# How to treat a bitten rabbit, prevent scarring, regrow hair?



## JeffS (Apr 29, 2009)

Hello fellow honorary rabbits (-laves)!
Pancake has a new friend (well, not a friend yet). His name is Riley. I'm told he's a Flemmish Giant, but he's not very big for one. He's 3 years old but only been neutered for 5 or 6 days. Today while they were outside Riley mounted Pancake a couple times. I was trying to make sure he didn't bite her or mount her too long. Long story short, he bit her on the head. It looks like just a surface wound where the hair is gone and there's a shallow, wide-ish cut.

My understanding was that to treat the wound I should use pain-killer free neosporin or its equivalent. I cleaned her wound with alcohol and I'll get the ointment tomorrow morning.

I'm confident she'll heal and be ok, but I'm having trouble finding out if her hair is going to regrow or if I need to do anything to discourage scarring. I'm guessing not but I'm worried about her anyway.

Other news:

I'll have pics of Riley and Pancake together up in the next day or two. Outdoor pics will have to wait because I didn't have my friend's camera outside with me today.

Otherwise, until Riley calms down, he'll only be coming out when I'm around to watch them, so hopefully this is the worst that will happen. Already they can be in the same cage together and he is fine just watching her eat. I think they might be a little confused because Pancake puts her head down, maybe expecting nose licks, but Riley only ever sniffs her or mounts her, if anything.

Oh and Pancake found a place where she likes to tear up carpet. I splashed lemon juice all over it (the color isn't showing, though stupidly I didn't think of that before hand), but haven't had a chance to see if she notices the bad taste.

Thanks,
Jeff


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## Maureen Las (Apr 29, 2009)

I hope that Pancake is spayed as Rileywill be hormonal for at least a month or so and would be able to impregnate her. It takes awhile for the male hormones to drop after a neuter and spermis stillviable 
betadine to cleanse and neosporin to heal are good choices to use on a cut. 
please do not use alcohol on a rabbit. First of all it would beexcruciatingly painful , 2ndly if any remains on the rabbit she will groom it off her and ingest it ..easily causing toxicity 

if you could post a pic of her head we would be better able to determine the extent of the wound. it is difficult to know if hair will return.

Iwould wait several weeks untilRiley's hormone level drops before trying to bond them without incident.


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## tonyshuman (Apr 29, 2009)

I agree that betadine is a better choice, as it is ok to ingest and there is the pain factor on the wound. I would clean and apply the neosporin (w/o pain meds as you mentioned) 2x a day. In my guys with bite wounds from each other, this has cleared it up fine, without fur loss or scarring. I don't know if there's anything you can do to prevent scarring or hair loss in particular.

Angieluv is right about the possibility of impregnating her, plus the hormones are still in his system which can make bonding very difficult. I would wait an absolute minimum of 2 weeks after a neuter to try bonding, and if all he wants to do is hump, you'd need to wait longer. If she isn't spayed I have heard 8 weeks as a rule for possibly impregnating her (but I am not 100% on this. It is definitely more than a month and may be 6 weeks.).


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## JeffS (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for the betadine tip. I'll look for it at the pharmacy tomorrow. I'm sure she didn't consume any alcohol since I used only a tiny amount on a cotton swab.

Here's a pic of the bite wound. As you see it's quite shallow. Pancake won't get pregnant since she's spayed. That, and Riley seems to think that sex involves Pancake's back or even the ground behind her.


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## JeffS (Apr 30, 2009)

Here's how it looks today. It's the darker pink mark on the top edge of all the goopy hair. I'd get a better shot but she's in the corner of her cage grooming now.






Now I'm wondering how to get the petroleum jelly out of her hair when her wound is better. Should I just leave it be? Most of the methods I read sound not acceptable for rabbits.

shampoo
laundry detergent
rc cola
hot bath + corn starch
alcohol pads
baby oil then shampoo
baby oil then dish soap
vinegar
peanut butter

I'd call the neosporin people, but I suspect they don't know anything about rabbits.


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## Maureen Las (Apr 30, 2009)

if that is neosporin just take a damp cloth and try to rub some of it out gently
there is no need to wash her wih anything;

just get off enough of it so that she doesn't ingest it all. 

when you put it on just try to put right on the sore..maybe you are using too much

the sore actually looks good ...

Imeant to post earlier.


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## JeffS (Apr 30, 2009)

Thanks for your reply. Ya I did use too much. Pancake will be all better soon!

:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny:brown-bunny


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