my rabbits guts /cecum stopped working

Question
QUESTION: My rabbit swifty 3 years old is at the vets now has been since monday, its thurs now  he was  drinking very little only eating small amounts of  hay , weight loss  of 1 kg the vet has said his gut and cecum  has stopped working and thinks he might have tumors the gut thing secondary only way to know is to operate and see inside as xrays would not show  he is due to have this operation later today in  3 hours time I am so worried the operation could kill him .the vet offered me a choice take him home as in is now nurse him syrine feed /water or operation where if he has tumors to be  put down on table while asleep or if no tumors clear gut push through see why so hard ,I HAVE GONE FOR OPERATION but am I wrong, vet admits rabbits not her speciality. kind regards Indira

ANSWER: Dear Indira,

I hope your bunny came through the surgery okay, but I would not have opted for surgery.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

The "tumors" might simply have been masses in the intestine, and unless the vet is *really* an expert in rabbit surgery and general medicine, he should not be messing around with abdominal/intestinal surgery on such a delicate, difficult species.

I really hope all went well, and that you had contacted me before you had decided to go ahead with surgery.  If your bunny is still with us, you can find an experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for a second opinion, which is always wise to get if you're not sure of the expertise of the vet you've already seen.

I am sorry I could not help sooner.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:  My swifty died, put to sleep on operation table vet said swifty had a large tumor on his cecum ,I wish I had not gone
through with the operation ,I just wanted him to live I loved him very much and miss him so much .I wish I had contacted you sooner thank you.

Answer
Dear Indira,

I am so very sorry about the loss of your friend.  I don't think you should regret having the surgery done.  There are MUCH worse ways to die than gently, under anesthesia.  And his last memory was of you lovingly bringing him to people who were trying to help him.

At least you know that what he had was not treatable, and that he will not suffer from the pain of the tumor any longer.  I know you miss him terribly.  But sometimes there is just nothing we can do when the body of a dear friend fails, except what you did.  Which was to try and get him the best help possible.

Sometimes, even that is futile.

I am sending many healing thoughts, and hope you know that you are not alone.

Take care,

Dana