sore nose

Question
I have a spayed year old lop ear,she has a constant runny nose. I have taken her to the vet. They gave me medication and said it wasn't congestion. The medicine works only after a certain time. I have changed her bedding from wood shavings to shredded paper. What else could be causing her nose to run?

Answer
Hi Dannica,

My initial thought is an Upper Respiratory Infection....and that could be a "stand alone" infection or it could be secondary to another problem.  I am a little concerned about the medication, the fact that it works for a certain time and the discharge comes back.  Most vets have very limited working knowledge of rabbits....this comment in not intended to "flame" your vet...but they don't receive much training in vet school on rabbit issues.  I know that because I live near a major vet school and routinely use my "special needs" rabbits to expose students doing clinical to real world issues.

I suspect the most likely medication your rabbit was prescribed was either a Sulfa drug such as Sulfatrim or Enrofloxacin which is Baytril....some vets will prescribe Cipro which is bascially the human version of Baytril.  The most common bacteria found in the infections in this area is Pasturella Multocida (but other pathogens are possible) and these drugs are almost useless now due to mutating bacteria becoming resistant.  The most effective drugs against Pasturella are drugs such as Zithromax, Penicillin and Chloramphenicol.  Most vets are not familiar with their use.  They have to be dosed and administered properly or they can be fatal.  I have recently started using Convenia in rabbits. It is a cephalosporin (similar to penicillin) but has some very favorable points.  It has recently been approved for dog and cat use in the US so we are still in the "feeling out" process.  The web site says not to use in rabbits (or guinea pigs) but we have used it successfully...but again, it has to be used properly.

Since I know that lops are sometimes prone to dental issues....I would get some bilateral x-rays of the jaw looking carefully for soft tissue issues near the tooth roots....and for root impactions.  This condition could be secondary to the early signs of a dental abscess.  I would gt a culture to see exactly what bacteria is causing the problem.  That should give us an idea of exactly what the root cause of the problem is when we find out the exact pathogen and what it is sensitive to.  I would take a really close look deep inside the ears.....and I would at least perform a cytology on any debris.  Lops, due to the limited air flow in the ear canals, are quite prone to middle and/or inner ear infections.  These infections usually can't be seen visually but can be diagnosed by culture or by clinical indications if you have a rabbit savvy vet.  Holland Lops, in particular, are prone to both ear infections and dental issues.

I would get aggressive in locating and treating the root cause of this issue since these infections in rabbits can quickly cascade into a series of hard to deal with problems.  These infections in rabbits are far more serious than in cats or dogs and I personally feel that most vets are far too conservative in treating them.  Just the dynamics in the skull of a rabbit are so different than other animals, these infections can cause some serious issues if not dealt with aggressively.

Let me know what medications your rabbit was on.  Read this over and get back to me with any specific questions regarding my response.