Hey everyone,
I was hoping for some advice regarding my 9 year old bunny, Percy. He lives indoors with myself and my partner but has free access to the garden when we're home and the weather is okay.
Anyway, last year around March, he started limping on his right hock. We took him to the vet and found what seemed to be a cut of some sort on the foot which had then swollen and created a cyst. After a small operation, the vet removed the cyst the best she could and once he recovered he was hopping around fine for about 2-3 weeks until he became lame again.
A trip back to the vets and another op to remove the cyst that had come back. The vet was reluctant to X ray but accompanied the op with metacam and an opioid, plus I believe baytril. We were also told we'd need to flush the wound ourselves twice a day.
Percys mobility still didn't improve much after that, so the vet ran some tests and found that the infection was a psuedonoma and prescribed different antibiotic that the bacteria was sensitive to (I forget which) that had to be administered once every 3 days by the vet by injection.
After about 2 weeks there was little improvement, so he was put on another course of different antibiotics plus another small operation, this time also on the left hock as it seemed to have spread. That operation seemed to be more successful as it cleared up his left foot but he was still struggling with his right. The vet then sent away more tests which came back that the infection was now sensitive to baytril so put him on a 2 week course. Within a few days of being on it he improved massively and he was almost back to his old self with very little mobility issues and no swelling. Unfortunately though, within a week of coming off it, he was struggling again. So the vet put him on a 2 month course of it- he improved majorly once again.
He's been off the baytril for 11 days now and unfortunately he's fallen back into discomfort and struggling with his right hock again.
He's booked in to see the vet on Tuesday, but she has said she won't prescribe anymore baytril incase he becomes resistant, and also lectured us on how baytril is banned in poultry in certain countries because it can make humans resistant. I understand her concerns and reservations but he's our bun and it's an isolated case. We believe her next suggestion is amputation but we want that as the absolute last resort. I understand bunnies can recover and also adapt very well with 3 legs, but if we can avoid that stress then we will. I also have him booked in to see different vet tomorrow for another opinion.
I guess my question is - does anyone have any similar experiences as us? And has anyone given their rabbits antibiotics long term? We appreciate that he's in his senior years, so for us it makes sense to give him a medicine that's clearly effective in one way or another, despite the risks. He still has so much life in him, he's very active, follows us everywhere (mostly to the treat cupboard) he loves his cuddles and he binkys and zoomies endlessly. Apart from this infection, the vet says he's a healthy and happy bunny.
Sorry for the long post, thanks for any advice
I was hoping for some advice regarding my 9 year old bunny, Percy. He lives indoors with myself and my partner but has free access to the garden when we're home and the weather is okay.
Anyway, last year around March, he started limping on his right hock. We took him to the vet and found what seemed to be a cut of some sort on the foot which had then swollen and created a cyst. After a small operation, the vet removed the cyst the best she could and once he recovered he was hopping around fine for about 2-3 weeks until he became lame again.
A trip back to the vets and another op to remove the cyst that had come back. The vet was reluctant to X ray but accompanied the op with metacam and an opioid, plus I believe baytril. We were also told we'd need to flush the wound ourselves twice a day.
Percys mobility still didn't improve much after that, so the vet ran some tests and found that the infection was a psuedonoma and prescribed different antibiotic that the bacteria was sensitive to (I forget which) that had to be administered once every 3 days by the vet by injection.
After about 2 weeks there was little improvement, so he was put on another course of different antibiotics plus another small operation, this time also on the left hock as it seemed to have spread. That operation seemed to be more successful as it cleared up his left foot but he was still struggling with his right. The vet then sent away more tests which came back that the infection was now sensitive to baytril so put him on a 2 week course. Within a few days of being on it he improved massively and he was almost back to his old self with very little mobility issues and no swelling. Unfortunately though, within a week of coming off it, he was struggling again. So the vet put him on a 2 month course of it- he improved majorly once again.
He's been off the baytril for 11 days now and unfortunately he's fallen back into discomfort and struggling with his right hock again.
He's booked in to see the vet on Tuesday, but she has said she won't prescribe anymore baytril incase he becomes resistant, and also lectured us on how baytril is banned in poultry in certain countries because it can make humans resistant. I understand her concerns and reservations but he's our bun and it's an isolated case. We believe her next suggestion is amputation but we want that as the absolute last resort. I understand bunnies can recover and also adapt very well with 3 legs, but if we can avoid that stress then we will. I also have him booked in to see different vet tomorrow for another opinion.
I guess my question is - does anyone have any similar experiences as us? And has anyone given their rabbits antibiotics long term? We appreciate that he's in his senior years, so for us it makes sense to give him a medicine that's clearly effective in one way or another, despite the risks. He still has so much life in him, he's very active, follows us everywhere (mostly to the treat cupboard) he loves his cuddles and he binkys and zoomies endlessly. Apart from this infection, the vet says he's a healthy and happy bunny.
Sorry for the long post, thanks for any advice
