[B]My Bunny Has An Abscess On Face....[B]

I was recommended this forum to see if anyone can help or suggest anything for me. Ill start from beginning, I bought my rabbits salt and pepper from a garden centre a year and a half ago. apparently they are sisters and they are both lionhead lop eared bunnies. I got them both spayed after about 6months and they had their jags etc, so everythin was ok till about 2 months ago i noticed Peppers eye getting runny. I took her to the vet and was given eyedrops (not sure exactly what they were called but they had a blue rubber bit that you squeezed to put drops in). This didnt help so i took her back again, and the vet thought she had a tear duct infection, possibly due to tooth roots being too long? anyway, she then went in for her eyes to get flushed and apparently a lot of white gunge came out her nose, and again I was given more of the same eyedrops to continue giving her then was to take her back for a check up. After flushing the tear duct her breathing was very heavy and coarse sounding, but seemed to die down. But still she was getting white discharge from her eye and also sometimes through her nose. On her check up the vet said that normally flushing the tear duct should eradicate any more discharge, and upon feeling her face (i didnt even notice it at first either) he felt a lump. it was actually quite noticeable once it was drawn to my attention, but i dont think it was there before her eye was flushed, i dont rememeber seeing or feeling anything. Any way, i was givin Baytril to put in her water as she is quite fiesty and not a lover of antibiotics going in her mouth, so putting it in water seemed easiest, and told to bring her back in 3 days. I took her back on Monday 12th May there and she got the abscess shaved, and lanced, and 2 small holes left where i was to squeeze any pus out. and her eye got flushed again i think. The vet said a lot of gunge came out through her nose, and i have been told to try and squeeze the abscess at least twice a day. I have done this and to be honest not getting anything out, the first time i tried it was the only time that something really came out. I have also got to give her 0.6ml of Metacam and 1.1ml of Baytril, both orally, once a day as well. So far pepper seems to be of good health, she was a bit off food for the first night and i havent seen her eating lots of her own pet food, but she did nibble, and she is eating lots of grass in my back garden and has eaten some treats aswell (i know, not a substitute for food but i wanted to see if shed eat anything), and she is also drinking water, and runing around as normal. The only thing she is still getting discharge from her nose, and sneezing a lot, but a lot of the time her breathing is very heavy and it sounds as if its hard for her to breathe (i assume because of the pus blocking her nasal passage). I have had a rabbit years ago and he had an abscess of the jaw and eventually had to be put down, and im scared its going to be the same for Pepper. I asked vet to be honest about the outlook and she said abscesses are never a good or easy thing to treat on a rabbit, and if antibiotics arent helping and shes still having trouble breathing, id have to think is it kinder to let her go,but she didnt want to give up without at least seeing if antibiotics help, and said wait 7-10days to see. I am going in for a check up with her tomorrow (3days after her op)and Im scared of what she suggests to do. Obviously, i love my rabbit and I really dont want her to be suffering, so if it was the kindest thing Id have to do it, but i just wondered if anyone can be of any help, advice, or anything really. Id be most grateful and Pepper would to!
Thanks
Laura + Pepper
PS if there is anything ive missed out or anything extra anyone needs to know let me know and Ill reply asap

Hi Laura! Great to see you have posted!

You'll get some good advice here!

Good luck and keep me posted

Fi x

my bunny Maa had a head abscess and the first thing your vet needs to do is get a swab of the bacteria next to the wall of the abscess, and send this off for analysis - it cost me about £30 but was money well spent as the results showed that baytril was totally ineffective, and recommended several alternatives, some of which were suitable for bunnies. We gave her a week's course of metronidazole, half a tablet ground up into mushed up pellets, plus the baytril as well, and this got rid of it along with cleaning out the pus under anaesthetic. I don't know why your vet's prescribed metacam though - I wouldn't use it in these circumstances - vague idea it causes stomach ulcers or something? Jane will know!

My rabbit Hobbes currently has an abscess under his chin. I am giving him injections of depocillin every 3 days for the next 4 weeks and then the vet will see how its going.
I have also been told to flush the abscess with Hibiscrub and water twice a day. Squeezing it won't do any good as the pus is too thick to come out.
I usually get some boiled water and let it cool so its still warm and then soak a cotton wool pad with it and use this to soften the scab which forms over the abscess. When its gone soft I'm picking the scab off and usually a small amount of pus comes out. Then I flush the abscess with a syringe full of diluted hibiscrub several times until no more pus come out.
I was quite impressed as after I did this last night I put him down on the floor and as he stamped his foot a nice big blob of pus came out!

This is the second time he has had this abscess. The first time he had baytril for a week and the depocillin injections for 12 weeks. I think your rabbit needs more than baytril to get rid of this abscess.
Could you ask your vet about using another antibiotic or maybe someone can recommend another vet in your area?

I also have given him metacam which was prescribed by the vet last time. I give it him on a bit of toast or crispbread.

oh maybe it was just my bad luck not to get metacam for Maa then - even though the vet told me he couldn't clean out the abscess without a general anaesthetic, I was expected to clean it daily with no pain relief at all :roll:

In the event, I couldn't clean it at all, so I think you are doing brilliant Estelle :shock: I had to take Maa to the vets (a different one) twice a week for them to pick of the scab and clean it out - I was just too useless to do it

Thanks Elve I must say though that I can only flush it out properly when my boyfriend is there to hold him. We wrap him in a towel and he covers his eyes to calm him down. When I'm on my own I just bathe it and pick the scab off with sterilised tweezers.

The vet gave me Metacam the first time but I saw a different vet this time and she didn't mention it. I had some left over though so I thought it would be best to give it him again as he looked a bit miserable. He's perked up a lot now and doesn't seem bothered by the abscess. Phoebe has become very protective of him now and if he comes towards me she will chase him away! :roll::lol:

thanks for the help people! i have a vet appt at 10 past 4 so im crossing my fingers that everything will go ok. I think i wouldnt be so worried or scared for the worst if the abscess was in a different place, but the fact its filling her nasal passage with pus and hindering her breathing isnt very good, ill speak to the vet and see what she has to say. i really dont want her to get to the point shes struggling to breathe

How did Pepper get on?

the vet feels that the medication shes on is the best thing to help, but i think its a case of its not going to get better, were just trying to suppress it, and as long as pepper is ok its just a case of keeping on antibiotics for a while longer and go back in 3 weeks to see what vet thinks then. I had been told of Manuka Honey (think thats it) and told vet about that, she said shes not sure itd work but shes interested in alternative therapies. Peppers wee hole has closed up though so will need to be lanced again before we can pack it with honey,and vet hasnt suggested doing that just yet. Before i buy the honey i hear it expensive, does anyone know if it actually does work? thanks people

has the vet actually removed the abscess? i had a bun with a facial abscess and the abscess was removed rather than lanced, then a swab done to find the best antibiotic. I found baytril did no good at all and i have heard this said alot! You need to find the cause to help get rid of it although abscesses are notourious for returning. Where abouts is the abscess exactly? could it be caused by tooth roots? has an x-ray been done?
sorry for all the questions! i just know what it's like having cared for my bunny joon for 6 months. I tryed everything to help her and have alot of knowledge now! sadly i had to let her go but I hope that you can find some answers to help you bunny.

yes Manuka honey does work. If you are not happy with your vets treatment though then do think about finding another one. It sounds to me like the baytril isn't working and another antibiotic is needed :?

the vet hasnt removed the abscess, shes said because of where it is that it cant be removed. its literally right between her eye and nose, and its obstruction her breathing a bit at times when pus is filling her wee nostril and the vet said because of location it just cant be taken out. I also asked about a swab and she said 99% of the time its the Pasterualla virus or something, and baytril is whats used on that. thats not to say that pepper isnt the 1% who hasnt got that type though!! and the reason for abscss she thinks is a tooth root infection, or overgrown etc. I asked about takin the teeth out but apparatnyl top teeth especially back ones cant be taken out because of the way they need to be removed, apparently they need to be punched out and its too dangerous on a rabbits tiny head and close to an eye. these are things i have been told anyway. no xrays bee done though!!! bunny mad lisa i had a rabbit about 8 years ago and he got an abscess inder his chin and eventually went in to bone and he had to be put down, so i know how sad it is to let them go, but i want to try help pepper as much as i can. i really dont want her to suffer though. thats the main thing. shes only a year and a half old though, not old at all to die!!!! but her breathing can be very laboured when her nose gets pus coming down it, its almost like when we have a blocked nose excpet we can breath through mouths easily.the vet says it wont go away but we bascially just want to suppress the damage it does to her breathing so shes not suffering. i am thinking that maybe i will try another vet just for another opinion. does anybody know any good rabbit specialist vets in the central region of scotland? i am from falkirk. most grateful ps thanks estelle, i think i may try get some honey and give it a bash , have to get the vet to open up abscess again but hopefully itll help!!!

I would seek a second opinion from another Vet

Whilst Baytril is often effective against Pasteurella it is often less effective in head abscesses. My Vet always prescribes Depocillin Injections for 'Dental Abscesses'.

Here are some sources of information which I would print off to show your current Vet when you request a referral for a second opinion :

http://www.theveterinarian.com.au/clinicalreview/article131.asp

http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/40/3/1044?view=full&pmid=11880435

http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~jwmoore/bicillin/bicillin.htm

http://www.ontariorabbits.org/health/healthinfo1.1.htm

http://www.ontariorabbits.org/health/healthinfo1.1.htm

I would certainly not even consider giving up on Pepper without trying other treatment options.

Good luck

Janex

im taking pepper to vets today, her breathing has gotten very bad, shes struggling going to a different one who is more specialised ... im feeling a tad scared for my bun ok not a tad scared, a lot scared!!!

lauramc888 said:

im taking pepper to vets today, her breathing has gotten very bad, shes struggling going to a different one who is more specialised ... im feeling a tad scared for my bun ok not a tad scared, a lot scared!!!

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Poor Bun I hope the new Vet can help. Please keep us updated.

Janex

Willow had an abscess attached to larynx it was getting bigger and bigger but vet didn't want to operate as she was over 6[quite old for a frenchie]and said eventually she would have to be put to sleep,probably in the next couple of weeks the rate it was growing.Then Will took a turn for the better,it was like she was a baby again so i persuaded vet to go ahead as what did we have to lose if she'd have to be PTS.She survived op but it couldn't be totally removed cos of where it was.She went to vet twice a week for wound to be irrigated and lived many months after.She died 3days after having all clear from abscess ,her death was nothing to do with the abscess,she was just an old lady[almost 7]

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff244/willowholly/Img0134.jpg



Our vet holding Will up at window to show us she had survived op.I was so so releaved.She really was my baby.A very special bun.

awww poor willow, she was gorgeous too, its so sad losing a pet especially one you love so much i took pepper to a different vet and i found the vet very pleasant. Tomorrow pepper is going in for an xray (shell be knocked out) and shes getting an endescope thing put up her nose for a look (poor thing, lucky shell be sleeping) and then its a case of seeing what the results are! vet has mentioned using injectable penicillin and explained its not licensed for rabbit use but it has helped rabbits before, and possible beads put in abscess. she told me that its not going to be a cure if cant eliminate problem (esp if is a overgrown toothroot) but hopefully makes the quality of peppers last few (years i hope!!!) go well. it makes me feel a bit better knowing that willows abscess cleared up though! i want a miracle for my pepper too. just a shame that after fighting to beat abscess willow had to be taken vet had asked if i wanted to leave pepper overnight, but no way!!! just in case my wabbit doesnt wake up 2moro im spending tonight with her!

awww I hope she's going to be OK - glad you've found a more helpful vet too - first thing mine did with Maa's head abscess was take a swab of the pus near the abscess wall and send it to lab - it wasn't hard to do and saved a lot of time messing about with baytril

lauramc888 said:

awww poor willow, she was gorgeous too, its so sad losing a pet especially one you love so much i took pepper to a different vet and i found the vet very pleasant. Tomorrow pepper is going in for an xray (shell be knocked out) and shes getting an endescope thing put up her nose for a look (poor thing, lucky shell be sleeping) and then its a case of seeing what the results are! vet has mentioned using injectable penicillin and explained its not licensed for rabbit use but it has helped rabbits before, and possible beads put in abscess. she told me that its not going to be a cure if cant eliminate problem (esp if is a overgrown toothroot) but hopefully makes the quality of peppers last few (years i hope!!!) go well. it makes me feel a bit better knowing that willows abscess cleared up though! i want a miracle for my pepper too. just a shame that after fighting to beat abscess willow had to be taken vet had asked if i wanted to leave pepper overnight, but no way!!! just in case my wabbit doesnt wake up 2moro im spending tonight with her!

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oh i hope all goes well for you both.I stayed with Will until vet took her through then i waited outside whilst she was under,expecting the worst.Even my hubby drove out to sit with me.We were so happy when the vet brought her out.Only then did we go home knowing she was ok.We picked her up later.My bond with Will was so so special which is why im loathed to ruin my bond with B by getting her a partner[sorry going back to another thread now]Everything is crossed for you both.