Yes, we've nebulized rabbits on many occasions and it's often very effective.

First the necessary disclaimer: I'm not a veterinarian, so please don't take my advice as the gospel truth on the matter. Be sure to discuss this and all other treatments with an experienced rabbit veterinarian.

The particular cocktail of meds we use when we nebulize (thanks to Dr. Susan Kelleher!) is:

• sterile saline (acts a a carrier for the meds and it helps to moisturize nasal passages) - enough to fill the nebulizing cup after the other meds
• 0.25 cc Mucomyst/Mucosil (helps to break up mucous in the airways)
• 0.5 cc Amminophylline (opens the airways)
• 1 cc antibiotic

*** Please note that these are the prescribed amounts for the particular rabbit we're currently nebulizing. They may or may not be the correct dose for another rabbit. Consult with your veterinarian. ***

Many years ago we nebulized with just saline and antibiotic and it was nowhere near as effective as the cocktail described above.

There are several ways you can administer nebulized medications. Two of the most common are a nebulizing chamber and a nebulizing mask. My personal preference is for masking because more of the medicine makes its way into the rabbit and less is wasted; I think masking is more effective than a chamber and prefer it if at all possible.

The chamber can be done a few different ways. The way I've done it is to buy a plastic storage box large enough to fit the rabbit comfortably. I prefer a translucent box so that I can actually see the rabbit as he's being nebulized. I cut a hole in one end large enough to fit the nebulizing mouthpiece and I tape the opposite end of the mouthpiece to prevent all of the medication from going out the wrong end. I put the rabbit in the box, attach the medicine piece and the mouthpiece to the box and turn it on. It's pretty simple; but, as I mentioned, there is a fair amount of waste this way. It's a bit of a trade off, though, because some rabbits might not tolerate masking as well and the chamber might be less stressful for them.

To make a mask for nebulizing, I cleaned out a 2-liter soda bottle, put several layers of vet wrap over the back, slit the vet wrap for his head to stick through, attached the nebulizing mouthpiece to the small hole on the bottle/mask and I wrap the back end of the mask (and around his neck-- gently, but snug) with an ace bandage to keep most of the mist inside the mask.

To get a bit more specific (I know it's difficult to picture this through an email description):

• I cut the soda bottle off somewhere above halfway.
• This leaves the bottle/mask with two holes. The small hole (the one that the bottle cap goes on) is where I attached the nebulizer mouthpiece. The large hole (from where I cut the bottle apart) gets covered with several layers of vet wrap over the opening (kinda like a drum). I used tape to hold the ends of the vet wrap onto the sides of the bottle.
• Next, I cut a slit in the vet wrap so that the rabbit's head could fit through.
• When I place his head through the slit, there is still a fair amount of leakage so I wrap the large end of the bottle with vet wrap/ace bandages and continue to wrap as I go off the bottle and around his neck. This helps to seal the mask off a bit and it helps to hold the mask on better.

It sounds really awful but our chronic nebulizer patient is a perfect angel about the whole thing as long as I stay there beside him while he's got the mask on. I've had friends and family visit when we were doing his treatment and nobody can believe that he's so calm about having something stuck over his head. He's very clever, though, and he knows the routine so well that he knows exactly when it's time for him to get the mask off. If I'm even one second late he starts backing up and trying to back out of the mask!

In most areas the nebulizing unit (air compressor, hose and medicine cup/mouthpiece) seem to be in the $100 range.

I wouldn't want to spend nearly $40 on a chamber for a couple of reasons:

• I strongly recommend using a mask rather than a chamber to nebulize. Less of the medicine is wasted and more of it ends up in the rabbit's respiratory tract, which is where you want it (not all over the rabbit's fur, which is what happens when you use a chamber)
• Even if you do wish to use a chamber it's very easy and inexpensive to make your own.

All you really need to purchase is the air compressor with the hose and medicine cup/mouthpiece.

I hope this helps!

Kirk Lowis, M.A.
Co-Chapter Manager
Michigan House Rabbit Society