Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > rabbit nose wound

rabbit nose wound

22 10:44:44

Question
Hi, my rabbit's nose seems to have an abscess/wound of some sort, and it's sort of "shedding." My rabbit is so annoyed by it that she tries to sneeze it off and desperately tries to remove it with her forelimbs. It's like thickened skin and a portion of it is about to fall off. There seems to be pus. I'm not exactly sure what it is and how to help her. I've read that rabbits gets snuffles caused by the bacteria Pasteurella. Is this what it is? Is there any OTC medication that I can apply on her nose to soothe it? I've had this rabbit for 4 months now but this is the first time she has shown this. Pls help

Answer
Dear Jean,

Because I can't see the lesion, I can only give you a few possibilities based on your description:

1.  Mange, caused by parasitic mites (microscopic)
2.  Injury that has abscessed
3.  Rabbit syphilis (not contagious to humans)

Any of these three requires the attention of a good rabbit vet, whom you can find here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Mange is easily and safely treated with Revolution (selamectin) from the vet, and you can read more here (with pictures of before and after buns):

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

An abscess is more serious, and it would be best to have a culture and sensitivity test done on the pus, if this is an infection:

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

If it's rabbit syphilis, it can be treated with injectible Penicillin-G Procaine, the only type of penicillin safe for rabbits (oral penicillins are deadly; this is why it's very important for you to find a vet who is experienced with rabbits, and not just cats and dogs).

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

Take care,
Dana