Can't find a good rabbit vet in China to treat Colin's abscesses! Please advise!

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This topic has 9sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 1 month ago by Sarita.

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- 02/15/2009 at 2:49 AM
  colinbessiemummy
  Participant
  9 posts
  Colin is a year old male bunny living in China and I am a first time rabbit owner. Four months ago I took him to be neutered at a local veterinary hospital who usually only treat cats and dogs but had performed neutering and spaying operations on rabbits before and were recommended by a friend. The operation was a success but a week later Colin developed a lump on his nose. He seemed a bit snuffly too, was sneezing and had a slight nasal discharge. I took him back to the vet’s but they said they didn’t know how to treat him. I ended up taking him to an agricultural vet, quite a long way away, who didn’t even examine him, just said, oh, it’s an infection, it’ll clear up. I begged the vet to give me some antibiotics, however, and he gave me some Baytril in powder form which he said I could put in Colin’s drinking water (as much as i could get on a cotton bud tip). The abscess burst after a few days, but since then new abscesses keep forming, more or less in the same place.
  
  I was back in the UK over Christmas and asked a vet there for advice. He recommended that I put Colin on a a course of injectable Baytril. But it’s impossible to get here in China. He also suggested it could be a tooth causing the problem. But Colin is eating, playing and grooming as normal – could that be the case? There is no local vet that I trust to examine him so I’m at my wit’s end. I’m worried the infection will spread and lead to respiratory illness. I’ve tried him on echinacea but it didn’t seem to help. His bunny friend, Muffy, neutered at the same animal hospital, is absolutely fine. Is it possible to order the injectable antibiotics over the Internet, does anyone know? Any advice would be much appreciated. Colin is the sweetest natured little creature imaginable and I just love him to pieces.
  
  Thanks for your help
  
  Ali & Colin
- 02/15/2009 at 4:20 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Gosh, what a dilemma! I could only find these vet listings. They were on a recommended list given by the House Rabbit Society.
  
  Dr. Tiger, Dr. Katriona Bradley
  Tai Wai Small Animal and Exotic Hospital
  69-75 Shop B, G/F, Chik Shun Street, Tai Wai,
  Shatin, N.T.,
  Hong Kong
  Phone: (852)2687 1030
  Fax: (852)2687 1077
  Emergency: (852)7116 8888 A/C 2000
  
  Dr. Chris E. Dixon
  Chris & Nicola’s Animal Hospital
  G/F 37 Wing Hing St., Tin Hau,
  Hong Kong
  Phone: (852)2570 6048
  Fax: (852)2578 6536
  
  Hope one of these is close to you. If not, try looking under Small Animal or Exotics Vets. If no luck, do try a regular clininc as Baytril is one of the common meds given when a rabbit comes through the door. They just may have some but ideally, getting Colin seen by a savvy vet would be best. Goodluck!
- 02/15/2009 at 4:58 AM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  jerseygirl looked where I was going to, so here’s my suggestions.
  
  Email the vet in the UK and tell her your dilemma. Ask if she can recommend a course of action, especially if she can perscribe long distance, ship meds, or give you a contact to get meds over the internet.
  
  Also, here is the link to Vet Help Direct: http://www.vethelpdirect.com/index.php I think you can email them for immediate advice. I’d explain your limited access (copy the paragraph you wrote above since it states the problem very well) and ask what they can do to either treat or direct you to treatment.
  
  Also,
  Here is a society of vets you might email to ask for help as well: http://www.aemv.org/vetlist.cfm
- 02/15/2009 at 11:37 AM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Jerseygirl and Rabbitpam – you are great!!
  
  aliclarkey – Welcome and I hope the information that they gave you will help lead you to the getting the care your bunny needs.
  
  You had said if it were teeth problems would Colin still be acting normally and the answer is yes as sometimes as sometimes the infection can be up in the jaw and face area that can be caused by a root infection. Sometimes it’s painful to a bunny and sometimes it’s not so much. You said however it was on his nose – at the tip? or along the bone line? If it is at the tip, I am just wondering if it got bit or scratched as those can easily form into an abscess too. So it really is hard to tell what the source is. It is very good that you are looking to find the right treatment as abscesses (especially on the face) can get very nasty and you want to prevent it from attaching to muscle and bone as well.
  
  Let us know if those links help, and I will also continue to search. I thought for some reason there was a China Rabbit Rescue Society or something (I remember being very surprised and happy about that) so I will have to do some searching!
- 02/15/2009 at 12:01 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  http://www.rabbit.org/hrs-info/contacts.html#HongKong (contact info for the House Rabbit Society Hong Kong)
  
  http://www.gina-rabbit.net/rabbit/hrs/index.html (this is the Chinese version of the website – though since I can’t understand it I don’t know if it really the house rabbit society of China or just the chinese version of the Singapore site)
  
  There is also a House Rabbit Society of Singapore - I know it’s not in China, but they have a forum and reference info so you may be able to use them as a resource too.
  http://www.hrss.net
- 02/15/2009 at 4:24 PM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  i think you are going to need to find a vet that can examine him and treat him, antibiotics are prescription generally so I am not sure that you will be able to get them otherwise. Does the original vet have any suggestions of where else you can take him? or can they consult a colleague to see if they can recommend to them how to treat him?
  
  Infection can start to destroy bone if present long enough- so I would check out some of the links that other members have posted and call any and all vets to see if you can get someone to help you. You could maybe call any petstores in the area to see if they have ever used a vet for bunnies? or call any local animal shelter to see if they know of someone??
- 02/16/2009 at 12:58 AM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  You’ll definitely want to see a vet-where abouts in China are you?
- 02/16/2009 at 6:58 PM
  colinbessiemummy
  Participant
  9 posts
  Thanks everyone for your advice! I’ve decided to take Colin to the vet’s where he was neutered so that they can at least check his teeth under anaesthetic to see if it’s a root canal. I’m also going to ask them again (or get a Chinese translator to ask) if they can specially order in the medication recommended by the UK vet.
  
  I live in Tianjin, just south of Beijing, so a long way from Hong Kong unfortunately.
  
  And the lump – it’s between Colin’s eye and nose, at the front of his face…
  
  I’ll also look into the websites everyone suggested…
  
  And keep you posted on the lovely Colin.
  
  many thanks
  
  Ali
- 02/16/2009 at 10:05 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Abscesses can be caused by many things, including tooth problems and Pasturella
  
  Here are some resources you could print and bring to your vet
  
  http://www.rabbit.org/care/pasteurella.html
  
  http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/abcess.shtml
  
  Some medical pictures that may disturb http://www.lbah.com/rabbits/pasteurella.htm
  
  http://www.hrschicago.org/abscessfr.html
- 02/17/2009 at 9:28 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Here are contact from House Rabbit Society – I realize they are in Hong Kong but they may have resources outside Hong Kong for vets that can help you.
  
  Hong Kong
  
  Rosaline Ng
  Hong Kong
  rosy@rosybunny.com
  
  Carmen Chui
  Hong Kong
  chuicarmen@gmail.com
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