Snowy's Spay Wound

[mouse_chalk]

I'm a little bit worried about Snowy, and I don't know if I should be or not, so any advice appreciated!

She's been a bit grouchy the past few days, with Mouse and Chalk, but other than that she's seemed fine. Well, I picked her up today and flipped her upside down, just to make sure that everything looks ok, but I'm not sure that it does?

Here are a couple of pics (sorry if it's hard to see, was hard to hold a big bunny in one hand and a camera in the other!)

The black dot in the middle is kind of like a little hole from what I can see, and the paler blobby white stuff next to it is kind of crusty?

So, what do you guys think? Is it just where she's healing up, or should I be worried?! :?

Thanks!

Jen xx

 

[aurora369]

That looks different from any of the ones I've had spayed.

How did the vet close the wound? Mine are normally dissolvable stitches under the skin and glue to hold the outside closed.

The hole does concern me. I would call your vet and take her in to make sure it's not infected and to maybe glue that hole up.

--Dawn

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks Dawn,

They used dissolvable stitches under the skin (you can just see a faint outline of them in the top pic?) It's been 2 weeks now though, so I wonder if they should have dissolved by now? And I think it's skin glue that they used on the outside... God, it sounds really bad that I don't know! :?I just know it definately isn't stitches that have to be removed!

I never got a really good enough look at Mouse and Chalk's to compare it to them as they just recovered so quickly...

I'll call the vet tomorrow as they're closed now... with the crusty gunky stuff on the outside do you think it could be an infection? :?

 

[aurora369]

It makes me suspicious... None of the rabbits I've had spayed have had a hole at two weeks, nor any crusty stuff. By two weeks, the wound had completely closed and there was no discharge. Pink, but the incision looked like a fresh scar.

I know with people, when a sugery sight gets infected, a drainage hole (like the one Snowy has) shows up to help drain the puss.

If you can get your hands on some betadine, I would dissinfect it. Put the betadine on the wound until you can get her to the vet. Or, as a second choice I would use some antibiotic cream.

--Dawn

 

[mouse_chalk]

aurora369 wrote:

It makes me suspicious... None of the rabbits I've had spayed have had a hole at two weeks, nor any crusty stuff. By two weeks, the wound had completely closed and there was no discharge. Pink, but the incision looked like a fresh scar.

I know with people, when a sugery sight gets infected, a drainage hole (like the one Snowy has) shows up to help drain the puss.

If you can get your hands on some betadine, I would dissinfect it. Put the betadine on the wound until you can get her to the vet. Or, as a second choice I would use some antibiotic cream.

--Dawn

I know all about that in people wounds, first hand, unfortunately! :shock:

I'm worried now, calling the vet first thing in the morning...

Antibiotic cream isn't available over the counter here, but I do have Fucidin (sp?) cream that was prescribed for a cut that Chalk had a little while ago, and that's antibiotic, would that do?

What's betadine? Where might I find it?!

Also, I'm not sure if she's in pain, she's eating and drinking etc, but very quiet and hiding away a lot (and like I said, grouchy with Mouse and Chalk), I have Metacam here, should I give her some, or wait and see what the vet says?

Thank you!

 

[aurora369]

If you know the proper amount to give to Snowy, I would give her a dose. It should help, I'm sure it's painful.

Betadine is like iodine, it's what is used to clean operation sites before surgery. It should be available over the counter at a pharmacy. It's not really different than isopropenal (rubbing alcohol) or peroxiode, but it's better for the skin and is very effective.

I'm not sure about the cream, perhaps if you could post the ingredients?

--Dawn

 

[Thumpers_Mom]

Poor thing. Could it be that she was messing with it? I sure hope it is not an infection.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Looks like a little drainage or infection. Probably would clean it up good and see.

 

[gentle giants]

Definatly get her to the vet, that looks infected to me. I have never had one look like that either, at any point during the healing process.

 

[Alexah]

Aww, poor Snowy.

I don't know if it's the same for rabbits as it is for dogs, but I'd assume so. Our rescue dog, Noell, was spayed at the end of December and due to infection has finally healed properly within the last 2 weeks. She had dissolvable stitches and from what I understand it's not all that abnormal for them to have allergic reactions to the sutures. Snowy's incision site looks almost exactly like Noell's and we had taken her to the vet multiple times, so I'll let you know what I learned in case it can help until you can get her in to see the vet.

I think it's actually a good thing that there is a hole open for draining. If there wasn't, there would definitely be an abscess. You can put a warm washcloth on the area for 5 or so minutes and that should help cleanse the area along with bringing more of the infection to the surface. After that you can put some peroxide (if you have it) on the site - that will help oxidize the bacteria in the incision. I'd then put some of that antibiotic cream on the site. We did that for Noell and it really helped. I'd definitely suggest talking to the vet definitely have her seen as an antibiotic is almost definitely in order. Noell needed two rounds of two different antibiotics to clear it up.

At any rate, I'll keep Snowy in my thoughts. Please let us know what the vet says. Good luck.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Oh no, my poor Snowy

Our 'good chemist' that is likely to have the betadine stuff was shut already, so I'd have to wait til the morning, but I'm calling the vets first thing anyway, and they can usually see them pretty quickly.

I've not seen her messing with it, ThumpersMom, I mean she cleans down there but I've not seen her overgrooming or nibbling it or anything. My first thought was maybe she pulled it a bit running or something? The past few days she's seemed pretty much back to normal, and has been out having play time,and running around, although being a bigger bunny she doesn't exactly do the bunny 500s or anything!

I'm gonna try and get hold of her and clean it with a warm cloth in a bit, try and get the crusty stuff off and see how it is then. She's still a bit tetchyfrom being picked up earlier, I've got a nicecriss cross pattern all over myarms to show for it! :?Round the outside where the little hole is looks raised, kind of like a lump, but none of it looks red or bloody at all...

I know the dose of Metacam to give her, so I've given her a half dose, for now, to see how she is. She's just eaten all her dinner so now she's got a full stomach I may give her the other half in a bit.

The cream, is called Fucidin ointment, and it has: sodium fusidate, and other ingredients include cetyl alcohol, lanolin and liquid paraffin. I don't have the full ingredients list as we've lost the leaflet. We used it on the cut that Chalk had just by spreading over a thin layer, and it healed up within a few days... :?

Argh, I'm so worried now! I'm glad it's not an abscess though, that would be worse.... I can't believe I missed it! I've checked her several times since her surgery, but haven't for maybe a few days?! :X

Thanks for all your replies guys!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Oh, I just saw this! Poor Snowy! The incision definitely looks weird to me, too. It's good though that she's acting pretty normally and eating and drinking and all! Hopefully the vet will be able to patch her up easily. I'll be looking for an update!

Hugs to you and dear Snowy!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks Shiloh!

I've got an appointment with the vets at 3.40 this afternoon, it's 10.15 here at the moment...

I'll try and get hold of her and clean it again in a bit, but she did NOT like that being done last night!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to a chemist before we go to the vets or not, I've got to get a lift there from my mum as I can't drive at the moment or walk very far :?Will she be ok until then guys?

My poor baby! I can't believe I missed this!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

She should be fine. Just wait for the vet to check her. They will probably give her something for it. She might end up with ointment and a collar....... :shock:

 

[Thumpers_Mom]

MC...None of that! You are a great bun mom. :hug:We all miss things especially when they are acting pretty normally. I'm sure she will be just fine. Please update us when you can.

Hugs to you and Snowy. :hugsquish:

 

[mouse_chalk]

Hi guys,

Sorry it's taken me so long to update- things got so hectic when I got back from the vets and this is the first chance I've had to sit down ALL day! The room is literally spinning around me...

Anyway, Snowy is fine. The little black dot is an internal stitch that has somehow come through, and has been stopping the wound from healing. The vet kind of pulled it out, and snipped it right down, so it's back under the skin now, and the vet thinks that it should heal up pretty quickly now. It wasn't painful for her, or at least she didn't seem to be uncomfortable. I held her on her back resting on the table, and looked away when he snipped the stitch as I was terrified I'd let her go and shoe would struggle andhe'd slip or something! :?

Does this sound ok to everyone? She's been fine since we got her home, a bit of unhappy thumping, and she was in the carrier for a long hour and a half at least with Barney (he went along to keep her company), as there was such a long wait in the vets, but she's been absolutely fine since I got her home...

I'm just so glad it wasn't anything more serious!

Jen xx

 

[aurora369]

Well, that does make sense.

I would be using betadine or an antibiotic cream to keep the area clean as a preventative. That stitch was poking out, and now it's on the inside.

Check it twice a day until it looks like it's fully closed to make sure it doesn't get irritated again.

--Dawn

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks Dawn!

The vet didn't prescribe anything, and said he didn't think there was any kind of infection at all, just that it would have been a bit uncomfortable. It's kind of hard to describe, but a lot of the stitch was underneath, but he pulled it out so a bit more of it was exposed, and then snipped of the excess end... I don't know if that makes any sense at all, but the stitch wasn't poking out at all, just that you could see it through the opening.... I'm probably not explaining this very well!

Anyway, he didn't suggest using any cream or anything, but should I maybe use the antibiotic cream I do have? Rest assured I will be checking it twice a day, I was saved from picking her up earlier as she flopped right in front of me and I could see that it looked ok, not much different than earlier but less red and angry looking....

But yeah, I'll be keeping a very close eye on it from now on! :?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I bet where it was pulling it was causing the oozing and then the crusty stuff. Makes sense! I think we had a dog or cat do that once!

Glad she's ok - surely the vet didn't charge you???

 

[mouse_chalk]

He didn't charge us for that no, but I had a few other things that I asked about while I was there that we did get charged for as we were in there for a while... it only came to £25ish altogether though... Not sure how much that is over there!