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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Runny Nose?

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    • chickennugget
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        I have a 10 week old holland lop. Took him for his first check up a couple weeks ago and the vet said he was healthy… asked about his weird sneezing/ pushing air out of his nose noise… vet suggested allergies.. I went around the house and took out all the glade air wick’s from the walls… that has seemed to help. However, now he has a possible runny nose… which the vet said if it was bad, his wrists would be crusty from wiping it away… his wrists are fine… but his nose looks yellowy and is moist. His eyes have “eye boogers” pretty often but he doesn’t mess with them any more than usual. I’m sure he is fine.. I guess I’m just worried because he does seem to be napping more lately… could this be him getting sick? Note worthy: We just found out last week that he is a boy… even the vet thought he was a girl…. but i noticed last week while he was in a trance that he is NOT a little girl… so I don’t know if the hormones of his boys dropping could be causing the sleepiness also… please help. I can’t just take him to the vet every single time I worry- that would be all the time. Thank you!!


      • RabbitPam
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          Well, the eye boogers are normal, and you definitely did the right thing removing the scented air things. I would continue along those lines and check out your normal spray and scent products. Also, cleaners that are more natural and unscented are better for both of you, so you can stock up on stuff like white vinegar – a great cleaner when mixed with water – and Nature’s Miracle products for stains and odor removal. Safe and effective.

          I’m not crazy about the sound of this vet. Are they a specialist for rabbits? You might cruise the list of vets in your area via the “Vet Resources” link in blue letters above to see if you might want to change. You want someone who works with “exotics”, not just cats and dogs. The runny nose may clear up with time, and as a boy you want to get ready to have him neutered, so you want someone who is experienced with that procedure. If you try a new vet, you can have his nose checked again and see if they say allergies too, without being embarrassed about asking.


        • chickennugget
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            thank you! i will check my other cleaning stuff. the only thing that i’ve changed that he would be around is the no bite spray stuff.. maybe its bothering him.
            his vet is very familiar with house rabbits.. and is on the list at houserabbit.org.
            what puts you off by him? if its the sexing of the rabbit wrong… it REALLY didnt look like a boy until last week..i examined this baby top to bottom to be familiar with his coat and skin and everything…make sure i’d know if something was wrong one day…and he did NOT have signs of testicles lol. so.. who knows
            i am not convinced yet to get him neutered…still on the fence. does it really make THEM happier, and healthier?


          • TH004
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              Another thing to check: What cleaners are you using for his cage/living area/litterbox? Also, what kind of litter? Some kinds may cause a buns nose to start running.

              My first buns was not fixed. She had some wild mood swings, false pregnancies, and VERY stinky pee.
              My buns now, a male, was fixed when I adopted him from a shelter. He seems a lot less hostile and loving to people. I haven’t noticed any major mood swings. His litterbox doesn’t stink unless we neglect to change it for a while.
              I’m not sure how much of the above is due to one being a girl and one being a boy. Girls do live longer fixed, but I’m not sure on the health benefits for boys.


            • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                I really ditto Pams suggestion of finding another vet. Identifying rabbit parts may be a bit hard for someone who doesn’t see them often, but I think a vet mis-sexing a rabbit is not a vet I’d continue seeing. It’s probably best to find someone who’s more experienced and comfortable with rabbits. Then when you try a new vet, you can also get a second opinion on the nose issues.


              • chickennugget
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                  I only use vinegar to clean his house but that was only once or twice. he doesn’t get it “dirty.” his litter is pine pellets…. bedding is aspen wood…
                  I do understand the deal about incorrectly identifying his sex… My only worry is when they are babies can you actually see the testicles? I mean is that something he SHOULD have been able to see at almost 7 weeks?
                  I mean he is on the list of reputable house rabbit vets and they said they see them all the time.. so I guess my issue with finding a new vet… how would I know they are any better?? thank you for all the help and advice!
                  he is super sweet and very affectionate so I think I will hold off on neutering him until I see a real need.


                • TH004
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                    Are you highly diluting the vinegar? I thought I diluted mine enough and my buns was having trouble. My vet said it wasn’t enough. I forget how much water per vinegar, but it is very high in favor of the water. I just switched cleaners.


                  • Cristina
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                      I hate to say this since I know you like your vet. But I would shop around for a new vet too. For someone who is supposed to see rabbits ALL the time, it seems like they should KNOW what they are looking at. You know what I mean? I think it would be understandable in a vet who doesn’t see many rabbits, but for someone who does I would be a bit leery…

                      I got my Toby from a breeder who said he was a boy. I named him Toby but didn’t believe her. I examined him head to toe and NEVER saw any boy parts. But I did on the other male we had gotten from her. Finally after 3 weeks I got humped my bun and flipped him over and caught a glimpse of his male bits.

                      Just as I would expect a good breeder to know the sex of a rabbit, I would expect a good rabbit savvy vet to know it as well. If they don’t I’d shop around for a new one! That’s just me tho! Obviously you have to do what you feel is best for you and your bun. And I totally agree with TH. Make sure you dilute your vinegar really, really well!


                    • Monkeybun
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                        You can tell what gender they are pre-testicles dropping by the shape of their pokey bits

                        I too suggest a different vet, not entirely based on the mis-gendering, but by just saying it could be allergies. Did the vet do any kind of test, look at his teeth, anything? There are bunches of things that can cause runny noses and sneezing, it seems odd he would go right to allergies.

                        For neutering, I do recommend it. When they are unneutered, they are really only focused on making babies, and marking territory. Getting those pesky hormones gone lets them relax and be their adorable demanding selves


                      • emkvet
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                          Allergies are definitely a possibility, but many other things can cause sneezing and a runny nose, like Monkeybun said. It would be best for a veterinarian to culture the snot from your bun’s nose to see if there are any bacteria, and if he needs antibiotics, or if he has a chronic condition. My bun, Hazel, has a mineralized mass (non-cancerous) that is in her nasal passage, so she has chronic sneezing, runny nose, and a bordatella infection that can’t be cleared due to the location of the mass. I would never have found that out if I wasn’t such a paranoid bunny owner/veterinary student and my vet wasn’t so willing to figure out what was going on (eventually had to do a CT scan). So keep trying! Rabbits often get the “snuffles”, which is a Pasteurella infection. It’s good to get infections like that detected early.

                          On the subject of neutering, I agree with everyone else – do it once he’s old enough. And testicular cancer is possible, even though it doesn’t occur a lot in rabbits. I wouldn’t take the chance, and your bun will be a lot easier to live with once he’s neutered.


                        • chickennugget
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                            hm, good question about the vinegar… i usually just tab a bit on a papertowel and wipe where needed… didn’t think about the concentration maybe being too strong for his tiny little nose..
                            the vet did not culture anything… he looked at his teeth and ears and nose.. at the time his nose wasn’t really running.. it started being more wet later on.. speaking of teeth- is it REALLY necessary for them to be filed down? or is this vets way of making more money. i assume if given the proper toys and such he will keep them in check himself. advice?
                            ya know…now that i think about it.. I flipped him over and asked if I was right about it being a girl.. he looked and said yes…he didn’t take it upon himself to look….but i will say this.. when the parts are 6 weeks old..his penis DID look like the photos of a doe that i found online.. and i looked at a lot lol..cause i was trying to make sure the breeder was right..it looked like the slit, nothing was pretruding like a male *should*…
                            thank you guys! I’m so glad I found this place!


                          • chickennugget
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                              While he gave me kisses today I noticed—- NO MORE RUNNY NOSE!!! yay!!!! thank you all!


                            • Cristina
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                                YAY!!! That’s awesome!!! So was it just the vinegar then do you think?


                              • LittlePuffyTail
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                                  speaking of teeth- is it REALLY necessary for them to be filed down? or is this vets way of making more money. i assume if given the proper toys and such he will keep them in check himself. advice?

                                  It is definitely necessary for some bunnies. Some bunnies are more prone to teeth troubles than others and there is no way you can reduce it with hay or chew toys. Lops seem to be especially prone to teeth trouble. My lop has needed his teeth done several times and he’s only 5.


                                • chickennugget
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                                    I think it must have been something totally different because I hadn’t even cleaned a thing since.. litter box I just wiped out, no vinegar or anything. But nose is still clean.

                                    Thank you for the teeth info- I was kind of leary because when I mentioned to the vet that wild rabbits dont need it done (lol). he said yeah well they dont live very long do they…
                                    well no, because they get eatten. duh. not a valid reason to me. but if lops are more prone, that’s good to know
                                    speaking of being eatten- my poor little guy heard a hawk yesterday during our outside play time.. got so scared he ran under the house! the ears perking up was very cute but it broke my heart. i had to crawl under and coax him out.


                                  • Monkeybun
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                                      They only need their teeth filed down if there is a problem. It doesn’t need to be done otherwise. My lop is over a year old and so far hasn’t needed it


                                    • littlebunnies
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                                        Your situation is very similar to mine!

                                        About 2 weeks ago, I purchase two 8 week old American Fuzzy Lops. I noticed a couple days after buying them that they both had runny noses. The mucus from their noses is very runny and clear – not thick, just watery.

                                        I’ve read about Pasturella but they haven’t been sneezing or had runny eyes. They seem to be fine other than the runny nose – pooping normally, eating normally, and high energy levels. They don’t have any crust on their hands from wiping their noses either.

                                        Before I bought them I used diluted bleach to wash their cage, then let it air for a few days. Next, I doused the cage with white vinegar (perhaps too much), rinsed thoroughly, washed with dish soap, and then washed thoroughly again. I wonder if they are sensitive to the cleaning products? It’s been about 2 weeks since I washed it though. I have paper pellet bedding in their cages since the pine shavings stick to their fur.

                                        I’m in WA state, are you in the NW also? Maybe it’s allergies?

                                        Any help or suggestions would be wonderful!


                                      • chickennugget
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                                          No I am in Texas.. Austin area.. which is known for our human allergies lol so it could just be change in enviroment also? I would dilute your vinegar as others have mentioned. I also am wondering if the orkin man sprayed too much stuff and that bothered my bun’s nose.. i made sure it was safe for him.. but he could be sensitive to it. I’m canceling orkin tomorrow to be sure. whats the difference between american and holland?

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                                      Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Runny Nose?