My bunny has a small skin wound. What is it and how do I treat it?

Hi, and thanks for your question. Even though a picture of the wound itself would help to understand better the underlying cause, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). An immediate check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for reaching out about Bun Bun. A wound needs to be kept clean. Gently clipping hair around the wound to prevent hair contamination. Gently clean with mild soap and warm water. Do not apply any topical antibiotics as many can infect the rabbit's gastrointestinal tract if ingested. The rabbits might need to be separated. Altering both rabbits might decrease aggression. If the wound worsens or Bun Bun becomes ill, a veterinary visit is mandatory. Good luck.

Poor Sunny D! Pus and redness are common signs of infection, which may require treatment with oral antibiotics. Dilute chlorhexidine is okay to use on the wound, as well as silver sulfadiazene ointment. I would steer away from triple antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin, as rabbits can ingest these during grooming and result in gastrointestinal upset. From the picture, the wound appears to be closing, which is a good sign. I recommend monitoring the wound for another day or so, and having Sunny D seen by a vet if the discharge continues to get worse. Sunny D may also require some pain medication, that can only be prescribed by a vet. In the meantime, you can also get him a small E-collar or "cone" to prevent him from scratching the area. He may need the cone removed for a few hours while you supervise him closely in case he is not comfortable eating in it. I hope this helps and that Sunny D starts feeling better soon!

It would be more helpful if you could post a couple photos of the wound. That way we can give you better advice. Treatments vary depending on how deep the wound is. In general it is best to clean it with Betadine 7.5% skin cleanser (use as directed on label) and then apply a thin layer of Betadine 5% antiseptic cream. http://ph.betadine.com/en/ph/wound-care If the area looks red or swollen at any time or you notice a bad odor with yellow/green discharge then you need to get Buggs to a vet for an exam. Best wishes.

You can apply a topical antibiotic ointment/cream to it daily. If it does not appear to be healing well after 7 days then you should take Bun Bun to the vet for an exam. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Ouch, poor Thumper! His nail may have caught on something and gotten torn. This is very painful, and the remaining quick and nail bed can be susceptible to infection. Thumper may be chewing at his foot for either reason. I recommend having him seen by a vet, to make sure his foot otherwise seems ok, ensure there is no infection developing, and get him put on appropriate pain medication. You can have his nails trimmed at that time as well - nails often get torn if they are getting too long, so your vet can help trim those down if you haven't been trimming them yourself. Hope this helps!

Poor Shu! I can see that the growth is relatively large and inflamed. It also appears to have a bit of dead tissue in the center. This is likely to be fairly painful, so Shu should be seen by a vet to receive pain medication and a thorough cleaning of the area which may require mild sedation. There are certain viruses that predispose rabbits to developing masses, and while there is no cure for the virus itself, the mass can be removed to improve quality of life. If you have any other rabbits, I recommend separating them from Shu as the virus can be contagious. I hope this helps and that all is well!