Harsh decision time. UD: Back from vets

Thinking of you both, sending lots of vibes for Mack x

Lots of vibes for Mack xxx

Oh Sooz, poor you, and poor Mack. I'm keeping everything crossed for Friday, and sending lots of healing vibes for Mack xxx

I have to say he still seems very chipper in himself and has obviously decided that whatever urge I must have had to harass him on a daily basis seems to have passed as he dosn't bother to take cover when I walk into their room and it's not feeding time.

I'm just worried that he may be borderline around the time of the wedding, as I don't want to go away and leave the decision about when he should be PTS to someone else, not because I don't trust them but because I wouldn't want them to bear that burden.

Oh dear, what a dilemma. It's good that he seems bright in himself. Good luck on Friday.

Right just back from seeing Anita with Mack and it turns out that the abcesses location makes it inoperable anyway....unless we were to do something mental like take half his mandible out .

This is because it's actually embedded in the bone, Anita showed me how to feel it and it's best to say it's like a crater, remodelled bone on the outside with a softer capsule in the center. Plus side is, it isn't as big as she feared after hearing he had a new one (probably because I was panicing like a loon on here). There is also an unidentified solid lump in the region of his last 2 abcesses but it's very small and *may* be scar tissue.

So, we come onto what to do about it and the answer is no more ops...at all. However, there may come a time when the abcess is so full that the pressure is causing him discomfort and that can be relieved with the application of a local aneasthetic giving 5mm depth of numb flesh which means we can make a small hole, painlessly, and relieve the discomfort by alleviating the pressure. If this happens we won't be going back into the flushing routines again though and there will obviously come a point where it won't be enough to take the pain away (he will have access to Metacam or Vetergesic if required).

We are going to have to play it by ear as things progress and it is quite clear his condition is terminal, though there really is no indication on how long he might have left, but all that is important really is that the time he does have is enjoyable for him.

Big hugs Sooz, I know how hard and terribly stressful this is for you. Nose rubs to the brave Mack.

Aww, poor Mack. Hopefully he still has a lot of happy life left in him. Big hugs to both of you xx

I am glad that the decision has kind of been made for you by his condition. Speaking from a position of dealing with someone with a terminal condition, I definitely think that quality overcomes quantity every time. I hope you can enjoy his company for however long he has left.

what a nightmare situation. at least you are aware of the options and limitations and will be able to make the right decision when the time comes. sending lots of hugs and vibes to you both.

Mack is so brave, bless him. A big nose rub for him and a big hug for you.

I have no doubt he will have the best care and attention and hope that he has many happy contented days ahead of him.

Sooz, is there a link somewhere so that I can understand why rabbit abcesses are so dangerous. My only experience of abcesses are with the cats where opening and draining them alongside abx sorts them out.

What a horrible situation but at least you know and therefore can make te right deciions about his future, sending massive vibes to Mack and hugs to you

Sixer wrote:Mack is so brave, bless him. A big nose rub for him and a big hug for you.

I have no doubt he will have the best care and attention and hope that he has many happy contented days ahead of him.

Sooz, is there a link somewhere so that I can understand why rabbit abcesses are so dangerous. My only experience of abcesses are with the cats where opening and draining them alongside abx sorts them out.

I made amental note to write something about my experiences with Mack's when we reach the end of the road, along the lines of a diary. I had top explain to my OH the other day why abcesses, which are pretty trivial in most other creatures, are so deadly to bunnies and there are three main reasons.

The first is that rabbit puss has the consistancy of toothpaste, and trying to drain it is virtually impossible, it has to be forced out. The second is that the majority of abcesses appear in dental rabbits which means they are usually inextricably linked into either the jaw or skull and therefore invariably attached to bone. When the bone becomes infected this is known as osteomyelitis and then you are looking at long-term control rather than cure as a prognosis as the bone will weaken over time and the bacteria will track (spread) through it to different locations. Rabbit abcesses that occur in wounds have an altogether better long-term prognosis as they will be tissue orientated.

The third main problem is that unlike most other animals rabbits are very sensitive to the side effects of antibiotics on their gut flora which makes them very prone to conditions such as enterotoxeamia and coccidiosis when the gut balance is disturbed. This means the use of penicillin, which is often the most effective antibiotic, has to be undertaken with extreme care and is only usually given every third or second day. This means it can be hard to maintain a therepeautic dose in the body without causing more problems than it fixes. With other "safer" antibiotics such as enrofloxacin their poor tissue penetration properties mean they do not often get to the heart of the abcess as they cannot work through the cavity wall and into the thick puss filling the capsule.

So you can see that really, if you are dealing with a dental abcess, the odds do not work in your favour.

Thank you Sooz, for the info.

I had no idea bunny pus was such an evil substance

Sixer wrote:Thank you Sooz, for the info.

I had no idea bunny pus was such an evil substance

It's the most awful stuff to deal wth, I had a nightmare when Harvey had his jaw abcess, horrible stuff!

It smells awful too

Sooz wrote:It smells awful too

Quite overpowering!!