08/31/2026
Star just wants to remind you to always go with your gut and seek a second opinion when you don't get the support you need!!
Star saw the vet a few weeks ago for some sore hocks, and since this was a new vet, we wanted a full workup and second opinion on her "allergies."
When Star came to us from a hoarding case, we were told she was a little sneezy. She was also making a weird sound in her throat that was concerning, especially for a brachycephalic bunny.
It was hard to arrange transport to get Star to the vet, but when she finally went to her many appointments, we were always told that that it was probably just allergies. Probably.
Several exam fees, several frustrated conversations of "Please just try antibiotics or a culture or something." But we were always told she had allergies and nothing was ever done. We eventually had no choice but to agree because we had lots of bunnies needing to be seen and who are we to question a diagnosis?
So we went with it, but some of us were never convinced.
Eventually, she started attending adoption events and we got to experience what was actually happening over the course of a full day. It was way worse than what we were being told. Definitely not "just allergies."
She had to go in to see our new partner vet for her sore hocks anyway, so when her appointment was scheduled, our president reached out to the new vet about Star's situation and the frustration of miscommunication, lack of understanding, and (dare we say) pure ignorance? She told them exactly what she wanted and why it was frustrating to just be told she had allergies when she clearly did not.
And guess what? She was exactly right.
Star DOES NOT have allergies.
She had a lower airway infection. And she had this whole
One person never gave up trying even when everyone else did. And Star is much more comfortable and happier because of it!!
So if you're reading this and thinking, why didn't anyone do anything sooner??
Well, because we lost everything a few months ago. That includes our funding, emergency fund and all, was gone after one person at a practice who we trusted, turned our world upside down because of a fundraiser idea she didn't like. This became a major source of focus for awhile, and then if you remember, we didn't even know Star had a problem until recent adoption events told us she did.
Unfortunately, due to her temporary situation, which turned not so temporary due to lack of foster availability, we had very little idea how bad it really was. If we had known, we would've found a way to move her sooner and get her the help she needed! Is this life threatening? No, and likely wouldn't be for a very long time, but it had to be uncomfortable and comfort always matters!
Thanks to close friends, rescue partners, and unique fundraiser ideas, we've been able to put together our emergency fund again and are slowly getting back to normal operations!!
Star has since made a full recovery and is no longer the sneezy, allergy bunny we were made to believe she was!
Once again, daily sneezing and any kind of sneezing fit is NEVER normal for bunnies. If your bunny is sneezing with clear discharge that makes your vet refuse any kind of antibiotics, request a nasal culture be done to rule out silent infections like pasturella overgrowth, or in Star's case, a lower airway infection.
We have since revised our emergency foster protocol to ensure that this does not happen again. We really thought that all hope was lost when we lost our original vet partner, but things are working out much better now!
The purpose of this post is not necessarily to blame anyone at any point, but to encourage getting a second opinion if you feel like something isn't right! Your gut instinct could be correct!!
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We need to raise money for Wally and Clove's booster vaccines! Any amount helps!!
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