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Abscesses
Emergency Kit Have questions or comments? |
Taken from newsletters of Fall 2000 Jasmine: A story of determination & courage Jasmine's life has been very eventful to date. At times
it has felt like a roller coaster ride
Apparently an abscess was behind her eye and I was told
to return to the applications of BNP and Baytril. I had never encountered
a problem this serious with one of my rabbits before and although I had
reservations, we continued with this course of treatment. By early January
I became increasingly aware that this was not helping and I wanted to
try other medications. I felt desperate and no one was listening to my
concerns, therefore I Jasmine's new treatment was to be given another eye ointment,
Fucithalmic and oral Tribrissen. They helped. The abscess started to drain
through the corner of her eye. However it was not to last and soon the
eye bulged again. More meds were introduced (Chloremphenicol drops and
oral Zeniquin), then more drainage, back to bulging, hence the roller
coaster effect. Remarkably Jasmine, only 9 months old, remained a happy By doing research on the Internet I found that abscesses
in rabbits are very hard to eliminate. They are thick and do not drain
like a liquid would and often return. Traditional antibiotic treatments
do not have high long-term success rates. There was a new treatment that
showed some promise and that vets in the U.S seem to be having success
with. It involves surgery to remove the abscess and then implanting Antibiotic
Impregnated Polymethal Methacrylate Beads into the abscess cavity. These
beads release medication slowly and directly into the tissue surrounding
the abscess. I supplied By March 2000 the abscess began to apply pressure on Jasmine's optic nerve. After consulting with an eye specialist the decision was made to remove the eye. I was very scared and unsure. How could she live a normal life with only one eye? Would she remain happy and playful? She has shown through this ordeal that she was brave and resilient and since she was less than a year old I decided that we would go ahead with the surgery.
American suppliers would only supply them in bulk at
a very high cost. Since the beads Next we chose to give her Chloremphenicol Palm. The culture
had shown the bacteria (only one of which was Pasteurella) was sensitive
to it and then we waited for the beads. Bone cement, a necessary ingredient
was not available so hoof cement was used as a substitute. Making the
beads can be tricky; some of the components are difficult to work with.
By August 2000 the beads (made with the antibiotic Gentamicin) were finally
ready. Thus making Jasmine the first rabbit in London, Ontario to have
the beads implanted. After finally receiving the antibiotic beads surgery
we thought our problems were over. At this time, I took my vet a protocol on bicillin treatment.
Bicillin treatment involves They suggested we try to pack the cavity with calcium
hydroxide. This is similar to the
Abscesses can be very hard to treat in rabbits. Every
situation is different and what may work for one may not work for another.
If your rabbit has an abscess, research the Kim Mason Jasmine Update: Abscess recovery
After finally receiving the antibiotic beads surgery last August we thought our problems were over. But on September 29th I was devastated when I noticed discharge from the previous abscess site. We went to the vet's and they confirmed what I already knew - that the abscess had returned again. At that time, I took my vet a protocol on bicillin treatment.
Bicillin treatment involves However, my vets were reluctant to use it at that time since they had never heard of it before and wanted more time to research. They suggested we try to pack the cavity with calcium
hydroxide. This is similar to the Abscesses can be very hard to treat in rabbits. Every
situation is different and what Kim Mason |
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When
I first saw Jasmine she was 8 eeks old and like any normal, healthy baby
bunny. Something in me was telling me to bring her home. I didn't know
why at the time, but I now believe it was so she would get the care she
needed. Shortly after we got her, she had a runny nose and began sneezing.
She was diagnosed with a minor case of Pasteurella and given oral Baytril.
In November of 1999 things took a turn for the worse. I noticed Jasmine's
eye was red and runny. Alarmed, I immediately took her to our vet. They
applied a staining solution to see what was causing the irritation and
discovered the cornea was scratched. The vet led me to believe it was
not serious. 
Jasmine
recovered quickly and we hoped this would be the end of our troubles.
Soon we realized all her problems were not over and 4 weeks after removing
her eye the abscess returned. We did a culture and sensitivity test at
this time to determine exactly what type of bacteria was causing the abscess
and which antibiotic would be most effective to fight it. The C&S
should have been done much sooner, but due to confusion with switching
vets we thought we already knew which bacteria was involved. A C&S
test is very important to ensure you are using the right antibiotic. My
vet was still gathering more information on the AIPMMA beads. Finding
the materials was proving difficult.
I
thought it over during the weekend, andI felt there was no time to wait
to pursue other options, so we went ahead with the procedure on October
2nd. When the vets removed the packing seven days later, there were still
signs of the abscess so they repacked it for another week. On October
17th they removed the packing and there was no sign of the abscess. I
was very doubtful that this would be a long-term solution since nothing
else ever had but, to my amazement, Jasmine is still abscess free 10 months
later. She is now a little over 2 years old and she is a healthy and happy
bunny. For the first time in her life she doesn't have to take medication
or have numerous vet appointments each month. 
In
our newsletter from autumn 2000 you read about Jasmine and her chronic
recurring abscess. Since that time more has happened and we would like
to update you on her story. 