Ask Me Help Desk - What would you do?

As most of you know I have a small zoo. I am the rabbit expert on this site. I have 4 rabbits in my home, all but one are rescues. My two older bunnies are getting close to 12 years of age. All but one are fixed, and the one that isn't is one of the older bunnies, a female name Oreo.

Well, I was cutting their nails today, and noticed a marble sized very red growth on Oreo's tummy, close to where a human nipple would be. I'm thinking abscess, or worse.

Here's the issue. If it's an abscess it will likely require surgery. Rabbit wounds are filled with puss just like human wounds, but the puss in rabbits is very thick, and almost impossible to extract. The best solution would be surgical removal, and even then there's no guarantee that the abscess won't come back. An abscess that isn't removed will eventually kill the rabbit.

The reason Oreo isn't fixed is that she was too old when we got her. The vet (who is a rabbit specialist) felt that putting Oreo under for the spay, would be a very bad idea. We could end up losing her on the table. So that's a concern if this is an abscess, as surgery would be the best option.

The second possibility is a tumor, in which case nothing we do would matter.

Either way, it's a rock and a hard place.

What would you do? I will spend whatever I need to if it will make her life better, but frankly, she's near the end, not the beginning. When I touched the growth she didn't even flinch. It doesn't seem to be hurting her. She's eating, she's drinking, and if you know rabbits, when they're sick that's the first thing they stop doing. So obviously this isn't bothering her.

Should I subject her to a vet visit, poking, prodding, possible surgery, or should I just make her comfortable, keep an eye on her, and be happy that I had her in my life for as long as I did?

I only want what's best for her.

What would you do?

It's so much easier to answer other people's questions, but this is one that even I can't answer. I can't diagnose online, any more than anyone else can, and in this case I do have blinders on, since this is my bunny, not someone else's. I really could use some advice.

I'm ignoring your orders since I seem to have the money pit of animals. Can the vet do the aspiration and look under the microscope? That's how we found the beagle's last cancer, a mast cell tumor. At least you will know what it is... Just a thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by teacherjenn4

I'm ignoring your orders since I seem to have the money pit of animals. Can the vet do the aspiration and look under the microscope? That's how we found the beagle's last cancer, a mast cell tumor. At least you will know what it is... Just a thought.

As far as I know, it's not that easy with bunnies.

Here's what I found:

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It will often be necessary to perform diagnostic tests to investigate the cause of the abscess and to determine if other disease is present. These tests might include bacterial culture of the wall of the abscess (culturing the pus itself is not useful), x-rays and/or ultrasound to determine the location and extent of the infection, and blood tests to determine the response of the immune system and the condition of other organs.

No matter what treatment is selected, rabbit abscesses have a higher probability of returning than abscesses in cats, dogs or humans. This can be related to factors such as difficulty in removing all the abscessed tissue due to location, the inability of antibiotics in the blood to penetrate the abscess wall, draining tracts coming off the abscess, and the possibility that the underlying cause was not treated. Most experienced rabbit veterinarians feel that complete surgical removal of the abscess, along with treatment of the underlying cause, gives the rabbit the best chance for a complete cure. I

That's a lot of testing, stress for Oreo, not to mention a few hundred dollars, which I'd gladly spend, but even if they find the cause, from what I've found from a reliable site, abscesses are very difficult to get rid of in rabbits. It's usually more than one surgery, treatment, etc.

If it's not an abscess then there's really nothing we can do. Rod and I already discussed it, and if it is cancer we're not willing to put Oreo through the treatment, if it's even an option.

I will take her to the vet, and hopefully there's something that can be done without causing her pain. Right now I'm just resigned, thinking the worst, and really not expecting the best. She's 11 years old. She's not a young rabbit. The fact that she's lived this long, as an unspayed female, is actually incredible. She shouldn't have made it this far, but she did, so every day with her is really a gift.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

As far as I know, it's not that easy with bunnies.

Here's what I found:

That's a lot of testing, stress for Oreo, not to mention a few hundred dollars, which I'd gladly spend, but even if they find the cause, from what I've found from a reliable site, abscesses are very difficult to get rid of in rabbits. It's usually more than one surgery, treatment, etc.

If it's not an abscess then there's really nothing we can do. Rod and I already discussed it, and if it is cancer we're not willing to put Oreo through the treatment, if it's even an option.

I will take her to the vet, and hopefully there's something that can be done without causing her pain. Right now I'm just resigned, thinking the worst, and really not expecting the best. She's 11 years old. She's not a young rabbit. The fact that she's lived this long, as an unspayed female, is actually incredible. She shouldn't have made it this far, but she did, so every day with her is really a gift.

:( bad day for both of us!

Quote:

Originally Posted by teacherjenn4

:( bad day for both of us!

It sure is.

I guess I need to follow the advice I gave you, which is to appreciate every moment, make the most of the time we have left.

Of course my diagnosis could be off completely, after all, I'm not a vet. I'm making an appointment for tomorrow and I'll go from there. The one vet I actually trust is my rabbit vet. We'll see what she suggests.

I just want to prepare myself for bad news, because to me it doesn't look good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

It sure is.

I guess I need to follow the advice I gave you, which is to appreciate every moment, make the most of the time we have left.

Of course my diagnosis could be off completely, after all, I'm not a vet. I'm making an appointment for tomorrow and I'll go from there. The one vet I actually trust is my rabbit vet. We'll see what she suggests.

I just want to prepare myself for bad news, because to me it doesn't look good.

Good idea. That's why we went today. We're informed and he just ate his dinner and lots of people food. Oh well!

My old JRT has lumps and bumps under the skin and I examine them but pretty much chalk them up to old age, knowing tons of dogs who got lumps.
One of her lumps is under a nipple, and the nipple is bigger than the others now. Once in a while it leaks. This has been going on for almost a year.
The lumps all move easily under the skin, not fixed.

Alty, you know I take care of some very old wonderful people in my community. Some are at the end of their life with debilitating chronic conditions and not in pain but knowing they will never ever be the same, absolutely will not go under the knife and I am glad they won't.
Having an operation to repair or replace at their age will destroy their quality of life. So your dear old bunny is exactly the same, yes? Bunny is comfortable and not in pain, but should the bunny be poked and prodded and made uncomfortable that would be a travesty and you would have to view the outcome.

Please let the bunny and you enjoy what you both have left for whatever time. Hugs, tick

Thanks Joy and Tickle.

Joy, it's not really a bump, it's a growth, it's red, marble sized. I would post a picture, but I don't want to bother Oreo.

I am taking Oreo to the vet this afternoon, just to find out if there's something simple that can be done. If there isn't, and the only option is something evasive, we won't agree to it. Oreo is old, I don't want her to have to recover from surgery, and I don't want her to have to be poked and prodded. She's not in pain, so if there's not a simple solution like medication, then I'll just bring her home, care for her the best I can and hope for the best. If she ever does feel pain then I'll go back for pain meds, or decide what to do at that time.

She's eating, she's drinking, she's hopping around. The vet appointment is more to find out if this is something contagious. I don't want to put the other bunnies at risk as well.