Abscesses and sores in rabbits

Along with dental problems (which are in fact often connected with abscesses) abscesses are possibly the most commonly encountered clinical condition that domestic rabbits suffer from. The exact reasons for this are still largely unclear, but many rabbits will begin to develop abscesses as they get older, either as a singularity or across various parts of the body. Abscesses are most commonly found on the outer body, where they present as pussy sores on the surface of the skin, and also in and around the mouth when they are connected to dental problems.Unfortunately, abscesses may also appear internally, which are of course very hard to diagnose easily, often unfortunately until after it is too late. Abscesses in rabbits are in general considered to be fairly difficult to treat effectively, and getting early treatment is vital to giving your rabbit the best chance of recovery.

What is an abscess?

An abscess is clinically described as a pussy accumulation within body tissue (such as the skin) due to an inflammation, which itself is usually caused by an infection or foreign body being present. Abscesses form as part of the body’s defence mechanism to prevent or slow the transmission of the core infection to other areas of the body. As well as being rather unpleasant of course, abscesses are often incredibly sensitive to the touch and can be very painful.

What causes abscesses in rabbits?

The actual cause of any given abscess in a rabbit can be hard to pinpoint, unless you are aware that your rabbit has picked up an injury or foreign body somewhere in or around their home. Generally however, either Staphylococcus or Pastuerella bacteria, both of which are often found in even healthy rabbits in their dormant state, cause the underlying infection that triggers an abscess flare up in any given area of the body. While a rabbit is otherwise healthy, the presence of these bacteria do not affect your rabbit; however, if their immune system becomes compromised for any reason, the bacteria can gain a foothold and begin to attack your rabbit’s immune system, leading to the development of an abscess.

• Dental abscesses and abscesses around the mouth are some of the most common abscesses found in rabbits, which are almost always caused due to an underlying problem with the teeth. More information on taking care of your rabbit’s teeth can be found in our previous article, here, although preventative care alone may not be enough to avoid the development of dental abscesses in your rabbit if they have an underlying bone or growth abnormality affecting the teeth and jaws.
• Occasionally, pus from dental abscesses will drain from the eye sockets, giving the impression of a problem with the eyes, when in reality, the issue is an abscess or abscesses within the rabbit’s mouth.
• Environmental factors should also be taken into account when looking at the root causes of abscesses in rabbits or attempting to prevent them; dirty living conditions, inadequate ventilation and a poorly balanced diet can all play a part.

How are abscesses treated?

Abscesses are unfortunately often very difficult to treat effectively, and may require several attempts at treatment by means of several different methods to give your rabbit the best chance of eventual recovery.

• Occasionally, antibiotics alone are used to clear up the infection and treat the abscess, although often this stage is bypassed as it is difficult to get the antibiotics right to the heart of the abscess and so, eradicate it.
• Surgical removal is usually the favoured way of clearing up abscesses in rabbits, and this method is actually relatively straightforward when treating abscesses of the skin, notwithstanding the usual concerns surrounding surgery under general anaesthetic for smaller pets such as rabbits. The surface layers of the skin can be cut back, the pus and infection physically removed, and the entire area sterilised and of course thoroughly cleaned before re-stitching the skin and generally, prescribing a supporting course of antibiotics to prevent any later or secondary infection.
• Abscesses of the teeth and mouth can be rather more challenging to treat, as of course access is an issue and rabbit’s mouths are small and delicate! A further complication comes from the fact that the pus produced by a rabbit is not the same as pus appears in people; it is rather less liquid and oozy and tends to be fairly solid, making it hard to drain through a simple incision. Understandably, it is vital to drain all of the pus from any given abscess, or the abscess will simply redevelop and recur again after treatment.
• Internal abscesses, such as those within the abdominal cavity, are the most difficult to treat, and of course being as they are not visible to the naked eye, often not even discovered at all until after it is too late.
• Where surgical treatment of an abscess is not viable for any reason, opening the abscess up and packing it with curative poultices is the next course of action. What is contained within the poultice will vary from case to case; it may comprise of antibiotics, or even natural products such as Manuka honey, which is becoming increasingly more valued as a treatment aid in veterinary practice to fight resistant infections and bacteria where antibiotics often fail.

The key to treating any abscess in the rabbit comes from ensuring that the entire source of the infection is fully removal; partial removal or traces left behind will simply lead to later recurrences.

The prognosis for rabbits with abscesses

The ultimate success or failure of any treatment method will depend on a wide variety of factors, and there is no simple answer to the question of what your rabbit’s chances of survival are after diagnosis. Sometimes, secondary infections and conditions such as sepsis may occur after treatment, complicating matters further.Sometimes, an abscess is simply deemed incurable, in which case palliative care with painkillers, regular drainage of the abscess, and systemic antibiotics may be used to provide a good quality of life for the rabbit while accepting that the abscess cannot be permanently cured. While this is of course not ideal, palliative treatment is often viable for several years while allowing the rabbit to live a relatively healthy and comfortable life.Treating abscesses in rabbits is complicated, and can be expensive; insuring your rabbit is always a good idea to ensure that you will be able to get them treated when you need to if an issue arises. However, with a range of treatment options available and abscesses in rabbits being relatively common, veterinary surgeons are usually very familiar with the condition, and the majority of rabbits that are diagnosed and treated early on go on to make a good recovery and live long, happy lives.