Need to go to vets, but now, or can it wait?

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mouse_chalk

mouse_chalk

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Sorry for starting a new thread for Chalk, I just thought that this might get seen easier than the old one...

Yesrterday evening, I noticed that Chalk's wound from her recent op (to remove an abscess that had ruptured on the wall of her intestine, causing peritonitis, for those of you who don't know) was looking a bit red, and lumpy. She was acting fine, eating, pooping, etc as normal though.

We took Barney and Mouse to the vets this afternoon to have their nails trimmed, and I mentioned Chalk's wound to James, the vet. He said we should bring her in for a look, and said it sounded most lilkely that she has had a reaction to the sutures. He said a post-op infection of the wound was unlikely at this late stage... We made an appointment for Tuesday, when the surgery is next open...

Anyway, I had a look tonight, and it looks a LOT worse. Very red, lots of little 'bumps' that seem only skin deep, they aren't attached to anything that I can see... Chalk doesn't like me touching them, and she hated staying still for pictures, but other than that she doesn't seem to be in any pain, and is still acting great- eating, pooping, binkying etc etc...

Here are the pics (sorry they aren't the clearest- hard to keep rocket bunny still with one hand and photograph with the other!

20080510102.jpg


20080510105.jpg


Soo... what do you guys think? Wait for the appointment on Tuesday, or go tomorrow? Our vets surgery isn't open tomorrow, but the hopsital is, to emergencies only... Either way, I'm perfectly prepared to take her down tomorrow if anyone thinks it's needed... it can all be done under the same insurance claim....

Thanks, in advance...




 
Sorry I missed this, Jen...

Tough one to answer.

Main question, is she still on antibiotics?

And is it hot to the touch?

Itlookspretty angry from here. :( Best to err on the side ofcaution.


sas :?

 
Have to agree, that I would go to the vet sooner rather than later. It looks similar to the rash I get when I'm allergic to something, so could be the vet is right. And if it starts irritating her to where she may chew at it, it's probably better to get it seen to first. Good luck! (these bunnies are certainly giving us a rough time at the moment:(

Jan
 
It looks a lot like when Fey's stitches twisted inside of her. It looked for all the world like an abcess to me but not to my vet and he fixed it really quickly. Think of the layer under the skin as another layer of skin, that can move around a little and get bunched up especially when it's been cut open and sewn back up. It was just the knot that hadn't dissolved, and all the vet had to do was make a tiny little incision in the skin and pull the knot out with forceps. No anesthesia, no stitches (for her, Mouse's is bigger), done in 5 minutes.

Fey's looked red and sore because she had been licking at it. I'm sure it was uncomfortable.

If it's gotten that big that fast, I'd take her in. Especially since there's no way I can know for sure if it's a suture problem or not.
 
Thanks guys,

I've just got up.... they'd escaped from their cage (I woke up with Chalk in my bedroom?!:shock:) so I've just spent ages running round the house trying to catch them, hence only just had chance to have a look...

It looks a bit worse this morning, I'd say, a lot more red, and you can see in the second pic that one of the 'bumps' has a sort of yellowy tinge? It's not just the picture, and more of the 'bumps' have a yellowy tinge this morning too...

I'm just about to call the animal hospital and see what they say, I'll let you know!

And Pipp, they do feel warm to the touch, hard to tell though if they're warmer than the rest of her? And she finished her antibiotics, Septril, almost 2 weeks ago...

Snowy had a problem a while back where one of her stitches from her spay poked through, making a little lump, which wouldn't heal until the vet pulled it through a bit and snipped it, but this looks nothing like that to me...


 
I LOVE our vets.... Didn't think they were open on a Saturday but apparently they are, we're taking her over there (about 1/4 mile away) in 10 mins... wish us luck!

 
We've just got back from the vets, the vet at our local clinic put a needle into the lump (is that called an aspiration?) and it was pus inside. She thought it was a reaction to the internal sutures, but given Chalk's recent problems, sent us down to the hospital for an ultrasound, just to make sure it wasn't anything else.

So, the ultrasound showed that the abscesses aren't attached to anything, and is just a reaction to the stitches. She's on Baytril now, and we've been given an antibacterial wash, Hibiscrub (which she's had before, for a cut on her shoulder) to bathe the area with 2-3 times a day to try and draw out some of the pussy stuff... She did say that she couldn't rule out having to operate to remove the abscesses, but said that given Chalk is so well, and bright and active at the moment, it's best to try and manage it this way for now.

We've got to take her back to our regular clinic on Tuesday for a check-up, which is the next time they're open as it's a Bank Holiday weekend... why does she always have to do this on a Bank Holiday weekend lol?!:(

Thanks guys! I'm so glad we got her down there today... I was thinking that it needed to be seen ASAP, but it's nice to have people agree with you, and to know that I wasn't just making a fuss about nothing! :)

Jen xx
 
Glad she is ok Jen ouch poor chalk that doesn't look comfy :(I hope the hibiscrub and antibotics clears it up :)

sounds like you were lonely last night ;)
 
I'm wondering if it would be better to go to an injectable antibiotic? Abcesses normally require very aggressive treatment to go away with just antibiotics.

Also, considering that her issues began in her intestinal track, I would be shying away from any medication that may upset her stomach. Injectable antibiotics are not only more effective, but they have less of an effect on the intestinal track.

I'm glad that it's a simple issue, and not abcesses attached to something.

--Dawn
 
Hi guys,

Well, this morning we cleaned Chalk's abscesses (and that is what they are now, as you will see in a bit) with the Hibiscrub. She didn't like it, but it didn't seem to sting her. Pus started oozing out of some of them, and some of it got on her fur when she struggled. I've read about rabbit pus being thick and cheesy, but man it is! :? Not nice!

Anyway, here's how it's looking this morning. (Pic is a bit clearer thanks to being given an early birthday present of a Digital SLR camera yesterday.) I think it's looking worse, but is that just because some of them are starting to ooze?

20080510134.jpg


And she's still VERY lively, has been binkying around the living room, shredding paper, eating all her food, pooing etc, like nothing's wrong! I feel so bad for her though, it looks so painful :(

 
Wow, they look angry and inflamed. I hope it's because the antibiotic is pushing it forward..... and getting it healed. In a day or two it should look MUCH better.

Poor baby!


 
I think that it looks a lot better than before you went.

Hopefully the antibiotic will help but aurora may be onto something re. injectable antibioics rather than oral.
You can see how it goes....
 
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