• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Abscess - getting me down

Becky:)

Alpha Buck
Feeling very down in the dumps, Billy my french lop has in the last few weeks developed (after being maintained for a year or more) sore hocks, we have always been able to stop them getting worse by bandaging his feet but he has started to wee all over his bum and back legs. We have now been to the vet approx. five times each time been given baytril and this last time after me asking,metacam . I asked for depocillin as thats what worked last time but was told it wasn't bad enough for depocillin. His urine was tested and had no abnormalities. The weeing on himself is still unexplained, I suggested to the vet it was arthritic pain (as he is reluctant to jump into litter trays, doesn't periscope, but the vet said she didn't think so? (not sure why) Any way the weeing on the bandages means they get wet and this stops them being as effective, we have tried to keep on top of changing them and cleaning up wee but a french lop wee is a lot of wee! He sadly has now also got urine burn on the inside of his legs and bottom (which I have sudocremed) So after last trip to the vet with higher baytril dose his hock finally no longer look infected but he has oddly in a week now developed an open pussy abscess on his leg near the top of his foot - I put manuka honey on it, it looks awful, worse than his hocks, i'm worried it will be PTS soon.. - is this related to his hocks? Going to the vet again tomorrow, really feel like i', letting Billy down, i've only just got him on metacam after begging for it and the vet didn't think he needed it all the time only for the hock pain (i think he needs it for arthritic pain) He still eating like a horse, but I feel his quality of life is going down. Hopefully this open abscess will convince the vet he needs depocillin injections again...I just feel so sad, hes 5 and the best rabbit ever :(
 
P8030575.jpg


Heres the big man in June when he was feeling much better :(
 
Really sorry I have no advice as havn't had experience of this with mine, but just wanted to say what a handsome boy he is :love:

Can you see a different vet??

Fingers crossed he gets the meds you want for him, and he improves soon xxxx
 
I am really sorry you are struggling with this. He is gorgeous and it must be so hard to watch him suffer. Have you any other vets near you? It may be worth a visit task for a second opinion about the depocillin. Are you confident in treating the abcess. The usual recommendation is to clean out as much of the pus as you can and then pack the wound with manuka honey - strength 10 is the best. I would again ask the vet if this will be ok for this abcess.

Fingers crossed you manage to get something sorted.
 
I do feel for you and he's STUNNING! What a gorgeous boy and special friend in the background too?

I've just changed vets as mine were so poor i felt let down so i do understand-have you anywhere else that may be more helpful? have you printed stuff off the internet to give to your vet about say bunny arthritis-sometimes this helps.

Wondering if the bandages are inhibiting him from getting into his tray? perhaps he can't bend his leg so easily or they feel heavy? Arthritis is common in buns so perfectly possible. Can you put down vetbed for him to toilet on-that's what I've done with mine. The urine scald is an issue though-they can get very sore so something needs to be done to help him here and reduce the wee getting on his legs like this.

Is the new abscess from the wee? Abscesses thrive in damp conditions, did the bandage rub on his foot at all? Or could it be a bump from trying to get into his tray? can you do another tray for him or vet bed and see if that helps?

I hear you-you're getting overwhelmed. I am the same-my answer is to deal with one bit at a time.
make a list-
Abscess-why is it there and how to treat?
urine scaled-why there and how to treat?
Arthritis as above
etc etc
Deal with them one at a time and you'll deal with the whole as well.

Only you can know about his quaity of life but to me he sounds like he's fighting and whilst these things aren't nice it's not the end of the world. Please don't be so hard on yourself. Deal with each bit at a time

Finally you can always ask for a 2nd opinion. Frances Harcourt Brown has often helped me via my vets. You're doing really well, both of you are-hang in there and if you need help-ask-your vet, forum members or Pm me and i'll rack my rather useless brain as best i can for a solution too!!
 
I'd guess that the primary problem is whatever is making him wee on himself. The sore hocks are probably going to be a secondary issue and will probably clear up once the primary issue is sorted.

What tests were done on his urine? I'm wondering if this problem is something like bladder sludge/stones. You can test for calcium in urine, but I *think* scans or xrays are probably a better way of checking for stones or lots of sediment.

My second thought would be kidney (or other organ) failure, which can be diagnosed with blood tests. Has your vet suggested this?

It's possible that he has something like a tumour or internal pasteurella abscesses, or perhaps something like EC?
 
Back
Top