Suspect thymoma

[mezrie]

Hi there, I suspect a thymoma in my bun, Willow. He is acting normal, binkying and has a good appetite at the moment but he’s had a change in his eyes over the last week. His third eyelids have been showing in both eyes. We took him to the vet last week who gave him a good look over and couldn’t find anything obvious wrong. He prescribed eye drops just in case it was an eye infection but his eyes are the same. They aren’t always visible but definitely there more than not. Are you please able to advise how much the injections cost regarding palliative care. Willow is incredibly sensitive and highly strung so just want him to be as comfortable as possible if thymoma is the issue. Thank you so much. X

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[Shimmer]

Why do you suspect it's a thymoma?
For specific treatment regimes and costs, you need to discuss the options with your vet. If it is thymoma, it's quite rare and different treatment options may be available. There are a couple of people on here who have gone through it, so you could do a search (box on top right of the main banner) for previous posts on the condition.


Changes in the eye can be due to all sorts of things, including congenital issues, ageing and the EC parasite.
The third eyelid showing is often an indicator that something is wrong generally, but not necessarilly with the eyes.

 

[mezrie]

Why do you suspect it's a thymoma?
For specific treatment regimes and costs, you need to discuss the options with your vet. If it is thymoma, it's quite rare and different treatment options may be available. There are a couple of people on here who have gone through it, so you could do a search (box on top right of the main banner) for previous posts on the condition.


Changes in the eye can be due to all sorts of things, including congenital issues, ageing and the EC parasite.
The third eyelid showing is often an indicator that something is wrong generally, but not necessarilly with the eyes.

 

[mezrie]

Hi there, thank you for responding. Just as it’s with both eyes, from what I’ve heard and what the vet said it sounds like it’s something pretty sinister. I’ve seen a few posts on here about which have been useful, which I’ve commented on, but no response as yet.
I don’t think it’s to do with his eyes as they aren’t inflamed or look sore. As Willow is pretty neurotic and extremely sensitive to handling it makes options limited. I just want to be able to keep him as comfortable as possible.

 

[Scrappy's Little Helper]

Hi there,

I'm sorry there are issues with Willow's eyes. I have very recent experience in dealing with a rabbit with thymoma so hopefully I might be able to help.

For my bunny, her third eyelids were up constantly in both eyes. Her eyes also started to bulge. This was more noticeable when her head was lowered. The bulging eyes is a classic sign of a thymoma as the tumour presses on the optic nerve. Have you noticed any bulging with Willow's eyes? Also, has he lost weight or become more lethargic?

It might be worth trying to get a referral to a rabbit savvy vet if you can as they'll know which diagnostics to do to ascertain whether he does have a thymoma.

For my bunny, I opted to go for palliative care as she was quite elderly. She was on daily oral steroids rather than the injections. I can't remember the exact cost but I think it was around £18 for two weeks worth of tablets. I'm afraid I don't know how much the injections would be.

 

[mezrie]

Thank you so much for your message, I really appreciate it. Im so sorry your bunny was poorly and I assumed has passed? It must have been extremely upsetting.

I’m not sure if Willow’s eyes are bulging, sometimes I think they might be a bit more pronounced, but I’m very paranoid about it. We did the wheelbarrow test and I can’t say it made any real difference to his eyes. Sometimes the third eyelids are more noticeable than others but definitely hasn’t improved since the eye drops. His appetite is still good and no weight loss as yet x

 

[Scrappy's Little Helper]

Thank you for your condolences. Sadly she has now passed away.

The wheelbarrow test was done when she was first diagnosed and the bulging was really pronounced. I do know what you mean about being paranoid about the eyes. It was her third eyelids coming up that prompted me to make the initial vet appointment and I was obsessively looking at her eyes for signs of bulging. It really wasn't as obvious at home as it was at the vet.

I think perhaps the only way to get to the bottom of it would be to have scans. If he does have a thymoma then it should show up on the scan. Or it might shed light on what else could be causing the third eyelids coming up. However I do appreciate that it's an expensive option and I know from experience with a couple of my other bunnies that scans don't always give conclusive results.

 

[mezrie]

I’m relieved that you understand. It sounds as though your bun had a wonderful home with you, and you did your best for her. I’m so thankful you replied, I’ll most likely take him to an exotic vet to see what they say x

 

[EBM]

Hi Mezie, how is Willow doing now? I had a rabbit with diagnosed Thymoma, who passed away early last year. If you haven't yet I'd recommend getting a proper diagnosis before any palliative treatment. My vet did the same, prescribed eye drops first which didn't do anything so then I insisted we did x-rays which revealed a large mass in her chest. But her eyes were quite obviously bulging when she lowered her head so I was sure it was something more sinister going on. She did pretty well for another 7months or so, appearing to be quite comfortable until she started to decline and we decided to PTS before she got too bad.

 

[mezrie]

Hi Mezie, how is Willow doing now? I had a rabbit with diagnosed Thymoma, who passed away early last year. If you haven't yet I'd recommend getting a proper diagnosis before any palliative treatment. My vet did the same, prescribed eye drops first which didn't do anything so then I insisted we did x-rays which revealed a large mass in her chest. But her eyes were quite obviously bulging when she lowered her head so I was sure it was something more sinister going on. She did pretty well for another 7months or so, appearing to be quite comfortable until she started to decline and we decided to PTS before she got too bad.

Hi EBM,

Thank you for messaging. An x-ray was done which showed Willow had an enlarged heart, so for the last couple of weeks he has been having 0.6mg of Frusol and a 1.25g Cardisure tablet twice a day. I took him for a review at the vets this morning and they are quite happy with him and have said to halve the Frusol. They seem quite confident that we can manage Willow’s symptoms with just Cardisure alone at some point. He is quite a stressy rabbit so it’s not been very pleasant for either of us at medication time but it’s for the best.

I’m so sorry that your bun was diagnosed with a thymoma, she was very lucky to have you taking such wonderful care of her. Xx

 

[EBM]

Hi EBM,

Thank you for messaging. An x-ray was done which showed Willow had an enlarged heart, so for the last couple of weeks he has been having 0.6mg of Frusol and a 1.25g Cardisure tablet twice a day. I took him for a review at the vets this morning and they are quite happy with him and have said to halve the Frusol. They seem quite confident that we can manage Willow’s symptoms with just Cardisure alone at some point. He is quite a stressy rabbit so it’s not been very pleasant for either of us at medication time but it’s for the best.

I’m so sorry that your bun was diagnosed with a thymoma, she was very lucky to have you taking such wonderful care of her. Xx

Thanks for the reply. That's great news that Willow is doing so well and your vets are managing his condition so well.
Ivy was a very feisty little bun, who was always a challenge to administer any medication to. Even though her symptoms looked quite dramatic she coped amazingly well and was very resilient little bun. Which is why we knew it was the kindest thing to PTS when she started to struggle.
Sending Willow all the best

 

[mezrie]

Love the name Ivy. Was she an older bun?
Thank you for your well wishes xx

 

[EBM]

She was almost 11 when we lost her, she was 7 when we adopted her i think

 

[mezrie]

So my Willow has been on Frusol and Cardisure since January due to an enlarged heart. He is gets very stressed when it comes to being picked up and putting him back down, but whilst I’m
giving him the medicines twice a day, via syringe, he’s pretty docile. Over the last few weeks he’s been losing hair, like I’ve never seen before, and I’m wondering if it’s the stress of it all or something more sinister. He’s lost a bit of weight but eating and pooping normally. He also fell out with his brother a few weeks back, so I’ve had to separate them. It’s been one thing after another- I can’t seem to do right without doing wrong. I’ve emailed the vet again, as that’s what they recommended due to Willow’s high stress levels and heart condition. I’m not sure how I can make things less stressful for him. Has anyone else had similar experiences or issues like this? Thank you x

 

[InspectorMorse]

So my Willow has been on Frusol and Cardisure since January due to an enlarged heart. He is gets very stressed when it comes to being picked up and putting him back down, but whilst I’m
giving him the medicines twice a day, via syringe, he’s pretty docile. Over the last few weeks he’s been losing hair, like I’ve never seen before, and I’m wondering if it’s the stress of it all or something more sinister. He’s lost a bit of weight but eating and pooping normally. He also fell out with his brother a few weeks back, so I’ve had to separate them. It’s been one thing after another- I can’t seem to do right without doing wrong. I’ve emailed the vet again, as that’s what they recommended due to Willow’s high stress levels and heart condition. I’m not sure how I can make things less stressful for him. Has anyone else had similar experiences or issues like this? Thank you x

Fur loss as a result of sebaceous adenitis can be a symptom seen in cases of Thymoma

Thymoma and Cranial Mediastinal Masses in Rabbits - Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital - Nashville, TN

Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Small Animal Clinic Starter Site 2445 Morris Gentry Blvd Nashville TN 37013-2073

www.priestlakevet.com

 

[mezrie]

Fur loss as a result of sebaceous adenitis can be a symptom seen in cases of Thymoma

Thymoma and Cranial Mediastinal Masses in Rabbits - Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital - Nashville, TN

Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Small Animal Clinic Starter Site 2445 Morris Gentry Blvd Nashville TN 37013-2073

www.priestlakevet.com

Yeah, I was worried about that :/

 

[mezrie]

Yeah, I was worried about that :/

Fur loss as a result of sebaceous adenitis can be a symptom seen in cases of Thymoma

Thymoma and Cranial Mediastinal Masses in Rabbits - Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital - Nashville, TN

Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Small Animal Clinic Starter Site 2445 Morris Gentry Blvd Nashville TN 37013-2073

www.priestlakevet.com

So we went to the vet today and it was confirmed Willow has a thymoma, about three times the size of his heart
Surgery and radiotherapy would be far too much of a stress for him so we will take it day by day. The vet has said to come off the meds he was on so that’ll please him, no more stress of being picked up. If anyone has any suggestions or things you did, or do, with your buns I’d really like to know how you made their lives as comfortable as possible x

 

[InspectorMorse]

So we went to the vet today and it was confirmed Willow has a thymoma, about three times the size of his heart
Surgery and radiotherapy would be far too much of a stress for him so we will take it day by day. The vet has said to come off the meds he was on so that’ll please him, no more stress of being picked up. If anyone has any suggestions or things you did, or do, with your buns I’d really like to know how you made their lives as comfortable as possible x

Very sorry to read the update

All the Rabbits I have cared for who were diagnosed with a thymoma received corticosteroid injections as palliative care. Whilst this medication is usually contraindicated for Rabbits when in the final months of life my Vet believes it is appropriate to try. When in the last chance saloon what is there left to lose. All my Rabbits responded well, with no adverse side effects. Some required a diuretic too.
The treatment reduced the severity of their symptoms and on average bought them about 6 months of very good quality life x

Edit to add the corticosteroid was given by long acting injection every 4-5 days if I remember correctly. So Willow would not need to be picked up every day.

 

[Tiggertime]

So we went to the vet today and it was confirmed Willow has a thymoma, about three times the size of his heart
Surgery and radiotherapy would be far too much of a stress for him so we will take it day by day. The vet has said to come off the meds he was on so that’ll please him, no more stress of being picked up. If anyone has any suggestions or things you did, or do, with your buns I’d really like to know how you made their lives as comfortable as possible x

My little Sophia is on prednisone to treat the thymoma, with ranitidine to counter the steroid's impact on her gut, and paracetamol for comfort. The steroid she takes crushed up on a basil leaf, and the other two she'll happy lick from the syringe like a treat.

When she had the eye bulging we found raising her food bowl allowed her to eat more comfortably.

 

[mezrie]

My little Sophia is on prednisone to treat the thymoma, with ranitidine to counter the steroid's impact on her gut, and paracetamol for comfort. The steroid she takes crushed up on a basil leaf, and the other two she'll happy lick from the syringe like a treat.

When she had the eye bulging we found raising her food bowl allowed her to eat more comfortably.

Thank you for posting, and I hope your little Sophia is comfortable.
Our vets have taken away all meds for the time being as Willow gets so stressed being picked up, they thought it may be counter productive I think.
Willow is eating and drinking and pooping but his hair he does look a sad sight, what with shedding and his eyes. I’m putting heat pads in which he seems to like sitting on. x