Why can't my dwarf rabbit stop sneezing?
Q I HAVE a nine-month-old dwarf rabbit called Scotty who is prone to attacks of sneezing.
He soon recovers and I have tried changing the type of bedding but nothing seems to make any difference. Can you help?
Pat, Bucks
A SNEEZING and snorting can be caused by a variety of problems.
I would keep a diary of when it happens as detective work is often required to get to the bottom of the problem.
It could be caused by an allergy, for example, and this would normally occur within half an hour of exposure to the cause.
All sorts of things could be the problem, from dust to cigarette smoke. It is also important to change the bedding frequently to avoid the build up of ammonia.
This predisposes the rabbit to pneumonia. You should be able to detect ammonia by the smell.
Apart from allergies one common cause is a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract.
Rabbit breeders and enthusiasts call this “snuffles”. In these cases you might detect a nasal discharge.
I usually send a sample of this to a laboratory, which will specify the bacterium causing the problem and advise on the best antibiotic to
use.
Antibiotics need to be used carefully in rabbits for as short a period as possible due to potential side effects.
