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Have one last hope for Boris

Liz47

Wise Old Thumper
I did a thread for Boris in health about his liver problems, well after blood tests, a poo sample and a liver scan the vet has decided to give him antibiotics and a pain killer for five days incase there is an infection not a tumour and if there's no improvement I can't really see any other alternative other than pts. :cry: It's hard because he is still eating and can be bright but he's so thin now and just seems to be very uncomfortable at times and miserable, plus he's been chewing at his legs due to them always being wet from constantly weeing everywhere. I just hope I can see an improvement on the meds.
 
Oh dear, I'm so sorry that Boris is poorly. What specific liver disease has he been diagnosed with? Would it not be worth getting a 2nd opinion before taking such drastic action?
 
We can't exactly tell, the scan was supposed to tell us as blood and poo tests don't tell us exactly what's going on but we couldn't see his liver very well at all because rabbits are too full of gas most of the scan was just black but what glimpse we got of his liver it showed that is was quite badly damaged, most likely by a tumour although I'm trying meds incase an infection has caused damaged and to see if pain killers with make him brighter.
 
hmmm the trouble is though with liver disease, blood tests aren't good screening tests for anything like tumours, as they tend to be normal until quite late on in the disease. There are several possibilities that spring to mind, all with differing treatment options, and I really do think before putting to sleep, I would need to know which disease it actually was, and try the recommended treatment. You never know it might just work when you know exactly what you are dealing with.

In the past I had a bunny with Hepatic Lipidosis, and a couple of things you have said make me wonder if Boris could have that as well. You mention the weight loss which my bunny had, and if your vet is wondering about infection or a tumour, I was wondering if any x-rays etc could be misleading and what you are actually seeing, which is what Benjamin had, was an abnormal accumulation of fat within the liver cells, hence why the disease is referred to as 'fatty liver.' Have you heard that mentioned at all?
 
That's interesting. I can't remember the name but he said that those specific liver enzymes were high which made him think tumour. He has been loosing weight for a while but I feel bad for saying but I didn't notice too much until other symptoms occurred such as constant weeing and pooing everywhere with lack of litter training, really pale eyes (anaemia) and tiredness/general miserableness.
 
Poor Boris, I'm sorry he's so sick :( what about RogerRabbit's suggestion, could you get a second opinion from a rabbit specialist? (unless your current vet already is one, I don't know)
 
poor boris. i don't have any advice, sorry. just wanted to send him a hug :love: and you aswell because it must be so hard. :( x
 
Thanks both, I do find my vet good and he is always very thorough with things and I have always trusted/been impressed with him in the past. Not having a very good time recently with pets, I think there's been some bacteria problems with my frogs I've lost two of them so far and I found Wellington hamster curled up, eyes closed and breathing heavily, tried to warm him up but he died yesterday night.
 
Could you ask your vet to maybe refer you to a specialist rabbit vet? Your vet may be good, but if they are suggesting putting your rabbit down before trying to find out exactly what is wrong, that suggests that they aren't 100% rabbits savvy. I would want a second opinion from a rabbit specialist, or the scans/xrays sent to them for a second opinion. Xrays and scans are difficult to read unless the knows EXACTLY what they are looking for.
 
I will mention to my vet in the morning and refresh myself on Benjamin's treatment. I know with liver disease it is a lot of the time to do with supportive care, but for each specific disease though there is something that won't cure it, but may stop it getting worse, and still give the bunny a good quality of life. For the main with Benjamin it was nutritional support. He was syringe fed Recovery diet, and always had food available to him. Being a paramedic I would at times administer IV fluids, which I could set up at home. He had vitamins. I'm not a 100% on what they were but will check in the morning. I think they may have been B and K. There was another weird treatment he had, but because he had been diagnosed fairly early on, it did actually do some good. Don't laugh but Benjamin drank green tea :shock: I don't remember the correct names, but interestingly there is something in green tea that increases hepatic lipase activity in bunnies, and protects the cells from fatty degeneration. Ok it wasn't a cure, but it did slow things down considerably and he had another 19 months he wouldn't otherwise have had, and to me that is quite a good bit of extra time.
 
I did a thread for Boris in health about his liver problems, well after blood tests, a poo sample and a liver scan the vet has decided to give him antibiotics and a pain killer for five days incase there is an infection not a tumour and if there's no improvement I can't really see any other alternative other than pts. :cry: It's hard because he is still eating and can be bright but he's so thin now and just seems to be very uncomfortable at times and miserable, plus he's been chewing at his legs due to them always being wet from constantly weeing everywhere. I just hope I can see an improvement on the meds.

He does sound very poorly and only you know what is truly best for Boris, but I always worry about inconclusive diagnosis, and I am sure you have seen as I have done as well over the years, very, very poorly bunnies, but with the appropriate intervention, turning it around so to speak.
 
Thankyou for your help. I would just be concerned about syringe feeding him and giving him a lot of treatment because he stresses about it, giving him simple pain relief/anti biotics is difficult enough. We also think he is quite old which I would worry about just stressing him out with more intensive things.
 
I'm sorry Boris is so poorly. :( Sending vibes, and thinking of you at this anxious time. I remember when Boris first came to you. He has been so lucky to come into such good hands. :love:

Sorry to hear about your other pet losses. xxx
 
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