Post spay op lump - anyone else had this with their doe?

:wave: Just a general enquiry, I took my Nessie to the vet today to get her checked as I have been keeping an eye on her spay wound and it's been healing nicely but, in the last couple of days I thought I noticed a bit of a lump forming, wasn't overly concerned as the fur is growing back and it wasn't that noticeable, however have kept an eye on it and with the long weekend looming I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. Anyway the vet examined her and said it was a 'relatively common' thing that sometimes with rabbits and other species they develop a post op lump where the stitches are dissolving, a sort of reaction, he gave it a name and I can't remember it:roll: doh ! He stuck a needle into the lump and extracted a liquid which resmembled a weak tea. He said that was fine - disenfected it and said it wasn't anything to worry about and if it swelled again I could have it drained or leave it and it would disperse naturally. It isn't infected. One of her stitches was visible and he said that would disolve aswell. Has anyone else ever had this? I googled it but, could only find a similar thing in cats:?

Have to say it isn't one I've come across (sorry, not helpful but didn't want to ignore it).

Does it look to be causing her any pain? Is there any way she can have got something in it?

I would keep a close eye on her for signs of not eating/pooping, the bunny's usual :roll:

Do you have to back to the vet with her? Or did he just say she'd be OK?

Biscuit's Mum! said:

Have to say it isn't one I've come across (sorry, not helpful but didn't want to ignore it).

Does it look to be causing her any pain? Is there any way she can have got something in it?

I would keep a close eye on her for signs of not eating/pooping, the bunny's usual :roll:

Do you have to back to the vet with her? Or did he just say she'd be OK?

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Arrrrgh I want someone else to tell me it's fine ! She is bright as a button, eating like a horse and completely oblivious it would seem, she didn't even bat an eyelid when he extracted the fluid - mind you I was kissing her at the time :lol: so she was distracted - He really didn't seem concerned - he said it is just fluid and not infection at all - the wound is completely healed apart from the tiniest little bit of black stitch poking out which he said would dissolve and the swelling which is about the size of a grape, the fluid was just like tea water - and a little bit of blood when he squeezed it at the end. It's only because I am still checking her that I noticed - in herself she is really chipper. It's two weeks tomorrow since the surgery:? He did give it a name and said it is quite common, maybe if I wasn't checking I wouldn't have noticed as he said it usually does disperse.:?

:? It would seem logical depending on the suture material being used that a reaction at the incision site can occur, I am looking into it and found this, food for thought http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=44684
http://www.aott.org.tr/index.php/aott/article/view/3945
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1108243
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...onepage&q=suture reactions in rabbits&f=false

Just found this aswell (Seroma formation or fluid accumulation under the skin incision although uncommon can also occur. This problem in general will resolve with time. Occasionally the seroma or fluid that has build up may require draining).

I think it might be because she was too active after the op from what I can understand the cause is sometimes attributed to - she is lively and maybe I didn't contain her enough

It sounds like Nessie has a seroma. As you have researched it is perhaps more common in cats. Humans can get them too, well probably any mammal come to think of it. But my experience with seroma has been limited to humans & cats - well kittens especially because they are often so active post op.
It is a collection of serous fluid around a surgery site. Its really only a problem if its causing pain or becomes infected. Nessie sounds to have neither of these issues.
So I can't really add anything to the good advice your vet has given.
So just keep an eye on it & I'm sure it will be absorbed gradually.
These buns ARE sent to try their bunny mummies though aren't they!

VickiP said:

:? It would seem logical depending on the suture material being used that a reaction at the incision site can occur, I am looking into it and found this, food for thought http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=44684
http://www.aott.org.tr/index.php/aott/article/view/3945
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1108243
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...onepage&q=suture reactions in rabbits&f=false

Just found this aswell (Seroma formation or fluid accumulation under the skin incision although uncommon can also occur. This problem in general will resolve with time. Occasionally the seroma or fluid that has build up may require draining).

I think it might be because she was too active after the op from what I can understand the cause is sometimes attributed to - she is lively and maybe I didn't contain her enough

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Your edit just came through! Looks like you've answered all your concerns

Kiwi Bron said:

Your edit just came through! Looks like you've answered all your concerns

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Yes possibly, I didn't give her that much room she had a puppy pen from the Friday late afternoon when she came home till the Sunday afternoon and then she went outside. One thing I did notice was that she kept stretching out as though the stitches were tight - maybe that has had something to do with it, I had a look today and I can see one of the stitches poking out, the vet said this would dissolve, the lump seems to have formed again but, she is totally fine in herself. Do I get it drained again or wait and just keep an eye on it?:?

Summer had a lump after hers. I don't know if it was this, but it went at around 6 weeks or so after the op. She really struggled with it though so I'm not sure it was the same thing to be honest.

VickiP said:

Yes possibly, I didn't give her that much room she had a puppy pen from the Friday late afternoon when she came home till the Sunday afternoon and then she went outside. One thing I did notice was that she kept stretching out as though the stitches were tight - maybe that has had something to do with it, I had a look today and I can see one of the stitches poking out, the vet said this would dissolve, the lump seems to have formed again but, she is totally fine in herself. Do I get it drained again or wait and just keep an eye on it?:?

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I'd probably keep an eye on it. But if it gets bigger, or infected or seems to be troubling her in any way then back to the vets.
Interesting about the stretching. The kittens that I've seen with seromas post spey were real 'stretchers' too. So maybe there is something in the putting more stress on the wound that makes seroma formation more likely.
It is a concern when its a holiday weekend though. I'm convinced rabbits know when its the most inconvenient time to have something crop up. The last two times we have been about to leave on holiday Gilbert has had a wobble. He even managed to combine this with his trusted bunny vet being abroad too!

Kiwi Bron said:

I'd probably keep an eye on it. But if it gets bigger, or infected or seems to be troubling her in any way then back to the vets.
Interesting about the stretching. The kittens that I've seen with seromas post spey were real 'stretchers' too. So maybe there is something in the putting more stress on the wound that makes seroma formation more likely.
It is a concern when its a holiday weekend though. I'm convinced rabbits know when its the most inconvenient time to have something crop up. The last two times we have been about to leave on holiday Gilbert has had a wobble. He even managed to combine this with his trusted bunny vet being abroad too!

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:wave: Maybe that's it, she didn't do it for the first couple of days but, maybe as it heals and the sutures are starting to break down it itches maybe or feels tight? She was properly stretching and specifically trying to stretch that area by pressing it lower when she stretched out, I noticed that a few times which was why I checked her regularly. Who knows, I suppose logically it could be number of things, at least she is bright as a button and her normal fiesty self - I will keep an eye on it, there is an emergency service so I can always get her to a vet if she is off colour or it gets bigger or weeps or anything, hopefully it will just disperse as the vet said. Thanks for your replies :wave:

Sky-O said:

Summer had a lump after hers. I don't know if it was this, but it went at around 6 weeks or so after the op. She really struggled with it though so I'm not sure it was the same thing to be honest.

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Ooh just spotted this, what do you mean by she struggled with it? Ness is totally normal and seemingly oblivious to it :?

She lost an awful lot of weight and wouldn't eat anything other than grass for a good few weeks. She had to have Metacam for weeks because of it. We thought abscess at the time that was triggered by a reaction to the internal sutures but she was spayed by the pretty incompetent RSPCA vet (afterwards she just saw mine, but the damage was done) so I suspect they maybe did something wrong because they did tell me she was under for an additional 20 mins more than normal.

One of my buns got a small lump post spay, and she is fine