Does anyone have any Positive abcess stories?UD 26th- Still not right.

I'm feeling really down about Mackenzie & his possible jaw abcess. He will be back at the vets tomorrow (6th time this month) but everything I have read on the subject today keeps stressing what a poor prognosis it is.

He has been through so much, especially with his teeth, and after the operation to sort everything it is so unfair this is happening to him. He has been such a brave little soldier.

He is only around 2 years old.

Can anyone give me any good news?

Is the abscess confined to soft tissue or does he have osteomyelitis ?

Sorrel has had her jaw abcess - or what remains of it - for over two years now. I know that it's an ongoing problem requiring flushing out/abx etc but honestly she has never seemed at all poorly and is so full of life and into everything....as I'm sure you saw for yourself. If they hadn't told me it had been there I would never have known she was poorly.

Thinking of you and Mackenzie x

Jack's-Jane said:

Is the abscess confined to soft tissue or does he have osteomyelitis ?

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I will find out tomorrow, he may have to have x-rays. Personally I suspect it's already in the bone due to the position, angle & entry point....I would be over the moon if it could be excised whole but I doubt it. I always had a fear with his teeth he was a candidate for osteomyelitis.

Just clinging to the tiniest hope it might be something else.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=132520&highlight=Tinkerbell

Here's Tinkerbells story. Five months on and she is still absess free

no storys but wishing all the luck in the world xxx

Sooz said:

I will find out tomorrow, he may have to have x-rays. Personally I suspect it's already in the bone due to the position, angle & entry point....I would be over the moon if it could be excised whole but I doubt it. I always had a fear with his teeth he was a candidate for osteomyelitis.

Just clinging to the tiniest hope it might be something else.

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Well if there is only minimal boney involvement I have seen good results with surgical excision of the abscess and then a course of either Depocillin or Ceporex.
Here's hoping the abscess is still confined to soft tissue.

*lily* said:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=132520&highlight=Tinkerbell

Here's Tinkerbells story. Five months on and she is still absess free

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Thanks Lily...how many times did I post on that thread?!:lol:
It's so much easier to give advice when it's not your own rabbit.

clutterydraw said:

Sorrel has had her jaw abcess - or what remains of it - for over two years now. I know that it's an ongoing problem requiring flushing out/abx etc but honestly she has never seemed at all poorly and is so full of life and into everything....as I'm sure you saw for yourself. If they hadn't told me it had been there I would never have known she was poorly.

Thinking of you and Mackenzie x

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Yes, I wouldn't have known anything was wrong with Sorrel if I hadn't been told. Do you think it will ever heal up though or has she got it for life?

Was it attached to the bone or just tissue?

Jack's-Jane said:

Well if there is only minimal boney involvement I have seen good results with surgical excision of the abscess and then a course of either Depocillin or Ceporex.
Here's hoping the abscess is still confined to soft tissue.

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I'm kicking myself for not putting him on Ceporex earlier.
I was given the choice....I made the wrong one

Charlie had two jaw abscesses that developed after the vet extracted her incisor (in a horrific way)... both were removed as I don't think it had gone into the bone. Due to the cutterage of the abscesses she did develop calcified bony lumps on her jaw, one the size of a small grape. She didn't develop any further abscesses though.

Fingers crossed it hasn't spread to the bone.

charlie82 said:

Charlie had two jaw abscesses that developed after the vet extracted her incisor (in a horrific way)... both were removed as I don't think it had gone into the bone. Due to the cutterage of the abscesses she did develop calcified bony lumps on her jaw, one the size of a small grape. She didn't develop any further abscesses though.

Fingers crossed it hasn't spread to the bone.

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How long did it take the bone to calcify noticeably?
This lump has appeared between Tuesday & Saturday night.
*senses she is clutching at straws*

Sooz said:

How long did it take the bone to calcify noticeably?
This lump has appeared between Tuesday & Saturday night.
*senses she is clutching at straws*

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Within a matter of weeks. I was convinced it was another abscess...the vet said he couldn't even feel it :? Three vets at the same surgery said it was another abscess (even though it blatantly felt solid) but they wanted to leave it. Then I went to another vet where she had x-rays etc and it was calcified bone.

I had a bunny Alfie read here
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=71352&highlight=bone+absess

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=73900&highlight=update+alfie

bluebunny said:

I had a bunny Alfie read here
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=71352&highlight=bone+absess

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=73900&highlight=update+alfie

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Thank you

Charlie82 said:

Within a matter of weeks. I was convinced it was another abscess...the vet said he couldn't even feel it Three vets at the same surgery said it was another abscess (even though it blatantly felt solid) but they wanted to leave it. Then I went to another vet where she had x-rays etc and it was calcified bone.

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It is very, very hard, I cannot 'squidge it' or move it about. It's slightly to one side at the front of his mandible. He dosn't mind me touching it anymore than he mins me going near his mouth...infact he prefers it to me going in his mouth.

It seems hot to the touch though, like infection tends to. :?

Sooz said:

Thank you




It is very, very hard, I cannot 'squidge it' or move it about. It's slightly to one side at the front of his mandible. He dosn't mind me touching it anymore than he mins me going near his mouth...infact he prefers it to me going in his mouth.

It seems hot to the touch though, like infection tends to. :?

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I don't recall Charlie's feeling hot to touch (it was a few years ago), but it was very, very hard. That's why I was unsure if it was an abscess, it didn't have a 'squidge' to it and it didn't move around. It was also slightly to one side of her mandible.

She had smaller lumps that were also calcified lumps that had developed as a result of her roots growing into her jaw. The vet refused to acknowledge that she had dental problems, so by the time I found 'decent' rabbit vet there had been some overgrowth....her teeth were not able to grow upwards so were pushing through the roots. How she didn't develop osteomyelitis I will never know....

Sooz said:

Yes, I wouldn't have known anything was wrong with Sorrel if I hadn't been told. Do you think it will ever heal up though or has she got it for life?

Was it attached to the bone or just tissue?

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I think it was just tissue. I'm not sure about whether it will heal...from when I first got her it has improved loads. At one point there was another hole from which pus drained into her mouth and that has healed up now indicating improvement. she is still reluctant to have it cleaned, suggesting pain, but then I imagine most buns would be reluctant to have a cotton bud poked right inside them.

Last time we were at the vet they said to keep her on the baytril and to use manuka honey in the hole. i'm going to see how it does and maybe discuss using a different antibiotic in future to see if it could clear it up completely.

The trouble with Sorrel is she also has spurs, overgrown roots and a host of other issues so it's all a bit complicated...her mouth is not in a good way. But I am just grateful she that she seems contented despite it all.

I gave you Jess's story, and all I can say is she is still here after the vet suggested PTS, she'shad one relapse. We treated it with betamox for 3 weeks and she is clear again. She is now bonded with 2 other rabbits and is a happy, healthy bunny.
Hope all goes well tomorrow.

I have hed good results with three rabbits with abcess, all using manuka honey.One had two abcess, one on the back running down to the side with another huge one,one on the jaw running up behind the eye, the other , the other on the face. The worst one was the one that went behind the eye. The rabbit had been rehomed from me and he later had one in his chin. This was treated by the vet in the usual way. Some three months later he was here on hols and another came up on his cheek. The owners were going to give up on him but i asked if i could try the honey as i had had a cure for two other rabbits i had treated. They agreed. The vet operated to try to take out the thing whole but it has spread past the eye and the vet could reach that part. The wound was left open.The wound was from under the eye to under the chin to the middle of the mouth. For three days i flushed once a day with diluted peroxid then packed the huge hole out with the honey. By the third day there was no more pus and i then just kept putting in honey till the would closed on its own.Once the whole had closed that was it. He went home . This was three months ago and i carnt wait till xmas comes when hes coming back to me to stay. It rearly is worth a go. val

Benji had an abscess on his mouth - it was nasty, and it split his whole top lip from his nose on the one side, because it was in his mouth he had injected antibiotic and pain killer, instead of oral, and it cleared up really well.... I guess yours could be a lot worse, but they can clear up!!

Thank you. I've only had minor experience of an abcess in one of the rescue's...it was on his outer upper lip, flesh only and was excised whole so after 2 weeks of Ceporex he was right as rain.

I've had a look at the manuka honey but Holland & Baratt only go up to about 16 UMF....where can you get the stronger stuff?