First, apologies, I’ve written a lot because I like to include as much detail as possible in case it contributes towards an easier and better answer to our question.
So a few weeks ago, our little guy, Albie had GI stasis, which isn’t too unusual. He gets light stasis symptoms once every few months, especially around a molt or change of diet (which he has on a seasonal basis depending on what’s available outside).
While we were massaging his tummy to get it moving again, we found a lump. It’s a pretty solid and hard lump, knobbly, and we can usually feel it either around where the bladder is supposedly located. We can typically find it at the front of the hips or just in front of the hips. It’s hard to feel for when he’s got a full tummy or gas, and shaped like an isosceles triangle shaped with the two acute corners to each side of his body. We can only sometimes find the lump, as we later discovered when we went to the vet that it moves…
The vet recommended and did an ultrasound. Actually, two ultrasounds as the lump moves and we couldn’t find it the first time as he was too gassy. On the second go, the vet tried for a while with us holding him slightly off the table right-side-up and managed some imaging he thinks was of the object in question. Kidneys looked normal but other than that it wasn’t terribly useful imaging however – the vet believes either an x-ray or CT-scan is required to get more details.
In the meantime, the lump is still there, not getting bigger or smaller, with what appears no ill effect on the buns. He’s eating happily and poops regularly. He’s an incredibly chill rabbit (ignores the vacuum even…) and 6-7 years old so tends to find a sunbeam and spend the majority of the day there, rather than play/move around too much.
We have no idea how long this lump has been there or how long it took to form, as it’s in a place we don’t usually touch him and (as mentioned) it moves.
We have a couple options from the vet:
1) More imaging, with x-ray or CT-scan.
The main decision here is sedation risks – an x-ray requires less sedation.
2) a referral to a veterinary hospital for their opinion on what his lump could be, with the low quality imaging.
Could be a bit pointless because we don’t have much good data on the lump.
Our vet’s opinion on the possibilities of what the lump could be:
Probably NOT a calcification of fat tissue, and probably NOT a calcification of the kidneys or bladder (he imaged these extensively during the ultrasound). He thinks a bladder or kidney stone would affect his ability to pee, which we haven’t noticed. He isn’t straining, though we’re not sure how much rabbits normally pee, as Albie is our first bunny.
Calcification came up because Albie hasn’t done a ‘sludgy’ pee in a few months and we think we’d notice if he did (we’re helicopter bun parents) – he also eats a relatively high amount of greens and a relatively low amount of hay (I’ve never heard of a bunny that rejects hay, but he is not keen on it, that’s for sure).
He’s listed that it could be: faecolith, fatnecrosis/lipoma, enlarged spleen, tumor.
So, fair bit of backstory.
We’d really appreciate any:
A) recommendations on X-Ray versus CT-Scan – CT-Scan requires more sedation and is therefor riskier, but offers a better chance of getting the image data.
B) any experience community members may have had with similar lumps.
Thank you!
.
Image from Melbourne Rabbit Clinic
Image from The Rabbit Doctors
