rabbitor
Member
I think my bunny has Pasteurellosis
and it must be chronic
what can I do?
and it must be chronic
what can I do?
Pasteurellosis
- Thread starter rabbitor
- Start date
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I can see that you are in Greece. The most important thing is to find a really excellent rabbit vet. If there are any rabbit forums or Facebook pages with rabbit clubs in Greece you should post on there to try to find a rabbit savvy vet. Regular vets that treat cats and dogs often are not very good for rabbits.
What are your rabbits symptoms?
What are your rabbits symptoms?
rabbitor
Member
Symptoms are of upper respiratory infection
Doctor said it should be pasteurellosis and prescribed antibiotics
But after we finish the prescription it flares up
He will probably need lifelong treatment with the right antibiotic
Doctor said it should be pasteurellosis and prescribed antibiotics
But after we finish the prescription it flares up
He will probably need lifelong treatment with the right antibiotic
Did your vet do a culture to confirm pasteurella? This test would also help the vet select the best antibiotic to use. With some rabbits the symptoms don't return after the proper treatment, but with many it is chronic and resistance to the drug used before means having to use a stronger antibiotic the next time. Unfortunately, there is no cure.
When one of my rabbits had an upper respiratory infection and was sneezing white snot, really bad, I took him to my local dog/cat vet and he tried Baytril which is one of the older antibiotics that is licensed for use in rabbits, its known to be safe but often doesn't work (people think a lot of pathogens have become immune to it). Baytril knocked back the infection and the bunny seemed better for two weeks, then the infection came back. I went back and the vet he prescribed the Baytril again but I didn't think that was a good idea since the infection had returned right after using that antibiotic. So, then I posted online and found one of the most rabbit savvy vets in New Zealand who was from Britain and had bred rabbits herself etc... I traveled 1 1/2 hours to see her and she prescribed Azithromycin/Zithromax by pfizer. She said if it didn't work her next drug of choice would have been an injectable penicillin. But the Azithromycin/Zithromax did work really well. He got better and stayed better. He is 3 1/2 years old now and he has not had a reoccurrence. With the Zithromax I continued to treat him with it for four weeks after the infection cleared.
They do say that Pastuerella can't be cured but there is always a chance that the bug is not really Pastueralla there are a lot of other bacteria that cause the same symptoms that antibiotics can cure. There seems to be a lot of different theories on P
with some believing that just about all rabbits have it without showing symptoms and the symptoms only show up when the rabbits immune system is stressed. I actually think there are probably lots of different strains and some are more difficult to treat than others. This is good to read. http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
They do say that Pastuerella can't be cured but there is always a chance that the bug is not really Pastueralla there are a lot of other bacteria that cause the same symptoms that antibiotics can cure. There seems to be a lot of different theories on P
with some believing that just about all rabbits have it without showing symptoms and the symptoms only show up when the rabbits immune system is stressed. I actually think there are probably lots of different strains and some are more difficult to treat than others. This is good to read. http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
hamsterdance
Well-Known Member
My rabbit has chronic pasturella. She lives with my other rabbit who was symptomatic with it for a very short time after bonding them, but after one round of antibiotics no longer displays any symptoms.
The one with the chronic infection has been on many different antibiotics. The antibiotics never get rid of symptoms, however I have found a combination that decreases her symptoms to being almost non existent, and extend the time between her "flare ups" or when her symptoms are bad. Macy's only symptoms are sneezing and nasal discharge.
For every rabbit this can be different, and I have found what works through trial and error and over long period of time, and with no lack of expense.
My vet and I have found for Macy's pasturella it works best to treat with antibiotics symptomatically, but to treat with other means all the time. Also this helps prevent the antibiotics from becoming ineffective which can happen if overused.
Each day Macy gets probiotics (I use benebac powder) and I also give her a multivitamin. I also have a humidifier in the room with her, and that has seemed to help. She gets a balanced diet including veggies, good quality pellet, and different sorts of fresh hay. I avoid using any sort of dusty things near her cage, as she seems to be more sensitive to dust things so I make sure my hay has had any dust shaken out, use a dust free litter, etc.
By using day to day things that boost her immune system, I have gotten Macy down to needing antibiotics about 2-3 times per year. Before doing this she was constantly on and off them every few weeks-months and having sneezing fits. When she would get bad she would sneezing around 20-30 times in a row. Now, most of the time it's one or two sneezes, but when she is bad and it's time for antibiotics she sneezes 5-10 times.
Macy is very responsive to baytril. We have started combining the baytril with nebulizing antibiotics. The antibiotic that I nebulize is gentamicin and I combine it with saline. Nebulizing uses a machine that essentially makes the medication a mist that the rabbit inhales. Combined, the two antibiotics work very well for Macy.
Macy did have a culture and sensitivity test done, which is a good idea because it tells your vet with antibiotics the bacteria is sensitive to essentially giving them a better idea of which antibiotic treatment it will respond best to.
Perhaps the hugest thing you can do is find a knowledgable vet who you feel like you can talk to. I've taken Macy to 4 vets before finding Dr. Heidi, and it was worth the wait to find a vet who is so willing to keep brainstorming new ideas and pushing to get my bunny in the best shape she can be in. She is also one of the cheapest vets I've found and gives me discounts for continued treatment. So don't settle for a vet who isn't willing to continue working with you to find the best solutions.
The one with the chronic infection has been on many different antibiotics. The antibiotics never get rid of symptoms, however I have found a combination that decreases her symptoms to being almost non existent, and extend the time between her "flare ups" or when her symptoms are bad. Macy's only symptoms are sneezing and nasal discharge.
For every rabbit this can be different, and I have found what works through trial and error and over long period of time, and with no lack of expense.
My vet and I have found for Macy's pasturella it works best to treat with antibiotics symptomatically, but to treat with other means all the time. Also this helps prevent the antibiotics from becoming ineffective which can happen if overused.
Each day Macy gets probiotics (I use benebac powder) and I also give her a multivitamin. I also have a humidifier in the room with her, and that has seemed to help. She gets a balanced diet including veggies, good quality pellet, and different sorts of fresh hay. I avoid using any sort of dusty things near her cage, as she seems to be more sensitive to dust things so I make sure my hay has had any dust shaken out, use a dust free litter, etc.
By using day to day things that boost her immune system, I have gotten Macy down to needing antibiotics about 2-3 times per year. Before doing this she was constantly on and off them every few weeks-months and having sneezing fits. When she would get bad she would sneezing around 20-30 times in a row. Now, most of the time it's one or two sneezes, but when she is bad and it's time for antibiotics she sneezes 5-10 times.
Macy is very responsive to baytril. We have started combining the baytril with nebulizing antibiotics. The antibiotic that I nebulize is gentamicin and I combine it with saline. Nebulizing uses a machine that essentially makes the medication a mist that the rabbit inhales. Combined, the two antibiotics work very well for Macy.
Macy did have a culture and sensitivity test done, which is a good idea because it tells your vet with antibiotics the bacteria is sensitive to essentially giving them a better idea of which antibiotic treatment it will respond best to.
Perhaps the hugest thing you can do is find a knowledgable vet who you feel like you can talk to. I've taken Macy to 4 vets before finding Dr. Heidi, and it was worth the wait to find a vet who is so willing to keep brainstorming new ideas and pushing to get my bunny in the best shape she can be in. She is also one of the cheapest vets I've found and gives me discounts for continued treatment. So don't settle for a vet who isn't willing to continue working with you to find the best solutions.
