My rabbit has a cut lip and isn't drinking. What should I do?

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 so sorry to hear that Mickey isn’t doing well. Rabbits will Become very sick very quickly without food as the bacteria in their GI tract will quickly change. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Sedation is often necessary to Perform a thorough oral exam in rabbits. Wounds or overgrown teeth could be causing the symptoms you describe. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It's hard to tell from photo, but that looks like some superficial skin hanging down from the surface of the jawline. If this is the case, there is likely an open wound. The skin that is hanging either needs to be trimmed off or it needs to be sutured back into place. This should be done by a professional to ensure the best outcome, and to allow you to obtain oral antibiotics and pain medication. When rabbits aren't feeling well, they can often stop eating which is a recipe for disaster unfortunately. I would have Totoro checked out some time soon to be examined.

Thanks for reaching out about Bella and including photos. Hyper-salivation can be the result of dental disease, ingestion of toxic material and other problems. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. The sooner the visit, the better the prognosis. Try and provide water via a syringe for now. Good luck.

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 Smokey and including photos. If the lip is torn, sutures early can improve healing. If a small lesions, should heal well. If any white pus is noted, antibiotics might be needed. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Continue syringe feeding him and medicating him. If you can get some Oxbow Critical Care for Herbivores, that would be recommended. Have him rechecked by your veterinarian when you can to rule out any complications from the procedure. If his teeth needed extensive work, the recovery period may be prolonged.