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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Rabbit Abscess *UPDATE*

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    • Ginger
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        My name is Ginger and I live in Oconee County, which is in the upstate of South Carolina. I have a spunky 6 year old lionhead rabbit named Cotton. Last year around May I noticed she gained some weight and her breast was a little more jiggly when she ran. Then while petting her one day I noticed a small lump on her chest but didn’t think much of it. I thought she was just getting fatter and that if the lump stayed there it must be a fat deposit or something of that nature. Cotton is the only rabbit I’ve ever had so I’m not very experienced with bunny health issues.

        About 2 or so months ago I noticed though that the lump was getting larger so I got online and did some research. Turns out bunnies can sometimes be prone to abscesses. Thinking that’s what Cotton had, I took her to the vet thinking it could be drained or at worst, if it was a tumor maybe it would be benign and I could have it removed. Because her mood hadn’t changed or anything, and she is in good health other than this rapidly growing lump on her breast, of course I didn’t think anything was seriously wrong.

        The vet felt of it the lump and said it’s very lobular and is more than likely a cancerous tumor judging from it’s size and how fast it had grown. He said he gave it about 6 months, give or take, and then it would rupture and start to drain out. He said at that point I should take her in to be put to sleep b/c her quality of life would just go down hill from there. He said that the average life span of a rabbit is 5 to 7 years and at almost 6 years old, Cotton is too old to survive the surgery and/or recovery. Well to say the least, I was devastated and barely got out of the office before the fountain of tears came. I thought the average life span was 9 to 13 years and in some cases, even longer. I thought I had 3 or 4 more years with her atleast. Because she’s happy and healthy (other than the growth) and I’ve always kept her inside.

        After a few days of the crying and trying to accept this, and my husband being upset b/c of the crying (LOL), I just couldn’t accept it. So I took her to a more rabbit savvy vet in a neighboring county for a second opinion. He too thought it was more than likely a cancerous tumor, but took fluid samples of some of the lumps and sent them off for testing. If I read the cytology results correctly, I believe it’s pretty much inconclusive other than chronic inflamation was found. I will attach the cytology results for you to read. If someone could explain it to me I would appreciate it. I’m a little confussed over it.

        So the vet gave me an anti-inflamatory medicine to give Cotton for 4 days, and an antibiotic medicine called Enrofloxacin to give her for 2 weeks. That didn’t help. The growth is still there. It is a large mass of smaller lumps. For the past few weeks it has gotten so big that Cotton can’t reach her left front paw to her face anymore. So I have to keep that paw clean for her. It’s like she has an orange or a grapefruit between her arm and her neck. It is so pitiful to watch her try to bathe. I’m afraid it may be spreading to the right side now. What if it gets to where she can’t reach her face with either paw?!

        Overall, the vet says an abscess in a rabbit can’t be lanced like on a dog or a cat b/c the infection is too thick, like toothpaste. Also rabbit abscesses form a “hard shell” around the infection pocket that is hard to penetrate. A couple of the lumps in Cotton’s mass are hard. They  have to be surgically removed. He says he can “debulk” the growth to get it out of her way, but that he can’t leave her under anesthesia long enough to get all the infection out. And that even if he could, they almost always come back. And for her to get completely better, all the infection would have to be gotten out. But he is saying he can’t get it all. So I don’t want to put Cotton through a surgery and recovery for nothing. That would be wasted pain for her, wasted money for me, and wasted time for everyone involved. The vet said if I want her to have a better chance of Cotton being completely rid of it through surgery, that I should take her to The University Of Georgia or some other board certified surgeon.

        I don’t understand why this can’t be a simpler process. My ultimate question is… Should I go through more expense to take Cotton to yet another vet that is a board certified surgeon and have the surgery done for her? Or since she’s already 6 years old, just let her be happy until she gets sick from the infection and either dies or I have to have her put to sleep. I can’t stand the thought of that but I have spent about $250.00 on her so far and don’t have the money to keep trying to get help for her. If I knew for sure the surgery would rid her of the infection, that would be perfect. I would definitely do it. But what if it doesn’t work out? Or even worse, what if she didn’t make it through the surgery. I just can’t stand the thought of that. I am emotionally spent over this whole thing. I have worried over it for weeks.

        The vet said it would be about $300.00 for surgery and he couldn’t even get it all. So if a surgery is around $300, plus an office visit at yet another vet’s office, plus the possibility of more tests…. that’s getting closer to $1000. Which I don’t have! Why can’t this be easier to deal with? Why is an abscess such a complicated matter?

        Should I put my poor baby through the surgery? Does anyone have any advise for me?


      • Sarita
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          These decisions are very hard and a poll is probably not the best way to go about making this decision, in my own personal opinion. I know other members will be happy to respond to your situation and it’s a tough one.

          If it were my rabbit and after much serious discussion with a vet that I trusted about the quality of life that she has, then I would make a decision about what is best for her. You definitely do not want her to suffer. It might not hurt to have a discussion with the specialist and see what they say too. I think if you are unsure you should go that route. Take with you all the test results and Cotton and just have a very serious discussion with them about what they feel her chances are.

          Either scenario is very difficult but in the end you want to know you’ve made the most humane decision possible. I totally wish you luck – I’ve been in your situation and it’s a tough situation to be in. I always put my rabbit first though and try not to let my heart get in the way of my head….it’s part of the process though in making the right choice.


        • Ginger
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            Thank you Sarita. I do definitely wanna do what’s right for her, and not put her through surgery for selfish reasons. I want the best thing for her and in the end I want to know I did all I could’ve and should’ve done for her bc she deserves the best. She’s so special and such a good girl. She’s relaxing with me right now watching Animal Planet.


          • Ginger
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              Also I would like opinions on spaying her and getting her a friend. I know if she’s sick it would be too much for her but she acts fine and happy still. I should’ve had her spayed when she was younger but she used to not mark as much as she does now. She is good though. It’s not her fault I never had her spayed. Isn’t spaying a fairly fast and simple procedure and recovery is easy? If so, even in spite of her recent problem and her age, I’m gonna have it done. But I would like opinions first please.


            • Sarita
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                Well, I think first and foremost you need to decide about the abscess, that’s the priority at this point. See if it is treatable before you decide to spay her. Then you can go from there.


              • 3 buns mom
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                  I went through a similar issue with Max. He is a 3 1/2 y.o French Lop. Because of his size,(currently 12lbs) his life span is probably 5 to 6 years. He had an abscess in his leg that seemed to grow overnight. The board certified rabbit vet did the surgery to remove it. But when she went in, she realized that it was too difficult to remove completely because of the location and how it was going down his leg and into his chest area. She didn’t want todamage any tissue or something (can’t recall exactly what she said) He has Pastuerella, so keeping him under anesthesia for long periods was an issue. She removed as much of it as she could without damaging any good tissue and sent it off to the lab. It came back as some kind of freaky non typical abscess. That was a relief. And because of the chance of the abscess coming back, she put him on a daily injection of penicillin to hopefully prevent it from coming back. It’s been almost 3 months now, and the abscess has not come back. He is doing great. I am not sure if this helps, but maybe give you something to discuss with your vet and give you hope. Good luck and keep us updated!!


                • Beka27
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                    This is a difficult situation and I agree with Sarita that a poll isn’t appropriate for a topic like this. With help from your vet, you need to look objectively at the results, and with help from your husband, take an honest look on what lengths you are able to go to to eradicate the abscess. I liked what Sarita said about making the decision with your head, not your heart. If you can save her and give her a great prognosis for years, that would be fantastic and worth the money. But if you are going to jeopardize yourself financially, and maybe only give her 6 months, this is something you need to think about.

                    It is obvious that you love her and you’ve given her a great life so far. If you can do the surgery, regardless of the outcome, with no hesitation, then go for it. If not, I would not fault you for deciding to keep her comfortable and enjoying the time she has left.


                  • Ginger
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                      Thank you so much for your comments. I’m completely new to BB so I didn’t know what to do about the poll option. I thought I was supposed to do that. LOL. I think what my problem has been, is that I haven’t taken her to anyone who is a board certified surgeon. The money I’ve already spent on her wouldn’t be a waste if I had gone to one instead of the 2 vets I took her to. Having said that I will say I do like both the vets I took her to and have nothing bad to say about either. I think I do need to just bite the bullet and take Cott to a specialist and ask just what her chances are. She is my heart and I can’t bare to see her in this condition not knowing that I have done ALL I can possibly do for her. She deserves the best I can possibly give. I will keep ya’ll updated


                    • Beka27
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                        If you can, I would definitely take her to the specialist. Have them get her health records from the other two vets so they have the info they need. When you talk to the surgeon you’ll have a better idea of the extent of what is going on, her long-term prognosis, and the estimated cost of surgery, medication, and follow-up care.


                      • Ginger
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                          Here are some videos of her. The first 2 I took of her today, and the last one was taken about a year ago. I believe you can see a huge difference in her size.

                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6BH2PFtne0&feature=youtu.be

                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SOzUoHrf20

                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqJAIZSS63E


                        • Sarita
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                            She’s sweet, I love her little white nose.

                            I know you will make the right decision for her no matter how hard it hurts you. Keep us updated on what you decide. We are here to support you.


                          • bunnnnnnie!
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                              I don’t really have any advice to offer, but just sending you good vibes and support for your girl.


                            • Ginger
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                                #1. I just wanna say that after reading my post I realize that it may sound like I’m vet bashing but I’m seriously not. I would never do that unless I thought a vet was abusing my bunn. And that’s not the case with either of the vets I’ve taken Cotton to.

                                #2. I have received a call from Cotton’s vet and have “somewhat” an update. Do I post it here or do I make a new post?

                                #3. Here is a link to see her today if you would like to

                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGDu…Fn7IM3C5Kn


                              • Beka27
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                                  I did not think it sounded like you were bashing either vet, on the contrary it sounds like you’re just very concerned as you should be!

                                  Yes, post your update in this thread so people can follow along. You can edit your title in the original post to say “Rabbit Abscess UPDATE!” so members will know that it’s been updated.


                                • Sarita
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                                    I agree with Beka, just sounded like concern and frustration to me – perfectly normal reactions when it comes to your rabbit.

                                    Yes, I agree, just update here – anxious to know what your vet said.


                                  • Ginger
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                                      Thank you
                                      OK the vet called me yesterday while I was at work so I missed his call but he left a voicemail saying.. That he was just concerned about Cotton and wanted to check on her. Also, he performed surgery on a bunn last week that had 2 lumps on it’s chest similar to Cott’s. He said it was just 2, not as many as Cott has, but he was able to make a small incision and “pop out” the hard nodules, staple the wound, and test them. He said that he would do this for Cott if I want him to. He doesn’t know what exactly Cott’s problem is and I don’t either, as I said, the fluid sample test results are pretty much inconclusive. So to know for sure what she has, a biopsy would have to be done. And he can take one of the lumps and test it. Should I have this done to her? The word “staple” has me cringing… I definitely wouldn’t want to be stapled. But I really wanna know what her problem is and this is the only way. Any other vet would probably charge wayyyyyy much more than I can afford. She has already been to this vet and he knows her story…. I don’t wanna spend more money to learn nothing… But this is the only way we can definitely know what the growth is and if it can be treated…. After already spending what I have on her, would any of you spend more on your bunn for this reason? Would you put her through the biopsy in spite of her age and it’s gonna be tough on her?


                                    • Sarita
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                                        Has the vet done bloodwork? I didn’t see that in your initial post whether or not that has been done.

                                        I’ve had a few rabbits with fatty tumors removed from their dewlap area (they’ve always been benign). That being said, I’m not at all sure if their fatty tumors were anything at all like Cottons.

                                        But I think if I were in your position, I would get bloodwork done and as long as it looks safe to put her under anesthesia then I would have it done. I would have to outweigh the quality of life and the not knowing. I always say it is better to know (if possible) than not know.

                                        I have to say, you may spend money and find nothing out, but you aren’t finding anything out now either. The rabbits that I’ve had fatty tumours removed from where 6 years and older – it seems that about the time these “lumps” occur.


                                      • Sarita
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                                          And actually thinking about it, in December I had a senior (she was about 8 or 9 years old) that had a lump and I had the bloodwork and was ready to do have the vet take the lump out. Unfortunately the day of the surgery she had labored breathing and the vet did some x-rays and based on what the radiologist saw and what could have been done that may or may not have worked, I decided to let her go the bridge. Those options based on the x-ray and based on my discussion with the vet, were really not good options.

                                          I know it’s weird, I totally forgot about finding a lump on her…I have four other rabbits (3 seniors) and taking care of them has obviously kept my mind off of Peaches….I was thinking further back at some of my other rabbits.


                                        • Beka27
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                                            I would do the blood work and if the vet gives you the go-ahead, have the lumps removed and biopsied. If it turns out they are benign, you will be very relieved and then can hopefully relax. If it’s something more, then… that will be hard, but you will be able to start preparing mentally and focus on enjoying the time she has left. It’s wonderful that Sarita shared her recent experience of letting Peaches go. It’s okay to let them go, and it’s okay to keep them comfortable until they’re ready.


                                          • Ginger
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                                              The vet took fluid from 3 of the lumps and the test results came back negative for cancer. Isn’t that the same thing as having blood work done? There was blood in the fluid. I attached the cytology results to the post if you would like to check behind me and make sure I’m right but I think that’s the same thing as having blood work done. I know the cytology report is boring and hard to understand but if you read the comments on the second page of the results it’s easier to understand. Although I’m still sort of confussed by it b/c it ends with saying the results are pretty much inconclusive other than theres no cancer cells and it just looks like chronic inflammation. But inflammation from what? It reads as if there should be no reason for inflammation. And it says a biopsy is the only way to find out. I think….. Do you get the same thing from reading it as I have? I paid $105.00 for that report and I feel it was sort of all for nothing.


                                            • Sarita
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                                                The bloodwork is to make sure that she can go safely under anesthesia.


                                              • BinkyBunny
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                                                  To clarify — blood work that Sarita is talking about is not from the lump site.  It is blood that is drawn from the rabbit to test kidneys, etc to make sure that the overall health of the bunny is strong enough.   Health kidney function is important for enduring anesthesia.  I also think Liver function is too, but I can’t remember off the top of my head about that.  So that is different than a biopsy. 

                                                   
                                                  It does sound like you are one step closer though — good to know that it isn’t cancerous. Abcesses can be tricky though too, and the reason it seems complicated is because abscesses (depending on the abscess), can intertwine with muscle and tissue. 
                                                   
                                                  The other tricky part is the time in which a bunny can be under.  Rabbits are prey animals and their heart rate is high.  Because of this, it takes more anesthesia to put them under and keep them under.  A rabbit savvy vet needs to know the fine line of enough and too much, and then monitor carefully to keep them safely under. But at the same time, not keep them under for too long.   
                                                   
                                                  So that’s why it makes things a bit more tricky.  However, your bunny is a smaller breed and being six years old is entering the senior years, but the average for rabbits is higher than 5-7 years (unless you have a Giant Breed).    I have a spunky wonderful bunny Vivian who was estimated to be over 5 years old when I adopted her 3 years ago, so that means she’s a minimum of 8 years old right now. (though we suspect her to be closer to 9 years old)
                                                   
                                                  My other senior bunny had to be put under a few times a year due to a tooth issue, and she did fine even when she was over six years old.  (Though she did have blood work done prior to surgery) 
                                                   
                                                  As far as the report you posted, I don’t fully understand it but I would ask your vet to give you a “layman” explanation. LOL
                                                   
                                                  What I got out of it though is that it was inflammation possibly related to the fat pockets and why that was happening was not fully known but that it could be due to tissue trauma, a bacterial or fungal infection, or there could abcesses underneath that it’s reacting to. And since there is no definite clinical conclusion so far, then the vet will have to ask you about what has been happening to see if something in the bunny’s recent history might shed some light as to what may be causing it. (Did the vet ask you questions about that?)  Otherwise further testing will be needed.  So again, that’s my take on the whole thing. 
                                                   
                                                  So, just so I am not confused, does the vet then want to do another biopsy at this point now that you know it’s not cancer, or is this when he suggest you go to a surgeon.  Sorry if I am getting mixed up here.
                                                   
                                                  I am sorry you are going through this. It’s rough.   I can’t tell you what you should do but we are here to support you as we know you love your bunny and are in a tough spot of knowing the right thing to do. I know it would be easier if could just say…I bet it is THIS..and so do THIS.  I wish we could do that for you.   
                                                   
                                                  {{{{Hugs}}}}
                                                   
                                                   
                                                   
                                                   
                                                   
                                                   
                                                   


                                                • Ginger
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                                                  • Sarita
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                                                      Dana Krempels gives good advice. Let us know what you end up deciding to do.


                                                    • Ginger
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                                                        First of all, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has commented so far. Any support ya’ll give really helps me out. I’m having a hard time with this b/c Cott’s my first bunn and this is my first experience with such a hard decision with any pet I’ve ever had.

                                                        After much thought I decided to go ahead with the surgery. She is scheduled for March 5th. The girl on the phone I made the appt. with said it would be an all day thing. I have to have Cotton there at 7:30am and she said I could leave to come home with her around 4:00pm. Since ya’ll suggested blood work me done first to make sure she’s strong enough for the anesthesia, I asked the girl if blood work would be done and how much the biopsy/surgery will be. She said she would ask the vet and call me back. So yesterday morning she called and said that the surgery would be 200.00 and that if I specifially wanted any blood work to be done, I would need to bring Cotton in this coming week so that they would have the results of that back before the surgery, and that the blood work itself would be 120.00. So it would be an overall price of 320.00.

                                                        This quote made me wanna back-pedal my decison of doing the surgery. I mean really? 320.00? But from what ya’ll have said about it, I think the blood work is so important and I scheduled it for this coming Tuesday. But is it really that important? I really am clueless about rabbit health care. I know I’ve had Cotton for 6 years and am experienced with how to care for her, but she’s been healthy until now so I know nothing about rabbit health issues and vet visits. As I said before, I’m not vet bashing, but I kinda feel like I’m feeling my way through a dark room here and I’m actually MAYBE guiding my vet as of what to do. Since he obviously wasn’t gonna do the blood work first. Is there anything else I need to ask for/insist upon before surgery day? I have read Dana Krempels’ page about pre-op and post-op care and have taken note of several things. Let’s just say that Imma show up that morning looking like an idiot b/c I’m actually gonna pack for this. LOL! I’m taking Cott’s water bowl, her favorite blanket, some kale and other greens, treats.. all kinds of stuff. Here is the link if you would like to copy and paste (sometimes my computer blocks letting me post links for some reason).

                                                        http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html

                                                        But I know that each case is different and I am just wondering what advise ya’ll have for this. Here are my questions…

                                                        #1. Should I really spend the extra time and money on taking her to have the blood work done? (based on her previous visits and what you’ve read)
                                                        #2. What does the blood work actually check and show? I know I read something about liver and kidney function… and info on this will help me.
                                                        #3. Could/should I try to have the blood work done at another vet’s office if it’s less money somewhere else?
                                                        #4. Would it be the same results wherever the test is done? I mean do they all check for the same things?
                                                        #5. If I did have the blood work done somewhere else for less money, would that be an insult to my current vet?
                                                        #6. Does anyone had any advise for us for surgery day?
                                                        #7. Is there anything else I need to ask for/insist upon before surgery day?

                                                        My #1 goal for March 5th is to bring Cotton back home with me!!!!! So anything you have to say is welcomed and I’m grateful for it.

                                                        *BB*
                                                        Your hugs are so appreciated right now! Thank you for reading the cytology results and commenting. I agree that the results are vague and it seems it’s undetermined as to what caused this. The blunt trama, or tissue trama, or however it says it, makes me think of abuse. And I promise you that Cotton has never seen a bad day in her life. I would die before I abused her or let anyone else mistreat her! And you’re right about the amount of time a bunn can be under anesthesia. This is why the vet says he’s not sure he can get all of it at one time, b/c it’s so big and he doesn’t wanna leave her under for that long. And about your question… Cott’s vet gave me 3 options, (1) not do anything, (2) let him “debulk” it, like take 1 or 2 of the lumps off, and biopsy what he gets, since he don’t think he can get it all at one time, (3) if I want her to have a better chance at it all being taken away/off at one time, then I could go to a board certified surgeon.

                                                        *Sarita*
                                                        Thank you for sharing about Peaches. It made me have some serious sniffles. LOL. In a good way. I’m terrified something will go wrong on surgery day with Cotton. Or that the blood work will show something horrible and then there will be no reason to proceed with surgery. But knowing others have been through it and having the support of this website have helped me a lot. I honestly didn’t think sharing on this site would actually help, but it has. I hope that when I can’t keep my baby with me here anymore, that Peaches will keep her company

                                                        *Tobyluv*
                                                        Incase you read this – thank you so much for referring me to this site and for all your help and advise over the past few weeks. You’ve been so great and I hope to pass that compassion on to someone else someday that needs it as much as I have

                                                        Cotton sends her fuzzy bunny loves and thanks to everyone
                                                         


                                                      • Sarita
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                                                          In my own personal opinion, bloodwork is absolutely necessary for a rabbit who is going under anesthesia and definitely a rabbit Cotty’s age and $120.00 is about right for what I’ve always paid. They are all sent out to basically the same labs (there are not alot of labs that do rabbit bloodwork). And $200.00 is not unreasonable for this type of procedure. The cost is definitely in-line. I don’t think your vet is taking you for a ride. There is the cost for care, anesthesia, pain meds, etc…it’s not out of line…yes, it’s pricey but that’s probably less than what I would pay at my vet.

                                                          I think I would just ask the vet to call me when he/she is done with the procedure to let me know how it went – they should anyway, it’s good vet protocol.

                                                          Bring fresh greens (I always bring greens) and fresh hay.

                                                          Please keep us updated.


                                                        • Ginger
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                                                            I got the results of Cotton’s blood work. Her kidney and liver functions are good so she will have surgery on Monday Mar. 5th. I’m not sure if the vet is going to try to get as many of the lumps as he can or if he is just gonna get 1 or 2 and do a biopsy. Just keep your fingers crossed for her and I will update after the surgery. Thanks


                                                          • Rei
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                                                              I just now happened upon your story, I know how frustrating this type of thing can be. I just recently dealt with something with my dog and it takes such a toll on you…best of luck for the surgery!! Lots of love and hugs to you and your little Cotton!!! <3 <3 <3


                                                            • Sarita
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                                                                Vibes for Cotton – please keep us updated.


                                                              • tobyluv
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                                                                  I hope for the best of luck for a successful surgery for Cotton, and that the vet does get as many lumps removed as possible. I hope that she bounces back quickly after surgery, and that any pain will be controlled by medicine.

                                                                  I’m glad that I’ve been able to help you and give you someone to talk to.


                                                                • Ginger
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                                                                    I dropped her off at the vet’s office this morning at 8:30 and I just received a call from him. Cotton is doing OK. He made an incision about 4/5 inches long on the left side of her breast and removed 4 large capsules. There’s still a couple of small ones but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her under anesthesia long enough to get those. He said the capsules aren’t what he expected to see. They are usually capsules that are filled with oozy infection/fluid, but Cotton’s have more an “onion” effect. He said there is a layer of fat, then infection/fluid, fat, fluid, on and on like that. He is going to do a culture and send it off. He said if the culture comes back “growth” then it’s just abscess and we can more so know which antibiotic to use on her, but if it comes back “no growth” then that means it’s cancer and there would be nothing more we could do at that point. He does still think it’s just abscess though, but he wants to be sure. He said if it continues to grow, he can put some beads of antibiotic in there to help try to heal it. He said he thinks what happened is, something pricked or stuck her in her throat/esophogus and caused an infection that just raged out of control. He said it could have even been a piece of hay. Just anything that could’ve stuck her. I wish I knew for sure, but there’s no way to fully know. But at this point, I do feel that I’ve done the right thing and have did all I can do for her. The vet said he doesn’t expect her to eat today He said she will probably start eating tomorrow. I’m gonna really try to get her to b/c I know that speeds the healing process. I’m so afraid to see her with all those staples, and knowing she’s in pain, and there’s nothing more I can do accept give her the pain meds he is sending home with her. He is also sending an antibiotic for her to take for a week while we’re waiting for the culture results to come back. I really hope this is just abscess we’re dealing with and that Cott heals quick and does lots of binkies from feeling better and not having that huge growth on her!


                                                                  • Sarita
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                                                                      Vibes to Cotton. Make sure you get some critical care in case you need to syringe feed her. Let us know what the culture comes back.


                                                                    • BinkyBunny
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                                                                        Healing Vibes!!!! I do hope the test results come back as something that is treatable.

                                                                        Also, regarding the “trauma”. No way was I thinking abuse. Rabbits can get into all kinds of trouble all on their own. Jump down off of things, accidentally poke themselves, scratch themselves, just normal stuff. I know your vet said that it could have been hay that poked her but did he mean from the inside? From inside her esophagus or ?? Just not sure if I am understanding that correctly.


                                                                      • Beka27
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                                                                          Nothing more to add, I just want to let you know I’ll be keeping you and Cotton in my thoughts. Thank you for keeping us updated.

                                                                          (((Healing vibes for Cotton!)))


                                                                        • Ginger
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                                                                            The night I brought Cotton home, she was only here 2 hours before I had to take her back to be restapled b/c she pulled 2 of them out. They gave her a soft E Collar to wear so she wouldn’t do it anymore. But she jerks and pulls at it so bad I’m afraid she will choke. So last night I took it off her and she did good. When I checked on her this morning she was good. But when I went to check a second time she had pulled 3 staples out! And I can’t find any of them! Eeeep! I hope she didn’t swallow them! The incision is only open in one spot. I’m wondering if I can just buy some liquid stitch and fix it myself? I’m so stressed from worrying about her and she’s stressed too. But she was healing good before I took her collar off I shouldn’t have done it.


                                                                          • Sarita
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                                                                              I would call the vet and see if they can do liquid stitch…I imagine it irritates her and it’s right in front of her face so she keeps picking at it.


                                                                            • Ginger
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                                                                                Asking the vet about liquid stitch is a good idea. I wish she had just been stitched up instead of stapled. I didn’t like the thought of her being staples to begin with. But now it has caused me lots of time and expense and harm on her part (especially if she swallowed them). What if she did swallow them? Yeah they’re small. Smaller than staples that go in a paper stappler. But what is the protocol for that? Should she be x-rayed? Or is swallowing around 4 little staples that big a concern for a rabbit? Should I be as worried as I am. Which is extremely worried by the way. Would she poop them out like a dog would?

                                                                                I bought liquid bandage and breathable surgical tape for her on my way home from work. See – she did it right before I had to go into work and I had to leave her that way. I only had time to post this w/o making myself late, b/c I was in such a panic and was worried as of what to do. I didn’t know if that was worthy of calling into work, or what. As I’ve said before, I’m sort of clueless about things. Plus I’m not good with decisions in general. But anyway.. The open part is maybe a half inch, so since I had to make a quick decision, I decided it’d be OK ’til I got back home. Anyway, I bought the stuff and when I got home and looked at her, the open part has now dried up so I can’t just pinch it together and apply the stuff. If I had the liquid bandage and tape on hand this morning when she did it, I could’ve used it then b/c I could have just gently pinched it together and applied the liquid and then put tape over it. But now that it’s dried up, I think I’ll just go spend more time and money and take her back to her vet’s office tomorrow since I’m off work. AND I’M GONNA KEEP THE COLLAR ON HER UNLESS I’M SITTING RIGHT THERE WATCHING HER! SHE CAN’T BE TRUSTED! She’s a sneaky lil’ thing. LOL. And I say that as being funny but it really probably is b/c (as Sarita said) it’s right there in front of her face and in bathing she probably just gets carried away and irritated and jerks them out. (And I just hope that the stress the collar gives her will not hurt her and she will easily forget it.)

                                                                                I tried to upload pics of her to my profile but they won’t upload for some reason. Anyone know why? I wish ya’ll could see how cute she is in her collar.

                                                                                She’s pretty much the only bunn I’ve ever had and I’m attached to her and love her so much that I couldn’t imagine my life w/o a bunn, but at the same time, I think it’s just b/c it’s her. But then I try to picture my life w/o her and I just can’t stand the thought’s of that w/o another bunn, not to replace her in my life, b/c there could be no replacement of my Cott, but in addition to her. I have just enjoyed having her so much. Rabbits aren’t like dogs or cats, and I’m neither a cat nor a dog person. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love all animals and would never hurt any of them and would help any of them I could. I just can’t really “love on” a cat or a dog and IDK why. They’re just not “me”. So I have thought about getting another rabbit, but I’m not sure Cotton would take to another rabbit. Especially with all she’s been through recently, I wouldn’t wanna put her through the stress of that right now. I’ve just been thinking about what Sarita said before, about not really remembering health issues with Peaches b/c she had other bunns to take care of and evidently that took her mind off of Peaches. I really feel like I need something like that. But I’m not sure what to do. If Cotton were spayed I would more so lean to getting another bunn after she gets really good and over all this stuff we’ve been through lately. But she’s not spayed and I think that would make her more territorial.

                                                                                Dana Kremeples advised I get her spayed, even though she read she was 6 years old. So I’m really thinking of having it done to her once she is really over all this present health issue. That way she might stop peeing on my favorite throw blanket I use when I’m lounging on the couch, and plus I might could get another bunn. But IF I did, I would take Cott to a pound or rescue and let her pick the second bunn out, as I read on a website recently… it said that is the best way.

                                                                                Any advise or helpful comments on anything of this post?


                                                                              • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                  Posted By Ginger on 03/08/2012 06:07 PM
                                                                                  Asking the vet about liquid stitch is a good idea. I wish she had just been stitched up instead of stapled. I didn’t like the thought of her being staples to begin with. But now it has caused me lots of time and expense and harm on her part (especially if she swallowed them). What if she did swallow them? Yeah they’re small. Smaller than staples that go in a paper stappler. But what is the protocol for that? Should she be x-rayed? Or is swallowing around 4 little staples that big a concern for a rabbit? Should I be as worried as I am. Which is extremely worried by the way. Would she poop them out like a dog would?

                                                                                  I think since you planned on talking to the vet anyway, hopefully you asked these questions as well. I do not know the answers.

                                                                                  I think I’ll just go spend more time and money and take her back to her vet’s office tomorrow since I’m off work. AND I’M GONNA KEEP THE COLLAR ON HER UNLESS I’M SITTING RIGHT THERE WATCHING HER! SHE CAN’T BE TRUSTED! She’s a sneaky lil’ thing. LOL. A

                                                                                  What’s the update on this? What did the vet say?

                                                                                  Dana Kremeples advised I get her spayed, even though she read she was 6 years old. So I’m really thinking of having it done to her once she is really over all this present health issue. That way she might stop peeing on my favorite throw blanket I use when I’m lounging on the couch, and plus I might could get another bunn.

                                                                                  As long as you have a rabbit-savvy vet  (and it seems you do), then she should be fine. For a six your old bunny, most rabbit-savvy vets would suggest blood work first, but since she just had that, you may not have to have that done again.   Since she did fine with the abscess surgery, I am sure she will do fine again, but its always good to prepare.  It would be another good subject to talk to your vet about. 


                                                                                • Ginger
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                                                                                    Sorry for the rambling in my last post. I was just stressed.

                                                                                    I took her back to her vet yesterday morning and he said she really didn’t need more staples. She is healing really good and the incision has scabbed over nicely. He said I could actually take her back on Monday to have the rest of the staples removed and so then the collar can permanently come off. I take the collar off and put breathable surgical tape over the incision while I have her with me and she doesn’t even try to bother it.

                                                                                    I asked the vet about Cotton swallowing the staples. He said not to worry about it too much b/c the sharp parts are pointed inward anyway.

                                                                                    I found a staple in her poop last night. I’m about to put on some latex gloves and go digging in her litter box. *GAG* But it will give me peace of mind to find them.

                                                                                    **BB**
                                                                                    To answer your earlier question… The vet meant something poked her from the outside. It could’ve been anything, he just used hay as an example. Which, if it wasn’t hay then IDK what in the world it could’ve been. I would think I would know if anything poked and penetrated her esophagus. You’re right though, bunnies do get into all kinds of trouble! Cotton is a mess but I love her

                                                                                    These are the vet’s exact words on Cotton’s dismissal sheet from surgery day.

                                                                                    “Cotton did very well – We removed as much as we could today – a total of 4 lumps. One lump was removed first, then a second. The 3rd and 4th lumps were very tightly adhered to one another and I suspect they had been there the longest – they were very close to the esophagus and I suspect that this is the origin of the issues. The masses did not appear as I suspected they would – they were somewhat “onion” layered with fat, then what appeared to be abscess material – I recommended doing a culture and sensitivity on the material first, then if it comes back “no growth”, consider doing a biopsy – culture and sensitivity is a little cheaper than biopsy, and I am about 90% certain that these are in some way related to an infection.”

                                                                                    I’m gonna make sure she is good and over this whole recovery before I have her spayed. I wouldn’t do it to her if I didn’t think it would add more time to her life. Even though I can’t stand the spraying I would put up with it anyway. I wonder if it will be less hard on her than this surgery. If I knew it would be more stressful to her than this time, I more than likely wouldn’t do it. It broke my heart bad enough to see her stressed out from this surgery


                                                                                  • Ginger
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                                                                                      Well I quickly learned that was like looking for a needle in a haystack! I didn’t find any. I wasn’t completely thorough b/c of how gross it was but I did give it a good shot and found nothing.


                                                                                    • Ginger
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                                                                                        Cotton’s vet just called and said the culture he sent off didn’t grow anything. Which is a bad thing. If it’s just infection it grows, if it’s cancer it doesn’t. He said it still may not be cancer but that is the most likely possibility. It could be a granuloma or anerobic bacteria though. I have no clue what either of those are so I’m gonna try to goolge them and hope that’s what she has. But more than likely she has cancer I should find out Thursday and will post an update for ya’ll.


                                                                                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                                          I’m sorry that you didn’t get any positive results. Try to stay optimistic though, I’m sure Cotton would want you to. Crossing my fingers for the results.


                                                                                        • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                            Posted By Ginger on 03/10/2012 10:19 AM
                                                                                            ….. But more than likely she has cancer I should find out Thursday and will post an update for ya’ll.

                                                                                            Oh…..grrrr….ugh.       Keep us updated. 


                                                                                          • Ginger
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                                                                                              I was told I would be updated on the results of Cotton’s test on that Thursday, March 15th, but it was Friday the 16th before I was told anything and as soon as I got home from work I tried to post an update on here but the post would never… post. I suspect it had something to do with the update that was about to or starting to take place at the time. I tried several times but it always failed.

                                                                                              BUT HERE ARE THE LONG AWAITED RESULTS OF COTTON’S SITUATION FINALLY!

                                                                                              GOOD NEWS!!!

                                                                                              The vet said they tested 3 of the 4 lumps removed from Cotton’s chest, and they are benign which means she don’t have cancer! There is no threat to her life at all! I’m so happy I went through with the decision to have the surgery done! He said they are lipomas, which are benign masses. He said they were all fat, and the pathologist said there was some necrosis going on, so they were outgrowing their blood supply, and they were inflamed. He said they may recur but won’t spread and are not life threatening. I looked “lipoma” up on wiki and read some interesting things. Here’s the link if you would like to check it out.

                                                                                              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoma

                                                                                              The pic of the lump on the right hand side of the webpage is just like the one the vet took for me to see, accept there were 4 of them and they were a lot larger than that one.

                                                                                              Post-op Cotton had to wear a soft collar b/c she kept picking at her staples but she recovered beautifully. I got the spunky 1 year old bunny back that I used to have! She has been into everything and I have had so much fun watching her! She runs through the living room doing binkies all the time! And as I said before, the lump had gotten so big that it made it impossible for her to reach her left front paw, so I kept it clean for her, Well now she loves bathing it herself! The first few times of watching her do it were acceptionally special. She would continuously honk while cleaning it! It was so adorable!

                                                                                              The vet did have to wake her up and end surgery before removing the last 2 very small lumps. Not even the size of a marble each. Now they have grown a bit, and especially this last week I have noticed their growth. So I’m taking her back to have them removed before they get so large like the others. The surgery will be mild and short compared to the last one as long as he can take them out while they’re small like they are now. They are fast growing and at this rate they are about the size of marbles, maybe a little bit bigger but not much.

                                                                                              I’m hoping that after these last 2 are removed, no more will recur. Cotton has gone through enough this year but it was well worth the surgery to see her this happy. I will always do my best to take the best care of her and make her one little happy bunn =

                                                                                              A BIG THANKS TO ALL THE FELLOW BUNNY LOVERS ON BB FOR YOUR ADVICE AND SUPPORT! THIS SITE AND ALL THE CONCERNED POSTS ON HERE HAVE REALLY HELPED ME THROUGH THIS HARD TIME. I CAN’T EXPRESS HOW MUCH IT HAS REALLY HELPED ME AND MOSTLY COTTON


                                                                                            • Roberta
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                                                                                                That is such awesome news. Big hoppy hugs to you and Cotton.


                                                                                              • Silly Sungura
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                                                                                                  That’s wonderful! It’s so sweet that she was honking while washing her little paw. Awww. Good luck to her with the upcoming surgery.


                                                                                                • Sarita
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                                                                                                    So happy your little sweetie is okay! Thanks so much for the update.

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                                                                                                Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Rabbit Abscess *UPDATE*