Rabbits are easy and profitable to breed. But breeders should always remember that these cute fluffy animals can often get sick. Each symptom that indicates an illness should be treated carefully. A disease detected in time can be easily cured, thus preventing the animal from suffering. According to the observations of experienced rabbit owners, eared ones sneeze most often. This symptom can indicate many pathologies. Therefore, it is important to quickly find out the exact reason why a rabbit sneezes in order to correctly treat the animal.
Why do rabbits sneeze
Reasons for sneezing in a rabbit can be:
- physiological reactions to factors of the external environment (stress, poor housing and feeding conditions, non-compliance with the temperature regime);
- the development of a non-contagious disease due to hypothermia, allergies, trauma;
- infectious diseases.
To find out the exact final diagnosis, it is recommended to show the rabbit to a veterinarian. This will help treat the animal correctly, prevent the spread of the pathological process, and reduce the risk of complications (in case of an infectious lesion).
A rabbit sneezes without snot
Sneezing in the eardrum without discharge from the nose indicates that the pathology is not contagious. The symptom manifests itself due to various factors, which are better to detect in time and quickly eliminate.
- Stressful situation. Sneezing under stress is not accompanied by rhinitis, lacrimation. It usually occurs when the animal is moved to a new rabbitry, fright, or a sudden change in diet. Passes independently after the normalization of the rabbit’s psychological state, getting used to a new irritating factor.
- Bad living conditions. Dust, dirt in cages, frequent litter change. Non-compliance with the permissible temperature in the room, high concentration of ammonia, CO2, lack of ventilation. Staying near sources of pungent odors (paints, varnishes, fertilizers, disinfectants). Exposure to direct sunlight. The above factors can also cause discharge from the nose. Eliminate the irritant: rinse the animal’s nose with water several times.
- Wrong diet. If the products are selected incorrectly, they can cause sneezing without snot, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Establish a proper diet, exclude from the list products to which the rabbit has food intolerance.
- Dry air. The mucous membrane of the nose of rabbits is very sensitive, it quickly dries out in a room with low humidity (below 40%), and starts to get inflamed. Irritation stimulates the sneezing reflex in animals. Moisten dry air – turn on the humidifier, place containers with water.
- Allergy. The following factors can cause it: litter filler; the introduction of foods that cause allergies; deodorants; dust; medicines The rabbit sneezes, coughs, hoarseness, and lacrimation appear. It is difficult to determine the cause of an allergic reaction on your own. It is recommended to consult a veterinarian. The complex of medical measures includes elimination of the allergen, taking antihistamines.
- Injury to the nose. Accompanied by sneezing, snoring, frequent breathing. Doctor’s consultation with further therapy (antiseptic treatment of the injured nose, application of painkillers, ointments with heparin – to dissolve hematomas).
When surgery is necessary
If the rabbit, in addition to sneezing, has bloody discharge from the nose (often happens when a foreign object hits, a fracture), mucus, pus is released, then the pathological process is quite serious. An increase in temperature, intermittent breathing indicate congestion in the sinuses. Such signs require immediate surgical intervention. If the rabbit is not helped urgently, it will die.
Rabbit snot and sneezing
Sneezing in rabbits is often accompanied by snot, which occurs with various cold diseases, both contagious and not. If the animal is not treated, the infection can descend into the lower respiratory tract, cause bronchitis, and inflammation of the lungs. Since most colds begin with rhinorrhea, treatment should be started quickly.
Symptoms of colds
Non-infectious origin, non-contagious.
- sneeze
- cough
- lacrimation
- runny nose (clear discharge), crusts near the nose
- slight increase in temperature
- increased fatigue
With an infectious etiology (caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi), contagious.
- sneeze
- cough
- severe swelling of the nasal mucosa
- rhinitis (discharges are thick, white, yellow, with green admixtures)
- lacrimation, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes
- hypochondria
- decreased appetite or complete refusal to eat
- temperature rise of more than 40°C
- difficult breathing, hoarseness, shortness of breath and cough, audible whistling when breathing
What to treat
Only a veterinarian can determine the nature of a cold in a rabbit after conducting tests. Therefore, in order not to waste time before receiving test results, therapy begins with preventive measures:
- Isolation of the eardrum with signs of a cold (sneezing, snot).
- Disinfection of the rabbit hutch, inventory.
- From the moment of isolation until full recovery, the rabbit should be kept warm (you can put a heating pad, turn on an infrared lamp).
- Control of housing conditions – temperature in the room (necessarily – frequent ventilation), food (vitaminized), air humidity.
Carrying out daily hygienic processing of the nose:
- Removal of crusts around the nostrils (for softening, use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution).
- Rinsing of the nasal concha (you can use physiological solution, boiled water).
- Treatment of the mucous membrane of the nose with vaseline oil (the use of oxolin ointment is allowed).
Instillation of medicines:
- Furatsilin solution (1 tablet is crushed, dissolved in 100 ml of hot boiled water). The cooled solution is instilled with a pipette 10 drops per day, in each nostril, for 14 days.
- A mixture of penicillin and novocaine (20,000 units of penicillin are diluted in 1 ml of 0.25% solution of novocaine). The prepared mixture is dripped into each nostril 1-2 drops 3 times a day. This tool relieves pain, helps to relieve swelling, prevents the development of bacterial infection.
- Food antibiotic – Biomycin (dissolved in warm water before feeding) – 1 mg per day per rabbit for 5-7 days is added to the feed.
- Inhalations with essential oils (eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender, clove) – 1 drop per 1 liter of water, or with decoctions of herbs (mint, chamomile, sage, fennel) are carried out for 7 days for 15 minutes a day.
A common cold in a rabbit can quickly pass if all the above recommendations are followed.
When the bacterial etiology of the disease is confirmed by tests, the veterinarian prescribes stronger antibiotics:
- Chloramphenicol (levomycetin) – 30 mg/kg once a day intramuscularly.
- Marbocil 2% – by injection twice a day at 0.1 mg per 1 kg of rabbit body weight.
- Baytril 5% – 0.3 mg per 1 kg of body weight (by injection or as part of feed).
The course of antibacterial therapy is 5-7 days.
It is important not to stop treatment with antibiotics earlier than the period recommended by the veterinarian (even if the animal has become much better and looks healthy). After antibiotic therapy, it is recommended to give a sample of probiotics to restore the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract (linex, khilak forte).
A decorative rabbit sneezes
A pet is prone to the same diseases as its relatives on the farm. Such a symptom as sneezing is not excluded. In most cases, a decorative rabbit sneezes as a result of inhaling dust, eating allergenic products, or catching a cold. Exclusion of irritating factors, moving the cell to a warmer place, adjusting the food ration will help the pet to always be healthy.
What to feed during illness
When a rabbit is sick, it needs a carefully selected diet. He increases the amount of dried grass, juicy root crops, high-quality hay (in winter). The menu is enriched with vitamin and mineral premixes to strengthen the immunity of the ear.
Rosemary, dill, mint, chamomile, basil are added to the animal’s food every day. Useful decoctions are also made from these medicinal plants, and animals with a cold are treated with them. Drinking bowls with water are monitored without fail – the animal must drink a lot.
Prevention measures
- Adherence to proper rabbit breeding conditions (daily cleaning and changing of litter in cages, constant disinfection).
- Placing the rabbit hutch in shaded places, without drafts.
- Feeding with fresh, high-quality feed with a high vitamin content.
- Weekly inspection of animals, isolation of individuals suspected of having the disease (sneezing, snotty, inactive).
- Scheduled vaccination against viral diseases.
If you follow all the recommendations for the care of rabbits, feed them correctly, monitor their health, make vaccinations on time, treat them with love, you can not worry that the animals will get sick. With the right approach to breeding, the risks of disease are reduced to a minimum.