Henri has another abcess

[LittlePuffyTail]

Most of the regulars here probably remember me talking about Henri, the bunny who lives at my horses stable. He doesn’t receive the best of care and I’m the only one who ever cleans his cage, gives him fresh hay and greens. Luckily, I’m there most days to see my horse and I also work there part time. I’ve had many frustrating situations with this bunny because he has had health problems before and I can never convince his owner to take him to the vet. Luckily, he is an extremely hardy bunny and it’s been about 3 years now since he’s been at the stable and he never got sick but has had other problems/injuries.

I’m about 90% positive he has Pasteurella. He had an abcess during the summer over which I was very concerned.  To my absolute horror, the man who gave Henri to the stable (and also breeds them for meat) “took care of it”. I went one day and his abcess was just a little dry scab. He had taken a sterilized knife and cut the abcess open!!! I was certain it was going to get infected but it didn’t. It healed up perfectly. I was so relieved.

About a week ago I noticed he had another in the same spot and it has gotten quite large. Of course, I reported it to his owner right away and she wasn’t very concerned. I explained the dangers of abcesses, his need for antibiotics from the vet, etc. She told me she will wait until it gets a bit bigger and try to pop it herself. This is so frustrating. If I could afford it, I would bring him to the vet but as it is, taking care of my own vet bills has been a struggle of late.

I haven’t been able to get out to the barn since Monday but I’m going tomorrow morning and I’m very scared to see what it looks like. It’s hard being such a rabbit lover and see him not get the vet care he needs.

He is a sweet little bunny and were it not for his probable Pasteurella would have come to live with me a long time ago.

[jerseygirl]

How do the other employees at the stable feel about Henri ? I’m wondering if you could do a collection to cover a vet bill. I dread to think what’ll happen if they try this abcess “management” approach again! So the owner just has Henri because she was given him? Do they interact with him at all? Well LPT, thanks for the care you hive him! Let’s hope things turn for the better for Henri. ((HENRI))

[bunnytowne]

good idea JG     

Awe that is so hard to see a bun in need and your hands are tied.  Hope it works out for him . You can only do what you can.  I know you hate to see him suffer.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

*Hugs*

I know that you board there and don’t want to rock the boat, but you could A) Steal him and take him to the vet-tell them you found him and you think he’s sick-can they keep you posted on how he does. B) Report them, it’s illegal to not get vet care for your animals C) keep trying to convince them and look after him yourself.

It’t tough-I wish their was a better solution. Keep us posted

[BunnyLugs]

Yeah, I’d go with reporting it anonymously, the rspca would probably serve a notice to get the animal seen by a vet, they would need proof by a reciept, if it wasn’t done they would seize the animal. They probably will be relieved the rabbit is off their hands if the don’t take care of it anyway. You could steal it and take it to the rspca or something. To be honest if they haven’t cared about it in 3 years they’ll hardly start now. I’m a bit devious really so I’d probably do that. It would be more sensible just to report it. It is definatly hard, my cousin had a rabbit for her 11th birthday, now she’s 13 she doesn’t give a #$@! about it and my aunt keeps it now. This is not uncommon, why do people get animals for their children in the first place?? I’m sick of them saying to her, this is your responsibility so you clean her out. It isn’t it is the adults responsibility, they cannot expect a child to be totally responsible. Pet shops have a lot to answer for.

[Beka27]

AGAIN!??! These people make me so angry LPT! Poor, poor Henri. You have to do something. I cannot even imagine the pain that abscess must have caused the first time around. And there’s no guarantee that “Dr. Surgeon-Wannabe” will not cause an even bigger problem the next time around. Are there any local rescues or anyone you can contact that will get in touch with authorities? If necessary, could you move to a different stable when Henri is safely out of there?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Well his abcess is still there. I was out at the barn today and yesterday. It doesn’t seem to be bothering him too much but I’m so worried about him. I made sure to mention both days how worried I am about him.

I appreciate the advice but I can’t steal him because this is where I work and the only place where my horse receives really great care. I’m the only employee at the barn other than the girl who gives riding lessons and she thinks rabbits should be in stew (we had a very heated chat one day….)

I very much doubt the spca would do anything if I were to report them because he is a rescued meat rabbit after all and, as terrible as it is, rabbits on farms don’t really have many rights (which sickens me terribly).

She’s still all convinced she’s going to “take care of it”. It’s VERY hard because I know they can afford to take him to the vet. I’m just going to keep after her. What can I tell her to convince her to take him to the vet?

He is the sons pet but the son doesn’t even glance at him when he’s in the barn. If it weren’t for me his cage would go months without being changed. Right now he’s in a cage in the barn because of the cold but in the summer he has a huge pen outside that I also clean. I’m really the only one who cares about him. Today he had no hay that wasn’t dirty and no one even thought to give him any.

[BunnyLugs]

Sounds like a long shot, but why don’t you tell the woman you’ve been looking for ‘a playmate’ for your bunny, you think Henri would be just right, could you try them out and see if they get on and would they be interested in having him adopted? Then take him to the RSPCA. If not at least give the RSPCA a call, abusing an animal and not offering vetinary attention is a crime, farm animal, livestock, even animals bred for meat deserve to be kept healthy and dignified, regardless.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Well, I would have taken Henri home with me long ago and kept him but I’m too fearful that he has Pasteurella (he has a lot of the symptoms). I can’t risk my 3 buns getting sick and the lady at the barn knows this because she’s offered him to me before to take home for the winter when she didn’t have any space in the barn for him.

I’m gonna try a new line (which is true): I’m gonna tell her on Monday (which is the next time I will see her) that I just read that abcesses are one of the top five causes of death in rabbits. I didn’t just learn this, but I’m gonna make it sound like I did. I really don’t think she understands how serious they are.

Oh, so frustrating to see this happen to such a sweet little guy. Any ideas on other things I can say to convince her to take him to the vet? I’m just running out of options.

[BinkyBunny]

You should also so tell them that abscesses in bunnies actually attach to muscle and bone and “popping” it will not help in the long run. I am assuming they do this without pain meds too!

What are the other symptoms this bunny has that leads you to believe he has pasteurella? There are many forms of infection that can mimic pastueralla, and I just found out today from my vet that pasteurella gets a bad rep because there are actually different kinds of pasteurella – it’s a bacteria, but there are different strains  – some harmeless, and some not. 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Well he sneezes a lot. Today he must have sneezed a dozen times in a half hour. Sometimes (and this has been for well over a year) he gets a little bit of white discharge in his nose. And then the abcess that reoccurred. Also, his bonded mate developed a terrible eye infection that led to headtilt and she was eventually put down (not owned by the same people but they lived together at the barn) because her owner felt she was suffering too much. The vet believed this little headtilt bunny had Pasteurella but a test was never done.

[MooBunnay]

Henri may also just have allergies and not necessarily pasteurella, also if he is outside he may have a cold or something else treatable. I know it is tough to see a bunny suffering like that – perhaps you can get in touch with a renegade animal rescue that will steal Henri for you… not that I am condoning any illegal behavior or anything that could get you fired… but a rescue group could probably at least assist in this situation. There isn’t much else you can do other than give Henri all the help that you can as long as he is still stuck at the barn

[BinkyBunny]

Why do they even have this bunny? I mean what do they get out of it. Doesn’t seem like he’s taken care of much. I wonder if there is any angle you can use that would work with these people. Thinking…..thinking…

[LittlePuffyTail]

I don’t know why they have him. When I heard they got a bunny, I knew right away it was a bad idea and would result in a lot of stress for me. I was right. But, on the other hand, I’m glad he was able to be saved from the cruel fate he was born for.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Puffy I’d still try the spca-it doesn’t matter if the animal is for meat or not, technically they need to provide vet care or humanely euthanize it. I’d give it go-if you can without jeapardizing the stable situation-I know how horse people can be and not wanting to stir the pot

[LittlePuffyTail]

I went to the barn today and changed Henri’s cage. His abscess looks like it burst or something because it’s all deflated, just looks like a wound now. I asked if the owner “popped it” and she said no, it just turned like that. He’s still perfectly fine, eating and pooping and active. Is there any chance that it could heal on it’s own? Henri is, after all, the hardiest bunny I have ever seen.

[jerseygirl]

Would a topical antibiotic help at this point? Or is it best to let them air out? I don’t know much about them. Obviously, this mightn’t treat the cause but maybe able to attack any nasties from the outside in – rather than from inside out like you’d do with oral meds.

ETA:  Just some info on wound irrigation +antibiotic http://www.vspn.org/VSPNSearch/VINLibrary/rabbit_abscess.htm  5th paragraph.  Tthere’s also other info on abcess at this site incase you haven’t seen them before.homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#abs.

It’s one of those dilemmas; do you leave it alone or try treat it?  LPT – I don’t know but hope others have some experience hear. Let’s hope Henri’s hardiness continues!

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