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Advice needed please - UPDATE: mammory cancer - whats the prognosis?

NickyB

New Kit
This might be a bit of a long post but please bear with me, I really need some advice...

We got Heidi from the RSPCA last year. She had been found as a stray and was estimated to be about 4 years old. When they spayed her they discovered she had uterine cancer but believed they removed it all. A small pea-sized lump was found on Heidi's chest back in October 2008. We saw a vet, who had a good feel, and said it wasn't anything to worry about but keep an eye on it. In January 2009 we found another lump next to the pea-sized one, this had come up very quickly and was about the size of a walnut. Again we went to the vet (a different one, as we'd moved house) who had another feel and said to leave it as it didn't feel like an abscess and wasn't causing any trouble. We continued to monitor the lump and there was no change. When a rescue did the bonding of Heidi to her new boyfriend Ross (her previous partner, Gavin, having passed away) they took them both to their vets for a check up. Their vets again felt the lump, thought it wasn't an abscess, but recommended it was removed. So last Tuesday Heidi went in for the op, they almost lost her under the anaesthetic but luckily they pulled her through. The wound has been healing nicely and she is very bright in herself. However her poos have been really small since the op - very normal looking, but tiny. She is as excited as always about food (she has a small amount of pellets at bed time and veg in the morning) and is still eating hay, but in smaller amounts than usual. She is also breathing heavily as if short of breath. However the biggest concern is that she is losing weight. She has always felt rather bony but her weight was maintained so we didn't worry too much. Whilst she was at the rescue she lost some weight, but seemed better after we'd had her home for a few days. But now after the op she feels even bonier, and when we weighed her last night she was 2kg (when the rescue weighed her before she came home to us she was 2.1kg).

I am going to speak to the vet today but just wondered if anyone on here has any advice/experience, particularly with how to help her put on weight. The lump that was removed has been sent away for analysis and we are still waiting on the results. She is so happy in herself and doesn't appear to be in pain which is making it harder to know what to do for the best.
 
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I would take her back to the vet of her breathing isn't right. If she is in pain etc she won't eat as much/could go down hill. They may also be able to give her something to stimulate her appetite too.. is she eating as much as she used to?

You could try her on the recovery sachets mixed with water in addition to her usual feed. I have read on here about peeps using oats as a weight gain.. but I am not sure of the implications of this.. so perhaps other RU'ers can advise :D
 
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Thanks, I'll look into the oats thing.

She really doesn't seem to be in pain - not hunched up or teeth grinding. And the heavy breathing doesn't seem to be stopping her behaving as usual, she's a free range house bunny and comes bounding over to say hello if you walk past her. Its just upsetting to see her breathing so heavily, particularly when she's just resting. And she hasn't lost her appetite...she still goes mad with delight when you give her pellets at bed time/veg at breakfast and will steal anything you offer her straight from your hand. She just doesn't seem to be tucking into the hay in the same way she used to. I want to keep giving her extra pellets/veg to get the weight on but have been avoiding this as I want to encourage her to eat hay.
 
Just heard from the vet that the analysis on the lump has come back - and it was a mammary carcinoma. There was a reasonable margin of healthy tissue around the lump so it is hoped it was all removed but theres also a good chance it has already spread.

Our vet is particularly concerned about the heavy breathing and not sure whether it is because the tumour has spread to the lungs or is still just an after effect of the reaction she had to the anaesthetic - she's going to discuss with the head vet and get back to me.

Has anyone had a bunny with mammary cancer? What is the prognosis? I know that this vets is very bunny savvy so I know she'll get the best care, but if anyone has any advice/treatment suggestions it would be much appreciated - we just want to do whatever is best for our girl. I suppose we'll always wish one of the other vets had done something about it sooner...both knew of her history but said it didn't feel like a mammory tumour so they just wanted to monitor it, and we believed them!
 
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