Is this safe for rabbits ?? Pet store said it was but I have doubts

[Debbie Medina]

I own a total of 3 buns (all 3 spayed) 2 females unrelated who used to be bonded but, after a while the bigger one became extremely aggressive towards the smaller female, and the son (male) of the bigger female.
he gets along just fine with his mom and the other female. The story is totally different with the females.
last night I went tot he gym with my mom came back to my smaller female with a wound in the abdomen where the other female had literally ripped skin and hair from her

when we left mom bunny was left on the pen and the other 2 free roaming. Somehow she managed to escape the pen apparently my mom in wanting her to have more space didn’t fully closed the pen but sort of walled her in using the pen as walls to create a bigger space and putting one heavy pots on the sides to prevent her from escaping, but a planting pot ended inside her eclosure and I believe she used this to jump out.

well Back to the question is this cream safe to put on the wound?

 

[JBun]

I wouldn't recommend using that cream. It contains an antifungal, which isn't needed, and a corticosteroid, which isn't good to use on rabbits unless absolutely necessary(negatively affects the immune system).

If the wound isn't just the skin layer, but open to the muscle layer below, it needs to be seen and stitched by a knowledgeable rabbit vet. Along with a rabbit safe antibiotic and possibly meloxicam(NSAID) being prescribed. If it's just a surface wound that doesn't require stitching, then a plain antibacterial ointment is usually safe, without the antifungal in it, and definitely no corticosteroid. Something like a triple antibiotic ointment(eg. neomycin, polymyxin, bacitracin). Neosporin ointment would be a brand name, in the US. If you don't have Neosporin ointment(not the one with added pain reliever), you should have something similar.

I would only apply a light layer, and I would apply at least a couple times a day, for several days. The trick is keeping your bun from grooming the ointment off right after applying it. So it's good to distract with feeding or an activity, so it's on for at least a half hour or longer. If necessary, I would use a small dog shirt to cover the wound and prevent the bunny from grooming the ointment immediately off, and keep the shirt on for at least a few hours after application of the ointment.

Then it's important to keep an eye on the wound to make sure it heals alright and there are no signs of redness, inflammation, or pus. In which case, if the wound became infected, you would need to take your bun to a rabbit vet for a rabbit safe systemic antibiotic.

Medirabbit: rabbit safe antibiotics

Also, it's important to make sure your two females remain separated or you risk more serious injuries occurring. I would suggest going over their enclosures and making sure the barrier between them is very secure, so they won't be able to get into a scuffle again.

 

[Debbie Medina]

I usually don’t put anything on the bites but this one is kinda big close to a 50 cent coin in size. She getting meloxicam and enrofloxacin PO
I was also suggested Manuka honey ?? Wouldn’t that make her lick it ?
and the vet told me to put a cone onto her to avoid her licking the wound ??

 

[JBun]

Yeah, if you put honey on there, you would have to prevent her from licking it right off. Since you're already doing an oral antibiotic, you might be fine not putting anything on it if the wound isn't too large. If it's a really large wound, you may need to keep something on it to keep the skin soft as it heals. So either triple antibiotic ointment or manuka honey. But then you would need to use a cone(which I hate using and will only use as a last resort), a pet shirt, or something to prevent your bun from licking it off right after applying it.

 

[Debbie Medina]

This bite seems different, in the past when the females were “bonded” and the unbinding “can’t stand you thing” began to manifest they had chase each other and bite each other, But those were shallow bites and very small in comparison. My girl is soundly asleep, or I would upload a pic.

 

[JBun]

Those first ones were probably nips, dominance and minor warning bites. This one was probably the 'I'm going to kill you' bite. Rabbits that are scared or defending their territory, will do this latch on and twist bite that rips the flesh and is meant to injure or kill the other rabbit. It can cause pretty serious damage, or even be fatal. I had a new bun that did this to my finger. Latched on and ripped a chunk out. Didn't expect it from a tiny 2 lb bunny. She was pregnant when I got her, so that likely was the cause in her case, as she was the sweetest bun after she had her babies.

Unfortunately this kind of biting isn't a good sign for future bonding success. Female rabbits that are this hostile to one another, aren't as likely to bond, even once spayed. But I guess that depends on how much their hormones are playing into this, and how much is their natural personality.

 

[Deludedbyreality]

I responded to a post awhile ago referring to a similar situation. I had had a juvenile doe get caught in between a couple of my bucks and she had a bite that she received from one of the boys that spiraled into a skin tear. As far as topicals go... Vetericyn makes a wonderful spray that I highly recommend for skin debridement and general wound care. You can also dilute some honey in some slightly warmed distilled water and put that in a spray bottle with a fine mist nozzle. Used alongside regular Neosporin ointment it will work wonders. Trim the fur around the wound as best you can and apply lightly with a clean cotton bud after cleaning the wound. Do this a couple of times a day and you'll be amazed. I took a sock and cut the top off and holes in for her arms and she rocked a sweater vest style while it healed up. Non stick bandage over the area and the self sticking bandage tape that you can get from either the vet or an online store to keep everything in place so she couldn't get to it. On another note mine was never able to be bonded to another after this occurrence. She healed up fine but would become very aggressive even if she smelled the scent of another rabbit on me. She was adopted by a family that had a cat and they got bonded just fine though. Bunnies remember traumas for a very long time so keep an eye on her in terms of her temperament.

 

[Cef81]

Yeah I keep veterycin on hand for ALL my babies it’s safe for birds cats dogs bun buns they even have one for chickens good for minor things if it’s deep definitely antibiotics to get from inside out .