Rabbits sneezing does not stop despite medication!!! Please help!!

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

We recently got home two rabbits. the pet shop guy did not give much info on their age. from what i get from the rabbit pictures online and what the vet predicted, they may be 4-5 months old. I feed them carrots, Cauliflower leaves, radish tops, pellets. Since we don't get hay, i occasionally manage to get some grass growing in the empty plot next to our house.

One of the rabbits started sneezing about a month ago. the sneezing was like three or four sneezes in a day. a week later the sneezing increased and the rabbit started sneezing as if its having seizures. Meanwhile the other rabbit too started showing symptoms of sneezing and we took them to the vet(am not sure if he is a rabbit savvy vet but he was certainly better than  the other two references that i received)
The vet gave some injections and prescribed sporidex suspension(2ml for each rabbit twice a day for 5 days). the rabbits initially showed some signs of improvement but the sneezing continued even after 5 days although not as bad as it was earlier.Meanwhile, the rabbit which was the first one to get sneezing became very lethargic. it's food intake decreased and some times it would not even move even if i gently tug it by its ears. the other one was relatively active and moving around during day time. So, I called the vet on the same and he then gave me some pills(enrofloxacin based) and prescribed a quarter of a tablet to be given daily to each rabbit for 7 days. this helped to certain extent as the rabbit started eating properly and did not lay lethargically whole day. it did move around at times and sometimes binkied as well. the dosage was completed on thursday and the rabbits are lethargic again and the sneezing has not completely gone. Please help as i don't know what is wrong with them and the vet is not helping either. We do not have vets who are specialised in rabbits here in India as not many keep rabbits as pets;

Some more information if it helps:
URINE: the rabbits' urine used to be milky/cloudy before i administered sporidex and while  they were on medication, it turned blood red. the urine color returned to normal and today i see blood red urine again. Also, sometimes, the rabbits back or side is soaked with urine. i guess they lie on the urine but is this causing the illness
Temperature: the ears of the lethargic rabbit were warmer than the other one.
Nose: they have a nasal discharge which sprinkles on me when they sneeze
Water: I don't see them drinking water from the bowl. so, I wash the cauliflower leaves and leave them in their food bowl while the leaves are dripping with water.

P.S: I do not put them in a cage. they have a corner in the house where they have a mat where they litter and the food bowl is kept near the mat.Once they eat, they normally sleep under the dining table or under the cot.

ANSWER: Dear Nivedita

If the babies are acting ill again once the antibiotic was stopped, I would suspect that the bacteria are not all gone, and that the medication should be continued for a longer time.  When we give these types of medications, we usually continue for at least 10-14 days to be very sure that the problem is gone.

Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

Medications can change a bunny's urine color, but they shouldn't be soaking in urine, even so.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

Please also read:

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

Sporidex is an antibiotic known as cephalexin, and it is really *not* an antibiotic of first choice for rabbits.  I would stop using this if you can get the bunnies back on Baytril or ciprofloxacin ASAP.

Hope this helps.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Dana. I shall speak to my vet on switching the bunnies to Baytril or ciprofloxacin. I did have a word with the vet on saturday and he suggested that these bunnies have to put on ivermectin. however, by the time the bunnies started eating and i thought of waiting for your response before i get them injected with ivermectin.Please let me know if ivermectin can be given for rabbits as i read somewhere that it is not a good idea for rabbits.

Answer
Dear Nivedita,

Ivermectin is safe for rabbits.  But if you can get Stronghold/Revolution (selamectin), that's usually better.  It is topically applied, and lasts for 2-4 weeks.  It will control fleas, mites, and certain types of ticks.

Hope this helps.

Dana