Direct injections in abscess

[Armands]

Hi,
are there someone who had an opinion of injecting directly in an rabbits abscess?

My rabbit had 5 surgeries in last 12 months and abscess has returned about every 2-3 months. The last surgery (2 months ago) was more expensive, because antibiotic beads were placed after removal of abscess. Then I red this article http://people.umass.edu/~jwmoore/bicillin/bicillin.htm and according to this I am injecting 0.25ml dublicillin (a.k.a. bicillin) under my rabbit’s skin between shoulder blades every 48 hours (his weight is 1.8kg), today he will receive the third injection. His abscess is about one inch diameter.

I was thinking about direct injection in abscess after reading http://rabbitabscess.wordpress.com/ where the author says:
"He recommended injectable penicillin g Procaine. Opal is to receive .2ml directly in the abscess every 24 hours and .35ml in the back between the shoulder blades every 48 hours."

I have tried to contact Marcy E. Rosenfield (Moore) about direct injection in abscess via e-mail few days ago, but no response yet. There are no vets in our country who have heard about bicillin use for rabbit abscess, they even didn't knew about antibiotic bead implants before I gave them that information. They are willing to help and I can get all medication without problems, but they have not much knowledge about rabbit abscess treatment. Maybe you can suggest some expierenced vet who could help me via e-mail? Thanks!

 

[Chrisdoc]

I have a bunny with a jaw abscess and he is now on bicilin injections every 72 hours inthe fold of skin behind the ears. It measured the size of a golf ball when we started back in mid March and we started withe antibiotics for the first two weeks with little result. We switched to bicilin and it has shrunk considerably, treatment is still ongoing. She made a small incision in the first week and we have been draining pus and packing with honey at least 3 times a day. He is eating really well, is binkying like mad today and I am so very pleased with the results so far. The vet wanted to avoid surgery if at all possible so we have achieved that so far. I have heard of cutting and draining and packing with antibiotic beads but results are not guaranteed either and the thinking is to use bicilin sometimes with zithromax although I mentioned to my vet but they can only administer here orally and she said she would not do it. I started a thread in the health and wellness section called Lump under Chin, lots of info and links on there re treatment of abscesses so worth a look. They are difficult to clear and can recur frequently but I am amazed at the reduction in the size od Bandy's abscess after 6 weeks of treatment.

 

[JBun]

I've read of some vets injecting antibiotics directly into the abscess. Though if this was done with penicillin, you would have to ensure that the abscess remains intact and doesn't open up or rupture, because if the penicillin were to leak to the outside of the skin and your rabbit were to ingest it, it could lead to fatal digestive problems.

The UK has some of the best rabbit specialists. One of them is Frances Harcourt Brown. I believe she does consultations, but most likely will only do it through your vet.
http://www.crablanevets.co.uk/

 

[Chrisdoc]

I agree Jenny, you have to be so careful. I think Frances Harcourt has retired now, I remember reading that her protegee has brought out a new book but I just cannot remember her name, that's age for you lol.

 

[Chrisdoc]

By the way her name is Molly Varga.

 

[Armands]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies!

Crisdoc, how is your bunny now?

I got an answer from Marcy and some conversation with few emails. About the subject she wrote:
"Because bacteria in rabbit abscesses are sometimes very deep, injecting directly into an abscess may not reach the targeted bacteria. The pus you see is dead bacteria and waste product from bacteria & the body's immune system, very few living bacteria so the injected bicillin may not reach the deep bacteria. Sometimes people try to pack a cleaned, debrided abscess with penicillin laden gelfoam but that works in the same manner as beads, but many times that doesn't get deep enough either (bacteria can travel in-between tissue & spread from the main abscess). Systemic antibiotics are the best way to go."

On Saturday while I was making the 6th injection I noticed something sticky and smelly under my rabbit's jaw. I cleaned it with some warm Chamomile tea, but I didn't saw any wound. His abscess has reduced about twice of it's size and is looser and softer now. Today we will visit the doctor to see where the liquid came from.

 

[Chrisdoc]

Bandy is doing really well, the abscess is now quite small but we are still continuing with treatment. If you look at the last posts on the thread I made for his abscess, you can see the photos of the start and the present http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f27/lump-under-chin-79646/

The sticky smelling stuff under the jaw is the pus. Sometimes during treatment and with the pressure it causes, it can create an opening and pour out, the opening can be quite small. You just need to clean thoroughly, I ended up having to bathe it as, by the time I realised, it was everywhere. I only noticed as he was out and I heard him constantly shaking his paws. After about 10 minutes, I then got that awful smell and cleaned up.

I am glad the abscess is reducing in size, treatment is just a long process and lots of patience is required. But it is good to see when the size starts to reduce considerably.

 

[HototMama]

one of my dwarf hotots got a brain abscess once. of course under the skin injection was the only way to go with that. and some how he survived. we used penicillin G.

 

[big ears]

I agree Jenny, you have to be so careful. I think Frances Harcourt has retired now, I remember reading that her protegee has brought out a new book but I just cannot remember her name, that's age for you lol.

Frances Harcourt Brown doesn't retire until October this year. The second edition of Text Book of Rabbit Medicine has been released and is written by Molly Varga but she is not FHB's protegee, simply another rabbit vet that the publishers asked to write the book as they didn't give FHB the time she needed to complete it, which I think is a travesty.