HELP!! Issues with new bunny

[flufflesandjangles]

Hi everyone! I purchased 2 12 week old bunnies roughly 2 weeks ago.
I have them in an XXL Dog Cage, with a fleece blanket for bedding, paper based beddings in their litter tray and they are mainly eating timothy hay.

One of the rabbits is having wet stools and sneezes about 20 times a day.

I spoke to the pet shop I got her from, and they said to stop giving her pellets for a couple of days until her poo looks better. It did, however after reintroducing pellets she has had a similar issue again.

Vetark Pro-C Probiotic 100g - Prebiotic & Probiotic With Added Vitamins For Rabbits & Other Small Mammals (Book) on OnBuy I have purchased this and I am putting in her water, in hope it helps.

Does anyone know what could be causing her to sneeze like this? She has sneezing fits that can last a couple of minutes. Other than that, she is acting normal, eating, drinking normally.

 

[flufflesandjangles]

All help and any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Indywtf]

"Snuffles is a term used to describe the symptoms of runny eyes, runny nose and sneezing in rabbits. The cause of these symptoms is often a chronic bacterial infection in the tear ducts and nasal sinuses. The bacteria involved are usually Pasteurella spp or Staphylococcus spp. "

 

[flufflesandjangles]

"Snuffles is a term used to describe the symptoms of runny eyes, runny nose and sneezing in rabbits. The cause of these symptoms is often a chronic bacterial infection in the tear ducts and nasal sinuses. The bacteria involved are usually Pasteurella spp or Staphylococcus spp. "

She doesnt have a runny nose or runny eyes :/

 

[Preitler]

Imho it can be related to the poop issue, if something, like what causes the sneezing, is dormant it can pop up in times of stress or a weakened immune system. I have that pop up sometimes in my herd, that a kit has sneezing fits now and then, sometimes more or less or even gone for weeks, the other rabbits are not affected. I don't sell those rabbits.

I've read that some rabbits can be sensitive to certain pellets, changing the brand might be worth a try.

 

[JBun]

Excessive sneezing can be due to dusty hay or bedding, dusty environment, household cleaning smells or other scents, or it could be a respiratory infection, particularly if you ever see white discharge. You can try changing hay or bedding/litter to see if that's the cause, and making sure the environment isn't dusty. Also changing to unscented rabbit safe cleaning products. If it persists, worsens, or you see white discharge, I would schedule an appointment with a knowledgeable rabbit vet.

Medirabbit: respiratory issues in rabbits

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-...abbit-friendly-vets/rabbit-friendly-vet-list/
For the runny poop, if it's not just mushy cecotropes but the fecal balls are runny too, that's an emergency and you need to get your rabbit to the vet immediately.

If the fecal balls are normal but it's the cecotropes that are mushy, this is called cecal dysbiosis and usually due to excess carbs in the diet and not enough fiber, or sometimes a sensitivity to a particular food. Most often the cause is too many treats and pellets in the diet, or sometimes a particular brand of pellet. A different pellet brand can be tried, but if that doesn't sort it then removing all carb/sugary treats and reducing pellets(with free fed grass hay) or sometimes a pellet free diet, is needed. If reducing pellets, it's important to ensure free fed good quality grass hay is being fed(and not too coarse of a cut) and is being eaten really well. Or if removing pellets completely and permanently, a good balanced diet needs to be fed.

https://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/
https://rabbit.org/soft-stools/
https://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/
https://bunssb.org/bunnies/guide-bunny-poops/

 

[Momma Luvbun]

I have a lionhead who has ISC (intermittent soft cecotropes). I give him and his wife 1/4 cup of pellets for supper between the both of them, otherwise they have unlimited hay, along with romaine lettuce, and other bunny safe veggies every few days.
I notice when he gets a flare of ISC, I stop his treats, veggie intake and pellets and he's good for a few months.
Hay that is dusty will cause sneezing as will snuffles as advised earlier.
A visit to your bunny savvy veterinarian for a health check will be beneficial.

 

[flufflesandjangles]

Hi all! Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

We went to the vets today, as she stopped eating. We have been given 2 courses of antibiotics. 1 is a gut stimulant, to be given 3 times a day. the other is to treat any infections, in case she has a respiratory infection, which is for once a day. We have also been given critical care to make sure she gets everything she needs. I am struggling to force feed her, though.

I will update you all in a week!

 

[JBun]

I'm glad you were able to get your bun seen by the vet. Not knowing how rabbit experienced your vet is, I'll just mention about making sure the course of antibiotics is long enough, at least 4 weeks(usually), or 2 weeks past the last of the symptoms. Reason is because infections in rabbits can be extremely difficult to clear up and stopping antibiotics too soon will mean the infection will reemerge more resistant to the antibiotic used, and some vets less experienced with rabbits will not know that rabbits usually need long courses of antibiotics. Also, if you aren't seeing some improvement after a week, it could mean a different antibiotic is needed or your rabbits sneezing isn't due to a URI.

I'm hoping they also gave take home pain meds(usually meloxicam), as that is an absolute necessity with rabbits. Rabbits don't do well when they're in pain, and are less inclined to want to start eating on their own until the pain is under control. And continued pain will mean a rabbits condition can continue to deteriorate.

https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/medical/pain-management-rabbits/
https://rabbit.org/the-importance-of-analgesia-pain-control-for-pet-rabbits/
Syringe feeding a rabbit that isn't inclined to want to cooperate, can be quite difficult. Some find burrito wrapping works. Another method is kneeling on the floor with your rabbit between your knees. When doing the actual syringe feeding, it's extremely important to remember to go slow, a small amount at a time, and giving the rabbit time to chew and swallow so as to minimize the risk of aspiration(consult with your vet for proper feeding instructions).

(CAUTION: All handling of rabbits needs to be done as safely as possible, when in doubt consult with your knowledgeable rabbit vet)
Medirabbit: safe handling for administering meds

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/medical/syringe-feeding-guide/

 

[flufflesandjangles]

I'm glad you were able to get your bun seen by the vet. Not knowing how rabbit experienced your vet is, I'll just mention about making sure the course of antibiotics is long enough, at least 4 weeks(usually), or 2 weeks past the last of the symptoms. Reason is because infections in rabbits can be extremely difficult to clear up and stopping antibiotics too soon will mean the infection will reemerge more resistant to the antibiotic used, and some vets less experienced with rabbits will not know that rabbits usually need long courses of antibiotics. Also, if you aren't seeing some improvement after a week, it could mean a different antibiotic is needed or your rabbits sneezing isn't due to a URI.

I'm hoping they also gave take home pain meds(usually meloxicam), as that is an absolute necessity with rabbits. Rabbits don't do well when they're in pain, and are less inclined to want to start eating on their own until the pain is under control. And continued pain will mean a rabbits condition can continue to deteriorate.

https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/medical/pain-management-rabbits/
https://rabbit.org/the-importance-of-analgesia-pain-control-for-pet-rabbits/
Syringe feeding a rabbit that isn't inclined to want to cooperate, can be quite difficult. Some find burrito wrapping works. Another method is kneeling on the floor with your rabbit between your knees. When doing the actual syringe feeding, it's extremely important to remember to go slow, a small amount at a time, and giving the rabbit time to chew and swallow so as to minimize the risk of aspiration(consult with your vet for proper feeding instructions).

(CAUTION: All handling of rabbits needs to be done as safely as possible, when in doubt consult with your knowledgeable rabbit vet)
Medirabbit: safe handling for administering meds

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/medical/syringe-feeding-guide/

Oh my goodness! She has no painkillers and the vet has given a week prescription for the antibiotics. She has been sneezing a little bit less, and her poo is getting back to normal now. However, she is not acting like herself, is hunched up, quite uninterested in food but has accepted a few Timothy hay treats. She is not moving around as much as normal either.

I called the vet to see if this could be side effects, and they said to put her in veterinary hospital and quoted me upwards of a thousand pounds. I am extremely reluctant to do this because they refused to answer any of my queries (for example, I explained I was struggling to syringe feed her and they suggested veterinary hospital) and of course the cost is unbelievable! I dont want to stress her out unnecessarily either. I'm glad I've seen an improvement in her wet stoolsand her sneezing however now I am concerned about her behaviour. What would you suggest that I do?

Thank you so much for your help by the way, these are my first ever rabbits and I want to make sure they have the best life possible.

 

[flufflesandjangles]

Also, I have been giving her some critical care that i was given by the vet as well.

 

[JBun]

If your rabbit isn't improving and/or isn't taking the critical care well, and you need to get her back to the vet, I would suggest finding a different vet. This one doesn't sound very experienced to me. Any knowledgeable rabbit vet would never send a rabbit with GI stasis home without adequate pain management, as well as instructions and assistance in how to accomplish the syringe feeding.

If you want to list your general location, someone here may be able to relay the name of a knowledgeable rabbit vet near you. Or try looking on the vet list I posted above.

 

[flufflesandjangles]

Update:

Thank you JBun. Her toilet is normal and she has accepted some few hay treats. Although, she is eating very slowly. She had 10ml of critical care and some gut stimulant so far this morning. I will see how shes goes and if no improvement, I will be taking her to a different vet. I'll defo keep you posted!

 

[flufflesandjangles]

Im absolutely gutted. I lost Mr Jangles She was improving, all of her symptoms cleared up, but she passed away in the night. I am so upset. Fluffles is now alone, I plan on getting her spayed in a few weeks when she is 4 months old. I have been speaking with a rabbit rescue near me and our plan is to bring fluffles in, once spayed, to bond with a boy bunny

 

[Freedom]

Oh no. So sorry for your loss. Know that you provided the best care for her. And absolutely loved her ❤

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

So sorry for your loss. You did a amazing job caring for her. Blinky free little bunny.