Butons has an abcsess

I was giving him some fuss this afternoon when i noticed he had some loose fur on his neck. it was just molting fur but i felt a big lump under his chin. I wouldn't have noticed it if i hadn't been fussing him as it just looks like a normal rabbit double chin. I took him straight to the vet and I was told it is an abscess. Penny had 2 from nips she picked up in bonding but Buttons hasn't been bitten. I can't understand how he's got it. The vet thinks he may have got a splinter from marking his scent with it being under his chin but I can't see it. He now needs an operation and I'm scared to death. He's a healthy strong rabbit but he's nearly 3 and I've been told it's 50/50 weather he makes it through the operation just because he's a rabbit and he needs to be anesthetized. I can't get my head around it. He's had 2 antibiotic injections today and Ive been given baytril to give him twice a day. Please somebody tell me he's going to be ok.

Firstly is your Vet experienced with treating Rabbit's ?

GA protocol for Rabbits has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and really the risks for a Rabbit should be no more than for any other species as long as the Vet's anaesthesia knowledge is good enough for the particular species being treated.

Abscesses under the chin are often tooth root related. Did your Vet mention this.
I would certainly want a thorough Dental examination done during the surgery and skull radiographs taken if necessary.

My Vet anaethetises 100s of Rabbits and very, very rarely looses one. Those that she has lost have had previously undiagnosed lung problems.

Rabbit abscesses need aggressive treatment from the outset and Dental abscesses can be particularly trying to treat. It would be helpful to get a sample of tissue from the abscess wall sent off for culture and sensitivities so as the most appropriate antibiotic can be prescribed.

Good post operative analgesia is absolutely essential.

Jack's-Jane said:

Firstly is your Vet experienced with treating Rabbit's ?

GA protocol for Rabbits has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and really the risks for a Rabbit should be no more than for any other species as long as the Vet's anaesthesia knowledge is good enough for the particular species being treated.

Abscesses under the chin are often tooth root related. Did your Vet mention this.
I would certainly want a thorough Dental examination done during the surgery and skull radiographs taken if necessary.

My Vet anaethetises 100s of Rabbits and very, very rarely looses one. Those that she has lost have had previously undiagnosed lung problems.

Rabbit abscesses need aggressive treatment from the outset and Dental abscesses can be particularly trying to treat. It would be helpful to get a sample of tissue from the abscess wall sent off for culture and sensitivities so as the most appropriate antibiotic can be prescribed.

Good post operative analgesia is absolutely essential.

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thanks for your reply. I'll mention all of that to the vet. apart from the abscess he seems to be fine, eating, drinking and playing as normal. His teeth look good aswell, he's got hay and logs to chew on. the video link on my signature was only taken at the end of last week, he looks the same today as he did there. This has hit me like a ton of bricks. the fact that your vet has anaethenes 100's of rabbit's make's me feel a little better. the way he was talking scared me today.

Simon said:

thanks for your reply. I'll mention all of that to the vet. apart from the abscess he seems to be fine, eating, drinking and playing as normal. His teeth look good aswell, he's got hay and logs to chew on. the video link on my signature was only taken at the end of last week, he looks the same today as he did there. This has hit me like a ton of bricks. the fact that your vet has anaethenes 100's of rabbit's make's me feel a little better. the way he was talking scared me today.

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To be honest I would be wary of letting a Vet who claims that a Rabbit only has a 50% chance of surviving a GA 'just because he's a Rabbit' anywhere near my Rabbits :?

Also, tooth root problems cannot be diagnosed just by looking at the teeth Hence my suggestion of skull radiographs

Jack's-Jane said:

To be honest I would be wary of letting a Vet who claims that a Rabbit only has a 50% chance of surviving a GA 'just because he's a Rabbit' anywhere near my Rabbits :?

Also, tooth root problems cannot be diagnosed just by looking at the teeth Hence my suggestion of skull radiographs

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ok, thanks again for yor reply. The same vet is doing the surgery that neuterd Buster and I can remember him saying it was dangerous then aswell but Buster came out ok. Is there more risk in this type of surgery than neutering? Also ( I'm sorry for not being clearer in the first post) the abscess is actually on his throat but directly under his chin. where most rabbit's have a fold of loose skin if you know what i mean. thats what disguised it. do you think that being where it is, it could still be dental problems? sorry for all the questions I'm just very worried and blaming myself for not noticing it sooner.

Simon said:

ok, thanks again for yor reply. The same vet is doing the surgery that neuterd Buster and I can remember him saying it was dangerous then aswell but Buster came out ok. Is there more risk in this type of surgery than neutering? Also ( I'm sorry for not being clearer in the first post) the abscess is actually on his throat but directly under his chin. where most rabbit's have a fold of loose skin if you know what i mean. thats what disguised it. do you think that being where it is, it could still be dental problems? sorry for all the questions I'm just very worried and blaming myself for not noticing it sooner.

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Tooth root abscesses are usually under the jaw itself.
If your Rabbit's abscess is under the dewlap then it is probably an injury that has abscessated.

All surgical proceedures involving a GA have an element of risk for any species, or human come to that!! But to say that a Rabbit would generally only have a 50% chance of surviving a GA is far from the truth as long as the Vet is competent with Rabbit anesthaesia.

Is it definately an abscess. I had a bunny who got a cyst in her dewlap and a couple of other people on here have experienced the same

there are no signs of injury that's what has confused both me and the vet. I thought that rabbit abscess could only occur through injury and that got me thinking of things like cancer. The abscess itself is inside the dewlap but very high up and its a solid ball. I can feel all the way round the back of it. I don't know if that will make it easier to remove or not. I've written down every thing that's been posted and I'll put it to the vet. I suppose I've just got to pray for the best now. thank's again.

Hugo's There said:

Is it definately an abscess. I had a bunny who got a cyst in her dewlap and a couple of other people on here have experienced the same

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the vet says it is but i don't know. was ithe cyst a solid ball?

It did feel reasonably solid but probably not as hard as an abscess.

Even if it is an abscess the fact that you can get your hand round it indicates it probably isn't attached so hopefully that will make removal a lot easier.

Good Luck

Hugo's There said:

It did feel reasonably solid but probably not as hard as an abscess.

Even if it is an abscess the fact that you can get your hand round it indicates it probably isn't attached so hopefully that will make removal a lot easier.

Good Luck

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thank you very much. I'm useless when it comes to medical stuff.

I don't know if it's the same but I had a guinea pig with an abscess under her chin which the vet cleaned and flushed under anaesthetic. The hole was then left open and I had to flush it every day for as long as I could keep it open picking off the scab if necessary. It then heals from the inside preventing any build up of pus. It was not a pleasant job and I managed to keep it open for 10 days. After that she was fine.

wind1 said:

I don't know if it's the same but I had a guinea pig with an abscess under her chin which the vet cleaned and flushed under anaesthetic. The hole was then left open and I had to flush it every day for as long as I could keep it open picking off the scab if necessary. It then heals from the inside preventing any build up of pus. It was not a pleasant job and I managed to keep it open for 10 days. After that she was fine.

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One of my other rabbits(penny) had an abscess. the vet didn't put her under GA because it was already open and i had to do the same as you but for about 6 weeks. with Buttons it is completely closed. no scab or breaks in the skin. I'm just hoping the vet can remove it all in one go then stitch him up. I've had to move them out of there enclosure into a hutch and run until he gets better as I won't be able to catch him if he darts down his burrow to give him his meds. I think the next few weeks or months will be very stressful.

Would it be possible that Buttons got his abcsess by cleaning pennys?