Darwin Update...

[Runestonez]

Darwin and his brother got in a tiff around the beginning of February...
Darwin came out of it with a small 1mm bit on the instep of his rear right foot...
which he then licked open into a 1cm x 1cm wound all the way down to the cartilage at the front knuckle behind the toenail...loads of swelling and a whopping infection...

So off to the vet...

We talked about other anti-biotics...but with Baytril working he wants to stay with it...he is considering Gentomicin next though...
We have been treating with Baytril (pill form) 12.5 mg every 12 hours...
we did saline bandages for 10 days and then moved to saline and Polysporin...using the saline to keep the wound moist and open so we could squeeze the pus out...
We moved to cleaning his wound...twice a day as it seemed the wound was closing/drying out too fast otherwise.

We went back to the vet today to do a re-check...the wound is much smaller 1mm in diameter...though still open to clean out pus....but the toe from the knuckle forward is crepitus...we have seen a reduction in the amount of pus and the Baytril has brought the swelling way down to almost normal size...and a much better colour. The crepitus is new within the last week it began...

The vet has decided to wait till 7-14 days and then he wants to open the skin and do surgery toflush it out...and hopefully remove the abscess/infection...

I feel horrible because Darwin is our one rabbit who does not trance...not one bit...so he has to basically suck it up when we have to muck about with his foot...and the crepitus hurts him horribly...he lays there and crunches his teeth and chitters at us...

I really don't want to have to have him undergo surgery...and I don't think this was ever a true abscess...it isn't thick and pasty at all...it almost human consistancy and is easily pushed from the wound...I think it is just an infection from self-mutilation...but now I am worried about the crepitus...<big sigh>
Has anyone run into this before? I have been trying to find specific info on foot infections vs abscesses or foot infections and crepitus or crepitus in rabbits...ha ha ha...but no luck...or not what I am looking for...

Suggestions please?


[Our vets rarely if ever see antibiotic resistant rabbits in their practice...actually our other rabbit Peppers was one of the first they had ever run across...so I have asked about Pen-G and some of the other that I have found mentioned in every abscess article ever printed...and they will switch if they need to...but as long as Baytril is doing the job...that's what they want to stick to...just FYI! ]

Danielle

 

[ra7751]

If your vet is rabbit savvy, he should know that Gentamycin should be avoided in rabbits. I don't open an abscess and have never had to intervene surgically on any abscess and I have been able to resolve them all. My primary drugs for treating an abscess is a combinaton of Pen G and Azithromycin. My back up is usually Chloramphenicol. But the Pen G/Zithromax has never failed me and I have used it numerous times. If Baytril is having any positive effect at all then it's most likely not a true abscess but rather just a nasty infection. Skin infections usually contain staph. And if the Baytril is working, I would stick with it (and I can't believe I am saying that).

Randy

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Runestonez wrote:

Darwin and his brother got in a tiff around the beginning of February...
Darwin came out of it with a small 1mm bit on the instep of his rear right foot...
which he then licked open into a 1cm x 1cm wound all the way down to the cartilage at the front knuckle behind the toenail...loads of swelling and a whopping infection...

So off to the vet...

We talked about other anti-biotics...but with Baytril working he wants to stay with it...he is considering Gentomicin next though...
We have been treating with Baytril (pill form) 12.5 mg every 12 hours...
we did saline bandages for 10 days and then moved to saline and Polysporin...using the saline to keep the wound moist and open so we could squeeze the pus out...
We moved to cleaning his wound...twice a day as it seemed the wound was closing/drying out too fast otherwise.

We went back to the vet today to do a re-check...the wound is much smaller 1mm in diameter...though still open to clean out pus....but the toe from the knuckle forward is crepitus...we have seen a reduction in the amount of pus and the Baytril has brought the swelling way down to almost normal size...and a much better colour. The crepitus is new within the last week it began...

The vet has decided to wait till 7-14 days and then he wants to open the skin and do surgery toflush it out...and hopefully remove the abscess/infection...

I feel horrible because Darwin is our one rabbit who does not trance...not one bit...so he has to basically suck it up when we have to muck about with his foot...and the crepitus hurts him horribly...he lays there and crunches his teeth and chitters at us...

I really don't want to have to have him undergo surgery...and I don't think this was ever a true abscess...it isn't thick and pasty at all...it almost human consistancy and is easily pushed from the wound...I think it is just an infection from self-mutilation...but now I am worried about the crepitus...<big sigh>
Has anyone run into this before? I have been trying to find specific info on foot infections vs abscesses or foot infections and crepitus or crepitus in rabbits...ha ha ha...but no luck...or not what I am looking for...

Suggestions please?


[Our vets rarely if ever see antibiotic resistant rabbits in their practice...actually our other rabbit Peppers was one of the first they had ever run across...so I have asked about Pen-G and some of the other that I have found mentioned in every abscess article ever printed...and they will switch if they need to...but as long as Baytril is doing the job...that's what they want to stick to...just FYI! ]

Danielle

i trust the dvm-took a culture of the wound/abscess--like randy mentioned-the proper way to treat,,..but whatever works.//.i have seen abscesses which are resistant to penicillin-g,,injections,,thats why i ask if a culture was done.//.the bun still may escape surgery if the wound is flushed daily with betadine,,and the proper -oral-antibiotic,,there is no mention of metacam for pain or benebac-(probiotic)-,...sincerely james waller:wave::rose::bunnydance:

 

[Runestonez]

Thanks Randy...

Sorry James...I forget to mention Metacam! We stock it in our first-aid kit so when we go to the vet we usually leave out that part! He is getting Metacam for pain though! And lots of treats too!

I met the rep for Bioniche...the company that makes Dermagel...got some free samples and had an interesting conversation...I need to look at the other applications for Dermagel...especially the spray they have for minor wounds and skin irritations...sounds amazing...

I know from using the gel on Darwins foot infection originally we had to stop using it because it was closing the wound up too fast! lolReally amazing stuff...I think I'm going to ask the vet to order us some of the spray for the first aid kit!

Danielle

 

[tonyshuman]

From what I have read, the crepitus can occur with a clostridium infection of of the tissue. Baytril is not effective against clostridium, from what I can tell. I think the fact that this really serious complication of an infection occurred is a sign that the Baytril isn't doing enough and another antibiotic needs to be added or the Baytril should be abandoned.

 

[Pipp]

How is Darwin? :?


sas :clover:

 

[Runestonez]

Hi Pipp!

Darwin is tentatively scheduled for surgery on the 25th...the last time the vet saw his foot it was inflammed and pusy still...so the vet decided he wanted to open the foot and flush it out...

But we hadLeo in to check for EC and i told the vetwe had managed to get his foot to the point where there was almost no pus left...so he has scheduled an appointment for the 24th(day before the surgery) to see it and see if we have managed to beat the infection.

We started epsom salt/iodine baths for his foot for the crepitus and infection! And it helped take down the swelling and the crepitus is much better!

I haven't checked his foot yet today...I haven't been able to catch him...his wound healed over on us on Wednesday and I couldn't re-open it this time...so he has been zooting around without his bandages since then...there has been much running and binkying! LOL He is taking his full weight on it and hasn't been worrying it since the bandages came off!

So I guess things here are OK for now...I'll feel better when we have seen the vet an cancelled the surgery...so until then we wait! It is possible that if it is an abscess the pus could be building inside where I can't see it...

So fingers crossed!

 

[tonyshuman]

Fingers crossed here too!

 

[Runestonez]

Darwin went to see the vet this morning...
and he has decided that his foot doesn't warrant surgery at this time! Wooo whooo!inkbouce:

Darwins knuckle is still a bit swollen...but he has been off of antibiotics for 4 days and the swelling still seems to be slowly going down...the crepitus is almost non-existant so we are going to wait and see if it continues to improve...but when the vet examined Darwins foot he wasn't showing any signs of it being sore or painful!

He has been running and binkying on it as well as taking his full weight without favoring it at all! I hope this is the end of this little adventure!! <fingers crossed!>
:bunnydance::biggrin2:

Danielle

 

[Pipp]

Yay!! I've been looking all over for this post to request an update! I've been reading a lot about gangerine and that crepitus is a symptom, I was very worried!

So glad to hear he's doing so well.



sas :yahoo:

 

[Runestonez]

We started doing iodine and epsom salt soaks for Darwins foot and I found that it really seemed to improve the crepitus...whether it was the salts or the warm water...IDK...I was so happy this morning I was almost in tears!
We were flushing that foot twice a day and then one day when we didn't get anymore pus out...it suddenly closed and we couldn't re-open it this time...

I was scared to death...we had to wait two weeks to get a surgery date and we noticed that it wasn't swelling or getting bigger...so we have had our fingers, toes and anything else we could crossed for good news!

Even the vet was impressed that the crepitus was gone...it was REALLY bad the last time he saw us...he was so happy today we didn't even have to pay for the appointment! lol

<deep breath> ahh that feels so much better! :biggrin2:I can finally relax...until Darwin sticks something else in Guffy's mouth...silly little mens!

Danielle