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Tottis ear abscess

L

luvabun

Warren Veteran
I haven't been on here for a while but some of the old timers may know my beloved Totti.

At the grand old age of 9, he now has an ear abscess. I was initially treating it with anti-biotic ear drops but it got worse and needed surgery.

First op:
P1020550.jpg


Regular trips to the Vets for a clean out and re-application of the Manuka honey, it turned out to be a horse-shoe shaped abscess and needed another op at the rear to get to the pus the Vet couldn't reach:

poorlyTotts003.jpg


Both wounds are now healing nicely but the pus continues so I am now to assume pus cleaning out duty :shock:

poorlyTotts004.jpg


Wish me luck. His pals have been providing the best post op care..... the three of them are always snuggled up together in one of the litter trays :love:
 
Poor bun...but how fab still to be fighting at 9. One suggestion, if possible syringe the (slightly warmed) manuka honey in to the highest hole, and keep pumping more in until gravity does its work and it exits through the lowest. Did that with Toadstool and he's now abscess free, touch wood, despite two vets pretty much writing him off as he had a huge abscess, also with two entry holes...

Good luck!
 
What a fighting spirit and good friends Totti has! Looks sore, but he doesn's seem bothered by it, does he?
Lots of healing vibes for him.
 
Jill that looks so much better than it did a few days ago. Thank goodness

Hope he's feeling okay in himself.
 
oh gosh - poor bun

he looks a real sweetie, hoping the wound gets better with every second xx

give him a christmas nosebump from us :wave:
 
Tinsel said:
Poor bun...but how fab still to be fighting at 9. One suggestion, if possible syringe the (slightly warmed) manuka honey in to the highest hole, and keep pumping more in until gravity does its work and it exits through the lowest. Did that with Toadstool and he's now abscess free, touch wood, despite two vets pretty much writing him off as he had a huge abscess, also with two entry holes...

Good luck!
Click to expand...

That's great news! However I'm feeling less than useless today :( Have had two attempts at pus cleaning and syringing and failed both times. The first hole is really small now and I struggled to get any pus out (even though I could see it) and any honey in :(
I need to discuss alternative options with the Vet as I've failed and can't afford £22 every day for him to do it :(:( There has to be an alternative for my brave old man.

p.s. thanks for all your well wishes
 
luvabun said:
That's great news! However I'm feeling less than useless today :( Have had two attempts at pus cleaning and syringing and failed both times. The first hole is really small now and I struggled to get any pus out (even though I could see it) and any honey in :(
I need to discuss alternative options with the Vet as I've failed and can't afford £22 every day for him to do it :(:( There has to be an alternative for my brave old man.

p.s. thanks for all your well wishes
Click to expand...


If I were nearer I'd offer to do it. I actually enjoy cleaning out abscesses :oops:

Have you tried holding a warm compress over the hole first. This helps to open it up. Also, you may find that doing it 3 times a day, if he would tolerate it, would be better as Manuka Honey encourages the hole to close VERY quickly. So more frequent cleaning can prevent the hole closing over too much.

Also, making the honey warm, so its more liquidy, can help with getting it right into the hole.


I'm itching to do an abscess now................. :oops:
 
Jack's-Jane said:
If I were nearer I'd offer to do it. I actually enjoy cleaning out abscesses :oops:

Have you tried holding a warm compress over the hole first. This helps to open it up. Also, you may find that doing it 3 times a day, if he would tolerate it, would be better as Manuka Honey encourages the hole to close VERY quickly. So more frequent cleaning can prevent the hole closing over too much.

Also, making the honey warm, so its more liquidy, can help with getting it right into the hole.


I'm itching to do an abscess now................. :oops:
Click to expand...
:wave: Thanks for the tips Jane. I'm going to try and see the Vet tomorrow and I'm thinking the hole has healed too quickly (I couldn't attempt anything yesterday as I was working a double day). Once again and thanks, I'll keep you posted
 
Update

Where we're at now;
the abscess has not gone away and did not do as well as expected under the manuka honey regime (I feel a failure as I can't get it out of my head that I failed by not being able to extract the pus and inject the honey in effectively :( ).

So Totts then had a heavy duty anti-biotic (that has serious possible side effects) syringed into his ear. I was to assume that duty but the holes have healed really well and I couldn't get the stuff in :(

We're now at the maintenance stage. He's happy in himself, was hopping round the garden enjoying the sun this morning. He does shake his head every so often, reminding me that the abscess has not gone away :( The Vet will periodically apply this anti-biotic into the holes.

Here's a pic of him nomming hay tonight - the wounds clearly healed
update001.jpg
 
luvabun said:
Where we're at now;
the abscess has not gone away and did not do as well as expected under the manuka honey regime (I feel a failure as I can't get it out of my head that I failed by not being able to extract the pus and inject the honey in effectively :( ).

So Totts then had a heavy duty anti-biotic (that has serious possible side effects) syringed into his ear. I was to assume that duty but the holes have healed really well and I couldn't get the stuff in :(

We're now at the maintenance stage. He's happy in himself, was hopping round the garden enjoying the sun this morning. He does shake his head every so often, reminding me that the abscess has not gone away :( The Vet will periodically apply this anti-biotic into the holes.

Here's a pic of him nomming hay tonight - the wounds clearly healed
update001.jpg
Click to expand...

He looks well in himself :love:

You're not a failure- rabbit pus and abscess are notoriously stubborn and difficult to treat. You're doing your best so don't be hard on yourself.

Do you know the name of the antibiotic he is on?
 
lilbun said:
He looks well in himself :love:

You're not a failure- rabbit pus and abscess are notoriously stubborn and difficult to treat. You're doing your best so don't be hard on yourself.

Do you know the name of the antibiotic he is on?
Click to expand...
Canaural - have you had experience of it? x
 
you are not a failure!! i nursed by bunny for 6 months with an abscess an it was such hard work. The hole would heal in hours and i had many visits to the vet to reopen. We tried everything for her including eye removal but the damn abscess kept coming back. We got to a maintenamce stage and i gave her the best love and care i could until i knew it had got too bad and had to say goodbye. You are doing all you can and thats all you can do. Your bunny looks happy which is what matters and try to focus on that!
 
bunny mad lisa said:
you are not a failure!! i nursed by bunny for 6 months with an abscess an it was such hard work. The hole would heal in hours and i had many visits to the vet to reopen. We tried everything for her including eye removal but the damn abscess kept coming back. We got to a maintenamce stage and i gave her the best love and care i could until i knew it had got too bad and had to say goodbye. You are doing all you can and thats all you can do. Your bunny looks happy which is what matters and try to focus on that!
Click to expand...

Thanks Lisa - I am taking it a day at a time and enjoying watching Totts enjoy life...... but in the background the nagging feeling won't go away......

He attempted a binky in the garden the other day and it was quite pathetic in comparison with what he used to do.... how I enjoyed watching that patheticness :love::love: whilst he still has spirit, I'll do whatever I can for my old boy :love:
 
luvabun said:
Canaural - have you had experience of it? x
Click to expand...

I am familiar with it but haven't used it in my own rabbit's ear infection, because her ear drums were apparently perforated. I know others here including Jack's-Jane have used it so they would probable be able to give you more information on it- I'm not sure whether it could be used in combination with a systemic antibiotic? It contains an antibiotic and a steroid and is used to treat infections and inflammation as well as ear mites xx
 
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