Rabbit Osteomyelitis

Question
Hello.  We had our 2 year old mini lop in for surgery a week ago Wednesday.  We don't have any vets in the area that work with exotic animals, so we took him to a local vet.  Our rabbit had developed fluid filled spots under is jaw that were getting larger.  We the vet took a look he found it was probably an abscess tooth due to the rabbit having teeth that aren't the straightest and he could see that some of the puss was coming up around the tooth.  After surgery, he had to remove both his bottom teeth and found that the issue is most likely Osteomelitis.  We have been giving him baytril twice a day at 22.7 mg to help get him back to normal.  It has been 9 days now and the lumps seem to be coming back.  FYI, the vet had stitched the incision shut instead of leaving it open to heal.  Our rabbits eating habits have changed due to the loss of his teeth.  We are giving him 100% pumpkin, parsley, green beans, a small amount of carrots or grapes, and romaine lettuce.  Our rabbit get frustrated when he tries to eat old pellet food or alfalfa due to missing those teeth and gives up.  He is drinking water like normal and urinating normal, but his bowel movements have slowed down.  We are looking for advice in what to do with this situation.  Food that would be good for him, what to do with the bowel movements, vet care and treatment, and if this an issue that will or will not get better, and if we prolonging a situation that is not fair to him.  Thank you for any help you can provide us.

Answer
Dear Jared,

Jaw abscesses in rabbits are problematic, but treatable.  I would not give up at this point!  But I hope the vet did take a sample of pus to send off for culture and sensitivity testing, as this will be the only way to know which rabbit-safe antibiotics will be most effective at fighting this abscess.  Baytril may not be the best choice, especially since you already see evidence of recurrence.

Please read:

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

and

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

for more complete information on what you're facing.  The link to the Tyrrell, et al article in the latter link is probably something worth sharing with your vet (although I would never use clindamycin in a rabbit).

We've found that in the absence of culture, a combination of zeniquin (marbofloxacin) and injectible bicillin (the only safe penicillin for rabbits) offers very good success for most jaw abscesses, though it can take several weeks for full resolution.

To help your bunny with his eating, get some Critical Care from Oxbow Hay Company:

www.oxbowhay.com

It's the ideal emergency food:  it's timothy-based powder with lots of excellent nutrients. You add water to make a wet paste, and feed it with a wide-bore syringe.  He'll love it!  (Get the regular flavor.)

In the meantime, please also ask your vet about pain management, since this is crucial for something as painful as a jaw abscess. We've found that combining tramadol with either metacam or Banamine is excellent for pain relief.

You might also want to check:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to see if there is an experienced rabbit vet within driving distance.  It sounds as if your vet is doing a good job, but it can help to have someone who's dealt with this before.

I hope this helps get you on the road to your bunny's recovery.

Dana