thymoma

Question
My 9 year old rabbit was diagnosed with thymoma. My vet does have much  hope in any treatment  however  she did me to on prednisone but said there are  side effects.  At this point I'm not sure what to do.  I don't want her to suffocate slowly. As of now she is still active and eating although not so much of her greens.
Any suggestions would be deeply appreciated.

Answer
Dear Anita,

Don't despair. There *are* treatments other than corticosteroids (which are really not recommended for rabbits, but if you have begun treatment, then it is essential to *wean* her off slowly if you decide on a different treatment).  Please read these important articles, which offer many alternatives:

http://www.rabbit.org/health/thymoma.html

http://www.rabbit.org/health/Rabbitthymomas.pdf

http://www.rabbit.org/health/thymomastory.html

There are more articles.  Just Google "rabbit" and "thymoma" and other key words, and you'll find them.

If you're not sure your vet is up to the task, you might wish to check the vet referral listings here:

http://www.rabbit.org/vet

to find a rabbit-savvy vet for a second opinion.

I hope this helps.

Dana