Wet Bunny Nose

[Jenni]

When Gretchen runs around and plays, the fur under her nose sometimes gets wet. The moisture is clear and it doesn't happen unless she has been playing. This is nothing new for her, but is it a cause for concern?

Do rabbits use their noses to cool themselves down?

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

It could be allergies that is making her nose run, is their anything different around where she gets her excercise that she could be allergic too? One of my rabbits Millie gets quite sneezy if there is any dust around so I changed her bedding to dust extracted and now she's fine. You could have a similar problem with Gretchen.

 

[pamnock]

Moisture around the nose after exercise is not unusual. Yes, rabbits do cool through respiration and a lot of moisture is expelledthrough the nasal passages.

Dampnessaround the face and excessive clear moisture from the nosecan indicate that the rabbit is not adequately cooling itself and is overheating because the moisture is not evaporating.



Pam

 

[JimD]

pamnock wrote:

Moisture around the nose after exercise is not unusual. Yes, rabbits do cool through respiration and a lot of moisture is expelledthrough the nasal passages.

Dampnessaround the face and excessive clear moisture from the nosecan indicate that the rabbit is not adequately cooling itself and is overheating because the moisture is not evaporating.



Pam

When we take Binkie to the vet, we have to keep a close eye on her so that she doesn't overheat. She starts to get aggitated as soon as she sees the carrier....her breathing gets faster....and within a short time of being put in the carrier her muzzle will start to get damp. It's definatley from overheating. Usually I can make arrangements so we don't have to wait and we go right into an examination room. Binkie is ok once the carrier door is open and she can hop around on the table.

 

[Jenni]

We live in TX and although we have A/C, it is usually humid. She might not be cooling as much as she needs to, although the moisture around her nose isn't a lot. She often will breathe heavily as well after she has been running around.

It is about 75 degrees in my house and I keep the ceiling fans on for her. I guess this is something that I should just be aware of. Maybe having a cool bottle of ice or a tile for her to lay by might help.

 

[pamnock]

The ceiling fans can be of great help in moving the air and aiding in evaporation.

Pam

 

[JimD]

Jenni wrote:

We live in TX and although we have A/C, it is usually humid. She might not be cooling as much as she needs to, although the moisture around her nose isn't a lot. She often will breathe heavily as well after she has been running around.

It is about 75 degrees in my house and I keep the ceiling fans on for her. I guess this is something that I should just be aware of. Maybe having a cool bottle of ice or a tile for her to lay by might help.

Youmight want to think about a dehumidifier.

Our bunnie room averages about 75 in the summer with the AC. The rest of the house stays around 72. However, we run the AC 24/7 so the relative humidity stays prettylow.
We also have a HEPA filter in the bunnie room that blows air at the ceiling 24/7. It keeps the air circulating pretty well, because I can always hear the wind-chimes tinkling in the bunnie room (yes.... they are bunnie wind-chimes )

 

[Spring]

Ever since Pebbles was a little tot, she always has had a bit of a damp nose. When I moved her downstairs, it got a bit better but her nosemostly gets damp after running around .Sometimes if she buts her nose against my face she leaves a bit of awet feeling . Perfectly normal.

 

[Jenni]

Thanks everyone!! I feel a lot better about it now.