Medicine Safe For Bunnies

Question
Hi!
I recently had my two doe bunnies out together. A fight broke out and even though the were separated in a matter of seconds, one doe recieved a large cut on her belly. It is not deep, but is almost 4 inches long. It IS healing, but slowly. So my questions are:

1.) Is there any anti-biotic ointment I can put on it that is safe for the rabbit?
2.) Is there anything I can use to clean the wound that is safe for use on rabbits?

Also, I have been cleaning the cage daily(as opposed to her normal twice a week cleaning) to minimize the chances of an infection.

Answer
Dear Katie,

I wouldn't use antibiotic ointment on this at the moment.  Instead, wash the wound with a dilute solution of Betadine (povidone iodine) diluted 1:4 in clean water.  Make sure the wound is dry and clean, and that the fur around it is clipped short so it doesn't dry onto the wound.  A four inch tear is pretty significant, and I really would take her to the vet for some sutures to make sure things heal cleanly, and with minimal pain.

When we have a bunny with a small skin wound, we use (drumroll, please!)...super glue!  A very thin line of the gel style glue, applied with a flat, clean wooden toothpick is all you need.  Don't get it inside the wound--just on the edge of the torn skin.  Then press the lips of the wound together, and presto!  If the area is not under too much pressure, it should hold together just fine.  (Super glue was originally developed as surgical glue.  Only later was it marketed as hardware.)

Note that this must NOT be done on a large wound, or one that is at all infected, or if the edges of the wound are dry/scabbed. This works only on very fresh wounds that are very clean and with little or no chance of infection.

Hope this helps.

Dana