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Jaw absess help!

B

Bonnie & Alfie

New Kit
Hi all

I am a very old poster and been away from boards for some time - anyway.

My 5 year old lop went to the vets today and operated on as i found a lump - turned out it was an absess which has infected his top and bottom jaw.

The teeth on that side were also wobbly and pussy so my vet has taken them out and filled the whole where absess was with Maduka Honey (SP)

she wants to keep him in until Thursday.

She did explain all of the above but what i want to know from you all is how serious this is?? she said she couldn't be sure of his prognosis at this point in time.

Im really upset and worried for him, obviously i want him to recover but also dont want him to be in any kind of pain

if anyone has more information they could share i woudl be really grateful x
 
,y baby girl Daisy has just recovered from an abbcess:)

She was taken in and the swelling was cut and drained twice and everyday I had to clean and squeeze it and administer antibiotics.

They did warn me that if the abbcess fills up again the operation will have to be repeated or she may have to be on penacillin for the rest of her life.

However she is completely pus free as between me and the vets we managed to get everything out (not connected to her teeth btw) she is like a completely different rabbit and I wish you all the luck in the world xx
claire x
 
Hello

Did the Vet take some radiographs of your Rabbit's skull to assess the extent of osteomyelitis (bone infection) ?

Unfortunately the condition you describe is serious and it is likely to be necessary to keep your Rabbit on antibiotics and pain relief for the rest of his life. This may not cure the infection, but might keep it under control.

Did the Vet take a swab from the abscess wall to determine the exact bacteria involved and thus the most appropriate antibiotic to prescribe ?
 
Hey jane

Its Bonnie from ages ago - Alfie is with Cristobel so in the best hands - she explained the best she can but i prefer straight talking really and i dont think she wanted to be too honest.

Im not sure whether she took swabs etc??

hope your well x
 
Bonnie & Alfie said:
Hey jane

Its Bonnie from ages ago - Alfie is with Cristobel so in the best hands - she explained the best she can but i prefer straight talking really and i dont think she wanted to be too honest.

Im not sure whether she took swabs etc??

hope your well x
Click to expand...

Hi Bonnie :wave:

I suspect C will put Alfie onto Depocillin injections and pain relief now.
With jaw abscesses it is often a case of trying to contain the infection, cure is not always possible. Alot really depends on if/ how far the infection has already spread into his actual jawbone (osteomyelitis). Extensive boney involvement carries a poor prognosis :cry:

With C if you tell her you want 'the facts told straight' that's what you will get. I would ask her how extensive the infection appears to be and if she was able to remove the entire abscess. If she did and there is no boney involvement at this stage the outlook is better. You can be certain that Alfie will receive good pain relief, a very important part of his treatment and one that all too many Vets seem to overlook when treating a Rabbit.

I will no doubt be at the surgery between now and Thursday so I'll pay Alfie a visit :)
 
Hi Jane

thanks for your reply - was hoping you would see my post!

C did say that she couldnt tell me his prognosis as yet and wouldn't for another couple of weeks.

As much as i love my boy, i cannot bear to see an animal suffer in any way, he has had a great free life and i dont feel comfortable having an animal living in pain relief for rest of life, i dont want him to suffer whatsoever.

As you say, im going to ask cristobel for the facts and then take it from there, as soon as she saw him she immediately gave him some pain releif which i was really grateful for - amazingly he was eating even with his thing and wobbly pusy teeth.

Yes please do see my little Alfie and Holly - she is going to be so lost without her little friend.

im welling up now :cry:
 
Sorry to hear about Alfie :cry:

On a positive note, I hear that your vet is very good, so he'll get the best treatment possible.

From my own experience with rabbits abscesses, they often don't seem to cause as much pain as in other mammals....perhaps due to the difference in rabbit pus? Abscesses inside the mouth are the worst, but your boy still stands a chance if the active infection can be brought under control. One piece of advice I can give is to give a higher than normal dosage of penicillin (the 'normal' dosage every 2/3 days is useless for abscesses).
 
Aww, sorry to hear about your bun - I know it's worrying. My old bun, Daisy who lived until she was nearly 10 had about 4 of these over her lifetime. They appeared at different places on her jaw and once she had a double one in her dewlap and jaw:shock: I had a very good vet and she did tend to have very long course of baytril and later on in her life long courses of baytril along with depocillin. He always gave higher than recommended doses of baytril and it always seemed to get rid of the abcesses. She had to have several teeth removed in the end as this was the cause. I hope your little bun is okay.
 
abbymarysmokey said:
Sorry to hear about Alfie :cry:

On a positive note, I hear that your vet is very good, so he'll get the best treatment possible.

From my own experience with rabbits abscesses, they often don't seem to cause as much pain as in other mammals....perhaps due to the difference in rabbit pus? Abscesses inside the mouth are the worst, but your boy still stands a chance if the active infection can be brought under control. One piece of advice I can give is to give a higher than normal dosage of penicillin (the 'normal' dosage every 2/3 days is useless for abscesses).
Click to expand...

I fully endorse the above advice. Our lop had 4 abscesses relating to dental issues in 3 years. He was on depocillin every day for around 3 weeks post-operative and then reduced to every second day for a further couple of weeks and so on until it was twice per week. Our vet did not believe in stopping the antibiotics abruptly, but to phase them down to maintenance level. When we on one occasion reduced to once per week he almost immediately had a return of yet another abscess. He was on Depocillin for almost three years until he passed just before his ninth birthday.

My personal belief is that Depocillin is the only really effective antibiotic for treating dental abscesses.
 
casper lived only a few months..we took him in knowing his mutilated mouth could get re infected. but then we found out he had tooth root abscesses..his teeth were removed...he was only on antbx for a few weeks at a time..and baytril and metrinizadole.

an experienced vet is what you have....and i hope its not as far spread as his jaw. some buns die soon..others last a year or more...it depends on the bun..the infetion spread...reaction to meds..drug treatments.

keeping fingers crossed xx
 
Jaw abcess

I am just about to take on a large rabbit with a lump under his jaw, the owner says it comes and goes and said the vet says it could be connected to his glands...

Just wondering reading all this if I am taking on a problem here, last thing I need is to collect the bunny just to go straight to the vets, any comments or ideas, the rabbit is free to a good home....but obviously he is not insured and nor will be if he has an ongoing infection...
 
davinab said:
I am just about to take on a large rabbit with a lump under his jaw, the owner says it comes and goes and said the vet says it could be connected to his glands...

Just wondering reading all this if I am taking on a problem here, last thing I need is to collect the bunny just to go straight to the vets, any comments or ideas, the rabbit is free to a good home....but obviously he is not insured and nor will be if he has an ongoing infection...
Click to expand...

You may well be taking on a Rabbit with a mandibular abscess. Have you any proof that the current owner has actually consulted a Vet ?
 
If you want to make sure that it definitely isn't an abscess, you'll need to get the vet records or at least speak to the vets surgery involved. Don't take the owner's word for it...they may just want rid.

A lump under the jaw that changes size could easily be an abscess that is bursting and refilling with pus.
 
hi all

just an update; Alfie is doing well, putting on weight and seems happy but vet says we are not out of the woods yet.

she wants to see him 3 times a week then reduced to two times. The thing is, is that taking him all these times is hard work as i work up on london and have a toddler - the vet is a 30min drive, also, this is all costing me a fortune.

so far nearly £400 i have spent, obviously i have to get him better but keep paying out this money is making me feel sick, i just hope he recovers quickly!

i am also absolutely useless in cleaning the absess out, i cant in deep enough, the whole situation is really making me quite stressed as im worried for him and worried for our bank balance, and the time its taking me to get to vets wit toddler in car etc etc.

anyway - just wanted to off-load, at the mo the vet cant even tel me how long treatment will last as she doesn't know
 
Bonnie & Alfie said:
hi all

just an update; Alfie is doing well, putting on weight and seems happy but vet says we are not out of the woods yet.

she wants to see him 3 times a week then reduced to two times. The thing is, is that taking him all these times is hard work as i work up on london and have a toddler - the vet is a 30min drive, also, this is all costing me a fortune.

so far nearly £400 i have spent, obviously i have to get him better but keep paying out this money is making me feel sick, i just hope he recovers quickly!

i am also absolutely useless in cleaning the absess out, i cant in deep enough, the whole situation is really making me quite stressed as im worried for him and worried for our bank balance, and the time its taking me to get to vets wit toddler in car etc etc.

anyway - just wanted to off-load, at the mo the vet cant even tel me how long treatment will last as she doesn't know
Click to expand...

I had a rabbit with a jaw abscess but, after the operation, I never had to clean it at all :?

Hers never returned though we did unfortunately lose her fairly suddenly a year later.

I hope he carries on improving :D
 
Bonnie & Alfie said:
hi all

just an update; Alfie is doing well, putting on weight and seems happy but vet says we are not out of the woods yet.

she wants to see him 3 times a week then reduced to two times. The thing is, is that taking him all these times is hard work as i work up on london and have a toddler - the vet is a 30min drive, also, this is all costing me a fortune.

so far nearly £400 i have spent, obviously i have to get him better but keep paying out this money is making me feel sick, i just hope he recovers quickly!

i am also absolutely useless in cleaning the absess out, i cant in deep enough, the whole situation is really making me quite stressed as im worried for him and worried for our bank balance, and the time its taking me to get to vets wit toddler in car etc etc.

anyway - just wanted to off-load, at the mo the vet cant even tel me how long treatment will last as she doesn't know
Click to expand...

Hi I am so sorry to hear your troubles but can completely understand as I am in exactly the same circumstances:cry:
My Daisy was treated for a jaw abscess, she seemed to recover very quickly, but one week after not seeing the vet it has come back up :cry:
She has cost me £212 so far and it looks like it will keep happening so come monday I have to make a final decision, I'm hoping so very very very much that she has recovered but I don't think so because even tho the vet recut her and drained it for free yesterday I can't clean it because its sealed already:cry: she has also been loosing alot of fur which I think is stress:(
I also have 2 daughters who I have to ferry with me and I can't keep telling them that she will be fine then be wrong:(
feel free to pm me xxxx
claire xx
 
hi claire sorry to hear about daisy

i think my vet wants me to clean it every day to keep the absess opened so it heals from the outside in or something like that

its such hard work when you have children not to mention the overall cost.

i ahve already told the vet that i am against him being put under again if this absess doesnt heal or he doesnt make a full recovery and she fully agreed with me,

So far he is doing really well, and my friend is taking him to the vet tmorrow when she takes her rabbit which is really handt.

hope you get on ok with Daisy x
 
If the abscess is caused by teeth roots, it's unlikely to ever be 'cured' unless the affected teeth are removed (which is often not possible) ...but there's a good chance that it can be managed long term.

A couple of my rabbits with jaw abscesses have got to the point where the infection is in the bone and has caused bony growths. At this stage I think the kindest option is to treat with antibiotics and pain relief, but leave the actual abscess alone unless an area of active infection crops up (i.e. a sudden growth in the abscess, or the abscess feels softer and more pus-filled to the touch), in which case it can be lanced and the purulent material squeezed out regularly.
 
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