Doe sneezing.

[6riversfarms]

Hi guys and gals. I have a 7 month old doe that has been sneezing the last few days. She rubs her nose with her front paws sometimes after sneezing. I checked her very closely this morning and there is no discharge from the nose and she looks fine everywhere else as well. She is eating and drinking normally. Could it be allergies?Any ideas on what is wrong and how to fix it?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You should quarantine her just to be safe. Hopefully it is allergies, but it could also be something contagious.

Are her pellets dusty? Do you feed hay? Have you switched bedding? Did a certain plant start blooming?

 

[6riversfarms]

Well eveything is the same in the rabbitry. I do feed a high quality bermuda hay tht I grow. The rabbits all have a constant supply. I feed in fine-x feeders and they are pretty good at seperating the fines. I quarantined her yesterday. The tallow trees, which i consider an invasive weed, have just started putting on catkins so that may be it. As far as bedding i dont use any except in the nest boxes.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hmmm. Wait and see, I guess. Hoping for the best for you both!

 

[6riversfarms]

I appreciate it MSD. I think im gonna take her off hay for a day or two and just feed her a little more pellets during that time to compensate. At least there is no runny nose.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I appreciate it MSD. I think im gonna take her off hay for a day or two and just feed her a little more pellets during that time to compensate. At least there is no runny nose.

I would quarantine her just to be safe...

I have a Rex doe that sneezes her head off when I hand out hay, or sweep the floor or clean the slant boards, basically anything that stirs up the air in the shed. I quarantined her when it first started happening, but then I figured out she was just sensitive.

 

[6riversfarms]

This morning she didnt sneeze one time in the hour or so I was in the barn. Im gonna keep her seperated at least another day but I am strongly starting to suspect that she is just being irritated by dust or pollen We got a nice rain yesterday afternoon which settled the dust and I believe that relieved her symptons

 

[MamaSheepdog]

That's good news!

 

[Miss M]

Our first doe had allergies, and I was relieved when I figured out that's what it was.

Some of her offspring had allergies. I remember one meat bun in particular who would absolutely sneeze its poor little head off! I was amazed it never passed out from not having time to breathe!

 

[6riversfarms]

Well I have isolated Rose's allergin, or at least the primary one. It was the tallow trees. Out of curiosity I pulled a catkin off of a tallow tree and another from a vine that is blooming. I put my hand on the outside of her cage after pulling the tallow catkin and she started sneezing like crazy. I washed my hands very well and then rubbed the vine catkin on my hand and repeated. She had no reaction whatsoever to the vine pollen. Should I go ahead and put her back in her regular accomidations? I am going to need the quarantine area for my new rabbits.

 

[MaggieJ]

I'd try the experiment with the tallow tree pollen a second time, just to be sure. And I'd leave her in quarantine until just before you get the new rabbits.

 

[6riversfarms]

Thanks Maggie. I tried it again and the tallow pollen is definatly an irritant to her.