Abscesses

An abscess is a localized collection of pus contained within a fibrous capsule. Abscesses are extremely common in rabbits and can either be slow growing or become large very quickly. Unlike cats and dogs, abscesses in rabbits do not often rupture and drain. They can often extend aggressively into surrounding soft tissue and bone, and abscesses with bony involvement can be extremely difficult to treat and require surgical intervention and prolonged medical care with a fair to poor prognosis depending on the severity and location.

Symptoms
Affected rabbits often appear to not be painful unless bone infections or dental disease is present. Generally, abscesses are associated with a combination of inflammation (pain, swelling, loss of function), tissue destruction, and/or organ system dysfunction caused by the accumulation of pus.

Causes
Abscesses in rabbits are often associated with an underlying cause, and the identification and correction of the underlying cause is important for successful treatment.

Abscesses occur most commonly on the face and are almost always caused by dental disease. Occasionally, they may be secondary to upper respiratory infections, ear infections, or trauma. Abscesses on the rest of the body are often caused by trauma, puncture, or bite wounds, abrasions, foreign bodies, skin boils (furunculosis), or bone infections (osteomyelitis).

Dwarf and lop-eared rabbits are predisposed to abscesses caused by dental disease.

Pus-causing bacteria include the following:
 * anaerobic bacteria such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella spp., Peptostreptococcus micros, Actinomyces israelii, and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum
 * Bacteroides spp.
 * Escherichia coli
 * Pasteurella multocida
 * Proteus spp.
 * Pseudomonas spp.
 * Staphylococcus aureus
 * Streptococcus spp. and b-hemolytic Streptococcus spp.

Treatment
The following are various articles on possible treatments for rabbit abscesses in various locations.
 * Dana Krempels, Ph.D., Non-Surgical Treatment of Head Abscesses in Rabbits
 * Marcy E. Rosenfield, Successful Eradication of Severe Abscesses in Rabbits with Long- Term Administration of Penicillin G Benzathine / Penicillin G Procaine
 * R. Avery Bennett, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, Management of Abscesses in the Head in Rabbits
 * MediRabbit, Christine Macey and Esther van Praag, Abscess Management in Rabbits: an Illustrated Guide
 * Vittorio Capello, DVM, Surgical Treatment of Periapical Mandibular Abscess in Rabbits
 * Katrina D. Ramsell Ph.D, DVM, The Rabbit Advocate, Spring 2013, Treating abscesses in rabbits requires multi-pronged approach