Swollen teats & lactating milk - Vet checked but still concerned

Hey everyone.

This is my first post so sorry if this is in the wrong place!

Basically, my rabbit not long ago got swollen teats and she was lactating milk. she's had no contact with any males however there is a male rabbit living in the same flat a few doors down. She's lived with this male for almost a year and nothing like this has happened until a new male was brought in to the flat (Still a few door's down). The veterinary said there's nothing she can give to her to calm them down and it's possible that she can smell the bucks and has come in to season. however this has never happened before in all the year's I've owned her. she's 5 years old now and I wanted to get her spayed but can't until her conditions disappear! I check every day to see if her condition is settling but it's not and I'm thinking, it must be painful for her to be producing milk but not extracting it?
I'm starting to worry as I don't want her in pain, she's acting the same as always and doesn't seemed to be distressed but why aren't her conditions fading? Is there nothing I can do at all?

P.S. The bucks are both being neutered today so I'm hoping this helps!

I would certainly get her spayed as soon as you can. Can anyone else here offer an opinion as to whether Galastop (prolactin inhibitor) might be helpful here? Logic tells me it would.

Sorry for raising more questions rather than providing answers Bebbeb.

Does seem to get it really bad at around 5 years old. I have a few and they are neutered. I am sorry I can't offer any more help.

Rhian33 said:

I would certainly get her spayed as soon as you can. Can anyone else here offer an opinion as to whether Galastop (prolactin inhibitor) might be helpful here? Logic tells me it would.

Sorry for raising more questions rather than providing answers Bebbeb.

Click to expand...

That's ok! Like I said she's been to the vets and she didn't seem worried. I'm just wanted her spayed as she's at a vulnerable age now

How longs it been going on? Rabbit's can have false pregnancies (they don't come into season regularly like some animals) which can be triggered by scent. Has she built a nest at all?

Did the vet suggest she had come into season? In which case I would change vets as rabbits do not come into season in the same way as other animals - they react instead to having mated - so ovulate after mating.

I would worry that the teats are engorged as it may actually indicate other issues. Have you actually seen milk or just swollen teats? If its swollen teats then it could actually be either an infection or cancer (the latter very common in unspayed does).

If the bucks are neutered they should not be affecting her like this anyway.

Tamsin said:

How longs it been going on? Rabbit's can have false pregnancies (they don't come into season regularly like some animals) which can be triggered by scent. Has she built a nest at all?

Click to expand...

Sorry, I figured it was a form of coming in to season. The vet believes the scent of the bucks will be setting her off because they've only just been introduced and have been spraying hence their castration today. I'd say it's been just over a week now.

@Parsnipbun
They basically said that the scent of the bucks are making her react this way. They were only just neutered today, before this they were only just introduced and have been spraying for the past week. Her teats have been like this for just over a week. I have seen them lactate milk and so has the vet, she wasn't concerned about anything so it's all healthy just not normal as she said this is a very rare case. I can also confirm it's milk as when I pick her up it sometimes squirts everywhere!

As others have mentioned, Rabbits do not come into season. They are induced ovulators, they ovulate in response to stimulation from the proximity of an entire Buck or by being mounted by another dominant Doe/neutered Buck. So your Vet may be correct in her assumption that this is what is going on with your Doe. If it is a pseudopregnancy it is self limiting and the symptoms should resolve over about 16-18 days. Administering hormone treatment to shorten the pseudopregnancy does not appear to work for Rabbits, unlike other species.

I would certainly want the Doe spayed ASAP, as I think you are intending to do. Repeated pseudopregnancies can lead to pyometra and hydrometra. Uterine adenocarcinoma is also very common in entire Does aged 5+, regardless of their previous breeding history.

parsnipbun said:

Did the vet suggest she had come into season? In which case I would change vets as rabbits do not come into season in the same way as other animals - they react instead to having mated - so ovulate after mating.

I would worry that the teats are engorged as it may actually indicate other issues. Have you actually seen milk or just swollen teats? If its swollen teats then it could actually be either an infection or cancer (the latter very common in unspayed does).

If the bucks are neutered they should not be affecting her like this anyway.

Click to expand...

I second what Parsnipbun has said. Other issues should be considered and you should make sure you have a very savvy vet when she is spayed.

If you wish, you can always start another threat in Rabbit Chat with "Rabbit savvy vet needed in (your location)" and people will help.

Jack's-Jane said:

As others have mentioned, Rabbits do not come into season. They are induced ovulators, they ovulate in response to stimulation from the proximity of an entire Buck or by being mounted by another dominant Doe/neutered Buck. So your Vet may be correct in her assumption that this is what is going on with your Doe. If it is a pseudopregnancy it is self limiting and the symptoms should resolve over about 16-18 days. Administering hormone treatment to shorten the pseudopregnancy does not appear to work for Rabbits, unlike other species.

I would certainly want the Doe spayed ASAP, as I think you are intending to do. Repeated pseudopregnancies can lead to pyometra and hydrometra. Uterine adenocarcinoma is also very common in entire Does aged 5+, regardless of their previous breeding history.

Click to expand...

So I shouldn't be worried and this is normal? It's been just over a week so it shouldn't be like this much longer then, right>

Bebbeb said:

So I shouldn't be worried and this is normal? It's been just over a week so it shouldn't be like this much longer then, right>

Click to expand...

Hopefully the symptoms should resolve over the next 10 days. But pseudopregnancies are stressful for the Doe so you need to remain very vigilant that she continues to eat and poo normally and that she does not develop mastitis. To try to minimise your Doe's stress I'd keep Oscar and Zoro well away from her too, so she cannot even smell them. Even though the boys are now neutered it will be several weeks until their hormones settle down. They can remain fertile for 4-6 weeks AFTER castration, so the must not be able to get to your Doe during that time as there is a risk that they could still impregnate her.

''following castration, the buck may remain fertile for at least four weeks and sometimes longer than this; the buck should be kept apart from any does until six weeks after castration''

Full details here: http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00...s/Indiv_TechniquesRabbit/CastrationRabbit.htm

Bebbeb said:

So I shouldn't be worried and this is normal? It's been just over a week so it shouldn't be like this much longer then, right>

Click to expand...

No it doesn't sound normal, and I would be concerned.

I should seek a second opinion if this doesn't subside. You can go to another vet and don't need permission from your existing vet to do this. She may be in discomfort.

I know she isn't in any proximity to any males, so cannot be pregnant, so it's important to establish the cause. In my opinion!