Visiting bunny with a skin problem

Hello everyone, I have migrated from The Guinea Pig forum as I currently have my aunt's bunny staying and need some advice!

Lulu (as is her name) is a young female bunny who my aunt bought on a whim at a country show...yes I know, no I wasn't impressed, but that's a whole new thread!

My aunt has had rabbits before many years ago but was quite amazed how things have changed what with the jabs and getting females spayed! She has now had both jabs and I am nagging about the spaying as I know it is very important for Lulu.

Now her problem - on the back of her neck she has what looks to me, as a guinea owner, a particularly nasty bite that has gone a bit mingy - it is scabbing over but the scab is a bit yellowy and gross.

Her vet has prescribed Fuciderm which I am not familiar with as it is not a guinea thing, but searching on here reveals it is often prescribed for a reaction to the VHD jab. The vet didn't tell my aunt what she was prescribing it for and my aunt didn't ask :roll:

Lulu had the jab a couple of weeks ago, and the skin problem started about a week later. Could this therefore be such a reaction?

I can get some photos tomorrow to help but the little lady is asleep now.

I am just slightly concerned in case it is ringworm as with 13 guineas here, I do NOT want anything fungal getting out!

Thank you all now to try and stay out of the 'needing homes' section

Welcome :wave:

At a guess, your vet gave the 'Cylap' VHD vaccination. Unfortunately, it is very well known to have some rather nasty side effects.

Those side effects include;

scabbing at the injection site
a limp
bun being off food
bun being very quiet

normally this lasts for a good few days to a week post-vaccination, but if it continues, i would strongly recommend bun went to see a rabbit-savvy vet.

If you aren't sure if yours is a rabbit-savvy vet, put a thread up in 'Rabbit Chat' asking for a rabbit savvy vet in <your area>.

Hope this helps and welcome and enjoy your time here

hello and welcome!
it sounds like it may well be a reaction usually to the cyclap vhd injection, also it could be an abcess or a bite wound as you suggest, the fuciderm is an antibiotic gel/cream that is put on site, most vets would in addition prescibe some metacam (antiinflammatry and pain killer) and some would give an oral or injectable antibiotic too such as baytril especially if it wasnt a confirmed reaction and could be some other form of infection. i guess also it could be a flare up of mites (walking dandruff) though from sounds of it its likely to be the cyclap we generally try and ask the vets to us elapinject for vhd instead of cyclap as it has less reactions pictures prob would help also what area are you in maybe we can suggest a differnet vet? x

Fionaw 's buns had pretty horrific reactions to the vhd vac.

If you pm her she might be able to give you some info on what treatments her vet used.

http://www.englishrabbit.org.uk/cylapreport.pdf

:wave: Can't add anything but hope it clears up soon and hope you enjoy the forum.

Thank you all.

My aunt uses the PDSA as she is on benefits, so I doubt the rabbit-savviness of the vet!

I have some metacam left over from the piggies various 'issues' but reluctant to use it without her being seen by a vet, so I think we are going to take her to my vet practice ASAP. While my vet herself is cavy savvy, I am fairly sure one of her colleagues does the 'rabbit side' of things - there seem to be a lot of rabbits waiting to see him whenever I am there!

We are going to get her out shortly so I will grab the camera!