Large lump on Rabbits side.

Question
My Rabbit formed a large lump on her side about 5 months. I was told it could be a food mass. And to cut down on her diete a bit and it should dissapear. She always had a good appetite and never seemed to be in pain. Last week she started breathing heavy and i noticed a change in her eating habbits. Her droppings have been loose for 2 months. When i noticed she was having trouble using her leggs i went to call the vett, when i came back to her cage she had passed on. Im trying to figure out what the mass could have been , and what could have caused it. It seemed like it was the size of 1/2  a orange attached to her side.    Thank You.


Answer
Dear Craig,

I'm afraid I'm not too impressed with the veterinarian who was "taking care" of your rabbit.  If all s/he did was palpate your bunny's abdomen and pronounce it to be a "food mass," and to cut down on her diet to resolve it, then I fear that vet doesn't know much about rabbits!  If the mass was the size of half an orange and *attached to her side,* then it wasn't a food mass.  It was more likely a tumor or an abscess that should have been treated after proper diagnosis.

A change in breathing could be due to many different things, from a respiratory infection to a tumor or other mass in the thorax, impinging on the airways.  Without a post-mortem exam, there is absolutely no way to know for sure.

Runny stool is often a side effect of other illness, as you can see here:

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

I'm sorry this comes too late to help your bunny, but this will help you determine if she's sick, and what to do:

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

And please find a more knowledgeable vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I am very sorry about your loss, but hope this will help if you ever have another bunny.

Dana