yesterday my rabbit Ben was diagnosed with a foot absess. today he is having it surgically removed. my husband has just taken him back to the vet. she said that there is only a 50% chance of him recovering from this as it can get reinfected and spread to the bone. i am worried sick. has anyone had experiences of this? what can i expect? when will i know if the op has been succesful? any advice will be greatly appreciated. thankyouhttp://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif
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foot absess- very worried, please advise
- Thread starter carolinej
- Start date
paulinejoe
Mama Doe
Sending healing vibes to Ben. I know abscesses are serious in rabbits so the vet is right to be guarded about his prognosis, however if it helps, my Joejoe had an abscess behind his eye which was inoperable, they could only treat it with depocillin injections and baytril and i was warned that his chances were not good, it was a long slog with a lot of worry but he's fine now so abscesses don't have to mean the end for buns these days.
The not having spread to the bone is the main thing i think, if they can catch it before then, then it's a bit easier to treat. They shuld be able to tell you straight after the op if it has spread or not. Are they talking in terms of follow up treatment of depocillin injections? Joe was on on baytril daily, and depocillin once a week.
Thinking of you and ben, let us know how he gets on x
The not having spread to the bone is the main thing i think, if they can catch it before then, then it's a bit easier to treat. They shuld be able to tell you straight after the op if it has spread or not. Are they talking in terms of follow up treatment of depocillin injections? Joe was on on baytril daily, and depocillin once a week.
Thinking of you and ben, let us know how he gets on x
prettylupin
Wise Old Thumper
Foot abcesses are nasty things 
Your poor bunny. Generally with abcesses, if they can be safely removed, doing so alongside aggressive antibiotic treatment both systemically and often in the wound area itself is thought to give bun the best chance of fighting the infection.
The problem with the feet are that there is very little tissue between the sole of the foot and the bones and tendons of the feet, and so any infection does not have very far to travel to invade the bones of the feet causing bone infection - osteomyelitis, which is extremely painful and very difficult to treat.
When your bun comes round from his surgery he will need you to keep the wound clean (some people find packing the wound with manuka honey of a high UMF very helpful, or your vet may pack it with antibiotic beads/dressings etc) and you may need to flush it daily/several times a day to keep it clear. Rabbit pus is very difficult to remove as it can be so thick. You will need to wait and see what your vet advises. I expect being the foot you will you need to keep the wound dressed and bandaged to keep the wound from being reinfected from the environment/bedding/soil etc. and so that bun can move around.
I should think that a course of strong antibiotics - something like depocillin/penicllin - injectable alongside the standard baytril might be the sort of thing your vet will suggest. Abcesses do need aggressive antibiotic therapy normally. Ongoing pain relief will be essential, so daily metacam/meloxicam at home - hopefully your vet will discuss all this with you when pick your bunny up. Sadly abcesses do have a habit of reoccuring but with lots of treatment i'm sure you can get your bun on top of it all. Good luck.
Your poor bunny. Generally with abcesses, if they can be safely removed, doing so alongside aggressive antibiotic treatment both systemically and often in the wound area itself is thought to give bun the best chance of fighting the infection. The problem with the feet are that there is very little tissue between the sole of the foot and the bones and tendons of the feet, and so any infection does not have very far to travel to invade the bones of the feet causing bone infection - osteomyelitis, which is extremely painful and very difficult to treat.
When your bun comes round from his surgery he will need you to keep the wound clean (some people find packing the wound with manuka honey of a high UMF very helpful, or your vet may pack it with antibiotic beads/dressings etc) and you may need to flush it daily/several times a day to keep it clear. Rabbit pus is very difficult to remove as it can be so thick. You will need to wait and see what your vet advises. I expect being the foot you will you need to keep the wound dressed and bandaged to keep the wound from being reinfected from the environment/bedding/soil etc. and so that bun can move around.
I should think that a course of strong antibiotics - something like depocillin/penicllin - injectable alongside the standard baytril might be the sort of thing your vet will suggest. Abcesses do need aggressive antibiotic therapy normally. Ongoing pain relief will be essential, so daily metacam/meloxicam at home - hopefully your vet will discuss all this with you when pick your bunny up. Sadly abcesses do have a habit of reoccuring but with lots of treatment i'm sure you can get your bun on top of it all. Good luck.
ben is back from the vets. absess removed-although it wasnt a typical type apparently. he was syringe fed all afternoon but i think i have just caught him have a nibble of some greens. he has antibiotics and painkillers to take twice a day. i have kept him and his lady-bun inside tonight (i had to go and buy an emergency indoor cage as they are usually outside in a big hutch/run combo). really hoping things start getting better from here.
