icthamol use on bunnies

[jul312]

We have a bunny with a severely infected foot, but the puss is thick and hard to drain. Would icthamol use help drain the abscess?

 

[Haley]

I dont really know what icthamol is, but I do have experience with abscesses. Unlike other animals, rabbit abscesses have pus that is very thick, thus making it more difficult to just drain. Usually, the abscess needs to me removed completey, if possible,to keep it from coming back. It also usually needs to be treated with aggressive antibiotics.

I would get your bunny to a rabbit-savvy vet asap. They should be able to remove the abscess and decide which antibiotics would treat it best.

Heres more info on abscesses in rabbits:http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11791&forum_id=10

 

[jul312]

This is an on-going abscess that has now involved the whole foot. She's going to our exotics vet tomorrow, we were just wondering if the drawing salve would help to draw some of the puss out until then. She is on AB's and painmeds.

 

[Haley]

ahh I see.

Have you spoken to your vet about bicillin injections. There should be information about it in the links I provided above. I know a few members here who have had great success with the injections on abscesses that cant just be removed. There are also antibiotic impregnated beads that can be implanted, but Ive only heard of those being used in the jaw, not sure about the foot.

Your poor little dear. I'll be keeping him in my prayers.

Haley

PS. Are you sure your vet is rabbit-savvy? not all exotic vets know a lot about rabbits.

 

[Pipp]

I've never run across anyone using Ichthammol on rabbit abscesses, onlyon horses (and then mostly forhoof abscesses) so I would doubt that it's safe unless something pops up to tell me otherwise.

I'll ask around, tho...

sas

 

[jul312]

Thanks, Pipp. It will be interesting to find out. My inclination is that I wouldn't want to use it unless, maybe, the foot were wrapped.

The vet is definitely rabbit savvy. He's one of our better exotics vets in the area. The question on the icthammol was more for future knowledge than immediate use.

 

[Pipp]

Here's a bit more general info on Ichthammol if anybody's interested...

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-drawing-salve.htm

 

[jul312]

That is pretty good info, except, what is icthammol? Other than that, I don't see anything listed that could hurt the animal. Obviously, we don't want it ingested,so a wrap would be advisable, but I don't see anything else to worry about.

Thoughts?

Little Bunny Foo Foo has a vet's appt. at 1:30. Please send healing thoughts.

 

[Haley]

I'll be keeping your little one in my thoughts and prayers ray:

 

[Pipp]

Somebody answered my query on Etherbun by saying they tried the ointmenton a bunny's back abscess on the vet's recommendation, and it didn't do anything to help, the abscess got worse.

A bit of feedback,for what it's worth.

How did the appointment go?It's pretty common just to amputate the leg,I hope they can save it. Poor bunny.:hug2:



sas :cry1:

 

[noazarc]

Thanks everyone for there support. Jul312 posted for me. It's my bunny foo. I will get her pic up as soon as i can. So now we are on the third round of antibiotics. Chlorephenol (something)for the anitibiotic 3 times a day and a chlorihexsodine soak 3 times a day. I know rabbits can build a protective shell around the infection and some antibiotics cant penetrate it. So keep your fingers crossed. At 7 yrs old i really dont want them to have to do surgery and put a drain in.



Thanks once again for everything from everyone!!!!



Super appreciated



Amy and Bunny Foo!!!!

 

[naturestee]

Have you tried injected penicillin yet? It's a somewhat new, but very effective,treatment. It's possible your vet doesn't know about it. There's several articles on it in the Abscesses thread Haley provided. You can print those off and take them in to the vet. Another good option is using an antibiotic bead inside the abscess. There's articles on that too.Both of these treatments are much more effective than oral antibiotics because as you said, rabbits do wall off the infection.

*vibes*

 

[noazarc]

yup,



Did a month on procaine penicillin. Her leg got better, thought it was all gone but after a few weeks the absess/infection came back. These little fur balls are harder to treat than some of my other ones. Geez but i love them anyway. lol



thanks

cheers

 

[SugarGlider]

I understand how frustrating this is for you. *hugs* I hope your bunny gets better.