Staticy bun and snuffles!

[Binx86]

Zeppo is super staticy, to the point that petting him makes his hair stand on end and sometimes there’s even little shocks… He never jumps or freaks from it, but he gives me that offended look like, “Humin, what did you just do to me?”  Is there any easy fix for this that doesn’t have to involve me going out and spending $30 on a humidifier?  (That is the cheapest I could find around here)

I probably will have to break down and buy one but I wanted to ask first since my budget is tight. 

Though, the vet has suggested that it may help with Groucho’s nose too.  And that problem was the reason I joined BB in the first place.  He was diagnosed with chronic snuffles a bit over a year ago, we had him 6 months before it developed.  He was misdiagnosed, mistreated, the proper cultures weren’t done and we got second and third opinions.  By the time I was able to find an actual rabbit savy vet, the first two had said they were, it was too late.  There was too much damage done to his nose to able to reverse it with just a dose or two of medicine.  He’d have to be on it the rest of his life and there was a chance he’d become immune to it.  His behavior had changed so much from the first 3 doses of medicine I couldn’t do it to him again.

We realized though that by controlling the temperature in our apartment we nearly eliminated the sneezing all together!  Every once in a while he’ll have a small fit then be ok.  He even goes days now without a single sneeze and he’s slowly starting to be his active self again!  The vet was even surprised and happy to hear this and suggested in the winter we get a humidifier just to give a little extra help because of the moisture. 

I guess I’ve already convinced myself to get one, but I wanted to know other opinions too for both the static and the snuffles, and kind of share the news of Groucho’s recovery too.

[RabbitPam]

There are so many good reasons to get a cool mist humidifier that I think it’ll be well worth the $30. I know I got mine at Walgreens, and I seem to recall it was less than that. After xmas sales will start soon, so with a bit of checking the ads you may be able to find one for less. Or, order one from Amazon and don’t have to pay shipping for a better one that’s just over $25. Your bunnies, and your own complexion, will thank you.

[jerseygirl]

If you are currently using your heating, you could put some wide bowls of water around the apartment.

We realized though that by controlling the temperature in our apartment we nearly eliminated the sneezing all together!]

Out of curiosity, is it keeping temps on the cooler side that is helping?
I’ve read heat can exacerbate symptoms of “snuffly” bunnies. That cool air helps open their airways.

I also read once that in a burrow humidity can be at 60%. Though don’t quote me! haha
It would be cooler underground also. It makes me wonder if we’d see less ailments in rabbits if kept in similar conditions…

[LittlePuffyTail]

If you are currently using your heating, you could put some wide bowls of water around the apartment.

My parents always did this to humidify my room when I was a kid and it worked pretty well.

My buns are pretty staticky too right now. I just accept it as “that time of year”.

[Binx86]

I’ve checked at Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, and Fleet Farm and the cheapest I was able to find was $30. I’m guessing it’s just the region that they’re a little bit more.

The wide bowls of water wouldn’t work. The apartment is small and I’m a clutz and there would be water everywhere after a short period of time!

As far as the temperature for Groucho’s snuffles we keep the place at a steady 65. It has been warmer, up to about 75 when I have the oven on and that hasn’t seemed to affect him any other than making his ears a little warmer but not by much more than usual. And at one point I was taking Groucho in the bathroom when I took showers, the warm humid air actually helped clear him up for a few hours when he got really bad. But the cooler temps of the burrow would make sense. Though I think since we found something that works I wont be experimenting past getting a humidifier!

[Malp_15]

I know my bunny Nate, who had “snuffles”, gets really sneezy and has a hard time breathing when it’s really warm out. He has nasal damage from having his infections so long though, so he has constant nasal discharge even though the infection has cleared. When I moved this summer it was over 30 degrees Celcius (extremely rare, in my area) for weeks and he had a really hard time of it. We have 4 fish tanks in our house (I know I know), so our place is always pretty humid, so for the rest of the year he is ok. I used to have to wipe his nose every couple of days, but now that he is bonded Tait cleans him up

[Binx86]

Groucho has the same thing, the damaged nasal passages from the infection lasting so long. We don’t know if his has been cleared up fully or not but he is sooo much better than he was. What color is Nate’s discharge? Groucho still has some, it’s rare though, and it’d be nice to have something to compare it too. I don’t know that I can trust any vet even close to me anymore.

I guess he’s never had a really hard time with warm weather like your Nate has. It’s so nice have bonded couples that clean each other so we don’t have top take care of the messy things. I’ve often worried though about Groucho’s brother Zeppo cleaning the discharge off his nose, but Zeppo has gone in every time Groucho has and has always come out with a clean bill of health.

[Malp_15]

Nate’s discharge is clear and not very mucousy. My vet told me to only get concerned if it starts turning a mucousy white or green like it did when he had the infection. For the most part, Nates discharge isn’t noticable. I’ll have to clean up his face a bit, ever couple of weeks or so, because he gets pellet/hay dust stuck in his hair if his nose is running But in the beginning I was doing it multiple times a day.

I was extremely worried about Tait ending up sick as well. Nate had a Pasteurella infection, with a secondary Bordetella infection. When I first took Nate in, he was in his own quarantine room and I changed clothes and washed my hands between bunnies, but once the infections started clearing up I slowly got less careful, so I could expose Tait to it slowly. My vet gave me the go ahead because she knew I wanted to bond them and Tait is a perfectly healthy young adult. And everything worked out and I actually think Nate is healthier than ever, having a bud I’m sure it took 5 years off MY life having to get him neutered post-infection though

[Binx86]

That’s crazy… Groucho had the same exact infections, the vet just always called it chronic snuffles when she talked about it, but the culture results I have match what Nate had.

I didn’t go through any of the precautionaries like you did though, except washing my hands. Zeppo was always in the same room, even snuggled right up next to Groucho, and always went to the vet alongside his brother too. The vet just figured Zeppo’s immune system was stronger.

I most definitely agree with the thought that having a bonded mate helps sick bunnies. There were so many times where Groucho wouldn’t let me near him especially after having to start to force the meds after he stopped taking them willingly, but Zeppo was always there for him and often times could stop his sneezing too by grooming just above his nose. It’s crazy and such an amazing thing to see how two animals can have such a deep bond.

The stress from the post-infection neuter must have been crazy! I can’t even begin to imagine!

[Malp_15]

Your guys were bonded before Groucho got sick right?

I had Tait for over a year, before I took Nate in when he was already sick. So I wanted to expose Tait to it, very slowly, before bonding. Nate was surrendered to the vet clinic I work at, extremely sick, because the former owners wouldn’t do any treatment. After 2 weeks at the clnic, of only getting worse, he was about to euthanized. I already had a huge soft spot for him, and he had the BEST personality so I said I’d assume financial responsibility and try him at home. It took 5 months to healthy, but now, over a year later he’s neutered, bonded, and happy little dude

[Binx86]

They were bonded before, they’re litter mates and have never been separated. But we’re not sure exactly when Groucho got sick or if he was sick when we got him.

It’s so amazing that you took Tait in especially in that condition! If they were ready to just euthanize him he must have been in pretty rough shape.

I wish it had taken Groucho only 5 months… We’re going on a year and a half of him being sick but thinking it’s going away now, or gone as he’s been better in the past 2 months than he has in a long time.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Continued (((((improving)))))) Vibes for Groucho.

[Binx86]

Thank you LPT!

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