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Abcesses in my bunny - Help needed -

Lefteris

Warren Scout
Hello all.
My Thumper have abcesses for around 2 months now on its paws. I visit a vet that knows about rabbits (?) for a month now.
The first time the vet just opened the abcesses and squeezed the pus out of the paws. I used baytril oral for 15 days and did some washes with bedandine.
Although very soon the abcesses came back and i visited the vet again. This time the vet did a sedative injection on Thumper so she can dig more the abcesses and remove all the pus.
I got Thumper home and im gave 15 more days baytril.
Today is the last day on baytril and the abcesses all these days come up with more pus. I squeeze as much as i can but there is always some in the wound that dont get out even as much as i try.
Im starting to think that this doctor isnt good enough? I read a few things on web that Baytril isnt effective on abcesses.
A whole month of Baytril and the abcesses keep coming. My bunny can move a lot better than the firsts days.
Although it doesnt move a lot. Also she has lost a weight.I read about septrin or some injections.
What i should do ? Any help is recommended , im very sad seeing my rabbit like this. She was a very healthy and happy bunny before this :cry:


Sorry for my English
 
Hello all.
My Thumper have abcesses for around 2 months now on its paws. I visit a vet that knows about rabbits (?) for a month now.
The first time the vet just opened the abcesses and squeezed the pus out of the paws. I used baytril oral for 15 days and did some washes with bedandine.
Although very soon the abcesses came back and i visited the vet again. This time the vet did a sedative injection on Thumper so she can dig more the abcesses and remove all the pus.
I got Thumper home and im gave 15 more days baytril.
Today is the last day on baytril and the abcesses all these days come up with more pus. I squeeze as much as i can but there is always some in the wound that dont get out even as much as i try.
Im starting to think that this doctor isnt good enough? I read a few things on web that Baytril isnt effective on abcesses.
A whole month of Baytril and the abcesses keep coming. My bunny can move a lot better than the firsts days.
Although it doesnt move a lot. Also she has lost a weight.I read about septrin or some injections.
What i should do ? Any help is recommended , im very sad seeing my rabbit like this. She was a very healthy and happy bunny before this :cry:


Sorry for my English

Sorry to hear about your Bunny's abscess. It is often the case that Baytril alone is not sufficient to treat Rabbit abscesses. The best course of action is usually for the Vet to not only remove as much of the abscess as possible but to also take a swab from the abscess wall to send off for MC+S testing. The results of which should reveal the exact bacteria involved in the infection and the most suitable antibiotic to treat it with.

Is the abscess on your Rabbit's foot or on the hock(s). If there is infection in underlying bone (osteomyelitis) aswell as in soft tissue then treatment can be an even bigger challenge. Without knowing the exact location of your Rabbit's abscess or the extent of the infection it is hard to offer you more detailed advice. Are you located in the UK ?

This links may be useful to take a look at :

http://www.all-creatures.com/blog-Abscesses+in+Rabbits.html

Perhaps you could seek a second opinion from another Vet ?
 
All abcesses are from the down side of the paw. The vet didnt tell me anything like osteomyelitis.
Ill try take a photo to show you
 
Here is my bunny and the abcesses
dec42a8e32695c89ac59bc0e143ed82c.jpg
a6cece7ef3bd4c23e2567dca3c5013f8.jpg
9c08b72d5a0c2bde74257143b343745d.jpg
b7f283431eaaa182e6245418ee16308b.jpg


Στάλθηκε από το Maya μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk
 
Here is my bunny and the abcesses
dec42a8e32695c89ac59bc0e143ed82c.jpg
a6cece7ef3bd4c23e2567dca3c5013f8.jpg
9c08b72d5a0c2bde74257143b343745d.jpg
b7f283431eaaa182e6245418ee16308b.jpg


Στάλθηκε από το Maya μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

Poor Bunny :cry:

Personally I would keep Thumper on a towels/Vetbed rather than wood shavings as the latter are likely to exacerbate the problem. Can you seek a second opinion from another Vet with regards to more appropriate treatment. As you may have noted from the link I previously posted, it is important to try to identify the actual cause of the abscesses and treat the cause, not just the abscesses.

Did the Vet say what he/she thought the cause of the abscesses may be ?
 
Maybe all started with sore hocks infection.
As you see in the last picture of the back leg there is a bold space on the hock.
I thought about a towel but she pee everywhere around since she has this problem. Thats why i use wood shaving cause its more absorbent.
 
Maybe all started with sore hocks infection.
As you see in the last picture of the back leg there is a bold space on the hock.
I thought about a towel but she pee everywhere around since she has this problem. Thats why i use wood shaving cause its more absorbent.

I understand that, but the woodshavings will further irritate the abscesses. With towels you could change them as they are soiled. Yes, it means a lot of laundry, but sometimes it's the only option.

Sore hocks are often a result of another mobility problem such as a spinal condition like arthritis. From how Thumper is sitting I would not be surprised if he has some pain in his lower back. That is another thing I'd want to discuss with the Vet.

If a Rabbit has spinal pain they are likely to bear weight awkwardly on their hind legs. Hence sore hocks can develop. Then when the hocks become sore the Rabbit may take more weight on their front legs and as a result sore front feet can occur. But all of this is really speculation as it's not possible to accurately identify the entire problem without the Rabbit undergoing appropriate diagnostics. That is why I am suggesting that it might be a good idea to try to obtain a second opinion from another Vet.
 
Yeah i understand what you saying and thanks for the answers. Im really concerned because here in Greece there are only a few vets that knows about rabbits. And the other vet i know is very expensive. Just 50 euros to see the pet
 
Yeah i understand what you saying and thanks for the answers. Im really concerned because here in Greece there are only a few vets that knows about rabbits. And the other vet i know is very expensive. Just 50 euros to see the pet

I can imagine that it must be very difficult for you. I dont know if the Vet you are currently consulting may have access to contact with a Rabbit Specialist Vet elsewhere in Europe even if not in Greece ?

A few suggestions:

Livia Benato http://cityvets.co.uk/exotics-service/

The Royal School of Veterinary Studies (Edinburgh, SCOTLAND) http://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/services/small-animals/services/rabbit-exotic-practice/contact-us

The Royal Veterinary College (LONDON) http://www.rvc.ac.uk/News/Updates/on1405-exotic-and-small-mammal-service.cfm
 
Hello all.
My Thumper have abcesses for around 2 months now on its paws. I visit a vet that knows about rabbits (?) for a month now.
The first time the vet just opened the abcesses and squeezed the pus out of the paws. I used baytril oral for 15 days and did some washes with bedandine.
Although very soon the abcesses came back and i visited the vet again. This time the vet did a sedative injection on Thumper so she can dig more the abcesses and remove all the pus.
I got Thumper home and im gave 15 more days baytril.
Today is the last day on baytril and the abcesses all these days come up with more pus. I squeeze as much as i can but there is always some in the wound that dont get out even as much as i try.
Im starting to think that this doctor isnt good enough? I read a few things on web that Baytril isnt effective on abcesses.
A whole month of Baytril and the abcesses keep coming. My bunny can move a lot better than the firsts days.
Although it doesnt move a lot. Also she has lost a weight.I read about septrin or some injections.
What i should do ? Any help is recommended , im very sad seeing my rabbit like this. She was a very healthy and happy bunny before this :cry:


Sorry for my English


Dear Lefteris

Hello and welcome to the Forum :wave:

I am so sorry to hear about your bunny and his abscesses. Abscesses are darned things to get rid of and it sounds like your vet is doing his best for Thumper.

I have found that Baytril isn't the best antibiotic to attack the problem. I always use (and insist on - my vet doesn't always agree) injectable penicillin. I don't know whether you can obtain that?

I've found it clears up abscesses the best, and I give it for about 4 - 6 weeks after the abscess has disappeared.

Would your vet consider this?

(sorry if you've already said this - I have been away so am trying to answer your question as soon as I can!)
 
Dear Lefteris

Hello and welcome to the Forum :wave:

I am so sorry to hear about your bunny and his abscesses. Abscesses are darned things to get rid of and it sounds like your vet is doing his best for Thumper.

I have found that Baytril isn't the best antibiotic to attack the problem. I always use (and insist on - my vet doesn't always agree) injectable penicillin. I don't know whether you can obtain that?

I've found it clears up abscesses the best, and I give it for about 4 - 6 weeks after the abscess has disappeared.

Would your vet consider this?

(sorry if you've already said this - I have been away so am trying to answer your question as soon as I can!)
Hello thanks for the answer.
Talked with my vet today and she told me that we gonna try injections. Didnt tell me more . ill get my bunny to vet in a few days. In the.meantime told me to stop baytril cause maybe Thumper has loss of apetite cause of baytril.
You think its ok to leave it free of antibiotic a few days?

Στάλθηκε από το Maya μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk
 
Hello thanks for the answer.
Talked with my vet today and she told me that we gonna try injections. Didnt tell me more . ill get my bunny to vet in a few days. In the.meantime told me to stop baytril cause maybe Thumper has loss of apetite cause of baytril.
You think its ok to leave it free of antibiotic a few days?

Στάλθηκε από το Maya μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

You're welcome :)

Yes I can imagine the Baytril causing a loss of appetite :(

If the Baytril isn't doing any good, then leaving things free of antibiotic for a few days won't matter - hopefully you'll get bunny to the vet and another antibiotic very soon :)
 
Your rabbit is beautiful :love:

This is concerning the wood shavings:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html

From the site you gave me

''In rodents, for example, constant exposure to phenol-containing litters reduced drug effectiveness by greater that 40%. This is the main objection to softwood litters.''

That is happening with the use of Baytril also ? May be the reason that baytril isnt effective?

Any ideas except towels ? What else litter i can use that is safe and soft for my bunny paws?
 
You're welcome :)

Yes I can imagine the Baytril causing a loss of appetite :(

If the Baytril isn't doing any good, then leaving things free of antibiotic for a few days won't matter - hopefully you'll get bunny to the vet and another antibiotic very soon :)

But the past couple days stopped eating much.
The previous month even if Thumper was in baytril was eating normal (or a little less than normal). Maybe cause is for an extented time ?
 
From the site you gave me

''In rodents, for example, constant exposure to phenol-containing litters reduced drug effectiveness by greater that 40%. This is the main objection to softwood litters.''

That is happening with the use of Baytril also ? May be the reason that baytril isnt effective?

Any ideas except towels ? What else litter i can use that is safe and soft for my bunny paws?


With Baytril and rabbit abscesses, it's more that the antibiotic itself doesn't penetrate the abscess capsule. Rabbit abscesses tend to wall themselves off and it's therefore difficult for the medication to 'reach' that spot.

Softwood shavings can aggravate the respiratory system, and this in turn has a deleterious effect on the immune system. The immune system is the very thing the rabbit needs to fight infection :)

Here's a thread where I helped someone with their rabbit's abscess:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?440545-Abscess-treatment
 
But the past couple days stopped eating much.
The previous month even if Thumper was in baytril was eating normal (or a little less than normal). Maybe cause is for an extented time ?


Yes indeed, any antibiotic given *orally* has the potential to affect the gut by destroying the good bacteria.

An antibiotic administered by *injection* is far less likely to cause gut disturbances
 
Update
Today she is eating well. Though im worried about the front leg (first pic in previous post). From this leg i had removed a lot of pus a few days ago but a white think is still in wound (guess pus). But its veeery hard like rock.
 
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