RABBIT HEALTH EMERGENCY! ABCESS! HELP!

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

I know this board is for poultry health emergencies, but I need advice on a bunny health emergency.
I bought a english lop doe at a small stock show on saturday. I noticed saturday afternoon she had an abcess (my fault for not checking her before I bought her ). I talked to the person I bought her from Sunday and she offered to take bunny back and give me my money back....But I just couldn't give her back- english lops are so hard to find. She said just use an injectable- L.A 200.
Someone experienced in rabbits lanced it for me yesterday, and it doesn't feel "hot" anymore. They also applied iodine to the site.
I don't have any iodine, but my dad went to the feedstore and brought home some povidone iodine wash- it says for use it precleansing and post cleansing a bacterial/fungal infection area in animals. Will that work? Should I dilute it? The person who lanced the abcess said to take pure iodine and water it down 'till it looked like iced tea. What about this stuff? Should I just dab some of it on her abcess each day? She's in a cage in my room separate from my other bunnies- just in case it might be contagious. Are abcesses usually contagious to people other animals and bunnies?
Should I lance the abcess again? What are the chances that the abcess will reoccur? The abcess is on her leg- her lower thigh.
Please, if one of your bunnies has had an abcess, how did you treat it, did it recover or reoccur, and any advice, tips or suggestions please! Thanks!
P.S- Today I noticed she's favoring the abcessed leg. Is that Bad or good?

 

[Dodgegal79]

Yes you can use that. If you can use a syringe and gentle wash the wound out with the fluid gently injecting it (just with the syringe)into the hole. If the hole is closed up again leave it unless it fills again. i would no give her an penicillan (sp) unless you know it is safe. I know some animals have a hard time with it, like cats, and can go into shock and die. Do you have any idea what caused it in the first place??

 

[Dodgegal79]

And no an abcess is not contagious. It is an infection trapped under the skin or muscle. Something has cause it, a sliver, or scratch even, something has let the bacteria in there. A lot of time they will burst on their own and heal up ok. Just wash it out when it looks like it needs it and keep her in a clean cage. She will clean it too when she feels it needs it.

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

I *think* what may have caused her abcess is poking her leg on a cage wire- it's on her lower thigh- or maybe a bite from another rabbit. The breeder had "no idea the abcess was even there". She said NO penicillin because it's too harsh.

 

[hooligan]

This site is invaluable http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/abscess_management.PDF
I hyperlinked the abscess section. Tells you how to treat and causes.

Safe drugs: http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Safe_drugs_main.htm

Dangerous drugs: http://www.medirabbit.com/Unsafe_medication/Unsafe_drugs_main.htm

 

[fallenweeble]

i wish i had better news but this sort of thing is very common in bunnies and also very, very hard to get to heal. frequently one abcess will lead to another, and another.
if you really want to keep this bunny i would spend the money and take her to a vet who knows bunnies. there are several approaches to treatment that you can explore with the vet.
good luck and i hope that your bunny is the exception and heals soon!

 

[mc2rwe]

She is more then likely favoring her leg because of the lancing. I have had this happen before due to another doe nipping. I was able to clear it up with no problem. Make sure that her toenails are clipped though as it heals. If she can reach the spot she might be prone to scratching at the area. HTH

Kat

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

Update- I tried to put some iodine on it night before last and it felt "hot" again and I tried to lance it again because the abcess was full of pus.
Today I took her to the vet. He shaved the area, and found a "tract" or another mini abcess stemming from the first one. He said he found a whole bunch of pockets stemming from the original abcess that you couldn't see from the surface. He tried to cut off the infected tissue. He gave me a bottle of baytril tablets that I am to give her 1/4 tablet twice daily. Right now she's sitting in her cage, with a little yellow bandage on her leg. The baytril dissolves in water, so I dissolved 1/4 tablet in hot water and put the baytril water in a syringe and made her drink it. She sneezed a couple times but took it down.

 

[runamuck]

from raising lots and lots of bunnies over the yrs I've had alot of experence with it.
Abessess are a pain in rabbits due to there puss is not like other animals ( very much like cream cheese gross) and you need to get it all out every time you clean it its a long drawn out process! I have found that Hydrogen proxide is the best for getting the wound clean I acually take a suringe ( sp) and spray the stuff up in there. Do that twice a day for 3days. I also use injectable Pen g as an antibotic other then baytril due to anything antibotic that goes into a bunnies gut will mess up the healty gut flora. If using the baytril make sure you give your bunny some youget too or a probiotic like Fasttrack .
If you need more hep email me privately
Allie

 

[hooligan]

Be sure to give your bun lots of fresh hay and make sure its eating. As long as its eating, its doing good.
If you need any help at all you can PM me. I work with a rabbit rescue and have access to lots of helpful people!