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Bladder lump in 8 year old

carolineclair

carolineclair

Warren Scout
My Dutch rabbit Maple is now 8 and has recently been in and out of the vets as she wasn't pooing and getting really clogged in her tummy. This has been an ongoing issue that comes and goes (usually because of heavy moulting and ingesting too much fur we believe) but this time it got really bad.

Thankfully she has come out the other side and we have totally changed her diet, we didn't realise we had been giving her too much calcium with her greens and treats. During one of the many vet visits they mentioned they could feel a lump in her bladder which we presume to be a bladder stone (the vet says it feels smaller since we changed her diet) but at 8 I don't want to put her through surgery to confirm what the lump is. She has had surgery twice in her short life and she doesn't recover well.

She has now started weeing way more than she was, we would say excessive to before which ive read can be caused by bladder stones. She is eating, drinking and running about totally fine, just weeing more than normal.

Does anyone have bunnys living with bladder stones? Any advice? i guess i just wanted to speak to people with similar situations as no one i know are bunny people!
 
carolineclair said:
My Dutch rabbit Maple is now 8 and has recently been in and out of the vets as she wasn't pooing and getting really clogged in her tummy. This has been an ongoing issue that comes and goes (usually because of heavy moulting and ingesting too much fur we believe) but this time it got really bad.

Thankfully she has come out the other side and we have totally changed her diet, we didn't realise we had been giving her too much calcium with her greens and treats. During one of the many vet visits they mentioned they could feel a lump in her bladder which we presume to be a bladder stone (the vet says it feels smaller since we changed her diet) but at 8 I don't want to put her through surgery to confirm what the lump is. She has had surgery twice in her short life and she doesn't recover well.

She has now started weeing way more than she was, we would say excessive to before which ive read can be caused by bladder stones. She is eating, drinking and running about totally fine, just weeing more than normal.

Does anyone have bunnys living with bladder stones? Any advice? i guess i just wanted to speak to people with similar situations as no one i know are bunny people!
Click to expand...

Hello

Unfortunately if bladder stones are present then surgery is the only option to get rid of them. Has your Vet suggested abdominal Xrays which should ascertain if there are any stones present and also if there are any signs of the condition progressing to effect her kidneys (Neuroliths AKA 'Kidney Stones) If the Kidneys are affected this will impair renal function and in the long term lead to renal failure. Excessive drinking/weeing is one symptom of renal problems. Blood tests are needed to assess renal function. There is some further information on the following links :

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/Mech_diseases/Urolithiasis.htm

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/HypercalciuriaRabbits.htm

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Urolithiasis.htm

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/ChronicRenalLagomorph.htm
 
Yes the vet has now suggested an x ray, I was hoping maybe it was liveable without surgery or consequences worsening but from your email that doesn't appear to be the case :(

My fear is that she seems so well in herself so to risk her life through another surgery I just feel awful
 
If she needs an op, it would be better while she is fit and well, rather than when she has deteriorated and the risks increase.
 
Shimmer said:
If she needs an op, it would be better while she is fit and well, rather than when she has deteriorated and the risks increase.
Click to expand...

I agree with this comment 100%.
I had three bunnies with bladder stones which were not previously diagnosed because they had no symptoms until it became an emergency. All were seen on X-rays.
In Amigo's case, the stone irritated his bladder and he got an infection and flecks of blood in his urine. Thankfully his infection did not get to his kidneys. Amigo was about the same age of your bunny at the time of his surgery and he lived many more years.
Your vet will monitor your bunny during surgery and may want to do some blood and/or urine tests before surgery.
 
bunny momma said:
I agree with this comment 100%.
I had three bunnies with bladder stones which were not previously diagnosed because they had no symptoms until it became an emergency. All were seen on X-rays.
In Amigo's case, the stone irritated his bladder and he got an infection and flecks of blood in his urine. Thankfully his infection did not get to his kidneys. Amigo was about the same age of your bunny at the time of his surgery and he lived many more years.
Your vet will monitor your bunny during surgery and may want to do some blood and/or urine tests before surgery.
Click to expand...


Thank you all for your advice

Will get her booked in for an Xray xxx
 
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