From: njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: Sneezing Darwin
Summary: Pasteurella and bunnies and runny noses and such things
Date: 16 Dec 92 20:30:31 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO

In article <1992Dec14.162528.16513@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>, wd5j@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes:
> about).  Anyway, so now that I sat still in a room with him, and
> killed lots of valuable time gazing blankly at him...

Probably some of the best spent time there is...

> he sneezed about once every 15 or 20 minutes.  Then (because I looked
> hard) I thought his respirations were a *bit* labored...
> convinced myself that he's been eating fewer pellets (he's 10 lb now
> and eats approx. 2/3 cup twice a day), and a quick touch of his bun
> nose revealed a little bit of serous (watery) discharge.

I'm not a vet, but I do have a fair amount of field experience, and I've found
that veterinary knowledge combined with field experience can do wonderful things,
so I'll share my perspectives and hope it helps.

Some rabbits seem to have allergies (or maybe it's just getting dust from hay,
pellets, pills, etc.) that cause sneezing spaced apart as you describe.  The
watery discharge would seem to suggest this rather than snuffles.  In fact,
watery discharge can be from nothing more than rapid breathing in a cool room.

Snuffles tends to come on quickly, causes more frequent sneezing, and the mucous
in the nose is thick or at least crusty around the nostrils.

> I know his breeder
> had pasteurellosis (snuffles, etc.) in the rabbitry, but it's been months, and
> Darwin has not been stressed as far as I know, except for daily doing a little
> running on a linoleum floor (to reach the carpet).

A pasteurella-free rabbit is practically an impossibility.  They all carry it in
their nasal passages where antibiotics can't get to it.  It just sits there
waiting for the rabbit's immunity to slip a bit and takes advantage of it,
usually with incredible rapidity, whether it's snuffles, abscesses, wry neck, or
whatever.

Stress in a rabbit can be anything from a bad dream or unfamiliar
noise/smell/whatever (ever heard the "thump!" in the middle of the night?) to an
undetected infection (one of my volunteers took her bun to a vet because of some
mild ear shaking and he found infections in both ears (like kids get) that had
probably been there for months, possibly years).  Tumors and such things can grow
undetected on internal organs, lowering the bunny's resistance.  Coupled with the
fact that, by nature, rabbits try to hide any vulnerability (in the wild, a
rabbit noticeably not up to par is likely to be someone's dinner), it can make
spotting stress very difficult.  When investigating possible illness, it's
probably best to assume that they have had some sort of stress.

> otherwise playful, grooming, but-eating-less rabbit?

How old is this rabbit?  They eat like crazy the first six to nine months
(depending on breed), growing like mad, and during the next six to nine, start
slowing down in both growth and eating.  Another possibility is that the rabbit
has been getting less exercise, has become more relaxed so nervous energy isn't
burning so many calories, etc.

Any changes in weight would be more telling than the amount he eats.  Also, watch
the droppings.  If they are becoming smaller or harder and drier, he may have a
hairball or other blockage.  (The various symptoms could be from two or more
problems, of course...)

> Obviously, I'll take his
> temp. and listen more to his lungs, but they only sounded a bit harsh/normal. 

I trust you know that normal temp in a rabbit is 102--104 degress F.  If the
rabbit gets excited during the taking of the temp, it's more likely to be around
104.

> I'll probably start him on tetracycline or enrofloxacin (Baytril) - any
> thoughts out there??  OH NO I don't want Darwin to be sick....

I don't want him to be either!  Baytril is certainly the antibiotic of choice if
pasteurella is suspected, unless it is a young rabbit.  It causes joint problems
in young rabbits (under a year, if I remember correctly, but I trust your medical
books would help you here), so it shouldn't be given to them unless the situation
is so critical that one has to choose between the possible side effects or
certain death.

Finally, since Darwin is playful, and without more worrisome symptoms than a
watery nose, occasional sneezing, and possibly slightly less appetite, my guess is
that he's perfectly healthy.  By now, you probably know for sure one way or the
other...Let us know if additional symptoms have appeared--or whatever has been
happening since you posted!  Thanks!

Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
att!drutx!njl


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