Rex with Tumor - Radiation?

Question
Hi Dana,

I have a male Rex which I rescued about 5 years ago from the local pound.  He was probably over a year old when rescued, and does not show signs of being a senior bunny.

He recently developed a limp and seemed to favor his back left leg.  Upon examination by a rabbit savvy vet, a lump on his right hip was discovered.  X-rays confirmed the lump and that the pelvic bone on the right side was affected.  It appears to have lost some mass and may be inflamed.  Blood tests showed elevated platelets and monocytes.

The vet was very kind and honest about the situation and referred the X-rays to other vets for their opinion.  They all concurred with her findings that it is a bone tumor and due to the location and invasion into the bone, the only option is to make him comfortable.  We started him on Metacam as his kidney values are good.

I am wondering, with the little information that I am able to provide, if you believe there are any options?  Also, would you consider radiation therapy to reduce the mass, in order to improve his comfort level?  At this point he is rotating his right back leg under him and almost entirely uses that leg.  He still has a healthy appetite and was tearing at his cardboard box today.

Thank you very much for taking the time to review this for us,
Debbie

Answer
Dear Debbie,

The only tumor for which I've heard of people using radiation on rabbits is a thymoma (a non-malignant tumor of the thymus).  Whether radiation might help your bunny's tumor will depend on how aggressive the tumor is, and you also need to consider that radiation can have adverse side effects of its own.

The best person to discuss this with would be a veterinary oncologist.  Your vet may be able to refer you to one locally who can tell you whether they can safely irradiate your bunny's mass.  If you do decide to do this, please do share the results.  There are so many bunny "parents" out there who are desperate for treatment options when faced with a diagnosis like this, and your experience could help many people and their rabbits, in addition to your own.

I wish you the best of luck, and good results, whatever you decide to do!

Dana