Emergency vet could not help, waiting till tomorrow to see his vet/URGENT

Question

Hugo's first 2 abcesse   QUESTION: Hi.  I was told to ask you about a problem my rabbit is having from a forum I've been using.  I will try to give you as much info upfront as I can.  
I have recently adopted a Giant Flemish.  Aprox 1 month ago now.  I know he was kept inside at a foster home and had access to a cage but didn't really use it.  Before that he was housed in a goat pen from another shelter.  
His brother passed away shortly after arriving to my local shelter and Hugo lost a good amount of weight.  Probably 5 lbs.  They got him eating again and healthy.  They also got him neutered.  We brought him home 1 week later.  He is doing good now and is almost 11 lbs.  He still needs to gain 2 lbs.
I noticed a week after we brought him home he had large lumps on his feet and one busted open.  I took him into his vet and she drained 3 of them.  She said it was Pasturella. She gave him Baytril and I use an iodine solution twice a day on his open sores.  They do fill back up now and then and he has also had 2 more drained.  I am now noticing a new one forming.  The last one that was drained she did a culture on.  It came back as no growth so she thinks it is viral and not bacterial.  She wants to keep doing the same treatments, draining new ones, Iodine and Baytril for another 4 weeks.
I have attached a photo for you from the first day when I took him to the vet.  They are on the side of his back feet.  His last one was actually on his front foot up by his leg.
I was hoping that you may have some insight or suggestions that we may not have thought of.  Thank you for any assistance you are able to provide.  I look forward to hearing from you.

ANSWER: Dear Amy,

I have seen rescued rabbits who have come from a bad situation develop small abscesses on their feet like this.  Even though there is no growth of bacteria, it is possible that opportunistic bacteria are taking up residence.  I think that if these are superficial, then keeping up with Betadine flushes should be a good idea.  As your bun gains in health, these types of lesions will often resolve on their own as his immune system takes up the slack.

If it *is* Pasteurella, then fluoroquinolone antibiotics should be effective against them.  But topical disinfecting with Betadine is a good first line of attack, as long as they are getting better, not worse.

Hope this helps.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you.  I have a new question for you.  I took Hugo to an emergency vet last night.  The only one in our area where my concerns were not met.  I was told they didn't really deal with rabbits and they couldn't even tell me if his temp was normal.  I can not get him in with anyone that is qualified to see him until tomorrow.  So I thought I'd ask you opinion.
Yesterday morning he was fine.  He ate his pellets and was acting normally.  We left around 8 am.  We got home at 5pm and he was sitting with his head tilted to the left.  He did not come out for his dinner. Which is his favorite part of the day.  Here are some more of his symptoms besides the tilt to his head.  He has not been eating or drinking or going to the bathroom, his left ear is usually kept down and the other one up, his left eye is very red and the lower lid is sagging down,  his front teeth are no longer in line with each other they are set to the side, his nose is wet and chin is soaked and he is dripping from his mouth.
I was syringed feeding him baby food and water last night and this morning.  He will no longer take it from me this afternoon.  He acts like it hurts when I put it in his mouth.  At this point I just need to get him through the night so he can see a good rabbit doctor tomorrow morning.  Do you have any advice, thoughts or suggestions?

Answer
Dear Amy,

The problem with a volunteer service like this is that I'm not always online, and sometimes get so swamped at work that there's a delay in answering that makes my response too late.  I hope your vet was able to help with this.  But in case you are still struggling with the condition, here are two resources, the first for the vet and the second for you:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

I hope it will help you get Hugo back on the road to good health!

Dana