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Bunny Pneumonia

22 11:12:06

Question
We just took our bunny, Runt, to the vet and we weren't able to get an X-ray at the time. However, we got antibiotics and vitamins for her. Our questions are: What are the chances that she recovers from pneumonia? How long does it usually take to recover? And what is the importance of the x-ray? We'll go back and get one if it is very important.

Answer
Dear Kenneth,

You don't say what symptoms Runt is showing that make your vet want to do a radiograph.  Is she having trouble breathing?  If so, it could be pneumonia.  It also could be a mass in the chest, such as a thymoma, abscess, or tumor.  It would be important for the vet to know what's wrong in order to treat it properly.

If she has pneumonia, recovery depends on (1) how bad it is, (2) how strong her immune system is and (3) the right medication and treatment.  If she has no nasal discharge, it's difficult to know the right antibiotic.  But rabbits should NEVER be given oral penicillins such as amoxicillin (Clavamox) or oral lincosamine antibiotics (e.g., clindamycin).  If there is nothing to culture, then a good first choice might be a fluoroquinolone such as zeniquin, so please ask your vet about this.

Nebulization is usually *extremely* helpful for treating pneumonia.  We nebulize 2-3 times per day with the following "cocktail" (about which you might want to ask your vet):

5 cc sterile saline
1.0 cc amikacin (50mg/ml - an antibiotic)
0.5 cc aminophylline (to open the airways)
0.25 cc Mucomyst (acetylcysteine - to loosen mucus & congestion and make it easier to cough up)

I hope this helps.

Dana