Rabbit has slightly blocked airway

Question
My mothers rabbit has recently been diagnosed with pasteurellosis or snuffles. He starts antibiotics tomorrow. However his airways seem to be slightly blocked by mucous. The vet hasnt advised on how we help him get rid of it and he is having alot of trouble breathing. he is a young rabbit and is currently in the house and well away from our other rabbits. I am doing an animal management course and have advised my mother to try putting a dilute mix of honey and lemon into his water but i am not sure if it will help. I have read about the rabbit heimlich maneouver but am wary of it I am hoping that you might be able to offer some insight on how we can best help him.
  All the best.

Answer
Dear Amanda,

If your bunny has a respiratory infection that's making it hard for him to breathe, then I must wonder why the vet is waiting until tomorrow to put him on antibiotics.  In a case like this, time can be of the essence, and quick treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

If it's his nose that is clogged with mucus, you can use a pediatric ear syringe like the one pictured here:

http://earsyringe.net/store/B000VI8D64/Ear-Syringe-Pediatric

to gently suction the goo out and clear the way for him to breathe.  He won't like it, but it does help.  You can probably get one of these at any good pharmacy.

Getting him to inhale steam (warm, not hot) can help loosen the mucus and make it easier for him to cough up and swallow.  If your vet can prescribe a nebulizer, this will really help.  We use a cocktail of sterile saline, amikacin (antibiotic), aminophylline (to open airways), and acetylcysteine (Mucomyst; to loosen mucus) and nebulize the bunny for 10-15 minutes twice a day.  Follow with gentle coupage to break the goo loose from the lungs and help him pass it up to be swallowed.

You don't say how the problem was diagnosed, nor if he is producing mucus out the nose.  If he doesn't seem to have a runny nose, and he is an older bunny, then you might ask the vet if his breathing problems could be due to a thymoma (these are surprisingly not uncommon in rabbits), and not to an infection at all.  Please see:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-a=00062824-sp00000000&sp-q=thymoma

I hope this will help, and that he will be fine soon.

Dana