Flushing an abscess

[EileenH]

My bunny Gulliver, has a problem with his foot from when I found him running loose. It was opened up about 5 weeks ago, and I had to flush the wound out. Well, it closed up, and pus formed again.

The vet opened it again with a little bigger incision. First day was fine, second day it was a little harder. Third day, a scab had formed but I was able to get through it to flush it. Well, this morning it's closed up again.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to keep the hole open to be flushed out?

 

[Haley]

My vet left a hole the size of a pin head in Max's jaw once he removed an abscess. Did they give you a syringe to use to flush it with? Mine gave me a syringe with a long attachment that would be insterted into the hole. Many times the hole was closing up and I had to sort of force the syringe in.

Im wondering if you could flush it twice a day to keep it from closing? Or have you spoken to your vet about administering a strong antibiotic via injection to help ward off more infection?

 

[EileenH]

They left a pretty big hole. Yes, I have the irrigation syringe, but his foot is verysensitive and he flips out when I got too close with it. I used a smaller syringe and was getting a lot of stuff in there, but each day it closed up more. I was doing it twice a day, first with Nolvasan, and then with 50% dextrose to stay in there and help fight the infection.

And he's on injectable penicillin to help fight off infection.

Haley, do you remember how long you had to flush it? (A week, two weeks..)

 

[Haley]

I had to flush for two weeks. I think I stopped around 10 days because it was really closed off and I couldnt force it in without potentially hurting him.

 

[EileenH]

That's about where I am after 4 days - I was forcing it in, but now it is closed up. I assume he is a fast healer, but that is not working in his favor with this problem. Thanks, Haley, for the quick reply.