Inflamed Private Area

[Hope]

I got my first rabbit, Coco, about a month ago and everything has been great. Five minutes ago though I noticed Coco's private area is severely inflamed. The fur around it is perfectly fine, but the private area is very red and swollen. I'm so worried! She doesn't seem to be in any pain and is running around happily. I can't get her a vet until the morning. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I looked around the internet, but couldn't find anything that matched her symptoms. Please help!

 

[pamnock]

Hard to tell without actually examining it. Might be infection or could be a normal state of engorgement when a doe is passing past the stage of being receptive. The vulva appears rather moist, engorged and purple.

Pam

 

[Haley]

How old is she and is she spayed?

Could be an infection like Pam mentioned. My Max had something very similar a few years ago and it went away after using an antibiotic cream. The vet will know better once he examines the area. Its so hard to know without seeing it.

 

[Hope]

Thanks for the help guys! Turns out I was worrying for absolutely nothing because she was simply in heat. I think the vet thought I was nuts, but that's alright. It's better to over-worry about nothing than the alternative!

 

[Haley]

hmm thats strange, did your vet tell you she was "in heat"? Rabbits are ready to reproduce 24/7 so they are never (or I guess you could say always) "in heat". Is your vet rabbit savvy?

Is the area still inflamed?

Another question, how old is she and have you considered having her spayed? Unspayed females have about an 80% chance of developing uterine cancer so its definitely something you should check into

 

[pamnock]

Somewhere I've got a thread on the forum where I explained the receptive stages of does. Although they are induced ovulators and do not have an ovulation cycle, they do go through periods of receptivity that one could refer to as a "heat".

The color, moistness and appearance of the vulva reflects these stages of receptivity.

Pam

 

[pamnock]

Haley wrote:

Another question, how old is she and have you considered having her spayed? Unspayed females have about an 80% chance of developing uterine cancer so its definitely something you should check into

Thisnumber from a popular study is often misquoted. It's actually an 80%chance of developing uterine "tumors" - these are not always cancerous. However, benign tumors can cause health problems, so spaying is recommended.

Pam

 

[Hope]

The vet never said she was "in heat", just that she was at a point in her cycle where she was receptive to males. The area is no longer inflamed and everything seems to be back to normal. I'm really glad it was nothing.

I just rescued her about a month ago and I'm looking to get her spayed ASAP. She's about 10 months old now so she is certainly ready. I'm just trying to find somewhere nearby that will do it for a reasonable price. It seems that most of the private vets charge about $250, which is a little steaper than I would have liked. I did find an SPCA about 60 miles away from Orlando that will only charge $60, but they don't have any available appointments until April! I was hoping to get it done sooner, so I'm going to make a few more calls and see what I can find.

 

[slavetoabunny]

If you're willing to drive to Daytona Beach, you should call my vet. It is Dr. Alicia Emerson at the Ravenwood Veterinary Clinic (386) 788-1550. I don't know what she charges for spays, but her fees have been very reasonable for everything else. I think she is an excellent, rabbit-savvy vet. She told me she is the only vet inthe Daytona areathat spays rabbits.

I could also help with transportation. I drive into Orlando every day for work everdayand would be willing to help and even keep Coco overnight for you if necessary.

 

[Haley]

pamnock wrote:

Haley wrote:

Another question, how old is she and have you considered having her spayed? Unspayed females have about an 80% chance of developing uterine cancer so its definitely something you should check into

Thisnumber from a popular study is often misquoted. It's actually an 80%chance of developing uterine "tumors" - these are not always cancerous. However, benign tumors can cause health problems, so spaying is recommended.

Good point. The study was actually 80% chance of developing uterine tumors in does over the age of 5, I believe,so its definitely a much lower risk in young females. However, Id rather err on the side of caution though and recommend spaying to anyone rather than chance uterine cancer or tumors.

 

[BlueGiants]

Haley wrote:

pamnock wrote:

Haley wrote:

Another question, how old is she and have you considered having her spayed? Unspayed females have about an 80% chance of developing uterine cancer so its definitely something you should check into

Thisnumber from a popular study is often misquoted. It's actually an 80%chance of developing uterine "tumors" - these are not always cancerous. However, benign tumors can cause health problems, so spaying is recommended.

Good point. The study was actually 80% chance of developing uterine tumors in does over the age of 5, I believe,so its definitely a much lower risk in young females. However, Id rather err on the side of caution though and recommend spaying to anyone rather than chance uterine cancer or tumors.

Surgery is much less risky in younger animals. So it's better to have it done while they are younger, than wait until there is a problem and they are stressed or their immune system is compromised.

 

[Hope]

slavetoabunny wrote:

If you're willing to drive to Daytona Beach, you should call my vet. It is Dr. Alicia Emerson at the Ravenwood Veterinary Clinic (386) 788-1550. I don't know what she charges for spays, but her fees have been very reasonable for everything else. I think she is an excellent, rabbit-savvy vet. She told me she is the only vet inthe Daytona areathat spays rabbits.

I could also help with transportation. I drive into Orlando every day for work everdayand would be willing to help and even keep Coco overnight for you if necessary.

Thanks so much for the offer. I'm going to give them a call today to see what their prices are like. At this point I'm leaning toward the SPCA of Titusville who will do the entire procedure for $60, but I'll definitely let you know if I need your help.

 

[slavetoabunny]

Just out of curiousity, let me know what Dr. Emerson charges. Then I'll know if someone else asks.

I suppose the only problem with the SPCA is having to wait until April.

Let me know if you need any help.