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Abscesses on Rabbits

22 11:13:21

Question
Thanks for your reply, the rabbits are kept outside, and the hutch is cleaned every 4days, new hay, straw and sawdust, I took the two yesterday to the vets, but unfortunately one of them died about an hour and a half after coming back from the vets, the poor little thing was really listless and its body temperature was very low, the vet gave it a vitamin injection and told me to keep it warm which I did do, but to no avail sadly as I said it passed away, how can you stop the bottle fly larvae if that is what it might be.
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Followup To

Question -
Bandit gave birth to 9 kittens 4wks 2morrow, one baby died after two days, and a further one died at 3 weeks, We have begun to notice that the babies are getting abcesses, no idea how, one has had it under its tail, a further one has had one on its chest, and my son has informaed me today that another two have got them, again one on the back and another with it under the tail, can you explain as to why these little ones should be getting them, and how do you clean an abscess, in the past I have taken two of them to the vets and they have either used a needle to piece it with but the other just used his nail and pulled the top off, they have both been given antibiotics, please help I am at my wits end have no idea what to do for the best and how to prevent them ocurring either again in the ones that have it or the remaining ones getting them.

Answer -
Dear Janie,

It is unusual for such small babies to get abscesses unless their husbandry/hygiene needs improvement.  Be sure their housing is very clean, and keep handling to a minimum.

If the rabbits are outside, then it's possible that the abscesses are warbles (botfly larvae), which can become infected.

The babies do need to be taken to a good rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for culture and sensitivity testing:

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

to be sure the right antibiotic is used.  Please also see:

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

Until you know the nature of the abscesses (as determined by a good vet), you can't really take steps to prevent them.

I hope this helps.

Dana

Answer
Dear Janie,

If these are botfly larvae, then the only way to keep them away is to put fly-proof screening all around the rabbits' dwelling, to keep out the adult flies.  I would suggest a necropsy on the dead baby to try to find out whether the abscesses are being caused by warbles, or if they are just bacterial in nature.  A culture and sensitivity test is still a must.

I hope the rest of the babies do well.

Dana