Abscess on rabbits jaw

[Nalamcbean]

Hi everyone
My rabbit Nala has an abscess on her jaw. She has been on antibiotics since Saturday. I can’t figure out if it’s gone down but it’s still the size of a grape.
She’s going back to vets Friday to possibly have an operation to remove it. They have said her teeth are fine so not due to dental.
They said after they may need to open the wound to flush it. This sounds very painful and I don’t like the idea of that. Can they not fully remove an abscess? I’m so worried about her.
She’s around 3-4 years old (rescue).
She fine in herself and eating and drinking fine etc.
any advice would be great. Thanks

 

[joey&boo]

Welcome to the forum. If the antibiotics don't work for Nala what your vets are proposing is a good treatment route. Over the decades I've had 2 bunnies with jaw abscesses & both had to have theirs drained & flushed. This means an open wound which you will likely be asked to flush with saline & (maybe) pack with medical grade manuka honey. Both my bunnies coped fine with the surgery & the aftercare. Nala will no doubt he given pain relief to help her through. I hope the antibiotics do the trick but failing that, lots of well wishes for her treatment & recovery

 

[Omi]

Hello, I'm sorry that Nala has an abscess on her jaw. It is a positive sign that she is still eating and drinking fine.

I have had a rabbit with an asbscess on her cheek. She initially had antibiotics for a short while before having the abscess removed under general anaesthetic. Sometimes the antibiotics will reduce the size of the abscess, which makes for a less invasive operation. Your vet will be able to remove the abscess and also flush out the tissue surrounding it. My Doe then had to have a course of Depocillin injections, which cleared any remaining infection. This completely cured the issue and the abscess did not return.

Your vet will be able to prescribe pain relief for Nala, which should ensure that she is comfortable while the wound heals. If the pain is kept under control, Nala will possibly continue to eat and drink well, but if not then you will need to give her some syringe feeds until she feels like eating by herself.

Also it is usually not possible to see a rabbit's very back teeth unless the rabbit is under anaesthetic. Hopefully, your vet will examine the teeth well while she is anaesthetised.

Sending Nala lots of vibes for Friday. Also thinking of you. I can understand that you are very anxious about her. Let us know how she gets on.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Jaw abscesses are often related to an infected tooth ROOT. There is no way of knowing if Nala’s jaw abscess is Dental related or not without taking skull radiographs. Has this been done ?

How a jaw abscess is managed depends entirely on the precise issues involved. So firstly this means ascertaining if there is tooth root involvement or if the infection is also in the actual jaw bone (osteomyelitis) or ‘just’ soft tissue.

Jaw abscesses seldom resolve with just systemic antibiotics. The antibiotics cannot penetrate the abscess wall and thick pus. Total removal of the entire abscess capsule is often the best option, but might not be possible in some situations. If tooth roots are involved tooth extraction might also be needed.

The choice of antibiotic should be based on the results of swabs taken from the abscess wall, not just the pus. Rabbit pus is often sterile so false results occur. IME Baytril (enrofloxacin) alone is seldom helpful. Usually an injectable antibiotic such of Depocillin is needed too. Or a combination of antibiotics.

Rabbit jaw abscesses are a real challenge to treat, sometimes the ‘best’ outcome is to try to control the infection, total cure might not be possible. Having a very savvy Vet is essential.

These links provide some useful information

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Treatment/Facial/abs_dental.htm
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/further-reading/abscesses-further-reading/

 

[Shimmer]

Your vet has given good advice. Rabbit abscesses are not like others - they are a tough capsule filled with stuff the consistency of cream cheese - not runny yellow yuck like most species have.

Abscesses are usually treated with penicillin derivatives (eg depocillin) - so injections every day or alternate days, usually. Baytril has no effect on them, and oral penicillins are toxic to rabbits (so make sure she doesn't lick off any that leaks out of the injection site, as it affects the gut bacteria). Teatment is usually longer term - so weeks or months, usually with surgery to remove the capsule, or as much of it as possible. It's common to leave the wound site open so that it can drain and heal from the inside. A closed wound just traps the bacteria in and the abscess may reccur. You have to keep the hole open (ie stop it scabbing over), even if it's been stitched open. Flush it out ?twice a day - just use a 1ml syringe and eg hibiscrub solution (or whatever your vet recommends). Squirt it in and mop up the stuff that comes out.

You can aid the healing process by packing the hole with medical grade manuka honey after flushing. It's easier than it sounds, and a handleable rabbit shouldn't have issues with the treatment. If the abscess hasn't gone into the bone, this should sort it out. Sometimes there are seeded abscesses - so watch out for others appearing over time. Abscesses can also get into the bone, which has a poorer prognosis but is still manageable. I had 2 older rabbits with major jaw involvement and they lived for another 18 months on treatment after surgery. Catching abscesses early and before they get into the bone gives a much better outcome and often clears them completely.

If she's not already had one, I would ask for a skull Xray to check that the jaw bone is clear of infection, and that the tooth roots are all OK. Any dental work can also be carried out while she's under anaesthetic.

It sounds and can look gruesome, but the rabbits are usually not at all bothered by it. You just need to be mentally prepared for her to have a shaved jaw area and an open wound on her jaw. The fur will regrow and the wound will slowly heal. You soon get used to the daily routine of flushing and packing with honey - it just takes a few minutes. You should also be given some oral pain relief / anti-inflammatory (eg metacam), and maybe some drops to put in the wound to numb it before flushing. You can be taught how to do the antibiotic injections at home and you would be given either some pre-filled syringes or a bottle to dispense it from yourself.

 

[Pets mum]

I've no advice to add , as had no experience of this, but wishing you and your bunny good luck for vet visit Friday xx

 

[bunny momma]

I am sending you and Nala lots of positive thoughts.
Take this one step at a time so you do not get overwhelmed. After more diagnostics and surgery you will have a better idea of the extent of the infection.