White Discharge

[britt92]

I am a new bunny owner and recently I have noticed my bunny sneezing on occasion and he sometimes has a very small amount of white discharge coming from his nose; most of the time is clear. I read up on Sniffles and realize he has some symptons however he doesn't seem to be sick at all. He's been running around, doing binkies all over the living room. I do sometimes forget to clean his literbox as frequently as I should and I read that sometimes the build up of ammonia can cause a similar reaction. As soon as I clean it and put down a brand new bit of litter/bedding his sympton regress almost entirely. What are your thought?

 

[BlazeBunnies]

I would just take him to the vet it's the safest option

 

[stevesmum]

I do sometimes forget to clean his literbox as frequently as I should and I read that sometimes the build up of ammonia can cause a similar reaction. As soon as I clean it and put down a brand new bit of litter/bedding his sympton regress almost entirely. What are your thought?

I think you answered your own question, at least that's a good start, then see how he does.

 

[doodlebugger]

We have had two rabbits with similar symptoms, not the snuffles. It turned out to be dental problems where the teeth were invading the sinus cavity. If it continues, definitely get the bunny to a rabbit savvy vet who can try to figure out what is causing it. It could be the ammonia from the box, but it could also be dental related, or could be an upper respiratory infection. Our two rabbits acted pretty normal too, and one of them passed away last year, and the other one is still fighting off this problem with regular dental procedures. We have him on an anti-inflammatory medication now, and he has been on and off antibiotics over the last year. Remember that rabbits can go downhill in a matter of hours. They won't typically present as sick until they are pretty bad off. One way we test our rabbit is to offer his favorite treat and as long as he comes running, we know he is fine.

 

[Chester_and_blueberry]

Just maybe change his litter at the most twice a day and use a litter like material that is dust free..I would do that

 

[JBun]

This isn't from ammonia build up. White snot is an indication of a bacterial infection. If it was only clear snot, it can mean it is something else. But white snot does mean there is bacteria involved. The lessening of symptoms when you change the litter box may just be due to the fact that the ammonia from the urine is aggravating the respiratory tract, making the symptoms worse. And though the symptoms subside after changing the litter box, the bacterial infection is still there and needs treatment.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Bacterial/RhinitisRabbits.htm

You need to have your rabbit checked by a rabbit savvy vet, who should prescribe several weeks of a rabbit safe antibiotic. It will also be important to keep the litter box clean, as to not aggravate your rabbits respiratory tract while being treated for this.