Lump on his cheek????

[Lacy]

My rabbit, a 3 1/2 year old Holland lop has a small lump on his right cheek. He is eating, his eyes are clear, acting normal. I know that it is probably an abscess. I’m scheduling an appointment.

My question is : do pen-g shots work? 

He had a check up only a few months ago. He’s never had any teeth problems but I’m aware it’s notorious in lop breeds. I really need advice and possibly success stories?

[MK]

it is pretty much impossible to tell you if pen-g shots will work, when the lump is not diagnosed. if it is an abscess, thankfully there are many success stories in the shelter I volunteer at. An abscess near the tooth area is pretty common there. Hope you can get him to the vet soon!

[jerseygirl]

Where on the cheek is this lump? What sort of size is it?

PenG shots can be good for maintaining things ot at least slowing down recurrence. Abscesses usually have to be cleaned out first.
It may not be abscess though…

[Lacy]

Okay, so we just went to the vet.
My rabbit apparently has a rotting tooth that is surrounded with pus (hence the prominent mass on his right cheek) – it needs to be extracted. I guess the overall term for the situation is a ‘bunny abscess’. Because of this rotting tooth, one of his other teeth has overgrown and that needs to be trimmed.
I’m happy that I now have a clear understanding of the situation…but, the price was shocking. I’m still a minor with no job (yet). The overall price was $1,059.90. For the tooth extraction, the tooth trimming, the abscess treatment.

Hospital Care-Iv Pump
Pain Injection-Buprenorphine 0.3 mg/ml
Baytril Injectable 22.7 mg/ml
Anesthetic Induction-Propofol
Isoflorance Anesthesia up to 30 minutes
Isoflorane Anesthesia each add. 30 min.
Vital Signs-Mini Monitoring
Dental Pack
Nerve Block
Tooth Extraction – 1 Root
Trim Teeth
Surgery Pack I
Culture/Sens Anaerobic.Aerob
Abscess Treatment
Chlorhexiderm Flush 4oz.Noivason
Dual-Penicillin Injectable
Metacam 1.5 mg/ml PER ML

________Are all these really needed???___
Right now, I’m kinda freaking out.

[jerseygirl]

That is a lot. Cost for care of dental abscess can rack over time but I’d be taken aback by that initial cost too!

It’s the incisor tooth that is affected?
My friend has a rabbit whose had similar situation and the vet just pulled the tooth on the examination table as nothing was really holding it in place. So surgery was avoided at least.

My rabbit apparently has a rotting tooth that is surrounded with pus

This was seen via X-ray?

[Lacy]

Yes, and x ray and full mouth check was performed.

Are there any items on the list that really isn’t needed? :/

[Roberta]

Can you speak to the vet about a payment plan or possibly offer to do some work cleaning cages etc to be deducted off the cost. Maybe some pet sitting work ?

[jerseygirl]

Honestly don’t know if you could avoid anything on the list if surgery is unavoidable.

What about seeking a second opinion? Even if another vet also recommends the procedure, it might cost less elsewhere.

[Lacy]

I literally called every place.

I just need to really contemplate about this.

[Lacy]

Update:

I’ve found a barely affordable vet who got will do the same procedure. I’m just curious – if his rotting molar is extracted, would the opposing tooth overgrow? :/

Also,  what is the difference between bicillin and pen g ? 

[jerseygirl]

Also, what is the difference between bicillin and pen g ?

I thought they were the sans.

I asked my vet about opposing molars when I had a rabbit with jaw abscess. I had thought they would need to be taken out also but she said its found that its not as necessary as once thought. The way the molars occlude overlaps. So it’s not just direct occlusion between 1st molar on upper and lower jaw. Rather, one molar would occlude with part of 2 opposing tooth.
Anyway, she was of the mind that opposing teeth did not need extraction.

(We didn’t reach extraction stage for him).

[Lacy]

They’re the same? I thought bicillin was a combo?

Oh! That’s great! I was freaking out over the fact. :/

[jerseygirl]

Idk. I find it confusing.
Bicillin is penicillin G benzathine.
I keep coming up with different results.

Edit: ok, according to this list, bicilllin is combination of penicillin G benzathine and penicillin G procaine.
Pen-G might be shorthand term for penicillin g procaine on its own???
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/Safe_antibiotics.htm

[Lacy]

Thanks! Do you know which is more effective?

[jerseygirl]

I’m really not sure. I would suspect the bicilllin is. Hopefully Sarita will give her opinion. She’s knowledgeable on meds and has more personal experience with them for rabbits.

I think bicilllin is what they often use in antibiotic beads that are placed in an abscess cavity. Is that what the vet is proposing to do?

[Lacy]

Okay. :3

On a different note, is an IV pump needed in surgery? I got a high end and low end price range. The high end involved the iv pump. Is that needed for dental surgery? :/

[Sarita]

My rabbit Bobby has no lower left molars due to a dental abscess – now I will say that he was dumped at a guinea pig rescue probably because he was not eating and the vet discovered the abscess – they did do the pen-g shots – I am guessing that she did something with the abscess – but to be honest, I’m not sure – I do know that she pulled some molars that were infected and some of the other molars eventually were pulled too by my current vet due to being loose most likely from the initial abscess.

I do take him every 2 to 3 months for a dental – sometimes his teeth are worse than others but he does usually have some spurs…I cannot be entirely certain though if the dental spurs are due to the lack of molars or just overall genetics…he is a netherland dwarf.

I will also say this – he has a great disposition and is very fun and friendly. And the lack of molars doesn’t seem to cause him from eating especially his treats. I do feel like this will shorten his life in the long run – I am estimating he is currently about 5 years old…I hope that it doesn’t but I’m not betting on it – getting the dental problems under control and treating the abscess definitely saved his life though.

[Sarita]

I’m not entirely certain about the IV pump – my vet does not do this – not sure if it was initially done when he went in with the abscess though but I’m kind of betting it was not – I used to use the vet that did that and she is very very good too and has tons of experience and I don’t recall her ever doing this for a dental procedure at least a routine one but a dental abscess is not routine. I think I would just discuss this with the vet and ask why they do it and then decide if you feel it is necessary.

[Author]

Messages