Confusion with vets diagnoses

[LolaTheLop]

My 3 month old lop has just been to the vet yet again today. The first time she was there 2 weeks ago due to sneezing and yellow discharge around the nose. He diagnosed her with snuffles without taking a culture. She was given 4cc of injectable penicillin every 48 hours for 6 doses. She never improved. Although her sneezing has subsided. I had her back today and he thought she could have mites in her nose. He checked with a light and saw no mites in her nose and did a swab and saw none under the microscope yet he STILL prescribed her 3 doses of .5 cc oral Ivomec every 7 days. I am feeling very frustrated and confused as she has had no other symptoms besides the yellow discharge around her nose. She poops, pees and plays just fine and acts like a normal bunny. I did find a few very small clumps of her hair around her cage but I chalked it up to molting as I live in MN and it has started to get cold. She does not itch at all. She also has no flakes or dry looking skin. She is a house rabbit and has not been around any other animals. Should I trust the vet or should I take her to someone else to see what they say? We live in a very small town with only one vet clinic. Is it possible this vet is inexperienced in dealing with rabbits? I have done tons of research and I wish he would’ve done a culture to identify the bacteria and find out which specific antibiotic to treat her with. I am almost positive she has pasteurella. Could I be getting into my own head too much and trusting the internet over my vet? 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Rupert had mites, apparently they are in the hay and nothing you can do about it, but they will fight them off if they are well. So mites according to the vet I saw for that (not my regular vet) are an indication of something else going on.

But I would maybe see another vet if you aren’t happy (and from what you wrote, if it were me, I would!)-I’m not sure injectable penicillin is the go to, honestly there are loads of other antibiotics and like you said the vet didn’t do a culture. The penicillin is not the common treatment for rabbits with snuffles from what I’m reading, though others on here could tell you; so I would seek another opinion. Do you have the option of another vet?

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2686
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

[Bam]

Most often Baytril (enrofloxacine) is given against suspected pasteurella, it’s not penicillin but it is an antibiotic and it’s bunny-safe. Injectable abs are often given to rabbits because they have such delicate GI tracts.

I can’t find anything about nasal mites in rabbits, they are a common issue in dogs thoug,h and are seldom found in swabs, yet treatable with f ex ivermectin. That type of mites don’t cause itching or hair-loss, they live inside the nostrils and causes nasal discharge and sneezing etc. Anti-parasitic drugs are often prescribed on the basis of symptoms, not on findings of the actual parasite. This is simply because the actual parasite may not be caught on a swab/tape-test etc.

[Author]

Messages