Marks on testicles.. ?

My dwarf rabbit is nearly 13 years old, and today I was trying to remove a clump of feces stuck to his tail. Because of his old age, his weak legs and the fact that he always sits in the same area of the hutch, he often doesnt bother to move after he's done the toilet, sometimes even sleeping on them (regular cleaning just reduced this problem but never really stopped it).

To cut a long story short, we had a quick check around the whole region to make sure there was no more stuck, and I noticed a sort of speckled brown pattern on his testicles. I was just wondering what this could be, and if I knew what it was, how to treat it? I have read that un-neutered rabbits can develop testicular cancer, so i'm quite concerned about this especially at his age. I cannot find any sort of article that describes the appearance of it or the symptoms. I do not think there are any lumps either, they appear smooth.

He is generally quite healthy, bar normal age related problems like incontenence, some weight loss, arthritis and cataracts.

I would appreciate any help on this!

I wouldn't worry to much if there are no lumps but It maybe and idea to get your vet to have a look and prescribe your bun some metacam to help his arthritis.Well done for having such an old bun you must be a fab mummy:wave::wave::wave:

Thanks a lot, im a daddy though! I may take him to the vet some time in the next few weeks just for a check up on everything, due to his age. I've never been before so I don't really know what to expect, but I don't think it will be a problem for him - maybe a bad thing to say, but ever since he got cataracts things like travelling (which he has to do a lot as I go on holiday often) and meeting new people aren't a problem.

I thought that they could perhaps be liver spots or something similar, as I can see other brown speckled marks around the rest of his body. But i'll check with the vet just to be sure.

Sorry Daddy,liver spots sound like a good diagnosis.You are still a wonderful daddy for having a 13 year old bunny.Well done and keep us updated on his progress.PS what is his name?

His name is Clover.
We didn't know if he was a boy or girl when we bought him so this was a good gender neutral name!

It does sound more like skin pigmentation rather than anything too serious.

One thing you will need to watch out for is scalding from urine/faeces. That's like a chemical burn where the urine is sat on the skin. It starts with it looking a bit sore a red but can turn into blisters and infection if not treated. Just keep an eye out for it. If he does get wet underneath then clean him at least twice a day (a baby wet wipe is fine) then apply a thin layer of Vaseline to protect the skin. Fur can also be clipped short to make cleaning easier.

Has he been checked for a bladder infection? Again with his issues he's at a higher risk and it could also contribute/cause the incontinence. Just because he's older doesn't mean incontinence is necessarily just because he's old. Vets can test a urine sample and it just needs a course of antibiotics.

Another thing thing to watch out for in hot weather is fly strike. The faeces will attract flies which then lay eggs on the skin which hatch into maggots and borrow into the flesh. It's very serious and can happen in hours. He's dirty bottom and movement issues put him at high risk. I'd suggest covering the hutch/run with fly screen netting/net curtains to keep flies out and you could also apply something like rearguard which prevents the maggots developing (this is available from your vet).

Tam

Tamsin said:

It does sound more like skin pigmentation rather than anything too serious.

One thing you will need to watch out for is scalding from urine/faeces. That's like a chemical burn where the urine is sat on the skin. It starts with it looking a bit sore a red but can turn into blisters and infection if not treated. Just keep an eye out for it. If he does get wet underneath then clean him at least twice a day (a baby wet wipe is fine) then apply a thin layer of Vaseline to protect the skin. Fur can also be clipped short to make cleaning easier.

Has he been checked for a bladder infection? Again with his issues he's at a higher risk and it could also contribute/cause the incontinence. Just because he's older doesn't mean incontinence is necessarily just because he's old. Vets can test a urine sample and it just needs a course of antibiotics.

Another thing thing to watch out for in hot weather is fly strike. The faeces will attract flies which then lay eggs on the skin which hatch into maggots and borrow into the flesh. It's very serious and can happen in hours. He's dirty bottom and movement issues put him at high risk. I'd suggest covering the hutch/run with fly screen netting/net curtains to keep flies out and you could also apply something like rearguard which prevents the maggots developing (this is available from your vet).

Tam

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for all this information. Urine burns were a problem we noticed a long time ago and fixed with more cleaning. He had redness on his feet which is now gone - but he has been left with some hair loss. I can see no redness now and the fur is not stained either.

I will definitely ask the vet about a bladder infection, although I have doubts it is this. He has had this incontinence problem for the last several years - could an infection really last so long? I think that because he wasn't neutured, it could be a behavioural thing. He acts very excited when he urinates, looking for lots of attention and jumping about a lot. He usually quickly spins round and has a good sniff and lick. The colour varies from yellow to what I can only describe as a sort of milky tea-like colour. I thought that maybe aged kidneys could be another problem contributing to this.

As for flies, it seems unlikely. He's been indoors for the last 8-9 years so insects are not a problem for him. He is also cleaned daily, or near enough daily. He has an ear mite problem at the moment which we are treating with an ivermectin lotion which you rub along the backs of his ears and spine, perhaps I should have mentioned this earlier. Is there a possibility that this could also be mites? I do not think he has fur mites as there is no dandruff (he had some during molting (sp?) but it has since gone now that he has his new coat). We suspect he got the mites from hay that we use (since switched to just shredded newspaper which he likes). I suppose it's possible?

Urine infections can continue as they need antibiotics usually to clear. Leaving puddles everywhere tends to be part of being unneutered but if it starts soaking the fur around the groin that can be a sign of infection. It's impossible to tell really without a test. As you say it could all be explained by his age etc. but it might be worth ruling out.

I didn't realise he was inside when you said hutch I presumed out doors. Yes, there is much less of a fly issue inside, although it's not impossible to get flystrike there its harder for flies to get in.

The ivermectin for his ear mites would treat the fur mites to if he had them. It doesn't sound like it though if his skin is fine. It can take fur a long time to grow back as it only regrows when they moult. Plus being an older rabbit he might not grow as quick anyway.

Rabbits do need hay to eat, that will help keep his droppings from getting squidgy and sticking to him. I think the general consensus is that most buns have a few mites and they just flare up out of control now and then often triggered by things like stress. It could just be another one of those getting on a bit side effects.

It sounds like you are doing a great job of looking out for his needs

Tamsin said:

Urine infections can continue as they need antibiotics usually to clear. Leaving puddles everywhere tends to be part of being unneutered but if it starts soaking the fur around the groin that can be a sign of infection. It's impossible to tell really without a test. As you say it could all be explained by his age etc. but it might be worth ruling out.

I didn't realise he was inside when you said hutch I presumed out doors. Yes, there is much less of a fly issue inside, although it's not impossible to get flystrike there its harder for flies to get in.

The ivermectin for his ear mites would treat the fur mites to if he had them. It doesn't sound like it though if his skin is fine. It can take fur a long time to grow back as it only regrows when they moult. Plus being an older rabbit he might not grow as quick anyway.

Rabbits do need hay to eat, that will help keep his droppings from getting squidgy and sticking to him. I think the general consensus is that most buns have a few mites and they just flare up out of control now and then often triggered by things like stress. It could just be another one of those getting on a bit side effects.

It sounds like you are doing a great job of looking out for his needs

Click to expand...

I will definitely get this checked out by a vet in the next couple of weeks. And I will continue using hay if you say it will help prevent his droppings sticking to him (an ongoing problem) - I just cleaned him again now and I think the cage looks a bit bare without the hay and he doesnt really have much grip either. I guess mites are just something you have to deal with when rather than if they crop up. 13 years on and only just getting them is probably good going I think lol. I can tell he's starting to need a lot more care now more than ever, and hopefully he will live many more years. Thanks for your advice!

Just had another thought. Supreme do a food particularly aimed at the older rabbit called 'Science Selective Mature Rabbit'.

This nutritionally complete and balanced food has elevated levels of fibre (22%) to aid gut mobility and is also low in sugar and protein to avoid obesity in less active rabbits. It also includes timothy hay and thyme to help stimulate the appetite, helping to avoid age-related reluctance to feed. Other antioxidant ingredients such as bilberry, ginkgo, green tea provide complete nutritional support for the older rabbit.

Click to expand...

You might find that the added fibre would help make his droppings better formed and less sticky. You could mix it half and half with his normal food or swap if he likes it. I feed the standard version of this and it goes down well with my bunnies.

As you probably know they'd usually eat the sticky droppings direct as they produce them and it's probably part mobility issue being less able to bend and reach. Too high protein can also cause excess ceceal droppings (the sticky ones) too though so it could be now he's older and less active he needs lower protein and higher fibre so adjusting his diet would help a bit.

I actually have something that sounds a bit like that. Its a 250g bag of what looks like regular food but obviously a bit more special. The packet reads that it 'helps dental function, breaks selective feeding, contains vitamins and has MOS and FOS which aids digestional function', whatever MOS and FOS means. I'm not really sure how to use it - i'm only giving him it as regular treats since he seems to love it, but it could be that its meant as a larger supplement to his normal food. The packet is not very helpful and doesnt state whether he should only have a certain amount.

I give him 5 rabbit yoghurt/chocolate drops a day, which could contribute to high protein levels I suppose. I don't really want to cut them out of his diet though because I want to try and treat him as much as possible in what could be his last few years, and I also think that they could help keep his weight up in addition to his other food and the special stuff.

13! Wow that is amazing, my bunny Leo is 6 and I thought he was doing well! Have you got any piccies of Clover? He sounds lovely xx:wave:

Slippy said:

I actually have something that sounds a bit like that. Its a 250g bag of what looks like regular food but obviously a bit more special. The packet reads that it 'helps dental function, breaks selective feeding, contains vitamins and has MOS and FOS which aids digestional function', whatever MOS and FOS means. I'm not really sure how to use it - i'm only giving him it as regular treats since he seems to love it, but it could be that its meant as a larger supplement to his normal food. The packet is not very helpful and doesnt state whether he should only have a certain amount.

Click to expand...

Has it got a brand name on it? I might recognise it