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Abscess!

F

Freckles

Young Bun
My poor Polo, not only did he lose his sister to a fox two weeks ago, now an abscess has developped on his shoulder (his sister was the fruity hormonal sort and though they never had full on fights she was 'at him' a lot)
The vet felt it was too soon to risk a GA to rid the infection so did what he could under local. I now have Polo resting in his hutch and I have to wash out the open wound to get as much infection out (Sorry if anyone is squeamish - I usually am but have learned to control it for the sake of animals and children)
Has anyone else had similar experience of abscesses and any tips on keeping him fit and healthy with diet / bathing solutions etc etc. I couldn't bear to lose another rabbit!
 
Jay would be the one to talk too but she is having to care for one of her rabbits who is very sick at the moment so she may not be on the forum for a while.

It may be worth sending her a pm so that when she is able to get on the forum she will be alerted to this thread.

I don't have much experience with them, Zeus got a small one after his neuter but it burst and the vet cleaned it then it just healed up it was very small though.

There is some good info here if you haven't already seen it. http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#abs

Caz
 
You have to be really aggressive with abcesses and make sure they don't close up too soon. This can be quite grusome and even seem cruel but it is imperative to let it heal from the inside out. Using a small syringe to squirt salt water into the would at pressure can help to flush out a stubborn infection. As long as you keep at it there is no reason it shouldn't heal. It is abcesses on the jaw that are particularly troublesome in rabbits as the infection can spread to the bone. Even elsewhere they do take time though so be patient. Has your vet given him some baytril too? That is usual. Also one vet I had advised me to dribble a drop of baytril into the wound itself as sometimes the abcess forms a capsule that is difficult for the oral antibiotic to penetrate. This has worked well for me on some nasty abcesses in the past.

As for other things to help him, it may be a good idea to give him some avipro or other probiotic to help his system cope. It certainly can't hurt.
 
I rescued a bunny about 2 mths ago who had an abcess on his leg and and doing what doorkeeper said is the best thing for it. Simba is now fine.
Good luck and love to your bun, He'll be fine.
 
Abscess

What is Baytril? I have't been given anything from the vet but we are visting him daily. He had an antibiotic injection and will do so daily (oral ones don';t hit the spot he told me!! i was told to wash out with salt water and be aggressive with 'squeezing' the gruesome bits!! He is lying about in his run quite the lad (not realising he has a hole in his side) I've got to was off the Hibiscrub later though. His fur is getting all matted.
Glad to hear you'v had successful recoveries in the past.
 
Baytril is a antibiotic that is quite common for rabbits. If you are going to the Vets daily and he is giving antibiotic injections then there will be no need to worry.
Good luck and hope bun recovers really soon
Kay
 
Thanks, Yes I asked the vet and it is Baytril he's being injected with (by me now to save daily visits.)
The vet is so pleased with progress he offered me a job!!
Polo is doing well, poor bun, we are trying to keep him cool and stress free after all the happenings and losing his sister. So long as the abscess keeps draining before the wound heals he may escape an operation(Vet says the abscess was deep in muscle and may remain in scar tissue. but we've given him the best shot.
Thanks for all your support and advice it's nice to have you all around!
 
The drainage continues but not enough to avoid an op! We have managed to reduce the size of the abscess by 3/4 ! But unless the rest is removed it could spread and as it swells up Polo cannot use his front leg properly so Wednesday is the day. I have read about the dangers of anaesthesia for rabbits so I have concerns, but want the best chance for Polo to fully recover from this.
Any post op advise?
 
Feed right up until the op and offer their favourite food right after. Some vets use an IV for fluids after an op. Try to keep him warm and quiet for a day or so but after that it is best to let them have a run about as normal if the vet thinks it should be ok.

Your vet should be up on rabbit safe anaesthetics and my Zeus has been under loads and always seems to bounce back. As with anyone some can have bad reactions to anaesthetic but thankfully these are rare.

Caz
 
Poor Polo. Hope the operation is a success. I wouldn't worry about the anaesthetic - your vet sounds like a good one and should be able to advise you.
 
Awwww best wishes to poor little Polo - sounds like he's taking his medication like a good brave boy though so fingers and paws crossed that he continues to make good progress. :wink:
 
I'm glad you have had partial success at least. I hope the op goes well. the anesthetic they use these days is quite safe, although there are always risks :? Having something to tempt him with afterwards is a good idea. I find carrot tops, coriander and parsley are hard for even the sickest bunny to resist :D
 
UPDATE
Polo has a cut of 6 inches from one shoulder across his back and down the other side, and after an OK start back at home he of course started ripping at the stitches and we've been back to the vets this morning to have him stapled up again.
HELP! We have a buster collar but the risks of him not getting at his poos etc and the fact HE really doesn't want it on means we have resorted to buying a crate and bringing him inside under our watchful eyes. Every few minutes we have to distract him from more nibbling.
Any ideas anyone? We'll have to use the buster collar at night I think as there is no way he'll behave whilst we are asleep.
Our last rabbit lived healthily to the ripe old age of 9 so this experience is all new to me.
 
I am sure I heard about someone putting an old child's t-shirt on their rabbit to stop it getting at the stitches. Not sure if that would work though.

My vet doesn't like to use those collars on rabbits for the reasons you mentioned but it does sound like you have few alternatives.

Caz
 
The T shirt idea is worth a go! The staples look horrid and I am worrieds that he might catch his teeth in them and do untold damage.
 
We couldn't find a T shirt small enough so made our own from an old sock of hubbie's but Polo licked through it and has managed yet again to pull another stitch. So we off back to the vets tomorrow prob for the eighth staple replacement with 7 stitches still left, but we cannot take the buster collar off at all now. He is OK eating his hay and drinking but in the morning there are loads of the first poos around. Have tried to offer them to him as I heard that rabbits must eat them, but he is not interested. he is REALLY stressed out from the collar and really grunts and rears at us when we approach. Poor bun it hasn't been great but we really want to give him the best chance of recovery. Any more tips on bunny with collar I'd love to hear. i have done a search but couldn't find anythingh similar
 
Good luck with it all. Sorry i cant offer any advice. Let us know if you come up with good ideas as im sure others will bein the same situation. (xxxxx)
 
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