Rabbit- In need of second opinion and a solid diagnose

Question
Hi, I have an older rabbit, just turned nine recently. Since last year, he had been diagnosed with pasteurella/snuffles/upper respiratory/sinus infection. These words popped up during my vet visits, so I assume they're the same. A year ago, he started this raspy, labored breathing-the honky sound every time he inhaled during winter. But he seemed fine with the eating/drinking/pooping. But I took him to the vet anyway and had a x-ray done on his lungs. Nothing's wrong with his lungs, the vet said, it's in the upper respiratory. I had him on Baytril and the nose drop to loosen up the mucus for about two weeks to treat the pasteurella. Then suddenly, he had multiple seizures. It scared me to death and was discouraged to give him Baytril, thinking it was a side effect. But as days came by, he started to have more and more seizures. It occured like this: at noon, he'd be breathing rapidly for a while as if he was out of breath or just got off the car ride, then lift his head, then flop over to have a seizure no more than 30 seconds to 1 minute and come back up to raspy breathing as if nothing happened. So I took him to the vet, seeing that the numbers of seizures had increased, and the vet put him on panacur. She diagnosed him with E. Cuniculi, a parasite that attacked his brain, instead of other parts such as kidney. She assumed this because a MRI would cost couple thousand of dollars to find out. [other information: At this point, he had cataracts and is going blind. Before all of this, he has a testicular tumor [I assume, this had nothing to do with the pasteurella but telling you just in case]. And so right now I am on the twenty eight days medication of panacur but no Baytril or nose drops. The vet says that if the seizure improves, I should continue with the Baytril. So far, he isn't having any seizures, but still have that raspy, labored breathing. There is no discharge or running eyes. It seems chronic? I need to know if there is something better I can do to make the rabbit comfortable and not suffering as much as it should. He has his good and bad days. Some days, he would keep his head up, trying to breathe and some day, he would just lay down, relaxing or sleeping. Another thing is that, I have one more year left in college but I am only an hour away. My only family is only my mother, who is physically disabled and would not administer medication to the rabbit well in her care. And because I am in housing, pets are  not allowed, it leaves me a very little to no choice. I do consider bringing him to a friend's house and hire her as a pet sitter; however, not sure if it's worth it stressing the rabbit with the ride, new person, and the new environment. My rabbit and I are very close. What would happen if I do not administer Baytril? I am at loss. I don't know what to do anymore. Thank you for any advices you may give.

Answer
Dear Monica,

You might want to find a very experienced rabbit vet for a second opinion:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If the lungs really are clear, and he doesn't have pneumonia, then there is the possibility that he has a mass in his chest impinging on his lungs and reducing his lung capacity.  The lack of oxygen or distress at not being able to breathe might even trigger seizures.

Thymomas are not uncommon in rabbits, and a chest radiograph would reveal whether his lung volume is normal, or whether he has a mass in his chest interfering with his breathing.

If all is clear, then ask the vet about getting a nebulizer.  You can administer a "cocktail" of Mucomyst (to loosen mucus), aminophylline (to open airways) and antibiotic (we usually use amikacin) in sterile saline.  The moisture will make him more comfortable, too.  This could go a LONG way towards keeping him as well as possible.

You can view some nebulizers here:

http://tinyurl.com/27uu845

You'll have to get the vet to help you rig up a veterinary mask adapter for your bunny, since these come only with human masks that won't work for a bun.

I hope this helps.

Dana