# My Bunny Has A Jaw Abscess! Help?



## chiquita090 (Mar 10, 2005)

One of my rabbits, Calvin, developed an abscessin the jaw over the weekend. I took him into the vet Tuesday and wastold that he has dental disease. The vet also told me that if thedisease has spread to bone there's nothing that can be done.

I've been reading info onit non stop since then and have found from many sources that this isn't the case.

After his x rays with the current vet on Saturday I'm going to starttaking him to another vet because I think the one Calvin saw on Tuesdaydidn't really know what he was talking about. (I took him to the sameclinic I've always taken him but my old vet is now longer workingthere, so they set me with this new one...)

Does anybody have experiance in treating rabbits with jaw abscesses?Any info you could pass on that will be encouraging? I think Calvin'sgoing to end up getting surgery to remove the abscess, then beadsimplanted inhis cheekto fight off further infection.

If you have thoughts or comments at all I'd REALLY appreciate it! I'm freaking out here...


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## Bramble Briar86 (Mar 10, 2005)

A Warm Welcome to you! Tell us about your bun. how many do you have? waht breeds and so on. 

I'd probably get a new vet if he isn't rabbit savvy, someone else can explain about jaw abcesses, i've never experienced one.

Ellie


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## chiquita090 (Mar 10, 2005)

Thanks Ellie! 

I have 2 bunnies, Calvin and Jordan. Calvin's a mini lop and Jordan's aholland lop. I was just browsing the board where everybody posts theirbunny pics, there're a few there that look exactly like Calvin andJordan! Calvin's white with black around the eyes and on the ears, anda few black smudges by his nose. Jordan's brown but has severaldifferent shades of it on his coat. I'll post soon as I figure outhow... Calvin's around 2 and Jordan's just about 6 months younger thanCalvin.

I am planning on getting a new vet, I'm going to try to get him into Uof Penn Animal Hospital, which is recomended by House Rabbit Society.The clinic that I took them too before is HRS recommended as well butthe particular vet that I saw on Tuesday at my normal clinic is new tothe staff, maybe new to vet medecine all together, he didn't impress meat all.


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## Carolyn (Mar 10, 2005)

Welcome aboard, Chiquita,

So sorry to hear about your little one. I just "bumped up" a post(brought it back to the first page) named Daphne's Story by Gabby. Youmight want to take a look at it for encouragement.

I wouldn't mess around with an abcess at all. It really needs to belooked at by a rabbit savvy vet to help you figure out what it is.Don't know if it's a tumor, an abscess - which can be caused by anumber of things. Even still, often times the preferred treatment ishave it removed as they don't always drain out. If it is an abscess andit is only lanced and drained, antibiotic treatment may have tocontinue for weeks to months. That's assuming if that's the suggestedtreatment and you're talking about an abscess.

There are different ways to handle abscesses and I've read that rabbitabscesses have a higher probabilty of coming back than abscesses oncats or dogs. 
Check out the "Cheat Sheet" at the top of the forum and locate the website listed in there for Rabbit Health. 

Keep us posted.

-Carolyn


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## Pet_Bunny (Mar 10, 2005)

Welcome to the forum Chiquita090,

Good luck in finding a new vet. Before I got ourbunny,I checkedforvets thatwere "rabbit savvy". Just happened that one vetrescueda bunnyand allowed me to adopt it.

Here's a hint: Ask the vet if they would recommend any other vets that knows rabbits.

Rainbows!


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## cirrustwi (Mar 10, 2005)

Welcome to the forum! 

I've heard that jaw abscesses aren't anything to play aroundwith. I would definitely see another vet who knows more aboutrabbits.

Good Luck!

Jen


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## bunnysgalore (Mar 11, 2005)

One of my bunnies- Daisy - has had twojaw abcesses in the past (and I am constantly feeling her cheeks tocheck for any signs as am now paranoid aboutthem!).I have a good rabbit vet and on bothoccasions she has had to be sedated and he drains the abcess and leavesa 'drain' in the wound for a week. She has had to be onantibiotics for nearly six months on both occasions. I thinkyou need to get a good vet!


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## Gabby (Mar 11, 2005)

i haven't hardly been online lately.. but a replyin my email box bumping daphnee's story made me glance and look foryour post..

I would defently find a vet who was willing to help you, as it sound the vet you saw has no interest to treat the bun..

Jaw abcesses in rabbits often come back and are extreamly hard to remove. 

Drains do not work for rabbits because rabbit pus is different from catand dog pus. Cat and dog puss becme liquidy and there forwill leak out of a drain.. while rabbit pus is more solid and cottagecheese like, it doesn't drip. 

IMO and that of my vets, the best bet for a rabbit abcess is surgery.To open up and remove the infection. and it can also be treated even ifit is in the bone, it just depends haw badly it has spread. 

My vet does not believe in the antibiotic beads she said they are abunch of crap.. and when possible she will leave the area the abcesswas open to heal.. If they must be closed sheinserts liquid pennicillian into the area and closes it. Therabbit is then also put on an oral antibiotic such as baytril. 

generally antibiotics are then needed for around 30 days.. itis important to use them till they are gone, because if youstop the antiobotics before the infection is cleared it canrebuild itself and also build a resistance to the drug. Thatis not to say the infection wont come back even with propertreatment..

but don't loose hope it is possible to get rid of itcompletely but it can be a long tedious process, with daily meds forextended periods of time andseveral surgeries..

if you would like to talk the best way to reach me currently is via email..

[email protected]my best to you and your bun and I hope you find a vet willing to workwith you and for you..


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## bunnysgalore (Mar 12, 2005)

Yes, perhaps I did not explain in enoughdetail. On both occasions, Daisy had to have surgery undersedation. For a week afterwards this rubbery 'drain' was leftin the wound and I had to inject a solution into both 'holes' to tryand force puss out, whilst also squeezing puss out twice a day (I knowit sounds disgusting - but it was quite satisfying seeing that therewas less and less puss every day. My vet said he would neverput a bunny on antibiotics for less than 3 months (in the case offacial abcesses) as they will usually come back and although Daisy hashad two abcesses, they were in slightly different places and werecaused by a tooth problem (which she regularly has to have checked).


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## Bramble Briar86 (Mar 16, 2005)

How is your bun doing? Is he any better?

Ellie


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## chiquita090 (Mar 16, 2005)

Thanks for asking Ellie! 

He's doing really well actually, he's back to his silly self. As if he didn't have the abscess...

He's going in surgery to remove the abscess on Tuesday. I'm reallyreally worried! They put him under anesthesia for x rays last weekend,and for a little over 24 hours afterwards he was acting really upsetand tired. He was only at the vet for around 4 hours. For the surgeryI'm going to have to drop him off in the morning and pick him up thefollowing evening. The vet said he handled hospitalization well, he waseating post x ray and stuff, but still...he's a sensative bunny and Ijust don't know... I'm worried.


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## Bramble Briar86 (Mar 16, 2005)

Oh, boy. Ireally hope your baby gets inand out of surgery without a problem...It must be akward having toleave your baby in the clinic for a big op. and not being there! 

Hoping for the Best,

Ellie


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## RaspberrySwirl (Mar 16, 2005)

Happy to hear he's doing well. Good luck with the surgery and keep us updated! 

RaspberrySwirl


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