Hi all! We rescued a sweet little Jersey Wooly a few weeks ago. Our intent was to get him neutered and bonded with Indy our 3yr old. Indy has been overall a very healthy bunny, Nero is turning out to be a medical nightmare! After we got him home we realized he had a lump on his side (which turned into 3 by the time he had surgery). We got antibiotics that didn't seem to help much, so the vet went ahead with the neuter/abscess removal. It has been a couple weeks since the initial surgery, and we are faced with more surgery on Friday. I'm scared to be putting him under for the second time in a month. Luckily, he is a quick healer and the neuter went fine. But we have a returning lump in the same general area as the other that were removed. Initially, the vet asked if we wanted to biopsy them but since they didnt look cancerous we opted out. Is this normal for an abscess to return and to return so quickly? If so, what causes them to come back? And if its something we are going to have to deal with for years to come, where do we go from here?

Thanks in advance!

Did the vet specifically say that Nero had an abscess? Abscesses are usually drained...it seems unusual for the entire thing to be removed. Oftentimes they can develop around an inflamed and irritated follicle, and some individuals are more predisposed to this than others. Did the lump re-appear after Nero was completely healed, or before? Is the lump inflamed, and does Nero show signs of pain when you manipulate it?

Where is this abscess/lump? I do understand that rabbit abscesses are difficult to drain - rabbit pus is very thick.

What type of antibiotics were prescribed?

My bad, you're right Sarita - removal is common. Sorry!

I would suggest that the vet do a culture of the pus from the abscess so you know what type of bacteria you are dealing with. That way you can make sure to give the most effective antibiotic. Pasteurella is a common bacteria that will cause abscesses to return.

I hope Nero gets well soon!

Yes, he did say it was an abscess. When he did the surgery (after first trying antibiotics for a week- Sulfamethsxaole/Trimethoprim) it was yellow hard and cottage cheesy. We also had a topical spray to keep the area clean- Gentaspray. Luckily, he is healing fine from everything. The abscess came back while he was still healing, its on his side by his hip. It doesnt seem to bother him, and he has been running around like a little nut. All signs point to him having a perfectly healthy appetite, bodily functions, and comfortable/curious.

Ask the vet about doing pen-g shots for the abscess.

Great news! Nero had his FINAL follow up appointment today- and everything is looking great! Turns out he did have a bacterial infection under there, between all the antibiotics and whatnot its finally cleared up and showing no signs of coming back. =D He got his staples removed and the incision from the second surgery is almost completely gone! Thanks for all the advice... time to go post another question for my mom's bun!

Glad Nero is better - thanks for the update.