Skyler feels like he has an enlarged cecum

[SnowyShiloh]

Oh gosh, am I worried about Skyler! He isn't a huge fan of being held, so I haven't held him and really felt his belly in the past couple days. When I picked him up about an hour ago, my hand immediately felt a mass of sorts on his belly beneath his ribs on the right side of his body (if he were laying on his back). My mind immediately jumped to Tallulah and her enlarged cecum, I could feel her cecum and this felt like that. I know bunnies tummies get hard bits on them as their intestines digest food, so I went back and felt his belly about twenty minutes later. Still there. Checked again a couple minutes ago. STILL THERE :shock:

If anyone remembers, Tallulah often suffered from a runny nose. It got better in the last couple months before she died, but she did have the occasional damp nose. Skyler has also been treated for a URI because he had a runny nose with the same yellow mucus she had. He's mostly better but still has a bit of a damp nose sometimes, too. And now what I think is his cecum feels hard. I'm really, really worried that he has whatever she had and since she died from it... You can see where I'm going with this. Now Rory has a runny nose, too.

Sky also had the first weird poop I've ever seen him have on Monday. It was just a little, but he was in the middle of pooping a squishy one when I picked him up Monday (note: didn't notice any masses in his belly at the time). He's had normal poops since then and is poopy butt free, though the fact that his fur down there is black makes it harder to see.

The vet only had 1 slot open tomorrow and I'm tempted to take Skyler in instead of Rory (who the appointment was originally scheduled for), but I think both really need to see the vet. Figures a vet who isn't that experienced with rabbits is working tomorrow I guess I'll call in the morning and see if she can't see both bunnies.

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice to offer me on this? I'm trying not to get toooooo worried, but man is it difficult not to!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I don't have any advice, sweetheart as I've not ever dealt with this.I just want to say how worried I am as well, and I hope it's not the same thing. Oh my. Wish I could be there for you. I wish you the very best tomorrow, with whomever you take in. I'll be thinking of you guys!ray:

 

[Maureen Las]

I really can't tell you if you have anything to worry about with Skylar but I can tell you that your problems with Tallulah are probably causing you to feel more anxious about both Skylar and Rory. Whichever one you decide to take tomorrow ..you can still get the questions in while you are there.
I don't think this an emergency right now so try to calm down...

 

[Alexah]

Oh, Shiloh! I'm very worried for you, Skyler, and Rory. I'm going to second what was just said about Tallulah's death coloring what you're seeing and feeling now with Rory and Skyler - I've been there and it's so hard to let go of the intense fear and anxiety when it comes to bunnies. Try to relax, take a deep breath, and go minute to minute. Don't obsess about the future (I know it's hard not to!) because that won't help anything - it'll only cause you more anxiety.

Whichever bunny you take in, ask as many questions as you can. I'm hoping and praying that for each of them it's either nothing at all or a quick fix. You and yours will be in my thoughts and prayers...

ray:.

 

[Jenk]

Alexah wrote:

...I'm going to second what was just said about Tallulah's death coloring what you're seeing and feeling now with Rory and Skyler - I've been there and it's so hard to let go of the intense fear and anxiety when it comes to bunnies. Try to relax, take a deep breath, and go minute to minute. Don't obsess about the future (I know it's hard not to!) because that won't help anything - it'll only cause you more anxiety.

I can "third" what's been said about Tallulah'spassing. I think that it'snatural (thoughnot healthy) for one'sworry levelto increase about existing pets after the passing of another. (When my husband and I lost our kitten to a nasty illness, I worried for months about my other cat--whose health,five years later, may now be failing. )

I'm thinking good thoughts/prayers for you and your bunnies. ray: (And I wish that I could determine what's considered enlarged for a cecum; I suspect that Zoe's cecum doesn't function normally, though it could be any part [or series of parts] along her digestive tract that's to blame.)

 

[mouse_chalk]

Oh no, not Skyler as well!

Shiloh you have been through so much, this just isn't fair! I'm sorry I can't offer any advice as I don't know about these things, but I know that you'll feel more at ease once you've seen the vet. I really hope it's nothing too serious...

I'm thinking of you and hope things turn out ok!

:hug: xx

 

[bunbunbinkie]

Poor Shiloh. I need to have a serious talk with your bunnies and tell them to quit doing this to you!! I can't really give any advice or help. Is Skylar's lumpy spot in the same place as Tallulah's cecum was? I know when I took x-rays of Oliver for the first time I was suprised on how big and round the stomach was.... but I dont remember what side it was on or if its possible to feel the stomach individually when palpating the belly. I do remember that it was right near the ribs.

I know this doesn't help at all but I'm trying to rack my brain, as Oliver suffered from GI stasis multiple times in his life and I learned alot about his condition (but of course I can't recite any of it now).

I can't imagine the anxiety you must be feeling right now after losing baby Tallulah so suddenly and such a short time ago. I agree with everyone else that the loss of a pet, especially a bunny, can make you always fear the worst when it comes to another one getting sick. I completely understand as I have done it, quite a few times. Last night I heard Merlie make a funny noise I immediately began to cry. I've always been sensitive, but geez!

I'm keeping you and your babies in my thoughts and I hope everything goes okay at the vet today!

:::Goooood Viiiibes::::hearts:bunny18:bunny17::heartbeat:arty0002::carrot:big kiss:

 

[ChandieLee]

ray:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

This is for Rory and Skyler, how did the visit go today? I know you weren't too optimistic:?.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Sorry I couldn't post sooner about the vet visit, the forum was down during the morning and must have gone back up sometime while I was at work, and I didn't get home from work until a few minutes ago.

This morning, Rory's nose wasn't running but I could still feel the lump in Skyler, and because I had to choose between the two, I chose to bring Skyler in. I also called the vet office and spoke with the vet and asked her which one she thought I should bring in, she said Sky. So, off we went! It turns out that, indeed, I was overreacting and he's fine :baghead I was just feeling his stomach and liver and other organs. The vet assured me that his organs feel fine and he's perfectly healthy. So I feel a little silly, but I'm very glad there's nothing to worry about! It was funny too because usually Sky doesn't like being held on his back, but I accidentally tranced him so he did fine with both of us poking at his belly for so long!

Also, I told her about his occasional runny nose since he finished his meds 3 weeks ago... I didn't go into it in detail earlier, but every once in a while he gets brown flecks under his nostrils. They aren't really wet and he cleans it off easily, but it's very odd. The vet said it's probably just debris that's getting in his nose and he's sneezing out. His litter is rather dusty (I use stove pellets), so at the suggestion of MsBinky I bought him some Yesterday's News a couple days ago. We'll see if that helps! The vet said it could also be a little bit of porphyrin that drains from his eyes that he sneezes out... I was not aware rabbits have porphyrin. I'm familiar with it because I have ratties, but do bunnies get it, too? She said it isn't really common, but they do get it sometimes. What do you think? She also said that if he ever has clear snot that goes away after a day or so, not to worry about it. If it lasts longer or is colored or white, then I should bring him in.

Also, interesting tid bit, she said the wound on his lip from where Rory bit him back at the end of April is completely healed now. I was very curious because he has a scar there that has a black line running down where the sides healed together! He also has a gray smudge on his lower lip, I guess maybe Rory's teeth grazed him there too. She said that sometimes scars get pigmented black like that and Sky's black scar probably will never fade.
Figures that when I got home, Rory's nose is running again :foreheadsmack: I guess I made the wrong choice about who to take in today. I had to pick though with the vet's input, and to me if Sky was showing signs of whatever Lulu had was potentially more serious than Rory's runny nose which had (obviously temporarily) gotten better.

Thanks for all the support, everyone, and sorry about overreacting! I guess I couldn't help it...

 

[Jenk]

SnowyShiloh wrote:

..It turns out that, indeed, I was overreacting and he's fine :baghead I was just feeling his stomach and liver and other organs. The vet assured me that his organs feel fine and he's perfectly healthy. So I feel a little silly, but I'm very glad there's nothing to worry about!


Thanks for all the support, everyone, and sorry about overreacting! I guess I couldn't help it...

I've no trouble finding/feeling the cecum and liver. What I've trouble with is: 1) determining if the cecum is normal-sized (vs. bloated) and 2) finding the stomach. Essentially, I know where the stomach's located, but I've trouble feeling its outline.

Here's the key to feeling the liver: On the bun's left-hand side, find the lower edge of the ribcage. Just beneath that, slightly higher up along the side, is a firm,flat-feeling region. (Most people probably mistake it for the ribcage,it's so firm. But that's the liver slightly overlapping the stomach.) Again, feeling the outline of the stomach is tougher for me, even though I know where it's located. I've trouble determining the "normal" doughy feel of the stomach/intestines vs. an "abnormal" (or too) doughy feel of the digestive tract. *sigh*

As with Skyler, Zoe's cecum has felt "fine"onher last several vet visits.I'm always suspicious, though, that it's building up gas/food, as was the case this past March (as revealed by x-rays). So the worry's always there to some extent.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Oh, hon, don't feel silly at all! It's better to be safe than sorry. I'm glad it was nothing, that's great.