Rabbit Abscesses

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Firstly, I apologise for this thread being about a critter with a fluffy tail and not a piggies but this bunny really needs our help and I have no idea what to do.

Okay, so let's start at the beginning. I do some volunteering at a Childrens farm. We've recently had a boom of baby rabbits and guinea pig because the previous staff couldn't sex them. Fortunately, we've got the guineas under control now as I can sex them.
Anyway, because of all the babies, we ended up having to put some boy baby guinea pigs in with a white female rabbit with two litters.
One guinea pig decided it wasn't happy and took it out on one of the baby rabbits. It ended up with a huge bite on its back which has now doubles in size! I believe that it's turned into an abcesse.
To cut a long story short, the staff at the farm are saying that they've not got the money to take it to the vets and it'd be better to just put it down. But me being the animal lover I am, am kind of thinking that I'll offer to take it and I'll look after it.
So I researched rabbit abcesses as I know they can be a pain and a lot of people said that you couldn't get rid of abcesses for good and that they would keep coming back.

So my question is, should I try and save this rabbit or will its life just be full of trips to the vets, painful proceeders and nasty tasting medication? Is that a life worth living for a rabbit or is it kinder to just put it to sleep?

Again, I'm sorry this isn't guinea related but I don't know who else to ask.

 

[Wiebke]

@MintyAndGarry (TEAS) @furryfriends (TEAS)

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Rabbit abscesses can be dealt with very successfully. I would suggest getting the bunny seen by a rabbit savvy vet as soon as possible. Best treatment would be Duphapen injections or Zithromax. It is likely to need either removing or lancing and flushing in conjunction with the above mentioned antibiotics.

 

[gizzy]

Dito Rabbits are prown, to getting absess , the are revetivly easy to put right , please do not let them P T S .
You will in all lightly hood be able to fix this little one

 

[Caron's Cavies]

I really hope that any animal lover would try and do their best to save this little rabbit. Through no fault of its own it has been injured and therefore surely they have a responsibility to do what they can to save this wee soul. If you do decide to take the rabbit home I would love to know how you get on as I have 3 rabbits & 8 guinea pigs myself who all get along and bring so much joy to my world. Good luck.

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

So here's the update on the rabbit.

Rightly or wrongly, the staff went ahead and lanced the abcesse. I wasn't working at the time so unfortunately I'm not sure if the poor thing had pain relief or not. They got a tone of puss out of it mind. They have cleaned the wound up and dressed. They've been changing the dressing very morning.

I'm going in Tuesday to see how the rabbit is. Fingers crossed it'll be okay - I've been so worried about it! I'm currently in the process of tryin to convince my parents to let me have it. Thanks for all the support.

 

[Flutterby]

Sending healings vibes! x

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

So here's the update on the rabbit.

Rightly or wrongly, the staff went ahead and lanced the abcesse. I wasn't working at the time so unfortunately I'm not sure if the poor thing had pain relief or not. They got a tone of puss out of it mind. They have cleaned the wound up and dressed. They've been changing the dressing very morning.

I'm going in Tuesday to see how the rabbit is. Fingers crossed it'll be okay - I've been so worried about it! I'm currently in the process of tryin to convince my parents to let me have it. Thanks for all the support.

Are they flushing properly though or it is going to refill? The rabbit really needs a good antibiotic too. This really isn't a DIY job and they should be getting the poor bunny seen by a vet.

 

[Caron's Cavies]

So here's the update on the rabbit.

Rightly or wrongly, the staff went ahead and lanced the abcesse. I wasn't working at the time so unfortunately I'm not sure if the poor thing had pain relief or not. They got a tone of puss out of it mind. They have cleaned the wound up and dressed. They've been changing the dressing very morning.

I'm going in Tuesday to see how the rabbit is. Fingers crossed it'll be okay - I've been so worried about it! I'm currently in the process of tryin to convince my parents to let me have it. Thanks for all the support.

Hi, I agree with @furryfriends (TEAS). Surely if this rabbit is not attended to correctly by a vet this could be seen as animal cruelty. What sort of facility are they running with these poor animals. I don't want to appear rude but I get very upset when I believe an animal is not being looked after properly. I can imagine it must be terrible for you to stand by and watch. When will you know if your parents will let you have it? It's just that Tuesday is a long way off if the rabbit is suffering. Please let me know if I can help. If you cannot take it do you think any of the members on here would?

Just trying to think out loud really

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Are they flushing properly though or it is going to refill? The rabbit really needs a good antibiotic too. This really isn't a DIY job and they should be getting the poor bunny seen by a vet.

I understand it's not a DIY job. I did say that when they were first thinking of lancing it. I told them that it would need antibiotics and pain killers - that's probably why they waited until I'd left.

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Hi, I agree with @furryfriends (TEAS). Surely if this rabbit is not attended to correctly by a vet this could be seen as animal cruelty. What sort of facility are they running with these poor animals. I don't want to appear rude but I get very upset when I believe an animal is not being looked after properly. I can imagine it must be terrible for you to stand by and watch. When will you know if your parents will let you have it? It's just that Tuesday is a long way off if the rabbit is suffering. Please let me know if I can help. If you cannot take it do you think any of the members on here would?

Just trying to think out loud really

Thanks for all the help. It's not a bad farm. Nothing is mistreated or anything but it is a farm. And more than that, it's a working farm. The owner is quite old and his ideas on animal welfare are different than ours. He grew up in a time when you treated an animal yourself and if it didn't get better you put a bullet in its head - be that rabbit, dog or horse.

I'm only in on Tuesday and I know it's a log way off. I may try and weasel my way in anyway. Thr lady that's badging the rabbit breeds rabbits at home so I would hope that she has some idea of what she's doing.

I'm pushing my parent really hard but I'm not sure. They're really against me getting anymore animals because of how attached I get to them and how much money they "waste" in vets bills. But I'll keep trying and if not my friend said she'd look into taking it if she could.

 

[Caron's Cavies]

Thanks for all the help. It's not a bad farm. Nothing is mistreated or anything but it is a farm. And more than that, it's a working farm. The owner is quite old and his ideas on animal welfare are different than ours. He grew up in a time when you treated an animal yourself and if it didn't get better you put a bullet in its head - be that rabbit, dog or horse.

I'm only in on Tuesday and I know it's a log way off. I may try and weasel my way in anyway. Thr lady that's badging the rabbit breeds rabbits at home so I would hope that she has some idea of what she's doing.

I'm pushing my parent really hard but I'm not sure. They're really against me getting anymore animals because of how attached I get to them and how much money they "waste" in vets bills. But I'll keep trying and if not my friend said she'd look into taking it if she could.

Oh yes I do know many of these people still exist having come from the country in Australia where they have huge farms and this is how they have been brought up by their fathers before them. However I still think that in the world we live in now with laws to protect animals against cruelty etc there is a fine line. I do hope the lady who has rabbits has somewhat of a different point of view?

I know what you mean about how much money is "wasted" in vet bills as I am the parent and yet it is my teenage son who has to stop me from taking on every stray or injured animal I possibly could and remind me about the money side of it. So a change of roles I am actually on my way to my vet just now with one of my rabbits when I saw your post.

It is good to know though that you may be able to pop in before Tuesday to check and perhaps your friend could have the bunny if you cannot.

Good luck and keep me up to date and perhaps the bunny can be saved.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Thanks for all the help. It's not a bad farm. Nothing is mistreated or anything but it is a farm. And more than that, it's a working farm. The owner is quite old and his ideas on animal welfare are different than ours. He grew up in a time when you treated an animal yourself and if it didn't get better you put a bullet in its head - be that rabbit, dog or horse.

I'm only in on Tuesday and I know it's a log way off. I may try and weasel my way in anyway. Thr lady that's badging the rabbit breeds rabbits at home so I would hope that she has some idea of what she's doing.

I'm pushing my parent really hard but I'm not sure. They're really against me getting anymore animals because of how attached I get to them and how much money they "waste" in vets bills. But I'll keep trying and if not my friend said she'd look into taking it if she could.

This sort of attitude really annoys me. TEAS vet bills average around £300 to £400 per month, and as we only raise enough to cover the vet bills, I fund everything else myself. If you are going to have animals in your care then you get them the appropriate treatment they need.

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

This sort of attitude really annoys me. TEAS vet bills average around £300 to £400 per month, and as we only raise enough to cover the vet bills, I fund everything else myself. If you are going to have animals in your care then you get them the appropriate treatment they need.

I know it's irritating but I do understand the mentality of the owner. He's running a business. Why spend £100 on surgery and medication for a rabbit that may not make it when you've got 10 more that are healthy. From a business point of view (not mine) try to fix it yourself and if it doesn't work then it doesn't matter cause it's only one rabbit an you've got others.

Again it is irritating, but in businesses like farm they don't see each animal as an individual - especially the small ones.

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Oh yes I do know many of these people still exist having come from the country in Australia where they have huge farms and this is how they have been brought up by their fathers before them. However I still think that in the world we live in now with laws to protect animals against cruelty etc there is a fine line. I do hope the lady who has rabbits has somewhat of a different point of view?

I know what you mean about how much money is "wasted" in vet bills as I am the parent and yet it is my teenage son who has to stop me from taking on every stray or injured animal I possibly could and remind me about the money side of it. So a change of roles I am actually on my way to my vet just now with one of my rabbits when I saw your post.

It is good to know though that you may be able to pop in before Tuesday to check and perhaps your friend could have the bunny if you cannot.

Good luck and keep me up to date and perhaps the bunny can be saved.

Haha yeah! I think what really "put off" my parents was when they received a £300+ bill for a £15 guinea pig that died in surgery anyway (such costly little critters ). Since then, I've agreed to pay all vets bills myself, which for a 18year old in full time education and only a part time job is quite a tall ask. Still, I can't help but want to help animals in need.