Questions- is this realated to GI slowdown?

[dquesnel]

Hi everyone, I have a few questions and am seeking answers. They are related to my Sass' GI slowdown throughout the summer, you can see the thread here; http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=37998&forum_id=16

1) What does wetness around nostrils indicate and is it normal? Throughout the summer off and on Sass has had dampness around nose area and I was told by one vet it was normal for them to have a damp nose. Their regular vet I have not really brought it up with. He has had blood work, and it came back normal except for some elevated liver enzymes. My other bun, Chloe does NOT have damp fur around his nose like Sass does.

2) Would bloodwork reveal infection? I only would suspect infection due to his on and off behavior as explained in the other thread. He is not in acute pain, has not been on any antibiotics.

3) What temperatures can rabbits tolerate? Right now in my city (Vancouver) we have been going through a heatwave. In fact, the whole of simmer has been warm. My apartment is COOKING, 80 at night and 85-90 during the day. I try everything to cool it down too. We leave the windows open when we are home (got to shut them when we leave though, as there was an attempted break in a couple weeks ago), we have a fan going 24/7, I offer buns cold water bottles, cold tiles. Chloe will accept the cold water bottles and tiles but Sass hates them, he will move as far away as possible so it goes largely ineffective for him. I wet their ears and offer cold veggies. I suspect Sass is showing signs of heat stress; he is lethargic during these warm days, his appetite is down, his drinking is down, and his nostrils are wet (although I don't know if this is related to something else). I live in an apartment and I cannot move him anywhere, what else can I do? I have read everything on heat stress/stroke and I am unsure if that is what is bothering Sass, as this has been so up and down all summer.

Any advice would be welcome!

 

[Maureen Las]

i don't think that a wet nose is normal

Has anyone explored why the liver enzymes are high?
An infection would show up in an elevated white blood count. The 5 compnents of a differential white cell count would tell different things about the infection.
For ex a high basophil count would indicate that the rabbit was fighting a parasite.,Lymphocytes initiate immune response so could indicate a persistent or chronic infection .Eosinophils are high when parasite are dying off or there is an allergiic reaction

i am thinking that your rabbits is having heat stress. which it appears that you are trying to deal with best that you can, 80 degress is about the high that a rabbit can tolerate.

In case you haven't see the library articles i will post them

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=27899&forum_id=10

i'm sorryno one responded sooner

 

[dquesnel]

So, something *would* show up in the blood if there was parasites or infection?

The wet nose doesn't seem normal to me either. Especially since my other bun's nose is dry- and Sass' has become increasingly damp over the past few months.

I've read the articles, and it *does* sound like heat stress. I live in vancouver which has a mild climate, this summer might have been just high enough to spark an issue in Sass. He did seek out a cool tile I laid out, and I do think it helped a bit. But I don't know what else I can do to cool them down. They always perk up after 9pm, when the temp drops a bit.

No one has investigated the high liver enzymes, they said it was somewhat normal in rabbits but also that if he wasn't getting better they would investigate. Well, he never did return to normal, ever since the visit to the vet. He still eats, but not his normal appetite.

Jenk is having the same issues, and now with the elevated liver enzymes she reported as well strikes me as similar. We have been communicating, maybe they have a similar problem.

 

[Maureen Las]

The parasite and/or infection would cause a shift in the lab results but not necessarily indicate what type of infection/inflammatnion and/or what type of parasite

Everyone always talk about liver enzymes going up sometimes permanently if the rabbit was kept on pine or cedar bedding.
i guess if it was a rescue you wouldn't know.

I don't have time tonight to go back and read the thread over...

seems like someone would be interested in why the liver enzymes were abnormal. ?

All of my info is coming from rabbit health in the 21st centruy ..I should be giving kathy smith the credit
Maureen

 

[Flick]

There are several reasons for wet noses.

Clear discharge may be an allergic reaction to pollen, hay dust, smoke, etc. Or there may be something in the nose like a piece of hay. It may also be due to a warm environment and will stop when the room (or whatever) cools off. If you live in a dry area (very low humidity), that can cause a wet nose and possibly noisy breathing. Adding some humidity to the room can help.

Both of my rabbits have wet noses from time to time. Both have tested negative for Pasteurella and have regular vet checks. They just have a little wetness around their noses once in a while. Nothing to worry about.

Chronic white discharge indicates a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection, maybe. This is of greater concern than clear discharge. I put in "maybe" because it could also hint to an ear infection, dental problems, or other problems.

Since you're going through a heat wave, my guess (and it is a guess) is that it's the temperature that's activated his nose. I think you're doing all you reasonably can.