Rabbit sore crusty nose and sneezing

Question
Hi I have a four month old male rabbit who was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection about a month ago. I was given a ten day antibiotic course of Marbocyl. Since completion of ten days, I haven't noticed any change in him. He is still sneezing and has also developed a crust on his nose. When I initially showed this to the vet she said it was a scab and that I should moisturise it with petroleum jelly. However the crust or scab has since grown and his nose looks sore and pinky red, the crust itself is yellowy in colour. The sneezing is also still present. Is it possible that my rabbit has mites? He is not in any contact with any other animals and his appetite has been consistent since I've had him. He is however slightly less active.

Answer
Dear Bee,

It's time for a culture and sensitivity test if the Marbocyl didn't help the upper respiratory infection.  Please read:

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

It's possible that whatever pathogen is causing your bunny's trouble is not sensitive to the Marbo, and a different antibiotic needs to be used, or perhaps marbofloxacin in combination with another antibiotic, such as amikacin.  The C & S test will tell which antibiotics will be most effective against his particular infection.

The crust does sound like a spot of mange.  He doesn't have to be exposed to other rabbits to contract this.  The mites are airborne, and most rabbits are believed to harbor subclinical populations of mites on their bodies all the time.  In a healthy rabbit, the immune system keeps them in check.  But when a rabbit is ill, his immune system is otherwise occupied, and signs of mange can emerge.  Please read this for safe treatment and more information:

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

There is a remote possibility that the sore is a manifestation of rabbit syphilis.  If this is the case, then (1) it's not contagious to humans and (2) it can be treated with a one-week course of injectable Penicillin-G Procaine.

If you feel your present vet may not be as familiar with rabbit medicine as you'd like, you may be able to find another vet here for a second opinion:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps.

Dana