Prednisone for lymphoma

[Liana]

Does anyone have experience giving prednisone to a bun with lymphoma? I found a lump on my rabbit a few weeks ago and when tested it came back positive for lymphoma. He is still acting totally normal- eating, poopy, energetic- but his vet recommends starting prednisone now to try to slow down the spread/tumor growth.

His vet prescribed him an antibiotic along with it as apparently prednisone does weaken there immune system (and sometimes causes stasis as well which is making me nervous).

Basically, I’m freaking out about losing my boy and I want to keep him happy and comfortable as long as possible. I’m nervous to start the prednisone since he is still seemingly normal. I know the cancer is spreading and it needs to be done, but any stories or experiences about it would be helpful! Thank you 😊

[Bam]

I know moderator Wick has experience with prednisone for a bun with thymoma. Her bun Fable was on prednisone for several months. It absolutely prolonged her life. I will alert Wick to this thread.

[Wick & Fable]

Yes, my Fable was on Prednisone for her thymoma. It did indeed cause her growth to shrink, but as your vet mentions, steroids in rabbits (like Prednisone) has serious side effects over time, including weakening the immune system and affecting muscle mass. It also made Fable drink a ton of water, so she got two water bowls.

Having an antibiotic alongside the steroid is not uncommon. My vet personally did not prescribe that, but someone else whose rabbit also had a thymoma around when my Fable did was given that two-med regimen. Anecdotally, that rabbit is still living, while Fable has passed. Over time, the Prednisone took a permanent hit to Fable’s GI, leading to mushy poos for multiple days and she then got both eye and ear infections in conjunction w/ major weight/muscle loss. All that being said, she was breathing easier because the Prednisone stopped her cancer growth– the thymoma was putting pressure on her trachea and the Prednisone stopped that. It definitely prolonged her life, but yes, the side effects are serious.

Steroids are not the curative treatment for cancer and are never prescribed to rabbits except in situations like cancer essentially where the benefits outweigh the known serious side effects. Doing blood work repeatedly and updating vet on your rabbit’s health as things go on is key. Some people report their rabbits can go on for months to years w/ steroid management for cancer. I hope your rabbit thrives and is with you for as long as possible.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[LBJ10]

No personal experience with this, but my understanding is that steroids are prescribed to rabbits as a last resort treatment. For example, a back injury where they need to get the swelling down immediately. Another example is when a rabbit has cancer. We know they don’t have long left, but a steroid can help ease their suffering and prolong their life. In both of these scenarios, the benefits outweigh the risks and side effects associated with steroids in rabbits.

I have also seen where sometimes an antibiotic will be prescribed as a preventative. Steroids weaken the immune system, especially when taken for a long period of time. This means any opportunistic bacteria that happens to be around could multiply, leading to infections.

[Liana]

Thank you for the replies! It’s looking like this is my only reasonable option at this point. The other option the vet gave me was to start chemo, which would require an hour drive each way once a week (he hates the car) and wouldn’t necessarily prolong his life any more than the steroid would. The vet said given that he’s 8 and a senior bun, the chemo would be a lot to put him through.

I’ve been an emotional mess trying to make this decision since I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can for him, but also don’t want to put him through misery. It looks like the pred is the way to go, so fingers crossed the side effects are minimal and I can have him with me a while longer 😔

[DanaNM]

I’m so sorry you are going through this. I just went through the same thing with my cat, it’s an awful thing to feel like you have no good options. 🙁

I hope it helps your bun feel better for some time and you get to spend some more time with him. It did help my cat for a bit and allowed us at least to have some processing time and some more good days. A tip from a friend was to take videos of all the daily routines and mannerisms while he’s feeling good, as you will cherish them later.

Sending some good vibes for your boy. <3

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Liana]

I’m so sorry you had to deal with this with your cat, it’s truly the worst 💔💔 thank you for the kind words and the tip – I’ll definitely make sure to bug him with my constant recording, even more than I already do 😂❤️

[Author]

Messages