How quickly does an abscess grow.? And how quick after antibiotics does it reduce?

Hi all

I have just been playing With my gummy bunny gizmo and noticed a lump at the base of his ear where it joins his head . It's about the size of a large marble (or stumper for those who remember them :shock: ) it's firm and doesn't seem to bother him when I was checking it and he is eating and drinking like normal.
All my rabbits are due to the vets on Tuesday for their VHD/MIXY jab so didn't know if this is something that can wait till then or whether it needs checking sooner. Like I said he seems fine in himself. He is a lion lop x angora so a fuzz ball. He is also the rabbit who nearly lost his chin a while ago when OH Left the hutch open and one of our other pair of rabbits attacked him .... So he goes through it .... Hoping its nothing serious. Obviously I trust you guys on here as I know You wouldn't say to go vets ASAP unless it's needed so any advice would be good. Is there anything I can do to check to see if it is something causing it.
We checked are other three rabbits and they all have lumps at the base of the ears but this one on gizmo is a lot bigger on the left hand side ,

Please advise he is my little buddy ... He is a proper lap bunny and enjoys bunny massage and I haven't noticed it until today .

Make sure you get it checked out - can you bring the vaccs appointment forward? I wouldn't say it was an emergency if he is not exhibiting any other symptoms and if he isn't looking like it hurts when you touch it, but it does need checking out. RWAF on their recent email reminded people that lumps around the ears can be abcesses. Try not to worry, but better safe than sorry.

I would bring the vacs appointment forward. It could be anything from a cyst, an abscess or even a tumour.

I found something similar on a bun at a rescue and it was a tumour but the vet was very very surprised as it was believed to be an abscess until he started the operation to remove it. I think our experience was very unusual but has made me more vigilant for lumps!

I said to OH about ringing the vet but he doesn't want to stress gizmo if we don't need too.... He wants to keep an eye on him and if he shows any signs that he is in pain or we think it is getting bigger then he will take him .... I am worried though

Please take him to the Vet today. The lump is very likely to be a symptom of an abscess in his ear. Ear infections/abscesses are not to be treated lightly. They really do need immediate and ongoing Veterinary attention.

More detailed information here- scroll down to the BEW Rabbit

GRAPHIC IMAGES
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

i was going to say that they can have lumps when they have wax, but because it's bigger and one side, i would get to the vets as soon as possible aswell, just incase something more serious is going on. :wave:

Please send vibes

Jack's-Jane said:

Please take him to the Vet today. The lump is very likely to be a symptom of an abscess in his ear. Ear infections/abscesses are not to be treated lightly. They really do need immediate and ongoing Veterinary attention.

More detailed information here- scroll down to the BEW Rabbit

GRAPHIC IMAGES
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

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Hi jacks jane

I am so glad you answered. I have always valued your opinion and to be honest in the early days of having gizmo when we had to change his food to Allen and page etc . Your advise I would go as far to say pointed us in the right direction and saved his life.

We are again taking your advise and gizmo is in vets at 9.50am .... That link you put on terrified us both. Please send vibes people for gizmo. This bunny is very dear to me and I can't bear the thought of anything bad happening to him.
I will let you know what the vet says

Hope it goes well at the vets and it's something that can be easily treated. Sending lots of vibes for Gizmo xx

Sending lots of vibes for him xx

It's two abscesses

went vets and yes you were right on here . It's a good job we took him today. He has an abscess on base of both ears :shock: the left we noticed but the right one is smaller and we didn't pick it up.
The vet said it is good they think we have caught them early and the puss is draining into his ear canal. So he has to have injections of antibiotics every three days for two weeks but if the abscesses get bigger or he stops eating he has to go straight back to the vets for surgery.

They said if the antibiotics work then we will still have to go in and be sedated to flush his ears and try and find the root of why he got abscesses in the first place. She said most likely hay in his ears etc. The surgery sounds awful if he has to have that done I don't know what I will be like


He can't have his MIXY/VHD jab until he is better either although the other three had theirs done today and thankfully they are all nice and healthily


Please send vibes for gizmos speedy recovery..... And pray these antibiotics clear up the abscesses . I am terrified I am going to loose him

I am sorry it is abscesses I hope that the antibiotics have some impact on the infection, but do be prepared for a long haul re treatment.

Aww bless him, well done for getting him seen so promptly. Is he a lop? These sorts of infections are really common in lops and as Jane says, can be a bit of a pain to get rid of, because of the shape of the ear canal. Louise and Gus has recently had one of hers have surgery (I think it's called ear canal resection?) where the vet basically opens the ear canal up, removes the abscess but then creates a new shaped ear canal which drains to the outside...something like that, anyway, I'm no expert. They also then took a swab which was cultured, so they know exactly which antibiotic to use, and bunny did particularly well on a specific ear wash treatment mixed with antibiotic, the details of which I can't remember but which Louise and Gus will be able to tell you.

Best of luck for your little one, fingers crossed the treatment works x x

Santa said:

Aww bless him, well done for getting him seen so promptly. Is he a lop? These sorts of infections are really common in lops and as Jane says, can be a bit of a pain to get rid of, because of the shape of the ear canal. Louise and Gus has recently had one of hers have surgery (I think it's called ear canal resection?) where the vet basically opens the ear canal up, removes the abscess but then creates a new shaped ear canal which drains to the outside...something like that, anyway, I'm no expert. They also then took a swab which was cultured, so they know exactly which antibiotic to use, and bunny did particularly well on a specific ear wash treatment mixed with antibiotic, the details of which I can't remember but which Louise and Gus will be able to tell you.

Best of luck for your little one, fingers crossed the treatment works x x

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Thanks guys I know this isn't going to be easy but we will get him through it. The next two weeks (well until the 7th ) he is having his injections done by us at home. If he goes off his food or either of the abscesses get bigger then he has to back sooner. They said if he will let us massage the area that could help it drain into his ear more which is good apparently ....l but since coming back from the vets he won't let us go near it... I suppose it is sore from being poked and prodded... I will keep you updates with his progress.... Thank you again for all your support..... I am going to need you guys more than ever now

bunnylover4 said:

Thanks guys I know this isn't going to be easy but we will get him through it. The next two weeks (well until the 7th ) he is having his injections done by us at home. If he goes off his food or either of the abscesses get bigger then he has to back sooner. They said if he will let us massage the area that could help it drain into his ear more which is good apparently ....l but since coming back from the vets he won't let us go near it... I suppose it is sore from being poked and prodded... I will keep you updates with his progress.... Thank you again for all your support..... I am going to need you guys more than ever now

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Has the Vet also prescribed pain relief ? Ear abscesses can be very painful. Also, did the Vet explain that it is very important that when you give the injection you massage the site for a few minutes afterwards and for about 10 minutes keep him away from any other Rabbit who may try to lick the area. If the antibiotic were to be ingested it could make the Bunny who has ingested it very poorly.

Loads of vibes to your Gizmo and lots of abcess reducing vibes as well.

I really sympathise. Its such a worry when they are ill.

Question regarding growth speed of abscess

Jack's-Jane said:

Has the Vet also prescribed pain relief ? Ear abscesses can be very painful. Also, did the Vet explain that it is very important that when you give the injection you massage the site for a few minutes afterwards and for about 10 minutes keep him away from any other Rabbit who may try to lick the area. If the antibiotic were to be ingested it could make the Bunny who has ingested it very poorly.

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Hi Jacks-Jane

We have pain relief at home in our bunnies first aid kit but the vet said that he only needs it if he shows signs of being in pain. ie off food or if when we rub it he flinches. then give the pain relief. And as for the injections yes we are aware of that as we have had to do injections for our other bunns for gut stasis and another one when he was on antibiotics.... its less stressful doing at home than having to take him to the vets all the time.

We have booked him in again for tomorrow morning though as since being home the left one seems to have got bigger. The vet asked on the phone how much bigger but its hard to say it just seems less like a ball shape now and more spread below the eye now.. the eye itself is fine but with it being the weekend we don't want to leave it and it turn into a very long and expensive weekend with emergency surgery or something. although saying that of course we would take him in if needed. But how quickly do they grow ? and how soon would you take him back. The vet said we only need to bring him in tomorrow if it is still growing or if he is in pain. He seems fine in himself but I am worried.

My bun Pansy had an abscess at the base of her ear just where you describe, it's really common in lops
Pansy had an op to remove hers, as Santa said it was called a ear resectioning I think? Basically they remove the abscess and create a new ear canal, it sounds huge but Pansy got through it fine, and she has lots of other problems. She also had an inner ear infection, so my vet tried something called Triz-Aural with Baytril mixed in, I put a few drops in every day and this cleared the infection up completely in days, me and my vet were stunned and how quickly it worked. She was also on oral baytril, penicillin injections hadn't had any effect. Pansy's ear is now all healed and infection free

Although the op sounds scary as long as you have a good vet I think sometimes it's the better option than repeated flushing/cleaning/antibiotics