I just got a rabbit and she has been sneezing

[Lora]

I just bought 3 rabbits from a breeder. I carefully checked over them. All appeared healthy and happy. I brought a doe and 2 bucks home. I quarantined them from our other rabbit and the next morning the doe was sneezing. She got moved into the house since I ran out of safe places for her to go. She has been sneezing for about a week now. She has some nasal discharge. The first 5 days it was white, now it is clear and there isnt much coming out. No crusties or anything. The other 2 appear to be just fine. No sneezes or anything from them.
I contacted the breeder and she thought it was because they live outside, put into air conditioning in the car then back outside. The doe has been vaccinated for pasturellla. She doesnt want me to cull her and just give her more time. Does the vaccine work?

My question is this: Does it sound like she is carrying pasturella and the symptoms appeared when she was stressed? I want to breed my rabbits for health and temperament. I'm not sure there is a place for her in my herd. I dont want to have to worry about her getting sick when she is stressed, giving it to my buck or her future kits. She's not a nice doe anyway, but the breeder is adamant that its not pasturella.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

I once had a breeder get pretty aggressive with me insisting that a rabbit, that she wanted me to transport, did not have wry neck. The rabbit's head was tilted and it was going in circles in the carrier! I was furious, my traveling companions were furious, as was the buyer who was expected to pay hundreds of dollars for this highly contagious rabbit. Yet, the seller had no problem with sending it off with us because she had nothing to lose and money to gain by pawning off her very sick rabbit on others. People can have a lot of gall.

Even assuming everything the seller suggests is correct, if all it takes is a car ride to produce those symptoms for a week, the rabbit is weak stock. You don't want that.

If it were me, and if I ruled out a tooth spur or piece of hay stuck in the nasal passage as the cause, I'd terminally cull the rabbit - a week ago. You've already put your herd at risk and been inconvenienced by having to change and wash clothes and hands every time you come in contact with that rabbit.

I suggest you insist on a return and full refund. I would not care if she says the rabbit was vaccinated or not. There is no proof of that anyway. And, clearly, the rabbit is not 100%. Send it back (maybe send the trio back?) and let her deal with the expense and trouble of them.

Sorry to hear your experience has not been a completely positive one. Pat yourself on the back for being smart and putting them in quarantine right off the bat. Very smart.

 

[Lora]

First off, Thank you! I have ruled out any other things that may cause sneezing. Its not allergies, nothing stuck up there,she is just sneezing. I will probably just keep the two bucks since they are healthy (still in quarantine though) and just eat the doe. I got a hell of a good deal on them and basically got one free anyway. Plus it is a 4 hour drive to the breeders place and I doubt she'll come to me. I'll just chalk it up to lesson learned and be done with it.
Thank you again for your response and confirming what I already thought. I am so new to all of this I want to make sure I do everything right.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

No problem. Any time. It sounds like you are making wise decisions. Best wishes with the rest of your herd.

Ah, and P.S. I should probably clarify about my "been there" story. That rabbit did NOT get transported by me. The rabbit was left behind, carrier scrubbed and disinfected - setting us back quite a bit on our schedule, and the seller had to just deal with it by explaining to her buyer exactly why he was not getting his rabbits.

 

[GD91]

I had two rabbits pretty much dumped in my garden, both lop does. Lovely things, but then I noticed one sneezing repeatedly within 12 hours.... Two quick bangs to the back of the head and they were lobbed over the back garden fence for the fox.
Do not tolerate disease, there are plenty of healthy (and loving) rabbits out there to inconvenience yourself with one lone rabbit.
I agree wth the above posts, she will be weak stock and you won't want her genes in your herd.

 

[GD91]

Oops, old thread, sorry