Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
Unfortunately after my last update, Sammy started drooling again and kept chattering her teeth. I took her back to the vets yesterday. The tongue was still healed but she could feel something under Sammy's chin. She thinks it might be another absess/infection maybe spread from the tongue to now under the tongue. Sammy had antibiotics again and pain killer again. Luckily she had just started eating some nuggets again so although she had lost a little more weight, the vet was please she has started eating the nuggets. She still won't eat hay but is eating grass finally. I have 3 different hays and she won't eat any! I have to bring her back next week or before if I need too. She's still hopping around and being naughty, she just seems unhappy every now and then but then seems to forget it again. Hopefully the antibiotics will clear this up too. Unfortunately the vet that has been dealing with Sammy is on holiday next week but luckily doing an evening surgery in a town nearby so I'm taking her through there next week. The vet was genuinely dissapointed for poor Sammy as it seemed so positive and she was also wanting to see Sammy next week herself rather than another vet. I'm pleased about that as she really wants to get Sammy better One other thing I noticed was Sammy keeps scratching inside one ear in particular, I mentioned it to the vet last week but she didn't notice anything and Sammy recently had the mite treatment anyway. But yesterday I noticed a largish white bit down inside Sammy's ear and another couple of smaller ones. It's very difficult to photo but I tried, anyone know how to upload a pic? It looks bright white, about 1 or 2mm, looks like a grissly bit of skin or something!
Poor Sammy. From what you have mentioned re the ear scratching/'white' inside the ear canal an ear infection sounds to be a possibility and the lump under her chin might be an abscess, as your Vet mentioned.
It is usually necessary for skull radiographs to be taken in situations such as Sammy's, but this would require another GA which probably may not be a viable option given Sammy's relative debilitated state of health and the fact that the last GA was rather unstable. So perhaps the Vet may consider going in with some heavy duty injectable antibiotics, an injectable penicillin can be very useful. The Vet may be able to clean out the pus from the ear canal and hopefully check that the tympanic membrane ( ear drum) is still intact. If it is the the Vet may prescribe some antibiotic ear drops too. Additional systemic pain relief would almost certainly be needed.
With regards to the possible abscess the Vet may suggest opening it up and then flushing out as much pus as possible.This is less likely to be curative than if the abscess were surgically removed and a full assessment (skull radiographs) made regarding what may be going on 'below the surface'. But sometimes just because certain diagnostics could be done it is not always appropriate for a particular Rabbit that they are done. If the Rabbit is not fit enough to withstand a GA the Vet will want to work with what is safer in Sammy's specific situation.
These links contain a lot of information and not all of it will definitely apply to Sammy's problems. But it might help you to have a read of them to obtain some insight into what might be going on for Sammy. That said, your Vet will be the best person to offer qualified advice as non of us on here are in that position, I certainly am not. I just try to pass on what I have learned from looking after my own Rabbits when they have had various health problems. Unfortunately I have had rather too much experience of looking after a Rabbit with chronic ear disease.
http://www.veterinarywebinars.com/m...oads/2016/03/Study_Notes_Ear_Nose_Rabbits.pdf
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/me...y-course/1-facial-abscesses-and-rhinotomy.pdf
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/eye-an...-interna/overview-of-otitis-media-and-interna
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Bacterial/BacterialOtitisMediaInterna.htm
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Bacterial/FacialAbscessesRabbits.htm
*Warning-Graphic images of surgical procedures on the next two links*
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Treatment/Facial/abs_dental.htm
http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/navc/2006/SAE/617.pdf?LA=1
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/jawabscess.html
Sending very best wishes for Sammy Bunny
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