Hello again,
I have some more questions about my aged Netherland Dwarf Dima.
Since the bloodwork came back last summer that Dima has Tyzzer’s Disease, it’s obvious that he does not have it. I’ve researched the problem (and I guess abused my access to scholarly journal databases!) and I’ve learned there can be false positives during testing.
After a severe case of head tilt over 2 years ago and a return of a bad case last summer, Dima is 11 years old and well, I think. He has good weight, he hops very well, likes to explore, makes good pee/droppings and eats well. He still keeps his coat in impeccable condition!
He has issues falling over which originally were thought to be seizures. Seizures have been ruled out and the general consensus is that he suffers from vertigo attacks.
Anyways, the point of this post is that I took Dima back to the vet because it seems like his snuffles (he’s kept away from the other bunny with snuffles; Dima had problems before the bunny arrived) is back. The vet gave me some oral Baytril and Baytril ear drops to use. Ear drops for “every day use” and oral if things are really bad. The Baytril didn’t work at all.
Now, this is really strange. Dima’s sneezing and nasal gurgles are bad at night time. During the day, he is fine. He doesn’t sneeze nor does he gurgle. However, around 10 pm and overnight, he has snuffles symptoms. The vet thought I was crazy but he said if the sneezing/gurgling has been going on for a month now it may just be chronic. Something to deal with that antibiotics are not going to help. Especially with an aged bunny, immune systems are not what they used to be. So, he offered all the Baytril refills under the moon if I need “to keep things under control” but the snuffles will probably not go away. What do you guys think about this? Even if a rabbit is happy otherwise, is it inhumane to let him live this way? Are there natural remedies or helpers to relieve symptoms if not the bacteria?
Secondly, I asked about Dima falling over. Dima used to fall over every day in the summer and subsequent months. However, in the autumn and now, he seems somewhat better. The vet suggested I use gingko biloba and it worked for the longest time. Dima also gets some Metacam for inflammation. Anyways, Dima can go for 2 weeks without falling. Then, he will fall. Go two days without falling and then fall. Usually, it is one fall. However, on a day like today, he managed two falls. The vet said these are not seizures because he just “falls down” like loses balance. There are no neurological signs. At the same previously mentioned vet appointment, I asked the vet about the use of meclizine in rabbits with vertigo. He said that it doesn’t work for every rabbit so we’ll skip it. The vet believes that Dima’s vertigo is not caused by any infections but rather he has damage to his central nervous system and equilibrium. Nothing will fix that and we have to live with it. Is this plausible? What do you guys think?
Thanks for all your help and any thoughts you’d like to share.