My rabbit has terminal jaw abscesses. How can I keep him comfortable?

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Sorry that Parsley is having this issues. As long as she is eating and drinking and acting otherwise normally I would not put her down for an abscess. Rabbits make abscesses that are very well walled off from the rest of the body so they rarely get systemically ill from it. The pus they make is very thick and chunky. Because of these two things, it is almost impossible to get an abscess to clear up with oral antibiotics alone. I think that is waste of your time to do. In my opinion, your only two options are to: 1. do nothing or 2. have surgery to remove the abscess. ( https://rabbit.org/abcesses-in-rabbits/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm so sorry to hear that Chubbs is so ill. It sounds like he is in a lot of discomfort. Unfortunately rabbits are obligate nose-breathers, which means that they cannot breathe through their mouths if their nose is obstructed. This makes snuffles (upper respiratory tract infection) very uncomfortable for rabbits. Surgery would not be the appropriate treatment for this guy. What he needs is antibiotic therapy to clear his infection, and to clear the secretions from his respiratory tract. Nebulization can help, which may be available at rabbit-specific veterinarians. He would also benefit from oxygen therapy, which would require hospitalization at the vet. I would call around and see if there are any other rabbit-savvy vets in your area that can provide these treatments. The only home treatments I could suggest for now would be steam therapy - e.g. put him in the bathroom with you while you take a shower, and let the steam help to open up his nasal passages. Gentle coupage may help as well, which involves gently patting him on the chest to help loosen any secretions in his lungs (only do this if it is not stressing him out, of course). If you are able to get him to a vet for hospitalization and he does not improve, I am afraid that euthanasia is a viable option at that point, since he will continue to be in distress from the inability to breathe. I hope this helps, and truly wish you luck with Chubbs.

Poor Oreo! Unfortunately there aren't any OTC pain relievers you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to rabbits and can be fatal if given. The ones that are safe should only be used under strict vet supervision, and because I can't see him in person, it's illegal for me to recommend any of them. I would see if you can give your vet a call about his pain and discuss pain medication recommendation. If he does appear very painful, I would take him into an ER vet right away. Good luck with him, I hope he feels better soon!

Thanks for reaching out about Thumper and including photos. By the description and swelling on the right side of the face, a dental abscess is highly suspicious. The dental disease is making it difficult for Thumper to eat, therefore loosing weight. A veterinary visit is recommended, the sooner the better. Rarely do antibiotics solve this problem, might requiring some surgery or tooth extraction. Good luck.

I am sorry Takun is not feeling well. Most of the time these type of abscess are due to infected teeth. Most of the time this will not resolve unless the abnormal teeth are removed or the cause of the abscess is removed. I would recommend taking Takun to a vet who works on rabbit teeth for another exam and possible anesthesia with x-rays and tooth removal if needed. Hope that helps

Hi, it looks like there is still some infection. I am not sure what was the first diagnosis but this looks like an abscess to me and it can be tricky for antibiotics to clear the infection. In me experience, it would be better being removed and treated as a lump, provided X-rays, general health support this decision. Abscesses quite often end up reoccurring if not eradicated completely..if you wanted to try oral medications for a bit longer, injectable antibiotics would be the way forward. Hope this makes sense.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are not any pain medications that you can give at home to Noodles I am afraid. However, if the abscess has burst and is discharging, it is a relief. As the puss comes out, the pressure goes down and abscess becomes less painful. You need to make sure that he is not trying to scratch the face as that could be painful. Your vet will be able to give him injections of antibiotics and pain relief.