Runny nose = snuffles?

[FurryFiasco]

Hi! I just noticed that my rabbit has a runny nose, and I'm worried it might be snuffles! The fur around her nose is wet, although I din't see the white/yellow discharge I read to be a sign of snuffles. She sneezed a few times this morning, but not when I checked on her just now. Also, her normal droppings seem moister than normal, but I'm not sure if that's related. I didn't notice any weird sounding breaths, though, and her eyes look just fine. She's three months old, and a Holland Lop. She's in a stall-type area beside my other bunny, separated only by slats that they can see through, but he seems just fine so far.

Any idea if this is snuffles, or if she could have just gotten chilled? She is outdoors, albeit in a sheltered area and she does have a box of hay to snuggle in at night. Hopefully that's warm enough! Our nights haven't been super cold lately, but they have been cold enough to freeze their water a couple of times.

I'm worried about her and any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

Some rabbits suffer with allergies or it could be dust from hay or pellets...I have a cat that has allergies, but no rabbits. You should quarantine it and others that have been in contact washing before and after handling your rabbits in case it contagious...just to be sure.

 

[FurryFiasco]

Thanks for the suggestion, T of T! You seem like the go-to for advice on bunnies, maybe I should just ask for you in the future (I'll put the title as, "T of T, help!")...lol. Really though, you've been super helpful! I really appreciate it.

My bunny is doing much better today, her nose is all cleared up and everything seems normal. I'll give her some oats, hopefully that will help her poo firm up a bit, but I think I'm safe to say there's nothing too serious going on! Whew.

 

[Bunnylady]

"Snuffles" is a sort of catch-all term for an upper respiratory infection in rabbits. People usually associate it with Pasteurella, but other bacteria can be responsible as well. Sometimes you see gobs of white snot, sometimes all you see is a little wetness; sometimes all you notice is a bit of dry or wet matter on the insides of the front legs from the rabbit wiping its face. Apparently, most rabbits carry the bacteria that cause these infections, they just have robust immune systems that keep the bacteria under control. Then some stress comes along, and the bacteria gain a foothold. Rabbits' nasal passages have lots of pockets and folds, and it can be hard to get at infections like these once they get going. The rabbit may seem to recover (with or without treatment), only to have the infection reappear the next time the animal is stressed. Sometimes, you get really rampant, nasty infections that can kill, but you may get chronic here-again-gone-again things that can last for years, too.

 

[FurryFiasco]

Thanks Bunnylady! I had no idea it worked like that. It sounds sort of like cancer in people, lol! So I guess the best prevention is just to keep them in tip-top health?

Since you're here, maybe I can run their diet by you to be sure I'm doing it right! Right now, they're both around three months old. I gave them alfalfa hay at first, but right now they're eating "orchard grass", which I think is a graduating step to timothy. They have unlimited hay and pellets (and water of course!), and they get a bit of fresh grass and such when I let them run around outside. I believe I read that the pellets should be restricted once they reach 6 months old. I think it's about time to begin introducing veggies to them right now (please correct me if I'm wrong on this one, I found the age for this a tad confusing!), so today, I gave them each about a tablespoon of clover sprouts, which they loved. Does this all sound okay to you?

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

I don't do vegetables personally. Greens like strawberry leaves, dandelion leaves, cilantro, violet leaves, carrot greens, etc. is what I give as treats.

 

[mystang89]

As tales says, it might be allergies, this is the time of the year you will start noticing it. I've had this happen before and was worried about the same thing as you.

Another thing that it might be it's something stuck in the nasal area. This can especially be the case if she has access to hay.

I would still, if you have an area for it, I would separate her from the other rabbits for a week at least, 2 weeks would be better and then keep an eye on her simply because of the terrible outcome of snuffles on a heard.

Keep positive, stay proactive and don't worry.