Hello,
My bunny and I have been struggling with a health issue for a while now, but we haven’t been able to find a clear solution.
He’s 10 years old, male, and unneutered.
(A little bit of context even though I'm not sure if it is related to the current problem) Earlier this year, I noticed that one of his testicles was enlarged. We visited our vet, and she told us that it was most likely a tumor. However, due to his age, she considered neutering too risky. Her advice was to let him live out his remaining time as comfortably as possible. At that point, even though the testicle had become quite large and it had all happened very suddenly, he was still very active, eating well, playing, and constantly seeking attention.
Two months later, I started feeling a hard, bumpy mass on his left side, near his ribs. At first, it felt sharp, and I thought maybe I was just feeling a protruding rib that had shifted somehow. But over time, it turned into a round, lump-like formation. We went back to the vet. The lump was about the size of a large walnut and quite firm. She examined it by touch and with an ultrasound and concluded it was most likely another tumor—possibly a secondary growth related to the testicle, or a separate one entirely. In any case, she thought surgery would be even riskier now, especially since the mass seemed attached to the ribs and might not be fully removable. Her recommendation again was to focus on keeping him comfortable. She prescribed a supplement to boost his immune system—Imunoactiv, if I remember correctly.
After that I spoke to another vet I know who uses medicinal mushrooms and promotes them as supportive care for cancer. In times like this, you cling to whatever hope you can find, so I got some powdered cordyceps mushroom, which is said to support the immune system and may (according to some studies) have anti-tumor properties. I started giving him half a dose daily, as recommended.
Around that time, my bunny started to slow down a little, and the lump on his side clearly bothered him, but he was still eating normally. He was also shedding heavily, which probably made him more lethargic than usual.
Now, about a month later, the lump has grown significantly, but there have also been some noticeable changes. I don’t know if they happened on their own or if they were influenced by the supplements (the cordyceps and Imunoactiv). Secretly, I’m hoping that maybe this wasn’t a tumor after all—but an abscess—and that there’s still a chance we can treat it and get him better.
Here are the changes I’ve noticed:
At first, the lump was very firm, smooth, and evenly rounded.
- Now it has softened in certain areas—some more than others—but it doesn’t feel like it has softened entirely in depth.
- It feels irregular inside, almost like it’s fragmented or divided into parts.
- The lump is warm to the touch.
- My bunny generally lets me touch it, but when I try to gently squeeze it, he sometimes shows signs of discomfort.
Overall, he seems to be doing okay. He eats and drinks normally. As I mentioned, he’s still a bit sluggish, likely because he’s still molting. Interestingly, he has stopped eating hay, although he still enjoys other greens, including dried leaves.
Do you think it's just a progressing tumor or there’s still achance this could be an abscess? And even if it is, is there any hope of full recovery if surgery isn’t an option?
(I’m planning to speak with the vet again and take my bunny for another check-up next week, but I really wanted to hear a second opinion as well. Unfortunately, in my town, this is the only vet who truly has experience with rabbits, so I don’t have anyone else to turn to.)
My bunny and I have been struggling with a health issue for a while now, but we haven’t been able to find a clear solution.
He’s 10 years old, male, and unneutered.
(A little bit of context even though I'm not sure if it is related to the current problem) Earlier this year, I noticed that one of his testicles was enlarged. We visited our vet, and she told us that it was most likely a tumor. However, due to his age, she considered neutering too risky. Her advice was to let him live out his remaining time as comfortably as possible. At that point, even though the testicle had become quite large and it had all happened very suddenly, he was still very active, eating well, playing, and constantly seeking attention.
Two months later, I started feeling a hard, bumpy mass on his left side, near his ribs. At first, it felt sharp, and I thought maybe I was just feeling a protruding rib that had shifted somehow. But over time, it turned into a round, lump-like formation. We went back to the vet. The lump was about the size of a large walnut and quite firm. She examined it by touch and with an ultrasound and concluded it was most likely another tumor—possibly a secondary growth related to the testicle, or a separate one entirely. In any case, she thought surgery would be even riskier now, especially since the mass seemed attached to the ribs and might not be fully removable. Her recommendation again was to focus on keeping him comfortable. She prescribed a supplement to boost his immune system—Imunoactiv, if I remember correctly.
After that I spoke to another vet I know who uses medicinal mushrooms and promotes them as supportive care for cancer. In times like this, you cling to whatever hope you can find, so I got some powdered cordyceps mushroom, which is said to support the immune system and may (according to some studies) have anti-tumor properties. I started giving him half a dose daily, as recommended.
Around that time, my bunny started to slow down a little, and the lump on his side clearly bothered him, but he was still eating normally. He was also shedding heavily, which probably made him more lethargic than usual.
Now, about a month later, the lump has grown significantly, but there have also been some noticeable changes. I don’t know if they happened on their own or if they were influenced by the supplements (the cordyceps and Imunoactiv). Secretly, I’m hoping that maybe this wasn’t a tumor after all—but an abscess—and that there’s still a chance we can treat it and get him better.
Here are the changes I’ve noticed:
At first, the lump was very firm, smooth, and evenly rounded.
- Now it has softened in certain areas—some more than others—but it doesn’t feel like it has softened entirely in depth.
- It feels irregular inside, almost like it’s fragmented or divided into parts.
- The lump is warm to the touch.
- My bunny generally lets me touch it, but when I try to gently squeeze it, he sometimes shows signs of discomfort.
Overall, he seems to be doing okay. He eats and drinks normally. As I mentioned, he’s still a bit sluggish, likely because he’s still molting. Interestingly, he has stopped eating hay, although he still enjoys other greens, including dried leaves.
Do you think it's just a progressing tumor or there’s still achance this could be an abscess? And even if it is, is there any hope of full recovery if surgery isn’t an option?
(I’m planning to speak with the vet again and take my bunny for another check-up next week, but I really wanted to hear a second opinion as well. Unfortunately, in my town, this is the only vet who truly has experience with rabbits, so I don’t have anyone else to turn to.)
