rabbit sneezing?

Question

I have a lop earred rabbit, and lately he has been sneezing alot. My mom said we can't afford to take him to the vet if he gets sick because of money issues, but I don't wanna see him die if he's that sick. A few days ago during the spring I left a screen in the window for air, and it was a little cool at night but not cold, ever since that I kept it in. Also he doesn't like drinking out of his wattle bottle, so i give him a bowl and he drinks the whole thing in an hour or so. Do you know why he's sneezing, how can I help him without a vet, and is this serious? Thank you so much!

Answer 1

Taking a rabbit to the vet usually doesn't cost all that much. Just a few bucks, unlike a dog or cat. You can see about ordering some Terramycin to treat the cold (Terramycin gets added to the drinking water. It's a yellow powder that comes in a foil type bag.). The Terramycin isn't guaranteed to cure it, but it might. Just make sure you follow the instructions as far as the dosage and how long you give it too your rabbit. Giving more to your rabbit won't necessarily make it better any faster. Don't be on and off about giving the medicine and don't stop giving the medicine too soon. Doing either could allow the cold to come back. Also don't give the medicine for too long because some medicines can cause damage to some of the rabbit's organs such as the kidney or liver if given too long.

As far as the water, I'd be wondering how big the bowl is and whether your rabbit is turning the bowl over. Get a heavy ceramic crock to put the water in that is about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The weight of the crock will help keep the rabbit from turning it over.

Another thing to help prevent your rabbit from getting sick in the future is to treat the water. If you live out in the country and have well water, I'd recommend adding about 3/4ths a teaspoon of regular bleach (regular standard Clorox works) to a gallon of water. Don't get any special kinds. Get regular unscented bleach. I know it sounds crazy, but the bleach acts as a disinfectant for the water, killing the bacteria in the water. It is pretty similar to putting chlorine in the water for a pool or drinking water. It is safe for the rabbit as long as you keep to the recommended dosage. Bacteria in the water is a good starting place for disease. If you've ever gotten that green algae in your water bowls or water bottle adding bleach will help keep the algae from forming in the bowls. Make sure to give fresh clean water at least once a day. If you use a syringe to measure the bleach, 5cc's approximately equals one teaspoon. So about 4-5 cc's per gallon. I normally use a two gallon watering can and use a syringe to squirt about 7.5-10cc's into the watering can. This was recommended to me by a well known rabbit veterinarian a number of years ago and it works.

A number of years ago the recommended dosage was 1 teaspoon per gallon, but a few years ago many bleach companies concentrated their bleach so that you only have to use 3/4ths of a cup instead of a full cup. If the bleach recommends using only 3/4ths a cup, use 3/4ths a teaspoon per gallon.

As they sometimes say, the best medicine is preventative medicine.

Answer 2

I agree that you need to know what is causing your rabbit to sneeze but unlike those that suggested allergies or common cold, I know that rabbits sneezing may be cause for concern. The rabbit owners worst fear is Pasturella or Bordatella, "Snuffles". This concerns those with more than one rabbit enough to sometimes euthanize the sick rabbit to save the others. Now days, especially if you have a single rabbit or your rabbit will never be around others, most people opt for a round of meds from the vet. There are just better meds available now days due to animal health research and development of medicines. The Pasturella may not ever go away 100% and the rabbit usually never gets back to its former healthy self entirely but can live a perfectly happy life. You would just never want to breed that animal as it can pass on its "hidden" illness to its offspring. FYI, most rabbits, if tested by a vet for Pasturella will test positive, so testing may do your and your rabbit no good. It is better to look for the visible syptoms and treat if appropriate. Signs of "Snuffles" are sneezing out white snot. If he's blowing snot, you've got a problem. Ask your rabbit experienced vet for info about treating. Now, I had a rabbit that I brought to a show and was quite surprised to see him sneeze three or four times and then blow out whitish boogers. My thoughts went right to snuffles. However, I did not see or hear him sneeze after that until two weeks later (with no snot). I took him to the vet and we did not find any trouble. I suspect it was a small piece of hay irritating his nose and he just had to get it out. We concluded he did not have Snuffles. So look at each rabbit separately. Look at the circumstances surrounding the sneezing. Have you changed hays? Does he sneeze only when you clean his cage? Or is it frequent? Is there snot? Does he look "not quite himself"? I can't tell your why your particular rabbit is sneezing but know that when a rabbit does sneeze, it is worth investigating. Best wishes.

Answer 3

I bet your mum would go to the doctor if she was sick. Same for your bunny. Any respiratory problem with a rabbit needs veterinary attention with correct medication. Calling the vet is a good idea as suggested or get onto etherbun yahoo group (heaps of vets on there & lots of advice for rabbit care) but you'll probably need some personal attention & medication that you'll only get from a good rabbit vet.

Answer 4

First do a process of ellimination. Could it be the litter? Did you recently switch or or you using the same type?
Rabbits are for the most part pretty healthy and not plagued with lots of diseases like cats ansd dogs are.
But there is a disease that is serious and potentially fatal for rabbits. And it's called Snuffles believe it or not. The symptoms are lots of sneezing. Try to get her to a vet just to make sure. One of my rabbits died of this very disease.

Answer 5

If you're using any sort of bedding cedar shavings etc.... then he may be allergic to it. I don't think that it's serious, one of our lops does the same thing, she's been doing it for the past year or so and she's been perfectly fine! Although if you feel he's becoming worse I would advize taking him 2 the vet.

Answer 6

Bunnies sneeze, and most of the time it's nothing. However, if he/she is sneezing a lot, or if it has runny eyes or a hard time breathing, he needs to see a doctor.

You might try a vet that specializes in rabbits (try rabbit.org) and see if they might be able to discount their service. Most vets would rather see the animal healthy than make a ton of money off of you.

Answer 7

Try changing the sawdust maybe hes allergic, if it continues he needs to see a vet

Answer 8

Just make sure it is warm...and a little cuddling here and there will never hurt anything =)

Just call your local vet instead of going there...ask them what you should do...
A call never hurt no-one =P

Answer 9

i read about this today and is really serious please take to your vets asap