Advice please - Miffy's bitten her purse and it looks infected

[mummybunny]

Hi all,

Last week we noticed that Miffy had bitten and broken the skin on the top of her purse (that's what we call her dewlap!!). It was 2 perfected slits from her teeth. She can be quite a vigorous groomer and has once bitten her shoulder skin.

We've been checking it and today we had a real good look, she's obviously had a good nibble as it is very scabbed and the wound is bigger, but there is an area where it is like a slit in the flesh that looks white, we squeezed it but no pus is coming out - it may just be flesh.

Needless to say we bathed it carefully and totally with a dilute of TCP in warm boiled water and she is going to vet tomorrow as I think she's gonna need antibiotics. However, she keeps worrying at it, licking and nibbling.

Is there anything we can do? Apart from clapping and whistling at her every time which does stop her, but not through the night!!

Thank you so much! I'm really worried it'll turn into a nasty infection...

Please put my mind at ease.......

mummybunny xx

 

[mummybunny]

sorry for all the typos!!Just read it - I was tying fast!!

mummybunny xx

 

[JimD]

OWIE!!!! Poor bunnie

Good idea to get to the vet in this circumstance.

The white that you are seeing could be fat or flesh (the main purpose of a dewlap is to store fat when the bunnie is pregnant.)

I know abcesses in rabbits have very thick puss and cannot be drain effectively by squeezing. I'm not sure if an infection would be the same, though.

Keeping it as clean as possible is probably the only thing you can do for now.

You can use hydrogen peroxide to clean it and then some antibiotic salve (tri-bac, neosporin, bacitracin, etc.)

If she bothers at it too much, the vet may want to use a collar to keep her from getting at it while it heals.

Prayers and good thoughts sent. Keep us updated.

~Jim

 

[mummybunny]

Does anyone know if it would be okay to put some antiseptic cream on it, or sudo cream ( it's all we have in the house just now). Would it be harmful to her if she (and she probably will)licks it off?

Thank you

mummybunny

xx

 

[naturestee]

Poor girl. That sounds painful!

What are the ingredients for sudo cream? I know that you can use small amounts of Neosporin, which has bacitracin zinc, neomycinsulfate, and polymyxin B sulfate. But you can't use Neosporin Plus because the extra ingredient can be harmful if the bunny licks it off.

 

[bunnydude]

Oh no! I hope she feels better soon!

Silly Miffy, self-mutilation is a no-no:nonono: You're gonna give your mom a heart attack!

 

[bunnydude]

Edit: Sorry about the double post

 

[JimD]

I think sudo cream is more of a barrier cream isn't it....like for diaper rash. Don't use that if it is.

I'm not sure about the antiseptic oinment....what kind do you have. We'll look for an analysis for it.

~Jim

 

[sfritzp]

MummyBunny - perhaps you can try to make a 'cone' out of cardboard or a very thin piece of plastic to fasten around her neck (Elizabeth collars I think they are called?).
My vet made a little cone out of an old xray film for my rabbit to prevent her from removing staples after surgery.
That's all I can think of - unless you just carry her around with you until the vet appointment!
Hope she'll be OK

 

[Lissa]

Jim gave great advice. Keep a close eye on the wound.



P.S. If anyone has watched Family Guy: The Untold Story, you will know why I'm laughing at theheadline of this topic.

 

[bunnydude]

How's she doing today?

 

[mummybunny]

Hi,

thanks for all your postings - my husband took her to the vet yestrday(Tuesday) and he cleaned it really well, no signs of pus or infection thank goodness. We have a solution to clean the wound with twice a day and she is to go back to vet on Friday for another check-up.

Vet suggests changing water bowl to water bottle as she is always getting her dewlap soaking wet when she drinks, Munchkin too and both tug away at the fur there as it must be uncomfortable. Also, it'll help keep the wound dry while it heals.

mummybunny xx

 

[bunnydude]

Glad to hear it! Has Miffy learned her lesson:shock:?

 

[naturestee]

mummybunny wrote:

Vet suggests changing water bowl to water bottle as she is always getting her dewlap soaking wet when she drinks, Munchkin too and both tug away at the fur there as it must be uncomfortable. Also, it'll help keep the wound dry while it heals.

mummybunny xx

I really like using water bowls, as the buns drink from them more. I saw a solution in the House Rabbit Primer.Find a plastic ball that fits in the bowl, but leaves room for the bunny to get her mouth in. It will let her drink easily, but she won't have room to get her dewlap in. I used this with Mocha when she lived alone to prevent her from throwing all her toys in the water bowl.

Glad to hear she's doing well!

 

[rabbitgirl]

Now that's brilliant!

Rose

 

[mummybunny]

Thats a really good idea, I'd rather not use bottles as Miffy has never used one and I don't know if she'll take toit. Would raising the bowl up off he floor help a bit?

mummybunny xx

PS - as for learning her lesson I doubt it - she bites her shoulder every so often in a moment of over vigorous grooming and pings stright up in the air - you'd think she'd learn. Daft bun.

 

[Brandy456]

Whats a dewlop:?

Anotehr great idea..dum dum dummmmm: Just put less water and fill it more often, also givs fresh water.

 

[naturestee]

Brandy, did you realize this thread is over a year old? This particular health problem has long since been resolved, although unfortunately Miffy recently passed away from a different health problem.

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=20056&forum_id=16

BTW, a dewlap is the pudgey neck flap that many female, and some male rabbits get.