Bunny Cold

Question
I have had my bunny(a 4 month old dwarf netherland), Mischief, about a month now and she has had a bit of a runny nose and sneeze since about the second day I have had her. I know I need to take her to the vet but I am tight on funds at the moment so im hoping there might be something I can do to help her untill then. I have been keeping her with a fresh supply of water(changing it about twice a day) and wipping her nose with a warm soft cloth every time its a little runny, but is there anything else I can do for her? I have also been letting her out of the cage up to about 5 hours a day just to help keep her out of the dust from her bedding. Thank you in advance.  

Answer
Dear Sarah,

If your bunny's bedding is dusty, then it's the wrong kind of bedding.  Please change it to a 100% cotton mat, and provide a clean litterbox in one corner, filled with pelleted sawdust litter such as Feline Pine.  Shavings of any kind are very unhealthy, and can cause respiratory problems.

A sneezing problem should be examined, diagnosed, and treated by a good rabbit vet, whom you can find here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

You can read about the various causes and treatments of this problem here:

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

and more here:

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

There is nothing I would recommend you do at home about this except change her bedding.  Please get her to a good vet for proper treatment, if you value her health.

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana