Swelling on the left side of bandits face

[swampystorm]

I took Bandit to the vet today.

I noticed a week ago he had a weeping eye, it looked a little red around the eye lids. I bathed it in salt water and used eye drops. (The vet approved of this as a first line treatment). He has been normally active, eating and drinking normally and there aren’t any signs of systemic infection.

Yesterday I noticed a small swelling under his eye, which made me think it may be a dental abscess. No drooling however and he appears to be eating hard foods fine.

When I went to the vet today she said that he front teeth looked fine, but she wouldn’t be able to look at the back. I suggested a sedative, but she said it would be took difficult as it’s really difficult with rabbits.

She said if it got worse she could try X rays but she wasn’t sure she would get a good enough image or if she found anything she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

This is fine, except I think for £85 she could have tried a little harder.

He’s on Antibiotics and meloxicam for a week and see how he does.

Is this really the end of the road if these don’t treat it? Or would a more experienced vet be able to do anymore easily?

 

[Maz]

I'm sorry to hear this. It does sound like it might be a tooth abscess. Antibiotics should sort it if it is, but if it's anything like a human tooth abscess it might come back again as the abscess gets trapped between the tooth and bone. X rays might show if it was an abscess and which tooth. But I think vets maybe don't like extracting a tooth for a dental abscess - it would mean anaesthetic and it might just get better with antibiotics.

How old is he now?

I've had vets say to me they don't know if it's infection or tumour but try antibiotics and you'll find out.

 

[swampystorm]

He's 6 months now.

The eye is looking slightly better, but the swelling is still there. However I can't feel anything when I palpate the swelling. I've just watched him on the camera and he's on his wheel, eating and drinking well.

 

[Maz]

Glad he's doing ok in himself. It does sound like a course of antibiotics is needed though. It could be painful if it's a tooth abscess.

 

[swampystorm]

Hi Maz he's on antibiotics at the moment. 2 days left

 

[Maz]

Ah that's good. Hasn't completely gone down then. Is it a 7 day course? It might be worth phoning the vet and saying it hasn't completely gone down yet and ask if you can give it for 10 days.

I had to do that with a swelling round an eye once and it did take a 10 day course. It hadn't gone after a week.

 

[Zara]

Wishing Bandit well, hope the antibiotics get rid of the infection