Hi guys, I am looking for some advice for my friend who doesn't speak English but needs a lot of help in regards to her bunny. My friend's bunny is a 2 year old neutered lionhead lop boy who hasn't had a friend yet. My friend has been looking into adopting a female friend for the bunny for some time now, however, the bunny was diagnosed with snuffles about 4 months ago. After multiple rounds and mixes of antibiotics, he is symptom free now. Their vet said that the bunny will always be a carrier and occasionally may have flare ups when he will need a round of antibiotics to ease it. My friend is concerned if she should bring a new rabbit into the house amd bond the bunnies at all just in case the other bunny gets sick too. I couldn't give her advice because I have no experience in the matter but she is also really keen to have a friend for her bunny. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Friend for a rabbit who has snuffles?
- Thread starter Trish88
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hunnybunny254367819364
Well-Known Member
Hi do you know if the rabbit’s sniffles are contagious? Just because he is a carrier doesn’t necessarily mean he’s contagious. I would strongly suggest adopting a female rabbit! I was in the same situation- had a 3 year old male dwarf and adopted a female rabbit. They are both so happy and love each other. Bonding them took a while but was totally worth it. They are both more outgoing, adventurous and loving. Best wishes!
hunnybunny254367819364
Well-Known Member
Hm interesting. Is there a vaccine the new rabbit could get to become immune to snuffles? Your friend could ask advice from the vet such as would the new bunny suffer greatly or would the benefits of rescuing and bonding outweigh the possible negatives
Snuffles (pastuerella) is highly contagious. A seemingly healthy rabbit can be a carrier of it as well. For this reason, any rabbit rescue I've dealt with said that it is most likely that all of their rabbits either have it or are carriers. This also means that it is usually fine to find a bondmate from a rabbit rescue. Let them know the situation beforehand since they usually advise people to bring in their rabbit to 'date' their rabbits to pre-screen for potential compatibility.
Here is some more info on "snuffles" from https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/snuffles-in-rabbits
It is considered highly contagious. It is not just a nasal (nose) germ. The infection may also produce pneumonia, abscesses, genital, eye, and inner ear infections.
Rabbits are infected by both direct contact with infected rabbits and by contact with a contaminated environment such as common food, bedding, or water containers. Unfortunately, some rabbits go on after recovery from illness to continue to shed the bacteria as healthy carriers. Rabbits under stress (crowding, temperature extremes, birth /kindling), recently transported, or the very young are most susceptible.
And here's a really good article worth the read (part of it is quoted below):
https://rabbit.org/pasteurella-its-health-effects-in-rabbits/
Readers who are unfamiliar with diseases caused by the bacteria Pasteurella may initially worry about their rabbit as they read this article. I want to assure readers immediately that I have rescued rabbits infected with Pasteurella, and they were lively little beings. They hopped around the house, ate and drank as normal, and were just as inquisitive as the others! Rabbits infected with Pasteurella can – and do – live safely and happily to old age.
(I've had the same experience as written above. Most of my rabbits have come from rescues and likely had snuffles [some did for sure at some point] but lived happy active lives.)
This article is to inform you about what can happen to a rabbit, not what necessarily will happen. Understanding Pasteurella can help caregivers take positive action.
PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA (P. MULTOCIDA)
Pasteurella refers to a genus of various species of bacteria, some of which may be part of your rabbit’s normal upper respiratory flora. Concerns arise with Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) because it can cause a variety of diseases (referred to generally as pasteurellosis). However, not all strains of P. multocida have serious consequences, and many of the rabbits exhibiting signs of it live to old age. This bacteria is not specific to rabbits but affects other animals as well, including dogs, cats, poultry, and domestic livestock.
While infection with Pasteurella can have far-reaching health effects, many rabbits have strong immune systems that fight and destroy the bacteria or at least keep it under control so it does not cause disease. Therefore, a rabbit may not exhibit any signs of the bacteria’s presence. “In rabbits, P. multocida can reside in the nasal cavity without causing disease,” according to Dr. Frances Harcourt-Brown in the first edition of Textbook of Rabbit Medicine (Butterworth Heinemann, 2002).
Here is some more info on "snuffles" from https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/snuffles-in-rabbits
It is considered highly contagious. It is not just a nasal (nose) germ. The infection may also produce pneumonia, abscesses, genital, eye, and inner ear infections.
Rabbits are infected by both direct contact with infected rabbits and by contact with a contaminated environment such as common food, bedding, or water containers. Unfortunately, some rabbits go on after recovery from illness to continue to shed the bacteria as healthy carriers. Rabbits under stress (crowding, temperature extremes, birth /kindling), recently transported, or the very young are most susceptible.
And here's a really good article worth the read (part of it is quoted below):
https://rabbit.org/pasteurella-its-health-effects-in-rabbits/
Readers who are unfamiliar with diseases caused by the bacteria Pasteurella may initially worry about their rabbit as they read this article. I want to assure readers immediately that I have rescued rabbits infected with Pasteurella, and they were lively little beings. They hopped around the house, ate and drank as normal, and were just as inquisitive as the others! Rabbits infected with Pasteurella can – and do – live safely and happily to old age.
(I've had the same experience as written above. Most of my rabbits have come from rescues and likely had snuffles [some did for sure at some point] but lived happy active lives.)
This article is to inform you about what can happen to a rabbit, not what necessarily will happen. Understanding Pasteurella can help caregivers take positive action.
PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA (P. MULTOCIDA)
Pasteurella refers to a genus of various species of bacteria, some of which may be part of your rabbit’s normal upper respiratory flora. Concerns arise with Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) because it can cause a variety of diseases (referred to generally as pasteurellosis). However, not all strains of P. multocida have serious consequences, and many of the rabbits exhibiting signs of it live to old age. This bacteria is not specific to rabbits but affects other animals as well, including dogs, cats, poultry, and domestic livestock.
While infection with Pasteurella can have far-reaching health effects, many rabbits have strong immune systems that fight and destroy the bacteria or at least keep it under control so it does not cause disease. Therefore, a rabbit may not exhibit any signs of the bacteria’s presence. “In rabbits, P. multocida can reside in the nasal cavity without causing disease,” according to Dr. Frances Harcourt-Brown in the first edition of Textbook of Rabbit Medicine (Butterworth Heinemann, 2002).
Thank you very much for the replies. I am not aware of any vaccinations for snuffles, I think they only developed it in the States. To be honest, the vet is kinda useless as they only give 10 days' worth of antibiotics each time and it's never enough
Anyway, I'll let my friend know that it's ok to find a friend. I think she already has a bunny in mind so fingers crossed, all goes well.
Anyway, I'll let my friend know that it's ok to find a friend. I think she already has a bunny in mind so fingers crossed, all goes well.
Personally, I would not knowingly expose a new rabbit to snuffles. If that rabbit does come down with it then you have more vet expense whenever it flares up. Eventually, resistance builds up and stronger antibiotics must be used. At some point, nothing will work and symptoms can only be managed. Not a good life for a rabbit, as there is no cure.
