Cancer in 11 year old rabbit. (Warning: Graphic content)

[Dianespencer]

Hi…I have a bonded pair bunnies for 11 years now. Recently in March, we noticed a lump on the male bunny. His name is Bucky. But due to Covid, we couldn’t get to a vet fast enough. By end of May, we managed to get an appointment at the vet but his tumor had grown big.

The doctor said surgery is not advised due to his age and since its on the bone, there’s no way to get all of it. So he gave meloxidyl if Bucky ever shows signs of pain.

2 weeks after the vet visit, the tumor had grown bigger than he can no longer walk. So now we syringe feed him Oxbow critical care 3 times a day. He just lay down all day, not being able to move.

His bonded pair, the female, her name is Whitey has been grooming him and keeping him company. But today something weird happened.

She kept nipping at his fur where the tumor is. The picture is what it is. She nipped the fur off and exposed the small wound.

What do I do? Why is she doing that? Should I separate them? (They been together the whole 11 years and never had a problem.) Please advise.

And does anyone ever had an old rabbit with cancer that is not able to move? Any advice on what I can do to make him as comfortable as possible?

(Picture warning added by Bam)

[Bam]

I added a warning, for sensitive readers.

I’m very sorry that you are going through this.

His bonded mate knows something isnt right, and with the very keen sense of smell that rabbits have, I’d not be surprised if she identifies the lump as something abnormal. Cancer cells have a genome which is very different from the healthy cells of the affected individual. Either way, she knows something is wrong. It ‘s not rare for illness in one rabbit to cause behavioral changes, such as aggression  in the companion bun.

You may have to separate the two, but if you do, you should make sure they can see and hear and smell each other. This will be a comfort for the sick bun.

If the tumor is affecting the spine and puts pressure on the spinal cord, it could very well be the cause of his paresis.

The website Disabled Rabbits has tips on how to make life more comfortable for disabled rabbits. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/

If you suspect that your bun is in pain, pain relief is of the essence. Other than that, theres not a lot you can do exept keep him company so he isnt lonely and scared. Rabbits are, as you well  know, social creatures. Since you cant really spoil him with treats, perhaps pets and headrubs would give him some comfort.

 

 

 

[Hazel]

Agree with Bam. She knows something is wrong, if you keep them together she might get more aggressive with him. I would seperate. Honestly, considering the state he is in, being paralyzed and probably in pain, I would have him put down. There isn’t any quality of life to speak of at this point.

I’m very sorry. 😥

[Dianespencer]

Thank you for your input, I truly appreciate it. You see, when feeding, aside from the syringe, he still eats his carrots, apples and collard greens. Today he ate so much of his collard greens. My point being,to euthanize him when he seem to have a lot of life in him, but it might just be me being delusional. He pees and poop normal. He just can’t move. He still grooms Whitey when she puts her head near him. He’s weak and is on meloxidyl everyday.

So here I am…kinda lost about his condition. It happened so fast.

[Hazel]

Eating isn’t really optional, he gets hungry so he eats. I wouldn’t use that to gauge his happiness. Quality of life to me is determined by wether or not they engage in things around them in a positive way, show interest or even excitement. Then I weigh that against the negatives, like pain etc. In other words, are the more good moments than bad ones?

You know him best, but from what I can see, what he’s doing is enduring, not living.

I know how hard it is to make this decision. Something to keep in mind though, losing him won’t hurt any less a week from now than it would today. However, for him, those extra days can mean a lot of suffering.

Again, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.

[Bam]

I understand this is a very difficult situation. There are various quality of life assesment tools for pets that you can find if you google, I can’t recommend any one in particular.

It will of course still always be a judgement call.

 

 

[Author]

Messages