Pus comes back 2 months after dental surgery! Any hope for the future?

[Rit]

Fluffy, 2 years old lopped ears, had dental surgery to remove all teeth on right lower jaw and also abscesses. He is on metronidazole twice daily since then, and weekly visit to vet to have abscesses flush until his wound is healed.

Bad news today vet found that pus comes back, and start growing again. She suspects deep infection of the bone, and another surgery may be needed to remove pus and create another opening to drain the pus.

Poor Fluffy he suffered so much. I have no idea if another surgery really works? It costed me over AUD 1500 for last surgery, and not sure if the next one works. Any light in the other end of the tunnel? Any similar experience that pus reoccurred then finally cured after surgeries?

This is Fluffy:

[LBJ10]

If they are going to do surgery again, I wonder if they could use antibiotic beads. I know some members on the forum have had luck using those to treat abscesses.

[Rit]

I haven’t heard of antibiotic beads before, thanks for letting me know. Will discuss with vet in next visit, hopefully this can be an option apart from surgery.

[DanaNM]

Ugh I’m very sorry. 🙁 Dental abscesses are so hard to deal with. Usually penicillin injections are necessary because the oral antibiotics that are safe to use in rabbits don’t really penetrate the abscess well. Antibiotic beads are also used, as mentioned.

Often multiple rounds of treatment are needed to really cure the problem, but sadly it can be difficult to cure even with lots of treatment. Has your vet done any imaging to see the extent of the problem?

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Rit]

Yes, x-ray done before the last surgery.

very sad to see dental abscesses come back again. It took 2 months for him to recover from the last surgery, now he may need to go through it again. :<

[jerseygirl]

Unfortunately, dental abscesses in rabbits (particularly in lower jaw) can often be an ongoing battle. I do think you’re in a better position for success now that problematic teeth have been removed.

I know how dreadful they look after that 1st surgery and can understand your hesitation in doing it again. Do chat with your vet more extensively about it. Sometimes reopening the site is not as big ordeal as the original surgery and if pus is building up, it might even help relieve pressure if that’s an issue.

The vet may be thinking of marsupialization (or re-marsupialization?) to keep the wound open longer remove any pus still being produced and give antibiotic a chance to take care of pathogens causing it. I would discuss doing the wound flushing daily at home if you do go forward. And if you’re not too squeamish and Fluffy is compliant.

The antibiotic beads were not available here in Australia back when I was dealing with dental abscesses (2012). It may have been bicillin specifically that wasn’t available and that was what was recommended at the time.

i hope there are more options now.

I do agree injectable antibiotic like penicillin g might be beneficial.

You could have the pus cultured but chances are the current antibiotic could effect results. Also, often a secondary bacteria shows up in results but it not necessarily their original culprit for the infection.

I had some success treating an excised facial abscess wound in a rabbit with medical honey. It was messy but it seemed to help keep the wound really clean while it closed up.

 

[jerseygirl]

By the way, he has a very sweet face up at the lens like that. <3

[Rit]

Hi ,

thanks for your reply. I had trouble logging in, so only reply you now.

Took Fluffy to visit the vet again last Friday, his condition has improved. Vet only found little pus, and she was able to flush them. Will regularly visit the vet every 2 weeks to check, and hope there is improvement.

My vet gave us med honey after the last surgery, but since the wound has closed up, we can’t use it now. She said she can only flush inside the mouth around the area where the teeth were removed. and Fluffy is taking antibiotics (Metronidazole) twice daily.

Yes he has a sweet face, we got him from a shelter and happy that we can give him a new home.

 

cheers

[DanaNM]

That’s a positive update! Keep improving Fluffy!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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