tooth abscess & two others

Sorry this is long, its a four month story.

My rabbit Phoebe is a lionhead and is a year old, although she is fully grown she is a small stunted rabbit. She has a tooth abscess in her upper jaw on her back left hand side. I only realised she had it when she got a big lump on her face under her eye, this was cleaned out and sewn open under anaesthetic. For almost three weeks I cleaned the open wound out daily, she had oral baytril and had injectable baytril put topically inside the wound after I'd cleaned it, then vetalintex gel put inside the wound. She also had metacam. She had the stitches out after about three weeks and it healed up (the wound was virtually healed by this point despite the stitches still holding it open). The root of it was always there into her tooth abscess, so the cheek abscess just filled up again after a while, I have cleaned it out twice since but obviously its never going to be cured. I have just tried to clean it out again and now it seems that there is a third encapsulated abscess further forward on the side ridge of her nose, the root of this is in the cheek abscess and the root of that is in the tooth abscess.

I'm beginning to feel desperate about it. The vet has always said in the end she will probably need to be put to sleep and as long as she is eating and drinking and running around and being happy and if I am happy with her then we just need to maintain the metacam and clean it out when it needs it. Now she basically has three abscesses I think it has gone too far, even though she hasn't lost weight and still eats she was in visible pain after I'd cleaned out the nose abscess, and during. I had to squeeze the cheek abscess to get the pus into the wound where the nose abscess was to get it out, I don't know whether I should have done this or not but it has reduced the pressure in the cheek abscess so I thought she would feel more comfortable.

I don't think this is right anymore, but I read threads of other rabbits having multiple flushes, medicine, pain killers and operations and I think that I should maybe keep going with her. I feel like you're going to tell me to take her back to the vet and have it cleaned under anaesthetic again, rather than just allowing her to go. It will just refill again, I believe the tooth abscess is incurable and its feeding the others. Can you help?

hello, both my buns have root tooth abcsess's, i called up my vet today because was very upset about my youngest poppy, her abcsess is going under her eye, she doesnt have much time but she is happy and even eating grass, i asked my vet hat she would do, she said to reduce stress as keep taking her to the vets to be flushed when she cannot be cured is just causing her discomfort, and when she is looking a little uncomfortable that will be the time to take her down, i dont want to leave it till she cant eat, but my vet said i will know when its time maybe give your vet a call for a chat discuse the best options? afterall they are experts in this, i ask my vet what she would do if poppy was hers all the time. its heartbraking to see them with somthing wrong, but aslong as she is happy and eating well im happy for now, i just spoil her at the moment lots of big free ranges, time indoors and yummy strawberry leaves (her fav) im so sorry your going through the same, its truely heartbraking xx

I think you need to sit down and have a chat with your vet. Abscesses are very difficult to get rid of unless the site of infection is completely cleared. Usually this involves surgically removing teeth as infection often starts out from a tooth root. Xrays are needed to pinpoint the site of infection and see if there are others developing now, elsewhere in bone. Ultimately what is done has to be decided by you, with guidance on medical aspects by your vet as the options could range from giving medication to control the infection as long as possible to major surgery to remove teeth and sections of bone.
Marie

Have you tried injectable penicillin? I beat Grim's two tooth root abscesses with depocillin injections which I was taught how to do at home. Baytril might just not be strong enough. They were cleaned out under GA and then he had an injection every three days for eight weeks. As well as painkillers.