Allergies?

Question
Hello, I am an experienced rabbit person but there is something my rabbit has that I am not able to identify..it is not serious but is uncomfortable for my bunny :(  He is a Netherland Dwarf about 7 years old, and he constantly has a runny nose and sneezes very often.  I know that it is not just a common cold, or pasturella.  I wonder if he is just allergic to something, but maybe you know more information about this.  If you could reply on your opinion I would be very grateful. Thankyou -Lauren

Answer
Among other possibilities, your rabbit could have allergies or a bacterial
infection. Rabbits don't get the "common cold" like humans; they seem to be susceptible to few or no non-serious viral respiratory infections. I'm not sure why you are certain he doesn't have Pasteurella.

To determine what is going on, you would need to take him to a vet to get
a "culture and sensitivity" test done of the matter up inside the nose. This
will tell if there are bacteria present and if so what kind of antibiotics would be effective. It could be Pasteurella, Pseudomonas, or a host of other bacteria. With a longstanding infection, it could take a couple of months of antibiotic therapy to clear him up. Sometimes this becomes so chronic that one can only manage it by periodic antibiotic treatment.

If there is no infection, your rabbit may have allergies.

I hope you already have a good veterinarian for your rabbit. If you have
not
 taken your bunny to the vet before, please try to find one who is
experienced
 with
 rabbits. Many vets who are very good with dogs and cats are not
knowledgeable
 about rabbits, especially the latest information. The page
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html has suggestions on how to
find
 one. There is a list of some vets at
http://www.rabbit.org/care/vets.html

 You can also contact a nearby House Rabbit Society  chapter or other
rabbit
 group for suggestions on good local vets. HRS has a page listing
contacts for
 their own chapters. If there is not one near you, you can look for a
nearby
 independent group using the HRS contacts page
http://www.rabbit.org/links/index.html

If it turns out he has allergies and not a respiratory infection, or if the infection turns out to be recurring or chronic, you might ask your vet about using a decongestant to help him feel better. I have been instructed to give over the counter Chlortrimeton (or generic substitute) to some rabbits with chronic sneezing.

You could also try changing (one at a time) his litter type, hay type, hay source, feed pellet type, and any other environmental factors such as these that could be triggering an allergy.

Good luck to both of you!

Gina