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Enlarged Liver/Kidney issues/blood test. Advice would be appreciated.

Fifibutton

Wise Old Thumper
Mona had a check up today because I was concerned about her circling a lot before settling down to get comfortable. Mona had a stroke in January and has since suffered from reduced mobility and has circled ever since but I think it had increased recently. We saw a locum how really isn't as bunny savvy and tbh she seemed to be of the opinion its not worth fighting for such an elderly bunny :evil:

So she reckons Mona possibly has an enlarged liver which is causing discoloration in the ears like liver spots. The vet said it felt large but wasn't sure if this was just normal for Mona. However Mona does have dark spots inside her ears that do look like liver spots so I am inclined to think the liver is probably enlarged. The vet said this is not causing her pain. I presume it must surely cause discomfort. Mona can only lie on one side now and she lies on it all the time so I have to assume she is putting a lot of pressure on the same parts of her body. She is also very thin, just skin and bones nowadays even though she eats well. so I think her organs won't be cushioned any more. She weighs just 1.5KG, wee soul.

The vet also said that because Mona is incontinent we might want to do a blood test to check how well they are functioning. I'm not sure how to proceed, she didn;t really explain anything properly and seemed very rushed. She also said Mona won't need meds or a follow up appointment :? Also said she would not give meds to such an old bunny (Mona is 11 today). I'm not sure how to proceed and would love some advise from those of you who are experienced in liver/kidney issue bunnies.

Would a blood test be very stressful or invasive for Mona and should I have it done?
Should she be on any sort of medication for enlarged kidneys?
Can I do anything to make her life easier? She is already on vet bed and a generally soft environment?
It seems to me her body is failing, does this mean she does not have long left?
Is it kinder to consider pts?
Is there anything else I should know or do about this kind of situation?

I'd like to take Mona back and see my usual vet but I want to go with a clear idea of what to do next.
 
Is it both her Kidneys and her Liver that are enlarged ?

Has she been on any corticosteroids after the stroke ?

A blood test should be relatively straight forward for her, although it may be briefly stressful and if her veins are not great it may need to be taken from the jugular vein rather than other sites. This may be more stressful unless Mona is a very calm Rabbit.

A blood test would provide more definitive information about her Liver and Kidney function, but it may not offer any treatment options.
 
Is it both her Kidneys and her Liver that are enlarged ?

Has she been on any corticosteroids after the stroke ?

A blood test should be relatively straight forward for her, although it may be briefly stressful and if her veins are not great it may need to be taken from the jugular vein rather than other sites. This may be more stressful unless Mona is a very calm Rabbit.

A blood test would provide more definitive information about her Liver and Kidney function, but it may not offer any treatment options.

Just an enlarged liver. She was on corticosteroids after the stroke and eventually came off them as the vet decided they had worked up to a certain point and to keep her on them would be futile as they would have become less effective over time. Mona is fairly calm within herself but I think they would have trouble raising a vein and although she does not seem to notice the needle for her vaccine I don't know how she would react to one drawing blood. I've just been with her and she is so bright and cheerful, eating well, even eating ceacotrophs from her botty. And she is making friend with housebun Orla, grooming her and snuggling up. She has a definite lust for life. I'm just not sure what to do. I think she will have to go back and see the good vet and I speak to him about it. As her care has been ongoing and he has seen her every time but today he knows her better than the locum and might suggest something better.
 
Just an enlarged liver. She was on corticosteroids after the stroke and eventually came off them as the vet decided they had worked up to a certain point and to keep her on them would be futile as they would have become less effective over time. Mona is fairly calm within herself but I think they would have trouble raising a vein and although she does not seem to notice the needle for her vaccine I don't know how she would react to one drawing blood. I've just been with her and she is so bright and cheerful, eating well, even eating ceacotrophs from her botty. And she is making friend with housebun Orla, grooming her and snuggling up. She has a definite lust for life. I'm just not sure what to do. I think she will have to go back and see the good vet and I speak to him about it. As her care has been ongoing and he has seen her every time but today he knows her better than the locum and might suggest something better.

The enlarged liver may be due to the steroids

This relates to Dogs, but the principle is the same

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_vacuolar_hepatopathy#.UVwh86JO9uY
 
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