Malignant Fibroma

Question
Hi Dana,
I really apoligise for bothering you yet again,.
Bun Bun had a check up on Tuesday, after his Bead implantation, and debriding of the abcess.
Yet again, there was a scab formation, and when the scab was taken off, inderneath you could see the abcess yet again.Dr. Hess told me to flush the hole, with Nolvasan daily, and with a Q tip  get as much of the abcess out, without going too deep,and putting Neomycin into the hole, which I have been doing.
Obviously this is very painful for Bun Bun.
Also he is on Rimadyl twice a day, and Metoclopramide twice a day, along with that I have to give him an injection of Bicillin EVERY day 0.5ml.
This morning I really we would not see Bun Bun live very longer, He was very lethargic, did not want to eat or drink, staring into space,also his pupils were dilated, which I took to be over-drugged.
I tempted him with all of his favourites all day, and got him to nibble on a few things, also gave him a drink holding the water bottle for him.
By 4.00 P.M. today he was nibbling by himself, and feeling a little brighter.
I am extremely worried, that we are going to kill him with all these drugs, sooner than the cancer or abcess will, he is only 6 and a half pounds, yes he has lost half a pound since having two surgeries in three weeks.
He was doing much better without the Bicillin, and I am the only one who can see what it is doing.
Do you think the drugs are too aggressive, and what is your opinion of giving Bicillin EVERY day? What are the side effects? Also with Bun Bun's immune system compromised already, is this treatment wise?
I did put Bun Bun on Pro-Biotics, but Dr.Hess said it didn't work ?!!!
Also Dr. Hess told me the baby bunny, now 8 weeks old, will probably get it too, as Malignant Fibroma is a highly contagious virus.
What are your thoughts on this, or have we already given little Mischa a horrible death sentence, we have been washing our hands before going from one to another, and we put them in seperate cages, in seperate rooms, mainly because we did not want to upset Bun Bun with a new furry smell, in his illness.
Please tell me cats cannot catch this, as we have three, one 18, 17 and 15.
Would welcome your thoughts, as always.
God Bless,
Gina

Answer
Dear Gina,

I have to say at the outset that Dr. Hess (if we're talking about Laurie Hess) is fairly hostile to any information people get from the internet, and particularly, it seems, from people in House Rabbit Society.  So you might not want to antagonize her by telling her where you got any of this information.

{Do you think the drugs are too aggressive, and what is your opinion of giving Bicillin EVERY day?}

My opinion is that you certainly can develop an overdose at this rate.  The reason bicillin can be given every other day is because it does not rapidly clear the body.  If she wants a higher dose, then I have to wonder why not simply up the dosage of each injection, rather than giving it every day?

{I did put Bun Bun on Pro-Biotics, but Dr.Hess said it didn't work ???!}

Well, they won't *hurt*.  They might help, but no one really knows for sure.  No one seems to be able to agree, either.  It's true that many bacteria can't survive the trip through the caustic stomach acids in order to establish in the GI unless they are protected inside a cecotrope.  But some might.  Again, no one really knows for sure.

{Also Dr. Hess told me the baby bunny, now 8 weeks old, will probably get it too, as Malignant Fibroma is a highly contagious virus.}

The virus (Malignant Fibroma Virus (MV), related to Shope Fibroma Virus (FV)) that causes malignant fibromas in rabbits was first isolated in the early 1980's, and since has been shown to be genetically similar (but not identical) to the virus that causes myxomatosis.  The virus is listed as infectious, but just *how* infectious, I have not been able to find out.

Only time will tell if little Mischa will contract the virus.  There is a nice article about this here:

www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/ Viral_diseases/fibroma.PDF

I wish I could help more, but I think all that can be done is now being done.

I will send healing vibes,anyway!

Dana