Pneumonia

Question
Hello Dana,

My rabbit has been lying on her pee recently as we've bought a new cage and her pee gets stuck in the corners of the cage, so I've just use a wet cotton ball to clean my bunny's body side and top of her head(between eyes) when I was wetting her fur down my bunny started running away and groomed herself before I could dry her fur. Her fur was pretty wet and I was wondering if this could cause pneumonia ? The ceiling fan was also on when this happened but she didn't sneezed. She's dry now and acting normal but do I have to watch out for symptoms the next few days?

Thank you

Answer
Dear Abigail,

Getting wet doesn't cause pneumonia.  But stress can suppress the immune system, allowing resident pathogens (such as the bacteria that can cause respiratory illness) to proliferate and cause problems.  Getting wet can be stressful, but more dangerous is the chill that can result if bun is not dried thoroughly when wet.

However, if you were just doing a superficial cleaning and she was not wet down to the skin, I really doubt that she could suffer a health-threatening chill.  Just keep an eye on her as you normally would, and if you think she's acting unusual, please read this for emergency instructions:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

I hope this helps.

Dana