bunny allergies

Question
My son's bunny is a dwarf lionhead.  The bunny started sneezing alot and the vet said to change his bedding from wood shavings to crittercare, he is still sneezing and there is no discharge that i notice just a raw pink nose and the bedding i got is also a pinkish color. The vet said i will notice a discharge if there is one but how long after i changed the bedding should the sneezing stop? And could he really have a noticeable raw nose or could it just be from the bedding?  

Answer
Dear Linda,

If the bunny is still sneezing even a few days after you changed the bedding, then this might not be a sensitivity to to the wood shavings (which can cause respiratory irritation).  It may be an upper respiratory infection, even if there is no obvious, white discharge.  Sometimes these things start small.

Please read:

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

If you're not sure the vet you saw is experienced with rabbits, then please use the linked list here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to find another one for a second opinion.

For now, gently clean the bunny's nose with a bit of dilute povidone iodine on a soft cotton ball, and if the skin is raw, a tiny bit of neosporin on the red areas can help prevent painful chapping.

I hope your bunny will be fine soon, and getting the proper treatment.

Dana