Repeated Rabbit Abscess

[zapiggy]

Hello, I’m new to this site, and I came here in the hopes that someone (or lots of someones) could give my husband and I great advice. We have a Netherland Dwarf Rabbit lovingly called Scout. He keeps getting an abscess on his neck to the point where we’re taking him to the vet every month so the Vet can drain it and then refill the antibiotic solution. It’ll go away for a week or two, and then we’ll be right back at the Vet again. Today, our Vet recommended that we have it surgically removed. I expressed concerns because I’ve read elsewhere online that dwarfies don’t do too well under anesthesia. The Vet said it would be gas (I don’t know if that makes a difference), and that he understood our concerns, but that was still his recommendation because of how often Scout is getting this repeated abscess. Anyway, my husband and I are having a really hard time deciding. Do we get Scout surgery and hope that he wakes up? Or do we just keep treating him on a monthly basis even though he ALWAYS gets super stressed out, loses lots of hair, and barely eats during his antibiotic treatments/going to the vet every few days to be checked over? Any help, advice, or real life stories would really, really help us out. We thank you so much, and I’m sure Scout would too if he could!

Thanks,
Danielle, James & Scout

[Sarita]

Has your vet tried doing pen-g shots after draining it?

I have a netherland dwarf who goes every 2 to 3 months for dentals and he is under anesthesia – I would recommend doing some bloodwork though if you are concerned – it would be a good idea. Bobby is about 5 years old and he’s done the dentals ever since I’ve had him – maybe about 3 years or so.

[zapiggy]

Thank you for replying, Sarita! I have a couple of questions. What are pen-g shots? And what would blood work show that could inform us as to whether or not he’d be alright under anesthesia? Thanks again.

[Sarita]

Pen-g is injectible penicillin which is safe for rabbits HOWEVER any oral penicillin like amoxicillin is NOT safe for rabbits.

I have found that the pen-g shots work very well for rabbit abscesses – discuss this with your vet and see what he/she thinks.

Bloodwork would be good to make sure that it is safe for him to go under anesthesia – obviously there is always a risk, but I would discuss this as well with the vet. Like I mentioned my little netherland dwarf gets dental trims under anesthesia regularly with no problems.

Has your vet had alot of experience with rabbits?

[LittlePuffyTail]

I always do blood work as well before my buns go under anaesthetic. My vet does bloodwork that shows kidney and liver function (pretty sure about the liver anyways) as well as blood cell count. If any of these things are off, she won’t put bunny under because it could be risky. IMO, the extra cost is worth the peace of mind. 

[zapiggy]

Thank you both for replying! I will be calling my vet tomorrow to discuss the pen-g shot as well as getting bloodwork done on Scout. We just hate seeing him so stressed out all the time. The vet we take him to does have experience in rabbits, but he admitted he hasn’t had as many dwarfie patients. Should I look for a different vet?

[Sarita]

It wouldn’t hurt to see if there are other vets with more experience – take a look at the House Rabbit Society Listing I linked to see if there are some vets they list in your area:

http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

[zapiggy]

I used that list and the closest one to me is over 45 minutes away. Car rides stress Scout out more than anything else. The vet we have now is literally three minutes down the road by car. I guess I’ll just talk more with the vet and hope that he listens to me.

[Little Lion Head]

I agree with the bloodwork too. My vet told me that there is no “baseline” for a rabbit’s bloodwork so she recommends getting bloodwork done every year so that at least your rabbit has its own “baseline” if that makes sense. It certainly couldn’t hurt to have the bloodwork done no matter what you decide with surgery.

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