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Swollen belly, please help!

PBS

New Kit
My seven year old bunny has a swollen belly and I would really appreciate some help trying to diagnose the underlying problem. She has a rather complicated medical history that I will try to outline:

About six months ago we discovered an abscess on the left chin below a few centimeters below her eye. A closer examination revealed that the abscess was caused by a tooth spike that had penetrated the skin from within and that she also suffered from a mild ear infection. The tooth was removed and the abscess kept open and continuously drained over a two months period. Baytril was given daily to help fight the infection. At first the treatment seemed to be a success: both the abscess and ear infections were gone. A few weeks after the treatment was ended we discovered another (smaller) abscess below the old one and the ear infection reappeared. Our vet suggested not to attempt surgery or draining assuming that it did not cause any problems and that it would not grow. For the ear infection, we started treating with Baytril once more with little effect. A couple of weeks after starting the Baytril treatment for the second time two things occurred more or less simultaneously: she lost partial control of her hind legs and the other abscess started growing at an alarming rate. At this point it became clear that there was a connection between the abscess and the ear infection since gently squeezing the abscess would cause pus to appear in the infected ear. In a desperate last attempt a treatment with Bicillin (Duplocillin) was started. This drug is not approved for use in Denmark (where we live) so we had to get approval from the authorities and import it from abroad. It took about two weeks before we had the proper approvals and could start the treatment. The treatment has turned out to be a huge success: both the abscess and ear infections are gone. She still have problems with her hind legs, unfortunately. We have been using Bicillin for about two weeks now.

The day before yesterday, during our daily examination, we discovered that her belly was swollen. We knew that the use of Bicillin would have an effect on the bacteria in the stomach and immediately started treatment with probiotics. Now it has been three days and her belly is still swollen. Apparently her intestines are working fine: no loss of appetite and the usual amount of pellets. She does not appreciate us touching her belly. The obvious causes are bloat and GI stasis but I suspect that something else is the matter. Any ideas on what could cause this, how to make a diagnosis and how to treat it is greatly appreciated!

Unfortunately, we live in a place where it is close to impossible to find a vet with extensive rabbit experience. I have not been able to get an appointment with a specialist before next week (after Easter) and so we have to take charge of the situation ourselves.

Thanks
Peter
 
Is she losing weight and is she drinking more than normal ?

My first thoughts are a problem with her Liver function.

Is she spayed ?
 
A swollen abdomen might mean bunny has bloat. Both of my rabbits have suffered the same and only one came through it after treatment and a 5 day stay at the vet. I'm not sure what else might cause a swollen tummy in rabbits but hopefully Jacks Jane will see this as she knows more about rabbit ailments than my old vet.
 
Thank you for the replies!

Jack's-Jane:
She has not lost weight. Actually she has gained about 30 grams since last week!

I cannot say for sure if she is drinking more than usual.

No, she is not spayed - she gave birth 5 years ago.

Anything I can do to check if the liver is the problem?

Thanks!
 
Thank you for the replies!

Jack's-Jane:
She has not lost weight. Actually she has gained about 30 grams since last week!

I cannot say for sure if she is drinking more than usual.

No, she is not spayed - she gave birth 5 years ago.

Anything I can do to check if the liver is the problem?

Thanks!

As she is entire I would have concerns about the possibility of a problem with her uterus. Unfortunately uterine cancer is very common in unspayed Does from the age of about 3, regardless of if they have had any litters.

Neither a Liver problem or a Uterine problem are things you could diagnose 'at home' so she does need to be seen by Vet again I am afraid.

I am not saying that it is a certainty that either conditions are the cause. The only way to find out is for to be examined by a Vet and for appropriate diagnostics to be run.
 
Thanks again for the quick reply.

I suppose cancer or another problem with the internal organs is a possibility although I would suspect something related to her previous infection or its treatment. As I said in my previous post I cant get an appointment
with vet with a reasonable chance of handling this before next week which is quite unsatisfactory :( I will see if I can arrange an ultrasound or x-ray tomorrow.

Another question: is it ok to use outdated Metacam for painreleif?

Thanks again
 
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