Rabbit abscesses.

[Sam L]

Hello everyone – I’m hoping someone on here can give me some help.

I took my rabbit 2 days ago which I woke up and checked on and he had a lump on his throat and swelling on his lip and took him to the vets the next day, she didn’t know what it was couldn’t see the lump on his neck or feel it even though it is there (maybe it’s cause he was snuggled up on the table cause he knew where he was ) but it obviously wasn’t hard but she did notice the lip swelling. She didn’t know what it was but she thought it could be the start of an abscess which I also did and she prescribed Baytril I’m not a vet but I know Baytril wont affected an abscess.

So my question is if I order online azithromycin 200mg/5ml powder for oral suspension because they wont have it that Baytril wont fix abscesses – so anyway, I’ve ready 25mg-50mg I’m going to get his weight he’s a minilop has anyone got any recommendations on dosage and similar situations?

Kind regards 

[DanaNM]

Hi there,

Rather than try to treat yourself, you need to see another vet.

Abscess in rabbits need to be cleaned out, and usually need penicillin injections to treat. The cause also needs to be identified, as it could be due to a dental problem.

You have to be very careful with oral antibiotics in rabbits as they can upset their gut flora, so please please do not try to do any self medicating at home.

There is also a chance that it isn’t an abscess at all. So yeah, find another vet!

. . . 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.  

[Sam L]

Posted By DanaNM on 9/30/2018 6:40 PM

Hi there,

Rather than try to treat yourself, you need to see another vet.

Abscess in rabbits need to be cleaned out, and usually need penicillin injections to treat. The cause also needs to be identified, as it could be due to a dental problem.

You have to be very careful with oral antibiotics in rabbits as they can upset their gut flora, so please please do not try to do any self medicating at home.

There is also a chance that it isn’t an abscess at all. So yeah, find another vet!

Sorry I missed out a few details there not massive and when she had a feel she said they aren’t hard and also had a good luck in his mouth and said his teeth are perfect, she said that rabbits are prone to them. But will give her a call again today.  I doubt I’ll be in much luck to be honest lol! Thanks again!

[Bunny House]

I agree. You need to see a rabbit savvy vet, they will do a CT or X-rays to confirm what it is. Pen g is used for abscesses. My bun had a huge tooth root abcsess that required multiple surgeries and was on Pen g for a year until the infection was gone.

Please don’t treat it at home, please see a rabbit savvy vet and they can help you, abcsesses can grow very fast(mine did over night) and had to be treated immediately.

[LBJ10]

This was swelling on the lip? Where on the lip exactly? And how big is it? It may not be an abscess. There are other things that can cause a lump/bump/swollen area on the lip. That is why you should seek out a second opinion from another vet. You wouldn’t want to administer the incorrect treatment by treating at home.

[Sam L]

It wasn’t that big on his lip, only on one side. There stockist’s doesn’t stock Azithromycin (eugh) so I’ve been given a number to another practise and a name of someone who specialises in exotics I’m to talk to him in the next hour.

[DanaNM]

Glad to hear you found an exotics specialist

. . . 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.  

[Sam L]

Well I’ve just heard back via email. He’s seen one abscess resolve with 8 weeks of penicillin injections and he wouldn’t really recommend that approach for a few things inc the gut flora but I could try using a probiotic with that or any antibiotic. He said he tried antibiotics to try to shrink them for surgery, but ideally he needs a dental x-ray and surgery and antibiotics. Also Zithromax he’d recommend 50mg for a rabbit with abscesses and anyday over the likes of Baytril, I’m devastated I wanted it reverse so much with medication I hate seeing him like this and also it’s hit me at the most financially difficult time of the month and I’m so embarrassed to say that.

[DanaNM]

So sorry, abscesses are a pain to deal with and are so stressful. But I will say that generally the best thing is to pursue the most aggressive treatment possible as soon as possible, as it will cost more in the long run if you wait.

Unlike cat abscesses, rabbit abscesses are filled with a really thick pus (gross), that doesn’t drain on it’s own. They are usually enclosed in a capsule that medications can’t really penetrate, and has to be cleaned out physically by the vet and opened up. Then you treat with penicillin injections as it heals.

Often abscess are due to a dental problem, like a rotten tooth, so that will need to be dealt with otherwise the abscess will come back.

One of my own bunnies had this, and once we got the tooth out, the abscess healed with the prescribed treatment of penicillin injections. I too had asked whether it would resolve with antibiotics alone, and my vet said they would really only do that as a way to prevent it from getting bigger in a rabbit that was too old or unstable for surgery. They might be able to put him on the penicillin as a way to keep it from getting worse while you save up a bit for the procedure.

Bene-bac is a good probiotic that many folks here use and recommend.

The most expensive part of these procedures is the time under anesthesia. That time will vary depending on what sort of dental problems they find (if any), but if your vet is experienced with rabbit dentals, they should be pretty fast with everything (my bun’s most complicated dental was still under an hour). If your vet isn’t experienced with rabbit dentals, you might get a second (third?) opinion.

Again, so sorry this is turning into a more complicated 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.  

[Sam L]

Posted By DanaNM on 10/03/2018 6:49 PM

So sorry, abscesses are a pain to deal with and are so stressful. But I will say that generally the best thing is to pursue the most aggressive treatment possible as soon as possible, as it will cost more in the long run if you wait.

Unlike cat abscesses, rabbit abscesses are filled with a really thick pus (gross), that doesn’t drain on it’s own. They are usually enclosed in a capsule that medications can’t really penetrate, and has to be cleaned out physically by the vet and opened up. Then you treat with penicillin injections as it heals.

Often abscess are due to a dental problem, like a rotten tooth, so that will need to be dealt with otherwise the abscess will come back.

One of my own bunnies had this, and once we got the tooth out, the abscess healed with the prescribed treatment of penicillin injections. I too had asked whether it would resolve with antibiotics alone, and my vet said they would really only do that as a way to prevent it from getting bigger in a rabbit that was too old or unstable for surgery. They might be able to put him on the penicillin as a way to keep it from getting worse while you save up a bit for the procedure.

Bene-bac is a good probiotic that many folks here use and recommend.

The most expensive part of these procedures is the time under anesthesia. That time will vary depending on what sort of dental problems they find (if any), but if your vet is experienced with rabbit dentals, they should be pretty fast with everything (my bun’s most complicated dental was still under an hour). If your vet isn’t experienced with rabbit dentals, you might get a second (third?) opinion.

Again, so sorry this is turning into a more complicated problem.

Thanks so much for your reply! I went ahead and purchased the Zithromax but didn’t use it until I was instructed on dosage and he told me 50mg for 10 days but I’ve just got a refund for £600 funnily enough I don’t know how much this kind of thing costs but atleast that’s something!! 

[DanaNM]

Oh wonderful!

Not sure of the conversion or your vet’s rates, but that amount might cover it, at least the first treatment…. to give you an idea, with Moose (my dental abscess bun), his anesthesia, molar extraction, abscess cleanout, and meds were about $400 (USD) if I remember correctly.

. . . 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.  

[Sam L]

Fab! I’ve just checked him and his neck abscess is leaking is this a normal thing?

[Bunny House]

I have to agree with Dana, the only way to get rid of it is surgery. Mine costed $600 for the first surgery because they had to cut it out and debried the dead bone so infection couldn’t persist. She then had one more after than to go back in and clean up again since the first one lasted too long under anesthesia.

It shouldn’t be leaking. I would call the vet and see what they say. Since it’s leaking, it could mean that it bursted inside of the mouth and infection could spread. He should have X-rays done Really soon to see how infected the bone is to see if surgery is needed immediately or if it can wait a week or two. Abscesses are very stubborn and need to be taken care of as soon as possible to prevent it enlarging.

After surgery, you will need to have regular vet visits to make sure the other molars around it are still healthy. As Dana said, it’s often caused by a rotten tooth so other can start to die and need to be monitored. My girl after surgery, had 2 molars die(probably from the intense surgery) and they needed to be removed to prevent another abcsess.

I know it’s stressful and scary, but yours can make it through it, just follow the vets opinions( and seek others if needed) and go the aggressive route with treatment. And ask questions along the way to the vet of the treatment, it’s really interesting how abcsess work and itl help you learn a bit too!

[Sam L]

For an x-ray, surgery, medication (antibiotics, pain relief and medication to make him eat and like a drip – I think, when he’s recovering) £500. Expensive but I have to do it! 11th of this month!

[DanaNM]

Fingers crossed they get it all!

Before he goes in for the procedure, you might test to see if he’ll eat critical care on his own off a plate or a spoon. You can just mix it into a paste. Mine love it. I’ve found if they see it as a treat before they get sick, they are more likely to eat it when they are not doing well and are being given all kinds of medicines (which tends to make the skeptical of new things).

. . . 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.  

[Sam L]

I will do, just checked on him and he looks like regardless of the 50mg’s of Zithromax he’s getting an abscess just below the one on his neck just above his leg. So that’s both cheeks, neck and leg. I’m dreading the vet telling me it wont be worth it and to just put him to sleep. But his behaviour hasn’t changed he’s still eating, pooing fine and drinking.

[FlemishDad]

Bicillin injections are considered first-line treatment for abscesses so that is an option if surgery is out. It may not be cheap though because it has injections every other day for a long time.

[Sam L]

Hello thanks FlemishDad will bare that in mind just coming with a quick update – my rabbit does indeed have an abscess on his neck and the swelling of his cheeks is caused by an ear infection which was shown on the scan my rabbit had! But the vet feels when we’ve treated the ear infection the abscess might clear, he’s had his bloods done today and he’s been put on a weeks worth of Depocillin twice a day and I have to see the vet again in a week. So fingers crossed. :/

[LittlePuffyTail]

(((((Positive Vibes for your bun)))))

[Sam L]

Thanks so much!

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