Leo - yet more concerns - poor chap - thought he had fly strike

Leo my rabbit has cancer which is terminal he's been fighting this and is still eating well and drinking and is hanging onto life - I've been hoping I'm doing the right thing keeping him going.
He's had trouble with matted sticky fur on his head so I've been bathing the area and keeping a close eye on it.
I was out yesterday and my Mum had been looking out for/after Leo for me, she said there had been some flys about but I couldn't see anything last night.
This morning I went out and saw the skin on his head/face had broken down and I found tiny maggots - id not expected this and went into panic mode - thinking it was full fly strike. It's awful seeing those maggots on him, a sight that will stay with me.
I rang the vets who have an emergency Sunday surgery at a branch 10 miles away and luckily my vet who knows Leo was by chance on.
The vets cleaned out the area and checked Leo's rear end - no sign of anything there so it's not normal fly strike but the vet says its unusual,
He thinks the tumour may be sending out toxins which are affecting other areas, Leo has excema on his face and the flys have picked up on this area - the vet says by is afternoon or tomorrow if not treated Leo would be dead but because I got him in very quickly we may be ok - the area is to be treated with Dermisol cream and he's had an antibiotic injection.
During this Leo was still looking for his morning biscuit and ate odd bits.
The vet says it might be best to move him inside for 48 hours then back to his hutch.
I got Leo home and set up a pen indoors but when I put him in he was so stressed - going round in circles and collapsing so he's back in his clean hutch - and the difference was amazing - eating sitting and moving well and chinning things.
I've put mozzie netting over the hutch and secured it and will be keeping a close eye on him, don't know if I'm doing the fit thing keeping him going - his body seems to be staring to break down slowly now.
He's such a fighter but
Looks awful with his face/head shaved poor thing.
I'm all prepared that I'll have Leo PTS if he's suffering but its so hard knowing, vets said to give him another week and then we will review things but said if its the tumour sending toxins out then we may have no choice soon.
This is so stressful all this, seeing him so ill but he is such a fighter.

Poor little chap.
You have a horrible decision to make - if only they could talk.

It's great that you caught it in time and have got him settled.

It's a really hard decision to make, but it may be worth thinking about letting him go before he starts suffering rather than waiting until he is, if that makes sense. With my bridge bun Brock, he was so bright, even on his last day, but once my vet saw his teeth under GA she said it would only be a matter of time before he was in more pain, and as rabbits hide pain until it gets really bad, the kindest thing would be to let him go under GA. Every case is different, and hopefully, together with your vet, you can come to the best decision for your bun....

Thanks I know it's only a mater of time now so if his skin gets more infected I'll let him go, not fair on him. I know how rabbits hide pain - my vets really good and bunny savvy which helps. I do think that this tumour is going to start getting to other areas soon, and think its only a matter of weeks now but I'll let him go a day early as they say not a day late.

Poor boy It's an awful decision to have to make. Thinking of you and sending lots of vibes for Leo xx

flies will go for any area. We had a rabbit with a weepy eye and the fly's went for that (we caught it very quickly).

Re the cancer - is it malignant melanoma? one of our rabbits is being treated for this.

It's a fybro sarcoma (may have spelling wrong) its aggressive but vet can't say more unless Leo has X-rays which at his age and health is not really an option, he's not well enough for a GA.
Vet would not put him through chemo/surgery.
He would try if he was younger & healthier.

Breaks my heart seeing all this, just been out to give him his supper which he's eating but he looks awful - all shaved patches on face/head and sore patches.

Vets said its not pts time yet but I can't see it being long now & this not knowing how he's feeling is getting to me big time. I hate leaving him when I go to work, I'm out from 8 or before until gone 5 but Mum keeps a check on him for me. Sorry I'm on such a downer but it's upsetting me at the mo.

Think Leo will be the last rabbit I have.

Thinking of you and Leo Alison, I was just wondering this weekend how you both were getting on. So sorry he had flystrike but so glad you caught it in time and can spend some more quality time with him yet. It must be heartbreaking knowing its only a matter of time until you have to make that decision to say goodbye to him Can't imagine how hard it is knowing that. I remember reading on here several times about how rabbits seem to live in the moment, they seem to have no concept of yesterday or tomorrow, but live for the here and now, and I always take comfort from that, knowing that they make the most of every moment they have. Will be thinking of you in the coming weeks x

alisont said:

It's a fybro sarcoma (may have spelling wrong) its aggressive but vet can't say more unless Leo has X-rays which at his age and health is not really an option, he's not well enough for a GA.
Vet would not put him through chemo/surgery.
He would try if he was younger & healthier.

Breaks my heart seeing all this, just been out to give him his supper which he's eating but he looks awful - all shaved patches on face/head and sore patches.

Vets said its not pts time yet but I can't see it being long now & this not knowing how he's feeling is getting to me big time. I hate leaving him when I go to work, I'm out from 8 or before until gone 5 but Mum keeps a check on him for me. Sorry I'm on such a downer but it's upsetting me at the mo.

Think Leo will be the last rabbit I have.

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I am so sorry to hear of his illness - Parsley has a malignant melanoma - the vet did say that she has had other rabbits with similar and that they have rarely lived more than 4-8 weeks after diagnosis.

Just a quick update - Leo is still with us.
We had another small infected area needing another dash to the vets Wednesday, and more facial fur clipping and cleaning.
Since then Leo has been ok, the facial eczema is drying up and he's not itching it - he looks awful but is fighting on.
I'd decided it might be time soon and in fact took him to the vets tonight thinking he may be PTS but he was so chirpy at the vets hopping about, chinning and interested in everything and sat there eating.
The vet said she felt it wasn't his time to go just yet but it's not far off, she suggested he comes home for the weekend and we take it still one day at a time.
He's booked in on Monday for another check up but I can cancel if he's doing ok.

The main concern is keeping any fly strikes away - that must feel awful so I've said if we get that again that's it I'm not risking it further.

I think it will be soon as at the mo he's confined to his hutch with a mozzie cover on and can't go in his run. He's been out in the house but after a bit of exploring he moves to find my lap and comes up for a sleep.

He's seen 3 vets since last Sunday and all have said to give him a bit longer.

I was a blubbering wreck up there tonight - seriously don't how how I'll be when he has to be PTS - really wondering if I will be able to stay in the room or not - I wasn't this bad when we lost our dog but seem to be a lot worse with Leo. Vet said its 50:50 with others as to who stays and who goes.

The skin on his face is nice and dry now and he's eating more than ever, drinking well and cleaning himself as well as he can, he's showing interest in things and is looking better than he did. He's had antibiotic and steroid injections and has Dermisol cream for his face.

So still one day at a time - he's such a fighter but I want to let him go before any pain - hard to tell if he is in any pain but the vets have all said at the mo he seems chirpy and ok with being here still.

Talk about stressful!

Such a difficult time... you're clearly trying to do what's best for him; he's a very lucky bun to have such a caring owner.

Thanks must say its felt good having him here still.

He's outside I his hutch - its what he knows and likes - I've tried bringing him inside but he just stresses out he loves his hutch. Trouble is its too big to carry indoors and too heavy and no where to put it. Only thing I can squeeze in my room is a puppy pen and he hates that.

It's very hard trying to keep flies away - I've got mozzie net over the front of his hutch over the mesh and have taped that round the edges, I've also got mozzie spray an insect repellant spray from the health store today - says its organic and vegan and low chemical by sound of it. Have blasted that over the mesh.

The main issue at the mo is keeping him free from fly strike risk. Very hard but the state he was in inside made me feel he needs to be out in his hutch but it's not great as I can't put him in the run and he's stuck in the hutch with mozzie cover over his mesh. I'm bringing him in fro a run in he hall twice a day but he's too tired now to move much and just looks for my lap to get up and settle for a sleep.

Positive thing is he's resting and eating lots and enjoying treats and cuddles and I really don't think he's ready to go yet but it won't be too long until he is. It's very tough and me day at a time.

Mums been putting garlic Juice and lavender oil by the hutch too in case that helps repel insects. I'm so scared of fly strike he's such high risk for it and seeing those small areas on his face broke my heart - just awful but because it was caught so quickly it didn't spread but the vet said it was very unusual - he's ot seen fly strike on the face only the rear end before.

Hope I'm doing the right thing but at the moment he does seem to want to still be here!