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Possible retrobulbar abscess???

22 10:53:32

Question
Hi my name is corinne and i have a question i hope you can answer. I believe i have spoke with you a few times but just to refresh your memory i have the roughly 4 to 6 month old floppy eared bunny. She is not spaded yet which i plan on having done in about 4 days. She is a great bunny, she is liter trained and very well behaved. Well anyway this morning i woke up and noticed her eye looked wet. I felt it and realized her fur was all kind of greasy around her eye and was hard to get off of her fur. Then i noticed on her left cheek right under her infected eye a small bump on her jaw that appears to be some kind of abscess. Now i was doing some research online and came up with this possible diagnosis that she might have but I'm not sure. She is acting totally normal except for her litter training is a bit off. She is eating and drinking normally and still has allot of energy. We are trying to get a vet appt. ASAP but any info. or what may have caused this or what we can do would be great. We keep her cage very clean and keep her on a strict diet of hay, pellets and fruits and veg. as snacks. Please get back to me ASAP with any possible input i would really appreciate it.  

Answer
Dear Corinne,

It sounds as if she has a molar root abscess, which is more common in lops than in other breeds.  It's unusual for one this young to have an abscess, though, which doesn't bode well.  Please read:

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

and

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

and

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

It would probably be wise for you to put off the spay surgery until her abscess is resolved.  An infection anywhere in the body will make her a riskier surgical candidate, and since she is still quite young you have plenty of time to get her well before subjecting her to the stress of a spay.

You'll need a really good rabbit vet for the dental problem, and you should be able to find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps, and that your baby will be well soon.

Dana