldn't have bothered, it caused a digestive issue. 

Pipp gets a watery eye most likely because of her dental issues. I haven't treated it other then wiping it down.

And Mister has what may be conjunctivitis, although from what I'm reading, maybe dacryocystitis. It clears up with the ointment. 

Here are excerpts from two of my favorite articles... 


http://www.stmarysvets.co.uk/infoa3.html#dacryocystitis

*'Conjunctivitis' in rabbits (dacryocystitis)*

Discharges from the eyes of cats and dogs are usually associated with a conjunctivitis. With rabbits it is much more likely to involve the tear duct (dacryocystitis)

*Causes
* 
Infectious causes include Pasturella and Staphylococcal bacteria. The infection is often localised in the tear duct. Inflammation and pus can cause obstruction of the duct. Tears and discharge will then overflow down the side of the face. The tear duct courses from the eye to the front part of the nose. Along the way it passes close to the roots of the molar and incisor teeth. Dental disease resulting in movement of the teeth roots can cause obstruction of the duct. Nasal infections can extend into the tear duct. High ammonia levels due to infrequent cleaning of the hutch and poor ventilation result in chemical irritation to the eyes and nasal lining predisposing to infections.

*Signs*

Milky white discharges may be seen on the eyelid margins or running down the face. With complete tear duct obstruction watery tear overflow may be the main sign. Fur on the side of the face below the eye is often damp or matted. The skin under the eye may become inflammed due to the constant wetting.

*Treatment*

The infection is usually focused in the tear duct. Antibiotics placed on the eye depend on normal drainage to reach the tear duct. If partial or complete blockage of the tear duct is present then this will not occur and treatment will fail. Flushing the tear ducts under local anaesthetic will remove the obstruction and allow antibiotic penetration. Oral antibiotics may need to be combined with eye drops to deal with underlying nasal infections. If the primary problem relates to tooth roots impinging on the tear duct or scarring of the duct is present then the signs may never resolve completely. In these cases treatment revolves around minimising the effects, especially the tear overflow causing facial dermatitis. Clipping the fur to prevent matting and applying vasaline to the skin to prevent wetting will help keep the skin healthy.



and this one... 

http://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/nose/c_rb_rhinitis_sinusitis


*Sinus Infections in Rabbits


Rhinitis And Sinusitis*

Rhinitis in rabbits is an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane. Sinusitis is quite similar; it is an inflammation of the air-filled spaces surrounding the rabbit's sinus or nasal cavity. Both of these conditions can cause respiratory problems and are often noticed because of the rabbit's excessive sneezing and nasal discharge.

*Symptoms and Types*
There are both acute and chronic forms of rhinitis and sinusitis in rabbits. These can either be contagious, non-infectious, associated with allergies or other conditions, or due to an abnormal or deformed facial bone structure. Some common symptoms for sinusitis and rhinitis include:
Sneezing
Runny nose (or nasal discharge)
Reduced airflow
Lack of appetite
Slobbering or excessive saliva
Dental disease
Discharge from the eyes or other orifices
Bleeding nose, which may suggest a bacterial infection in the teeth or mouth

*Causes*
There are many causes for sinusitis and rhinitis in rabbits, and they often are dependent on the type of condition (i.e., infectious or non-infectious form). The more common causes for the non-infectious forms of sinusitis and rhinitis include dental disease, trauma or injury to the face or nose, inhalation of foreign bodies including grass or seeds, allergies, and invasion of the nose by abnormal growth of cells, usually cancerous cells. The infectious forms of these two conditions may be due to bacterial, fungal or viral infections.

*Diagnosis*
To diagnose sinusitis or rhinitis, a veterinarian will typically perform blood tests and imaging examinations (e.g., X-rays, ultrasounds) to detect pneumonia, as this is a common condition in rabbits for these two cases. Occasionally, bacterial rhinitis will show up in imaging studies.

Swabs and cultures are done from time to time, but may be hard to discern, as some of the organisms in the samples may not be directly responsible for the condition (or opportunistic). Your veterinarian may also make a diagnosis by identifying any bone structure abnormalities or deformities in the rabbit's face or mouth, the latter being a common sign of dental disease.

*Treatment*
The type of treatment is dependent on the underlying cause for the symptoms. Oxygen is sometimes necessary if the rabbit has trouble breathing; using a humidifier can also help open airways. Other ways to improve respiratory function include washing the affecting area and removing any environmental irritants, especially known allergic items.

Antibiotics may help with cases of rhinitis or sinusitis due to bacterial infections. Often, secondary bacterial infections cause many of the clinical signs associated with these two conditions. And because certain topical nasal decongestants cause some symptoms to worsen, they are not commonly recommended. In these cases, your veterinarian may prescribe antihistamines.

*Living and Management*
Animals should be provided with a proper, well-balanced diet including a wide selection of fresh greens such as cilantro, romaine lettuce, parsley, dandelion greens and spinach. Recovering rabbits need plenty of fluids at this time, in addition to regular follow-up appointments. This will ensure that the long-term treatment is successful.

Rabbits with the chronic bacterial form of sinusitis are less likely to completely eliminate all symptoms. However, it is possible to control the disease's clinical symptoms with proper care and education.


Hope this helps! 


sas :clover:


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## hoofbeats23 (Mar 21, 2010)

Thanks so much! My vet was hesitant to begin with which is why he gave me the eye drops and no antiobiotics b/c they can be rough on the tummy. I worry about hazel's digestive tract after the GI stasis, so I'd really like to 'wait and see' I know that can be a risky game with bunnies. since I wiped the tiny bit of boogers off his nose about 2 hours ago it's remained clear, only a few sneezes. I really hope he spontanously get's better!!!! trips to the vet are stressful too! I'm all about low stress since the stasis. Also, I was hoping I could just chalk it up to dusty hay. Sometimes our horses will cough a lot with dusty hay (we usually hose it down for them)


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## Pipp (Mar 21, 2010)

Watch for other signs like any change in diet habits -- like he starts picking up and dropping food or stops eating something he normally likes -- and any wetness under his chin. Those are signs of dental issues. Its very hard to diagnose those by sight, it usually takes an x-ray. 

And of course watch for white or green snot. He may not have the yunky paws so much if he has a mate groooming him. 

My Vet prefers ointment to drops, btw. And he gave me three different kinds, basically if one doesn't work, try the another one. But if yours worked, great. You may want to keep using it and see if it helps the sneezing. 

Any change in litter? Hay? Anything like that? You can spray down the bunny hay too if you think it could be dust, but only what you're going to be giving them that day. 

If he's sneezing fairly consistently though, a round of systemic antibiotics is probably a good bet. The Vet will likely give you Baytril, which is unlikely to upset him. (My guy had injectable penicillin but he accidentally ingested some of it orally. I haven't had upsets from oral antibiotics other than that). 

Hope he's okay! 


sas :clover:


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## jamesedwardwaller (Mar 21, 2010)

*Pipp wrote: *


> Radar had an unspecified rhinitis -- slight wheezing, watery eyes (both), but it wasn't a respiratory infection nor his teeth. His bonded mate kept his eyes clean and he didn't have much of a discharge. The Vet just shrugged and gave me eye ointment. It didn't get better or worse. He was eventually prescribed a systemic antibiotic, but 20/20 hindsight, I shouldn't have bothered, it caused a digestive issue.
> 
> Pipp gets a watery eye most likely because of her dental issues. I haven't treated it other then wiping it down.
> 
> ...


i am doing some research on azithromycin,,wouldn,t this be a good oral antibiotic for this problem...,cannot remember if it was you or randy which suggested this,,,better than baytril...sincerely james waller:wave::rose:


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## Pipp (Mar 21, 2010)

james waller wrote:
i am doing some research on azithromycin,,wouldn,t this be a good oral antibiotic for this problem...,cannot remember if it was you or randy which suggested this,,,better than baytril...sincerely james waller:wave::rose:

That could be like amputating your arm to fix a hangnail. 

Azithromycin is Zithromax, that's a Randy thing, it's a 'big gun', I'd pull it out for an abscess (in conjunction with penicillin injections) or something else needing immediate and strong action. 

James started another thread about there here: 

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=55496&forum_id=16&jump_to=751516#p751516

I've expanded my answer there, please respond there if it's not related to this particular ailment, thanks!


sas


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## hoofbeats23 (Mar 21, 2010)

Clean nose today! minimal sneezing!!! Bunnies are so silly. Sometimes I think if he knows I'm on to him he tries to pretend he's feeling better so he won't have to go to the vet. I'll probably just continue to keep an eye on him. I really hate to take him to the vet for a) stress and b) antibiotics being hard on his gut. I wonder if I can call the vet and then swab his nose myself and take it in for lab work. Will at least touch base with my vet tomorrow.... 

Bunnies!!! I love them but I had no idea how difficult they would be to care for! I can't believe they are considered 'Starter Pets' I've been caring for animals my whole life and will honestly say that bunnies are maybe the hardest! 

Also, I'm going to get some of those bene- probios to have on hand  You guys are awesome and I appreciate everybody's input and will keep you guys up to date with Hazel.


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## Pipp (Mar 21, 2010)

I deleted my reference "but not for what is likely a mild URI", because if it is a URI, it won't go away on its own. I meant to say mild rhinitis or dacryocystitis (or an allergy), something fixable with the antibiotic drops. 

Glad to hear he's feeling better! :bunnydance:


sas


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## pla725 (Mar 21, 2010)

Thanks for the info. Pretty much sounds like my foster Peter.


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## tonyshuman (Mar 21, 2010)

It still could be teeth, though. You'll never know for sure if the tooth roots haven't grown up into the area by the sinuses--that can cause irritation of the nasal passages and thus a runny nose.

edit: Forgot to say that an x-ray of the head and teeth could show these things.


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## hoofbeats23 (Mar 21, 2010)

Hazel update: Clear eyes, not runny. very little sneezing today. Eating like a horse, running around alot doing binkies. No boogers either. Nose a little bit wet, but clear, not yellow or thick.I wonder if yesterday's boogers were a fluke.... Will continue to keep an eye on him.


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## jamesedwardwaller (Mar 22, 2010)

*hoofbeats23 wrote: *


> Hazel update: Clear eyes, not runny. very little sneezing today. Eating like a horse, running around alot doing binkies. No boogers either. Nose a little bit wet, but clear, not yellow or thick.I wonder if yesterday's boogers were a fluke.... Will continue to keep an eye on him.


i admire your grit,,but prey animals would rather die than reveal illness..,not criticsm--just emphasizing caution on any physical,,behavioral changes,,food,water,,,poop habits,,also a real good idea to have an exotic specialist in mind...sincerely james waller...pm me if you would like...:wave::rose::biggrin2:


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## hoofbeats23 (Mar 22, 2010)

Hazel update:

Of course my vet would be out of town on spring break right now!!! aah! but I got an appointment with the only other bunny vet at the office, phewph. I took hazel and cadberry. 

Hazel hasn't had any more colored discharge, but I told the vet about the yellow on saturday night. She did a pretty thorough exam and said that he was breathing very well and everything looked good. No antibiotics, she thnks he's probably just stressed right now and told me to baby him for the next few days and keep an eye on him. oh and put a humidifier near him. Also he's still eating, drinking and pooping very well. just a little sneezy once in a while. 

She also looked at Cadberry (thank goodness!) because he had tiny little absesses on his genitals (that look like little pimples) she popped them and sent me home with some cream and antiseptic. 

and that his teeth may be an issue down the road and to get different kinds of hay other than timothy to help grind them down. (before_ I got him all he ever had were pellets and sweet fruits!!) poor thing!_

Also she thinks my neutered boys are both maybe girls!!!! 



everybody is home and munching hay right now. Also I've got them both on probios 

p.s. cadberry was very noisy at the vet's! 

:bunnydance:


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