Bunny with lump

[dainerra]

Twilight is about 7 months old, got her this spring from the farm store, so not sure of her exact age.

Flies were HORRIBLE here this summer. She had to go to the vet to have 2 lanced and the larva removed. One healed great, not even a sign that anything happened after the hair grew back.

the second, left a lump about the size of an egg. It's just to the left of her spine. It's completely solid, doesn't move in any way. The vet has checked it a couple of times and says that it is scar tissue. He recommended not to remove it.

It's been almost 2 months since the lancing. It hasn't changed in size or texture at all. She is eating/eliminating normally. No weight loss at all either. The vet poked and prodded the lump in every way imaginable, she just kept on eating. He said that was the ultimate sign that it wasn't bothering or impeding her in any way.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I don't want to put her in unnecessary risk or stress. But my vet admits to not being a rabbit expert. Though he did nurse another of our rabbits through a broken leg, so he does his homework!

 

[Maureen Las]

Did the vet lance the lumps initially because of bot fly larvae?

if you had said that this lump had changed in size at all I would say that this is an abscess created by an infection either from the larvae themselves or the lancing procedure. An abscess would need to be treated with heavy antibiotics usually injectable penicillin and another drug like Zithromax.

The fact that it has not changed at all would make me think the vet could be correct as abscesses grow quickly but will still remain hard as the rabbit's body attempts to wall off the infection.

I have never heard of lancing for botfly larvae so possibly this is something that I am not familar with. Botfly larvae are generally removed by manually extracting the larvae with a tweezers. usually the larvae will create a lump in the rabbit which is how the owner usually finds the bot.
Was the lump hard ,immediately after the procedure. Was the rabit given antibiotic after the lancing ?

 

[dainerra]

he said black fly, but the larva looked like horsefly to me. not that I would know the difference. the larger one was almost 1/2 long, the smaller about 1/4 inch. One they pulled out, the second they lanced. No antibiotics. He said he would rather not as long as they were draining. Both drained for about 1 1/2 weeks. After the procedure, it was firm, but you could tell it was liquid/pus. Not solid like it is now. As it drained, the hardness spread to fill the space.

This one, though, never reduced in size. I took her back initially and he tried re-lancing to be sure that there was no more fluid or infection. Nothing came out. The size has never changed.

It is solid, no rolling or movement to it at all (IE you can't move it side to side) It's just THERE...
we kept it clean with betadine while it was draining

 

[Maureen Las]

Well an abscess in a rabbbit would look like what you are describing and the circumstances that you are describing would certainly be opportune for an abscess to form, however the fact that this has not changed puzzles me .
Wait for a few more replies on this as I am not 100% sure on it.

 

[dainerra]

no problem.. the vet basically told me to quit asking him about it. He will remove it if I insist, but recommends against it. He isn't a specialist in rabbits, but did nurse Patches through a broken leg. He said messing with it would be more stressful to her and that removing it would open her up to risks from anesthesia etc.

It hasn't changed at all in 2 months. the skin over it is completely smooth as well, no bumps, scabs, scars, etc. He did try asperating (spelling) it with a needle and there is no fluid inside.

His advice was to leave well enough alone. He ruled it "not pretty" but harmless. He tested her "pain threshold" by giving her some green grass to munch on while he examined it. She paid no attention at all, just ate normally. Compared to a pin prick on her skin which got an immediate reaction. He has studied her movement also (since it is so close to the spine)

 

[tonyshuman]

I think that taking it out wouldn't be a good idea. It probably seems like it doesn't contain any fluid because rabbit pus is very thick and may not come out through a needle, if the needle is small enough. I think an injectible penicillin treatment would be the best bet.

Is there a rabbit-savvy vet around? I worry because if an emergency were to come up, you wouldn't have someone who knows a lot about rabbits at your disposal. Rabbit medicine has changed a lot in the last 5-10 years, so you really need a vet who keeps up with new stuff in the species you have.

The injectible penicillin treatment is detailed here: http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/o/morfz/pdf/bicillin.pdf

You can get Bicillin at many farm stores, but you'll need sterile saline for injection which the vet can give you, even if they're not rabbit savvy.

 

[tonyshuman]

I think that taking it out wouldn't be a good idea. It probably seems like it doesn't contain any fluid because rabbit pus is very thick and may not come out through a needle, if the needle is small enough. I think an injectible penicillin treatment would be the best bet.

Is there a rabbit-savvy vet around? I worry because if an emergency were to come up, you wouldn't have someone who knows a lot about rabbits at your disposal. Rabbit medicine has changed a lot in the last 5-10 years, so you really need a vet who keeps up with new stuff in the species you have.

The injectible penicillin treatment is detailed here: http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/o/morfz/pdf/bicillin.pdf

You can get Bicillin at many farm stores, but you'll need sterile saline for injection which the vet can give you, even if they're not rabbit savvy.

 

[dainerra]

no rabbit savvy vets around. though this vet is the one who does all the wildlife rehabs in the area.
I checked the lists for arkansas in the other section. Little Rock is 5 hours away from us, Fayetteville is 3.5, Springfield MO is about 2.5.

so, in an emergency, this is my best bet. he said the main reason he doesn't know much about rabbits is that no one ever brings them in. He has been doing more research, since I've been bringing mine in.

Our first visit with him was when Patches broke his leg. They charged us 1/2 price because they have never done rabbits before and it was still over $400. And that's with them waving the ER fee :shock: They nursed him through that and now you would never know except he limps when it's going to rain.

He also does rats, snakes, buffalo, deer, etc etc even a zebra.

Oh and he definitely had a big enough needle! It was one they use for injecting the buffalo.

 

[dainerra]

forgot to add, I will tell him today about the penecillin injection.

 

[pamnock]

angieluv wrote:

I have never heard of lancing for botfly larvae so possibly this is something that I am not familar with. Botfly larvae are generally removed by manually extracting the larvae with a tweezers. usually the larvae will create a lump in the rabbit which is how the owner usually finds the bot.

The larvae can sometimes be difficult to remove without lancing. As they mature, they can be larger than the hole, and they pull back into the hole making extraction even more difficult.

On occasion, permanent fibrous scar tissue may form at the site of the injury.

If the vet is confident that it is indeed scar tissue, I'd just leave it alone. If it changes it's physical characteristics, I'd certainly have it checked out again.

Pam

 

[dainerra]

after talking to him again today, Im going to just keep an eye on her. Hubby took her in the day he tried to asperate the lump. So I got a better update. He said the needle wouldn't go in, the lump is that thick and solid. He said with 99.999% certainty it is scar tissue. He wants me to keep an eye for any changes and bring her back in a month for him to check for changes.

I think that is what Im going to go with as long as there are no changes.