Q&A for How to Care for a Sneezing Rabbit

The most likely reason is that the rabbit loves you! Bonded rabbits will mutually groom one another as a sign of affection. Some rabbits mimic this behavior by licking their owner. It might be nice to stroke the rabbit to return the favor.

Hay can be dusty, and it does indeed irritate the respiratory tract, causing sneezing. However, if the nasal discharge is snotty, then this is most likely to be an infection. Look for green hay that smells fresh and is dust-free. Dusty hay is often a sign of poor quality feed.

Keep the rabbit as warm and stress-free as possible. Make sure the hutch is somewhere warm, and provide plenty of bedding for the rabbit to snuggle down in. Provide a hutch or hide, since rabbits feel especially vulnerable when ill. Carefully monitor if the rabbit is eating regularly, and if not, contact your vet and syringe-feed a liquid diet suitable for rabbits, such as herbivore critical. The rabbit should be fed at least every four hours in order to stop the gut going into stasis. If the rabbit refuses food or stops passing pellets, then veterinary attention is critical.

Yes, but it is usually a sign of a cold or an infection. Rabbits rarely sneeze but, when they do, it is usually to try to blow mucus or a discharge out of their nose. Rabbits only breathe through their noses (not mouths) so it's important to keep this area clean.

Yes. Rabbits aren't particularly hardy animals. They struggle in extremes of temperature such as cold or heat. However, simple measures, such as giving the rabbit a deep bed of straw, will allow the rabbit to burrow down and keep warm in colder weather.

The term snuffles refers to infection in the upper part of a rabbit's respiratory tract. (A bit like a head cold.) The symptoms include a runny nose and sneezing, runny eyes, and wet cheeks. The discharge may start clear but become white or yellow-green with time. The rabbit might also stop eating and stay in one place, hunched in the hutch.