Chest lump/possibly put to sleep?

[Thumper123]

Hi all, I posted a while ago about Biscuit not being right with her back legs. The vet could not find anything wrong and said to keep an eye on her.
This week she has really deteriorated..she’s not eating anything I give her (I’ve seen her eat some grass), she is hunched and keeps lifting her front paw up. She is visibly in pain and has lost weight.

Been to the vets and as I was holding her I can feel a large lump in her chest, between her two front paws. She seemed to have pain on her shoulder when touched by the vet too. She has been given a pain relief injection and I have some oral for the morning, and we are seeing a more experienced rabbit vet tomorrow.

So my question is…I am preparing for the worst, she is 6 and she is visibly not well and I know by the time we see this it’s bad. If she doesn’t perk up from this injection, is the kindest thing to put her to sleep?

She is part of a bonded pair, I always take them to the vets together. If we have to have her put to sleep do I put them together to bring her home? I’ve seen that they need time together to process it.

 

[joey&boo]

I'm really sorry Biscuit is so poorly. I think its sensible to prepare for the worse. Ultimately you need to be guided by both your own intuition & the advice of the more experienced vet you are seeing tomorrow. I really hope its not as bad as you expect...but of course if it is something that can't be resolved & is causing her pain & stopping her eating it would be kinder to PTS. You obviously know her habits & personality, its clear you care.

I think Biscuits friend will be aware of how poorly she is. In the worst case scenario & you opted to have her pts & brought her home you could leave biscuits body with him. its not something i've done for some time but do what feels right for you

 

[Shimmer]

Have you got the results back from the lab?
Have you had a blood profile done? It would indicate if there are other issues (eg infection, liver or kidney issues, etc).
The shoulder pain could be due to the mass pushing the joint out of alignment. I had something similar with a young guinea pig last year.

What has your vet said about possible surgical removal of the mass? It may be worth a go, but you may also have to PTS while under anaesthetic - so you need to be prepared. You would also have to get her eating beforehand - so that probably means syringe feeding.

I would see what your vet says and go with your gut feeling. You know her best.

 

[Thumper123]

They haven’t done anything yet apart from a pain relief injection…which hasn’t made any difference today. I think the more rabbit savvy vet we’re seeing tomorrow will be more knowledgable.
I guess I’m just trying to prepare as it’s really not fair her being in this pain, and obviously it’s about weighing up what is worth putting her through. I just want to be straight in my head what to do best for her partner should she be PTS tomorrow, as I know I’ll be a mess!
It’s actually her sister she’s with, and they’ve never been apart so she will also be coming to the vets. I feel she does know something is wrong as she is staying close to Biscuit.

Dr Google (bad I know) looks like it’s an abscess or tumour but who knows. I will say I feel like it’s growing quickly, as it’s very visible now and she’s struggling to move around, although she’s having a good try

 

[bunny momma]

Sending positive vibes for you and your bunny. I hope the exotic vet can help her be more comfortable. Please keep us updated on Biscuit and her sister.

 

[Thumper123]

Unfortunately we made the decision to have Biscuit put to sleep this morning. As you all know, it’s the worst decision ever but the pain relief did nothing for her, and she could barely walk this morning.
We brought her home for a few hours and her sister sniffed her for a minute then went off. So far she’s acted completely normal, but we’ll obviously keep an eye on her.

I don’t really want to get another bun, so I’m hoping she manages ok on her own. Anything in particular we can do for her? I plan to leave the blanket in the shed that Biscuit always laid on.

 

[Omi]

I am so very sorry As you rightly say, a really horrible decision to have to make. But it was absolutely the caring thing to do to take away her pain, when she was unable to get better.

Regarding her sister, all bunnies are different in how they cope with these situations and it sounds as though she will be OK. But yes obviously observe her closely.

Sometimes it helps to re-arrange the environment that they shared a little. So move things about a bit and maybe add something new, such as a box to play with.

 

[Thumper123]

Thank you, I’ll do that tomorrow. She has been her normal self so far, and I guess that may be because she knew she was dying. They didn’t really play together as such but did groom and lay together.

 

[Orenoko]

Really sorry you lost Biscuit, it's so hard knowing when to make the right decision but it sounds like you did the right thing for her.

Re not wanting to get another bun, if her sister is a similar age she may live for several more years so it may be worth considering at some stage, but obviously things are very raw currently. I always feel like animals know when something is wrong and from what you've said it does sound like she knew to some extent.

 

[Pets mum]

So sorry to hear that you have lost Biscuit, and I agree that you did the kindest thing for her. I hope that your remaining bunny copes well too.

 

[bunny momma]

I am so sorry to hear Biscuit's pain could not be controlled and she was having difficulty walking so you had to make the decision to PTS to ease her pain.
Sending vibes to you and her sister.

 

[Thumper123]

Well her sister has been doing binkies around the garden this morning, so I think she is fine! Hopefully it continues…I need to contain myself as I feel so sorry for I feed her every time I see her Need to stop that or she’ll be the size of a house!
Thanks for all of your replies, such a sad situation but part of life unfortunately.