Tooth Root Abcess

[JamieM]

Well, Layla and I have had quite the adventure over the past couple of months.  About 6 weeks ago she started sneezing a lot.  At first it didn’t seem to bother her and when I called my vet she figured it was allergy induced and we went on the grand hunt for mold in my home.  At the time, I was dealing with allergies too so it was the likely culprit for both of us.  But eventually, her nose started running too, so off to the vet we went.  After some checks, the vet prescribed Baytril for what she thought was an upper respiratory infection and Layla seemed to be doing alright with it at first.  Then one day when I came home from work her face was swollen on one side.  Interestingly, it was the same side with the runny nose.  So obviously, I took her back to the vet right away.  My usual vet was out of town (isn’t that the way of it) so I took her in to see another vet at their office who also sees rabbits (but obviously not as often).  So he thought that Layla had a blocked tear duct and set up an appointment the following week for Layla to come back, informing me that for Layla to be xrayed she would need to be sedated and he didn’t feel comfortable doing that.  Well, when we came back the following week, our usual vet recommended that we put her under to do the xray.  So back to the vet we went the following morning.  When they did the xray they were able to see that what has been causing all the problems was a tooth root abcess.  They were able to lance the abcess, sent a culture off to a lab out of town, and prescribed her some more Baytril in the meantime. 

She ended up losing a point in the whole ordeal but seems to be eating, drinking and generally feeling better.  However, the lump is still present on the side of her face.  I am going to schedule a follow up appointment on Monday to see what the vet thinks because, of course she still has a runny nose too and now the Baytril is gone.  We’re still waiting for the culture to come back so thus far I’m not really sure what happened but I guess baring a better antibiotic, the next step will be to have her tooth removed.  I’m really hoping that isn’t necessary but if it is, I’ll do it.  There aren’t any local vets who perform this procedure so I guess we’d be off to Cleveland, OH. 

What a stressful process this all has been!  Has anybody else ever gone through it?  Is there any more information that maybe I don’t already know?  I’d appreciate it so much!

[Sarita]

What a vigilant rabbit parent you are! I honestly have not had any experience like this – I have dental problems with my rabbits and one of my rabbits had his tooth recently pulled (it was loose) but nothing like this. I have to say however your vet seems to be very competent and knows when he/she cannot perform the procedure to send you to a specialist. Hopefully that culture will show you something as well.

The runny nose is probably the result of the dental problem but I know you’ve already suspected that.

Sometimes these problems may take a few months to clear up too, so be patient and please keep us updated.

[BinkyBunny]

 I have been through several tooth & jaw abscesses with Rucy; She had several teeth pulled over a 7 years period. She has always recovered so quickly after her surgeries – ready to eat and binky after 24- 48 hours.  A very happy bunny even through all of it. 

It is important to treat abscess right away as they can actually tentacle out attaching to bone and muscle, so it’s good that you are on top of this!

I was happy to hear that they were able to get a culture of it as there definitely are different types of bacteria that can be present, and knowing what’s there will help your vet create a treatment plan would have the best chance at fighting it.

Rucy’s first surgery (before I adopted her) she had an incisor removed and I think a back molar as well.  They put in antibiotic beads.  She was abscess free for two years. Then deep in the jaw/tooth root area she would get occasional lumps that we would try to battle with medicine and it seemed to help for a period of time, but eventually more molars had to be pulled and they also discovered tooth root was left behind, and those can continue to grow and cause problems. 

The last time she had to go in for surgery and have another tooth extracted they were able to get a culture deep inside right at the site of the infection (so even non air based bacteria would be present there) I’m sorry, I can’t remember the term for that, and I can’t find the sheet that my vet gave me concerning this at the moment) Anyway, we were hoping that that would give us the key to finally get a med that would work long-term.  However, while we were waiting (took a few weeks for the tests to come back) she passed away, but DON’T WORRY…it was for a completely different reason. Not related.   But if she had lived long enough, the results would have been very helpful.  For my own education purposes, I discussed with my vet what the treatment plan WOULD have been for her based on the results. (a combination of meds that would have been able to work together)  And even then I was told that there wouldn’t be a guarantee that those would work, but it would be at least the best chance to keep it from returning.

I am glad to hear your vet was able to get a decent culture but in the meantime if you notice that abscess is continuing to grow, then talk to your vet asap as you may need to switch to another antibiotic or they may choose to extract if it gets bad enough since they wouldn’t want it to affect other areas – the jaw, muscle or eyes. 

Healing vibes to your precious bunny and keep us updated.   I’m sorry you have to go through this – I know it can be stressful. 

 

ETA:  I forgot to ask…what did you mean she lost a point?  

 

[JamieM]

I’m sorry, that was an odd typo! She’s lost about a pound (she was about 9.5 pounds and is around 8.5 now) throughout all of this. Overall she’s been eating alright and using the litterbox but she was eating less. (But her vet says that’s ok… she’s a hefty bun!)

I’m concerned because the lump on her face is still there. The procedure they did was on December 22 and it’s never really gone down. At first I thought it was swelling but at this point it seems as though it has been long enough for it to go down some, and she’s started sneezing and leaking snot a lot more. I just feel so bad, but even though she is sick, she’s still running, binky-spazzing and ready for pets. She’s a LITTLE withdrawn but I think she’s just scared of going to the vet again. I noticed that when I come toward her while wearing my boots, she cowers. She probably remembers! The poor girl, but she’s been such a trooper throughout it all. I think I’m going to schedule a follow-up for this week no matter how she does this weekend. Mostly just for my peace of mind. I’ve been a mess over this! I’m just lucky to have a very supportive boyfriend who took a day of sleep off (he works third shift) to come to the vet with me, should there be bad news.

She’s still so young, only 18 months old, so I’m really hoping that we can fight this infection and she can have lots of years in front of her.

The vet suspects a staph infection, but with the holidays the culture is being delayed (and perhaps it will take longer than I think anyway). Here’s hoping it comes before we have to get her tooth removed! I just hate seeing her in so much pain

[jerseygirl]

Healing (((vibes))) for the beautiful Layla Jamie. Hopefully you can nip this soon, sound like she has great care from you and your vet.

[shlbysmom]

wow i havent had any expereince with this either but i feel for u and her i hope everythign gets better im sorry ur haveing all this trouble sorry i cant b any help but i send healing {{{ vibes}}}} and please let us know whats gion on

[JamieM]

Thanks so much. I will definitely try. I’m so terrible at getting online 😛

[BinkyBunny]

Sounds like you have a very wonderful partner to take time from what seems to be an exhausting schedule and skip “Sleep” to be with you. Very sweet. Did the vet offer any metacam for pain? If not, when you make the appointment for the follow-up this week, you may want to talk to your vet about this. (Tooth abscesses can be OUCH especially during meal time)

I’m sorry that this is happening. I can tell you that with Rucy – it seems she had it when she was young too as her history was that someone dropped her off in a carrier and left her in front of Animal Care & Control – She had jaw abscess when dropped off. The House Rabbit Society then took responsibility for her and had her the first surgery done (she was estimated back then to be a year and half too).

But she lived a wonderful happy life. I actually ALMOST got her on vet insurance but she had to have been abscess free for two years for them to have taken off the “pre-existing”. I just didn’t act fast enough before the next abscess returned. So just FYI – if things settle down your bunny for a couple of years after this, I would look into Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) because if it does come back it can help out financially if is continues to come back periodically.

[RabbitPam]

I haven’t had experience with this, but am sending {{{{{{{{{{{{healing vibes}}}}}}}}} in hopes that they will help.

[JamieM]

Pet insurance is a great idea… I was considering looking into that anyway, seeing as I’ve spent so much already!

So the saga continues here with Miss Layla. I was away overnight on New Year’s because the boyfriend had off work and when I got home, she’d scratched open her stitches. She was bleeding and binkying at the same time, it was a crazy site. My vet office was closed on New Year’s Day so I called the emergency vet who said I could bring her in but that they couldn’t really do anything because the vet who happened to be one “doesn’t do rabbits”. Wonderful. I find this extra frustrating because when I first adopted Layla I called there and was told that they do see rabbits as patients in instances where an emergency has taken place. Come to find out that now it’s dependent completely on what the vet on duty feels like doing. And that’s the only one of it’s kind in Erie… So I stayed home and kept an eye on her and she was eating, pooping, peeing, drinking, playing, sleeping… everything normal. Call my vet first thing in the morning yesterday with the ripping open of her stitches plus the fact that they’re now not only pussing but smell putrid. They can’t get her in without me paying a ton and my vet isn’t there anyway. They suggest I go in Monday and in the meantime start her on a higher dose of the Baytril. Still, she seems fine, doesn’t even seem to be messing with it.

Her appointment is tomorrow afternoon. I’ll let you know what I find out… They said that her culture results SHOULD be in tomorrow too so that’d be great as well. We’ll see….

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Definitely don’t have any advice-I’ve never gone through something like this and it sounds like your vet is very competant and on top of it-you too btw

Just sending lots of {{Layla Healing Vibes}}
I hope everything pans out well on Monday-please keep us posted!!

[JamieM]

**WARNING: GROSS DESCRIPTIVES AHEAD**

Went to the vet today. The first thing Layla’s doc did was clean the wound from her surgery where they had opened her up to lance the abcess. It INSTANTLY started pussing. I guess the abcess came back. So doc removed the stitches and cleaned out the wound again and this time left the wound open, at least temporarily, to weep. I have to flush it out 1-3 times a day with this solution that is supposed to help dental related infections in animals. This involves putting a syringe in the wound and forcing water through it. It’s terrible and I hate it but I think it bothers me more than Layla. Her poor face is so swollen and red and bloody but the vet said that stitching it back up is giving the abcess no time to heal, which is necessary. So far Layla seems to be leaving it alone, which is good. She cleans it, but very daintily, and doesn’t really seem to bothered by it. I tell you, this rabbit has a much stronger disposition than I do. I’m a mess over the whole thing. The culture came back as “inconclusive” because it wouldn’t grow. They were able to identify that it was bacterial in nature but not what specific bacteria it is. The vet says that the antibiotic she has been on, Baytril, is the best in this situation so we’re going to continue to be on it for another ten days and go from there. I also have to give her antibacterial eye drops with Baytril in them, to help both flush the tear duct and hopefully stop the spread into her eyes due to the pussing. The good news is that Layla has gained half a pound back in the past 2 weeks. She’d lost a full pound so that’s a good sign, I think.

I did ask the vet about the pain medications and she said she’s thought about it but since Layla’s been acting pretty normal and eating well thus far she’s holding off. It’s in the back of her mind, though, if Layla starts deteriorating.

[jerseygirl]

Oh ickky! I remember kralspace did something like this for Simba and it cleared his abcess up. Persist and be brave! (((Layla))) (((amnesia vibes for you so you can forget what this is like when she’s better. ick, ick)))

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL for some reason puss and abscesses don’t both me -gross wise. I’ve been reading a number of vet blogs and I guess it’s a girl thing-we love cleaning abscesses more then boys do

Didn’t gross me out at all :p Now if it stunk…don’t get me started eheheh I have a bad gag and smells do me in

Glad she’s gaining weight again. That’s one thing I am very set on-having my pets a *smidge* overweight-so if they do fall ill they have some reserves to use Sounds like she used them and is gaining back which I personally find a very good sign

{{{LAYLA}}}

Keep us posted

[JamieM]

Thanks guys… She doesn’t seem to mind at all but it’s not a fun thing! Do you remember if the person you heard who went through this had trouble with the wound healing overnight? It seems to heal so I can’t clean it but when I find a little give and flush it, stuff still comes out. Meh, I have to call the vet to make sure I’m doing it right.

[jerseygirl]

I don’t recall the details but found the thread Kathy had while Simba had his abcess.  https://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/a…fault.aspx

[JamieM]

Thanks jerseygirl, that’s helpful!

[MooBunnay]

I searched around online for awhile to see if I could find any instructions on flushing abscesses that might help you out, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any detail. The articles I did find said that it is important to follow your vet’s instructions, even though it seems stressful for your rabbit, it is going to be better for them to get it clean. They also recommended calling and asking your vet questions whenever you run into a situation you don’t know how to handle. It sounds like you have a very good vet, so if you are having trouble, I would definitely call the vet since you have some questions about the abscess healing up. I know it must be very stressful and hard to do, when I had to give penicillin shots I always felt bad, but you are doing the best thing for your bunny.

I hope that Layla is doing better very soon!

[JamieM]

Thanks so much. I did call my vet today and am waiting for her to call me back, hopefully some time tomorrow. I’m just going to make sure I’m doing it right! I’m new to this stuff but if it’s going to help her get better, I’d do just about anything, really. Layla is my kid!

[BinkyBunny]

Oh good gosh, I have never had to do what you are doing, but I am glad others could help with this

I can at least send healing vibes.

[JamieM]

Just an update… we’re still at it. Her spirits are high and it’s amazing that she lets me do this to her but she comes willingly when I promise a treat afterwards. Other than that, she doesn’t seem to be doing much better. I’m wishing it would!

[Beka27]

(((Healing vibes for Layla!)))

It sounds like she’s in good, caring hands!

[JamieM]

Well, I think we have good news today! Layla’s abcess is oozing much, much less. In fact, when I cleaned it both times today, only a very tiny amount of puss came out. AND…what came out wasn’t stinky! I’m considering this a good sign. The vet said when puss stopped to leave the wound alone to heal so I’m going to check it out tomorrow and hopefully the next step will be letting it heal! However, her nose is still running so maybe we’re not quite out of the woods yet.

[jerseygirl]

Yeah, I would continue flushing too. Any amount of bacteria left and it’ll get out of control again. Did you have x-rays done to see where the source is?

[JamieM]

Yeah they did x-rays and the vet said the source was the tooth root. I have the x-rays on disc in case I end up having to see a specialist. The vet said that if I notice a couple of days with no puss, to let the wound heal. I’ll check her this weekend and if the puss is gone, I’m gonna stop. I so hate torturing her! I will keep an eye on it though. It’s tough because the vet said her cheek will always stick out more on that side now due to scar tissue because when she pulled out the stitches she said that it was almost entirely flesh. I’m hoping that it’s obviously better cause the bump going away was all I could think of as confirmation!

[JamieM]

Today when I went to check her wound, no puss came out. However, the scab had come off and when I looked into the wound it was full of what looked like puss but wouldn’t come out. Anybody familar with this?

[RabbitPam]

I just caught up on your progress with Layla, and I have to say you are very brave and skilled with her.
I always am a bit surprised about the way vets just give you medical instructions and tools and send you home to do these things. Many of us are not natural nurses, and I don’t know a lot of people who could handle a squirmy bunny to get out stinky oozing puss.

Unfortunately I am not familiar with it. It does sound like it’s very much the right direction since it stopped smelling and now stopped coming out. Maybe the puss is the beginning of the soft tissue healing? Continue doing what you are doing (obviously well) and calling your vet, and see what it is like tomorrow. My impression is that you just got through day one of “a couple of days without puss.”

[jerseygirl]

Pus in rabbits is thicker so it doesn’t always drain readily.
Some info on abscesses in rabbits – if your not too squeamish about details…

http://www.vspn.org/VSPNSearch/VINLibrary/rabbit_abscess.htm

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx

[BinkyBunny]

hmmm….since it’s a tooth root,  I am surprised they didn’t end up pulling it with the return. Infected roots can be a nasty source of ongoing problems as well as continue to infect nearby roots with left behind bacteria – depends on how long the abscess has been there. Did the vet discuss again possibly pulling the tooth as the option.

Jersey is right rabbit pus is very clumpy cottage cheesy…ech.

 

ETA:  Still hoping though that this continues to heal WITHOUT surgery – I didn’t mean to scare you.

Hopefully your vet will look at other antibiotics though if Baytril doesn’t work.   Baytril didn’t help Rucy too much.  It did get it to a point, but then there were others that worked bettter for her. (Note: Obviously, though each situation is different and Rucy’s was stubborn.  IF I can find her last culture results which had the recommended meds, that may be helpful in your situation.  If I can’t find it after a second search around the house, I will call my vet and get a second copy) 

 

[JamieM]

Thanks so much everyone! I’ll definitely look at that site.

We have talked about surgery but the vet wanted to try these options before we put her through that. The closest vet who does bunny dental work is an hour and a half away and with it being winter, that’s not the easiest thing to traverse. I’ll do it if it comes to it but I don’t want to if it’s unnecessary. I’m a LITTLE worried about the cost too but hopefully they’d let me make payments or something.

They did a culture but it came back inconclusive, as in it wouldn’t grow on the agar. The only thing they could tell me was that it was bacterial. The vet did mention another antibiotic that I’d have to inject into her wound but was concerned due to the proximity to her mouth. She said if the flushing of the wound wouldn’t help, the other antibiotic would be the next step. Because she’s not getting any worse, I think the vet, and myself, are just wanting to exhaust all other options before we remove the tooth. Both times Layla has gone under anethesia she’s had a hard time coming out of it.

Now I’m way more worried than I was before

[jerseygirl]

One thing I noted in those articles is that abscesses are often not painful. Sometimes they are when linked with dental but if Layla is being normal and still eating – you can at least be reassured she’s not in pain. She’s probably a bit peeved about the treatment though!!

[JamieM]

Haha yeah she could do without it. She doesn’t enjoy it but she tolerates it and even takes her treat when we’re all done. I think it bothers me more so than it does her! She was definitely in pain before they lanced the abcess the first time, though. She’d lost weight and wasn’t eating much or drinking any water.

[jerseygirl]

Aw Layla! (((Vibes for her)))

Off topic qu for you: Who is Fievel? lol

[JamieM]

What do you mean? I called the wild mouse who got into my house Fievel….

[jerseygirl]

lol – sorry, I should have explained! I saw your pictures of him, wasn’t sure if it was a pet or not. amazing capture {of pic/not mouse ;o) }

[JamieM]

haha… I did catch the mouse! I got a humane trap and then I let him go in the woods not too far from my house. He was awfully cute but I couldn’t let him stay. Where did you see my photos? I have a shop where I sell them at http://www.davita.etsy.com

[jerseygirl]

I saw them on shutterfly. Your avatar reminded me of you photography so I went to take a look. I could see the etsy link there so thanks, I’ll have to go look.

[JamieM]

I haven’t updated Shutterfly in a while… so much to keep up with! 😛 Thanks for reminding me

[JamieM]

The bad news of the day is that Layla’s abcess has grown a lot overnight… there was a LOT more puss in the wound today than there has been. She has another 2 days of antibiotics only so I will be callling the vet in the morning to see what our next plan of action is.

This is starting to feel a little hopeless

[JamieM]

And now the abcess smells again. Crap

[BinkyBunny]

I’m sorry. Well, if they do decide to pull the tooth, I know you said you were worried about putting her through that, but at least from my experience with Rucy, she recovered rather quickly and felt better and more perky and happy once she was back to normal.

I do know it’s expensive so hopefully your vet will allow payment plans as I know that can help with some financial relief.

[Karla]

Poor Layla – but it sounds like you have a great vet! She is in good hands. I wish I could find a vet like that.

Don’t worry about having her tooth pulled out. Jack had 4 teeth pulled out the other day, and once he recovers, I am sure it is the best thing that I could do for him. And the same for Layla; the tooth problem will be over once and for all.

I just have to give you some advice, I wish I had known:

• If you have more than one rabbit, you might end up with problems between them once Layla comes home from the vet and smells differently. So far, Molly has done nothing but chase Jack around. So take precautions.
• Make sure you get enough metacam to last for 2 days. I only got for one day, which was definitely not enough.
• Keep an eye on any eye infections and ask your vet how to react if this happens…Jack may have come through the surgery, but only to find himself with an eye infection, a sore mouth and a stupid bunny who chases him.

Good healing vibes!

[JamieM]

The vet is prescribing more antibiotics, for two more weeks. She doesn’t do rabbit tooth extractions, so I don’t know if the place she’d refer me to allows payments or not. Here we go again!

[Sarita]

I’m sorry to hear that! Abscesses can be so difficult to deal with.

Can you get Care Credit? You might look into that – perhaps they place that she is referring you to takes that.

[JamieM]

Is that a type of insurance? I looked into one kind (can’t remember the name, but that wasn’t it) and they said she has a “pre-existing condition”…. I can try it though!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think Care Credit is just a credit card you can use at the vet….yeah a no interest vet credit card
http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/

[JamieM]

hmmm I probably wouldn’t qualify… divorce and all.

[skunklionshow]

Care Credit is pretty easy to get, it is through GE Money.  Unfortunately, I got kicked out of my care credit card when I actually needed it to pay for Leo’s emergency care.  I didn’t find out until I tried to pay for his emergency room.

I don’t want to freak you out, but I’m concerned about the difficulty w/ the abcess healing.  Leo developed a mass on his jaw, which may have been caused by a root abcess.  I’m concerned that it is not healing and still pus’ing.  However, I’m not sure what your timeline is?  Can you get a 2nd opinion?

Best wishes, you sound like an awesome bunny mama.

[JamieM]

There aren’t other rabbit vets here. The others that I’d seen before I chose the vet I currently have weren’t rabbit savvy…  told me that the “junk food” mix is ok for bunnies, didn’t know how to spay but said they’d “try” anyway, etc.  Everybody I know in Erie who has a rabbit takes theirs to the same vet I see.  I know what the next step is but our vet says that abcesses can take up to 8 weeks to heal. We’ve been going for about 4 now.

I wanted to know what I should be looking for as far as jaw abcesses are concerned. Is anybody experienced with this? I have been keeping an eye on her but I don’t really know what I’m looking for. Thanks.

And I’m sorry, this is an emotional rollercoaster for me right now. This has all happened within weeks of losing my unemployment after losing my job unexpectedly last summer and my car has also broken down twice… I’m super stressed and I have completely depleted my reserves financially. I am trying to wait until this new job I hope to get comes through… I should have known last week so I don’t know… I just can’t make money magically appear and making me feel like a bad pet owner isn’t helping cause I’m doing all that I can to help her.

[jerseygirl]

Sorry this is happening at such a tough time for you. Doing all that you can for her actually makes you a good pet owner, in my opinion. Have you got anyone who you could ask for a small loan if things get too stretched?
I think being able to see or feel a swelling on the jaw would be your only clue. (Though I have NO experience with this!!) A swelling may feel hardish too. Hopefully by now your really familiar at how her jaw should feel, so you’ll know quickly if there’s a change.
(((Job Vibes))) (((Healing Vibes)))

[kralspace]

Hi Jamie,

Somehow I’ve missed this thread the last few days, how is the abscess doing? My Simba had a really bad one that covered his entire jaw at one point. He was a lionhead and I didn’t even find it until it was huge and had started to smell (bad bunny momma). My vet believes in keeping them open and healing from the bottom, so she cut the hard cover away and exposed it. It had to the be grossest thing I every saw or smelled! The pus was really thick and icky and hard to clean out.

She showed me how to clean it every day and keep it open and we went back every week so she could check on it. It was surprising how hard you have to scrub at it to get not only the pus but any scabs off. Once or twice Dr. Erving had to use scissors to cut an area back open so it wouldn’t heal over prematurely and and cause a pocket I couldn’t get into. It was just this big open meat, blood and pus thing that covered his whole side jaw.

I used the syringe and warm water too, using sterile guaze pads to ‘scrub’ it down to the clean red flesh. I read where peroxide really thins down thick rabbit pus and makes it much easier to clean out and it really worked and seemed speed up the healing. then the oinment can get down into the infection and do it’s job.

There was one pocket that was hard to clean out, it was deep, you could put your qtip almost an inch deep into it, it was close to where the back of the jaw bone meets the neck muscles. I used the syringe to pump peroxide in everyother day until it ran clean, then used the long tip of the ointment tube to push the oinment deep into the pocket.

It seemed like it took forever to heal, but really about 2 months to heal over and have healthy skin over it again. Every now and then she’d trim the skin back to keep it open and let it heal from the bottom up. He never showed any sign of pain with it, only the pain of dealing with us every day.

Good luck with yours and don’t get discouraged, once you get the hang of it and aren’t afraid to clean it thoroughly you’ll see a lot of difference in the speed it heals.

The upside of Simba’s being so bad was when it healed it created a thick layer of bunny tissue over the jaw, so when a tiny one would crop up every now and then, it was confined to that tissue and couldn’t go deeper to affect his teeth.

kathy

[JamieM]

Thanks so much for all the info. Layla’s vet is suggesting a similar thing… I have been cleaning it with an antibacterial dental solution because it can end up in her mouth due to the location of the abcess and I think this stuff isn’t as healing as an ointment would be. So we’re on a double team of antibiotics, she gets the pills twice a day and that’s the easiest part. She loves the baby food treat.

But I force out as much of the puss as I can and then I re-open the wound (if it’s closed) to make sure I got it all. It’s a pretty small area now, so I take that with some optimism. The peroxide is a GREAT tip, thanks so much for it! I’ll try it. Layla doesn’t seem to be in pain… anymore. By the time she was able to get into her vet to have the abcess lanced originally, she’d lost a pound and had started to withdraw. My vet, of course, was on vacation and the other vet I saw didn’t even know bunnies could get abcesses in their teeth. (See what I mean about not having options?)

I’m a bit concerned because I noticed yesterday that Layla had some matted fur on her neck but on the opposite side as the wound. I didn’t feel anything when I tried to make sure there wasn’t another abcess… not there anyway, but there was a small lump on her neck area on the other side. It was very small to me and I couldn’t make out if it was bone and she was positioned funny or what. It seemed oddly shapen to be an abcess but I’m going to call the vet today anyway. It concerns me that she’s letting her fur get matted. I understand around the wound but she’s usually meticulous about that stuff. She also doesn’t seem to be drinking much water but she is eating and using the litter box as normal. I don’t know… I’ve done all that I can, and I’ve been following the advice of a vet I trust…. I just don’t want to rush into a surgery and put her through that if it isn’t needed but I’m fully aware that it may be needed and will cross that bridge when it’s suggested to me.

Layla doesn’t handle anesthesia well and has now had trouble coming out of it on both occassions that she was under. It’s not so easy a suggestion to say “well just take the tooth out”. I don’t want to risk anesthesia again unless I have to.

[JamieM]

Just an update: We have a vet appointment at 6. I’ll keep you all posted. Thanks for everybody’s input!

[kralspace]

I hope it’s not another abscess. We had one or two tiny ones pop up just after his monster one healed, but after taking care of them, he didn’t have anymore. I was lucky it didn’t involve his teeth.

He could be pretty icky once we finished a treatment and we had to clean him up a bit before letting Hershey groom him. The gross part was when we had him laid out on the table working on him and the pus and stuff would dribble. He’d go crazy trying to lick it up. He never got too much of any of it but it was disgusting….eau

Maybe the abscess is keeping Layla from being as flexible as she normally is to reach the matted fur. I had to clean and brush Simba more than usual because the lionmane on the other side would get medicines and stuff in it. Thank God the first thing Dr. Erving did was shave his entire mane off on the infected side. He looked like two different rabbits for a long time.

[JamieM]

Yeah, they shaved the side of the face Layla’s abcess was on…  I’ve taken to calling her Harvey Dent recently   I feel comforted to know that the stuff on the other side of her neck isn’t necessarily a problem.  I was hesitant to clean it because I wasn’t sure, even though I didn’t feel a lump there.  At least I only have one rabbit, though.  It’d be so hard to have two right now.  And I was about to get a guinea pig when all of this came up but I’m glad I didn’t do that either. 

Her behavior is normal.  She plays, she binkies, she eats and uses the litter box.  She’s not drinking water though.  I have been keeping an eye on her water bowl and it hasn’t gone down even a little in the past two days.  And I keep giving her fresh water so that’s not the issue either. 

Hopefully we figure this out.  I’ve been so worried about her. 

[JamieM]

In somewhat unrelated news, I got a job today! Huzzah!

[kralspace]

VERY bunny related. A job lets us support our bunnies in the manner they wish to become accustomed to! Congrats!

[Sarita]

Yay, congratulations Jamie!

[JamieM]

Well, I’m glad I took her to the vet. I got mostly good news, which just makes me feel better, we caught a possible setback in enough time, hopefully.

The vet said that Layla is doing much better than she was when we started the cleaning of her abcess. The swelling has decreased, the amount of fluid is going down, and it’s NOT spreading. What felt like a bump on her neck was just a place of matted fur. She’s not cleaning herself as well as normal, or likely just can’t keep up because the solution we’re flushing her wound with is pretty thick and difficult even for me to get off of her fur. The vet is optimistic that this course of treatment will heal the abcess without an additional surgery, at least for this time. Of course, it’s always possible that an abcess could return sometime down the line in the future but that would be the case with or without the surgery, in all honesty.

The bad news. Layla had lost half a pound in her most recent bout of not-eating. The vet said that loss of appetite is common with extended use of Baytril. SO… we are now off the Baytril. We are taking Albon, which should help but ultimately isn’t as effective toward this sort of thing as the Baytril. The vet wanted me to take her off this antibiotic for the next week and substitute it with the Albon in the hopes that her appetite will return to normal. As long as the Albon is fighting the infection well, it shouldn’t be a problem but I’m nervous because this is apparently not as effective an antibiotic. We’ll try it, though, and definitely keep an eye on her. We’ve also started Bene-Bac.

Oh, and Kathy, I did ask the vet about peroxide and she said in small amounts it, it should help! She said that the peroxide can help to kill the infected cells that are causing the abcess but can also burn the surrounding skin, opening THOSE cells up to an infection. She said if I use it to “spot clean” her abcess, it’ll be fine. Thanks for that tip! Very helpful.

Alright, there you have it. I’ll keep you posted!

[kralspace]

Glad to hear Layla’s update and that the abscess is beginning to heal.

My Hershey is nearly always on Baytril and probiotics for a chronic respiratory problem and it’s hard to keep weight on her too. The steroid I’m putting on her ear right now is making her eat like a horse!

I’m glad to hear another opinion on the peroxide. My vet too said that if you’re working with a normal wound and trying to get skin to grow back together, the peroxide could burn and deter that. She felt that since we were dealing with a big open place that it was worth the chance just to be able to get the pus out and keep it from spreading.

Chow down Layla and gain some weight!

[KatnipCrzy]

good to hear that the vet seems pleased with the progress. Was the dental rinse you were using have Chlorhexadine in it? That is a common surgical scrub/wound cleaner- though would be formulated a little differently for a dental rinse obvioiusly.

[BinkyBunny]

This is good news! I am so glad to hear that it seems to be healing. Whew!

Continued healing vibes!

[JamieM]

Yep the rinse that we’re using does have Chlorhexidine in it…. good one! We’re still doing well… New job is CRAZY busy!

[JamieM]

Well, things had gotten better for a while. The abcess was draining very very little and had almost stopped completely. But now it’s spread down her face just slightly, is producing a lot of fluid, and we are having the tooth removed tomorrow.

I’m a mess. I’m so worried, I’m sick myself, and on top of it, I adopted a young indoor cat who was going to be thrown outside to be an “outside” cat in the woods near a busy road. He lives with me now and he and Layla get along great but what the crap am I supposed to do with him while Layla is recuperating.

I’m so very discouraged and worried. This has not been a good day. Layla is in a lot of pain, I imagine anyway since she keeps snorting and grunting, and I’m just terrified that something is going to happen to her.

[Sarita]

I’m sorry. I hope the tooth removal will help. Vibes to you and Layla.

[kralspace]

Wishing you good luck with Layla’s dental procedure. Is the cat going outside for other reasons or because of Layla being sick? Two of my cats ignore the bunnies, but the third is quite the nursemaid to them and the guinea pigs. Before I leave for work Callie will settle into the chair in the bunny room where she can keep an eye on everyone.
((((dental vibes))))

[JamieM]

Oh kitty (Dexter) is actually staying inside with me. I adopted him because the people I know who had him were going to put him outside but he wouldn’t survive like that. It’s the woods and he’s lived inside his whole life. He’s a rambunctious little guy but he loves the bunny. They nap together. It’s unbelievably adorable. I’m just worried he’ll hurt her somehow while she recovers from her procedure.

[Monkeybun]

If they are good friends, it may be better to let them be together anyway for Layla’s recovery. Being without her kitty buddy may slow down her recovery, if she gets depressed and such. Just see how they do with each other after her surgery.

[jerseygirl]

Oh I’ve been wondering about Layla. (((Vibes))) for a successful surgery and recovery.  Recovery (((Vibes))) for you too!   Keep us posted.

[JamieM]

Layla’s surgery went well. They had to remove 4 teeth, however, which is more than I’d expected. The vet said she’s in recovery and I am going to pick her up later tonight. I have her pen set up again (she’s free range now) to make sure she doesn’t get hurt by trying to get around before she’s come out completely. They’re giving me pain medications to give her…. not sure what that entails just yet. Kitty has only lived here for about a week but they do get alone. He’s just only 5 months old and still really playful. I’m worried about him hurting her but I’ll just keep an eye on them and separate them if I have to. It won’t kill him to sleep in the living room tonight. I’m just so glad she made it through surgery! Here’s hoping this solves the problem. Poor little bunny.

[kralspace]

Yay for Layla! Here’s hoping the kitty just curls up with her and keeps her company.

(((((healing vibes for Layla)))) and ((((worried need some rest vibes for you))))

Kathy

[Sarita]

Vibes for Layla. That sounds like a good plan too.

[JamieM]

Layla is doing great! She was still a little out of it when I picked her up but she came around. I put her in her pen so that she was in a safe place and the kitty laid on the outside of the pen against the wall where Layla was laying. Very cute Layla has already eaten hard pellets on her own!

She’s on a pain medication and an antiinflamatory that I am giving her twice a day, plus an antibiotic. I’m impressed by how well she’s doing. I’ll get up throughout the night to check on her but she’s eating and drinking already, using the potty, etc. She’s such a strong little girl.

Thanks everybody for the well wishes. I’ll keep you all posted.

[bunnyluvr]

Yay! So happy to hear she is feeling better! Continued healing vibes ((((((((((((Layla))))))))))))

[JamieM]

Well, Layla had been doing wonderfully….

And today the original wound from having the abcess drained begain oozing again.

People who have experienced this: is it really never ending? Is my poor bunny ever going to get any relief?

[Author]

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