wet nose

[deleur2]

I KNOW that I have read some where in here about wet noses and wet paws. I can't locate it, so I have to ask. My doe sneezes a lot, and her nose is damp also. I can't really tell about her paws though. What could it be and what can I do to help her? Nothing has changed in her environment. I did change pellets but she was sneezing well before that. OH and my 5 week old has some pretty soft poop now, I guess from the pellets or the timothy hay....any suggestions?!
THANKS~

 

[Zass]

A feed switch can cause soft poo. Actually, on a five week old, a feed switch can make them much more susceptible to all sorts of digestive problems.

The hay can help him through it, if it's good quality hay.

Sneezing clear snot could be from drinking water from a bowl and getting her nose wet, dusty hay or feed, allergies, being in a dusty location, ammonia, or anything else that may be irritating.
You will want to make sure she stays separate from other rabbits while your figuring it out.

Watch closely for thick or white colored snot, which is a sign of infection.

 

[akane]

Wet noses and sneezing can be a sign of a very serious contagious illness. The paws get wet and matted from wiping the face when the snot is thick and irritating. You should be cautious but there are tons of things that can cause minor respiratory symptoms and are harmless. Just start reducing possible respiratory irritants and clean everything up well to make sure there's no hidden source of mold or ammonia. Allergies to hay are uncommon but possible.

 

[Miss M]

I agree, isolate her if you can, tend to her last.

I had a doe with allergies. It's nerve-wracking trying to figure out whether a rabbit is allergic or has water up her nose, or if she has a sickness that could wipe out your other rabbits.

Just follow Zass' and Akane's suggestions, and you should be able to figure out what's going on.

If she's sneezing snot and you aren't around to see it, the insides of the front paws will feel like you rubbed egg white into the fur and let it dry all spiky. We call it "matted paws", even though it isn't true matting. It's just dried mucus in the fur, from the rabbit cleaning it from its nose. If you find that, the rabbit is actually ill, and probably quite contagious to other rabbits.

 

[ladysown]

Just remember... if this rabbit is a breeding animal do not use her in your breeding program until she stops sneezing completely. If it's allergies I wouldn't use her as you don't want to continue the problem via her offspring, if it's illness you won't want to continue that immunological weakness.