Has anyone had a bun with leukemia? U/D and Piccie

I just wondered as it'd be nice to share experiences with anyone that had.
Our Picollo has finished his chemotherapy which has worked and he is in remission.
However, the chemo has killed every white blood cell so he currently has no immune system. For the next couple of weeks he is having long lasting antibiotic injections to help support himas well as panacur for 28 days as while doesnt seem to have a physical manifestation of Ec he did test positive of having come into contact with it at some point so my vet tught given the circumstances with his leukemia he's best of on the panacur too. Fiingers crossed he catches nothing in the next ten days or so else we'll really be in trouble.
He is still being very slow to put on weight however. My vet thought it would be a quicker process , he seems to be putting on only about 4g a fortnight, but at least it is in the right direction.
Has anyone had any experiences like this? I'm very happy that hopefuly we will have our special boy for a time yet

I didn't even know bunnehs could suffer from leukemia.

I'm glad Picollo has responded positively to treatment though! :luv:

Laura wrote:I didn't even know bunnehs could suffer from leukemia.

I'm glad Picollo has responded positively to treatment though! :luv:

Hi Laura, thanks I wouldn't have realised either, but thinking on it i guess we're all pretty made up the same way. I have googled it and cant really find out much at all re. leukemia in bunnies so i wondered if i'd come across anyone else that had a bun with the same illness.

I have not had any experience of Leukaemia in my Buns (*touches lots of wood*)
I would be everso interested to hear what the chemo drugs were.

I hope Picollo will remain in remission and infection free

I'll find out for you Jane. I did know but no way can i remember of top of me head, the names were far too long! I know that one of the drugs is given to treat it in dogs too as Picollo's dose was being taken from the same as a dog they were treating with leukemia at the same time.
I ended up just reading up on leukemia on wiki, just so i had a better idea of what was going on inside of him.

I think it'd be useful for all of us if you could let us know the chemo used

What a star Picollo is :luv:

I didnt even know that buns could suffer from leukemia, I'm glad that he is responding to treatments.

Wow So glad he is doing well, What were his symptoms? XXX

Well. Mainly weight loss. Very sudden. He has never been particularly tidy round his back end. Poos fine but bit matted. So weight loss mainly. Then wet legs but that kinda went when he was treated for a urine infection. Then just runny poos and uneaten ceacopoops. Though his diet was and his sister whom he lives with was tip top.
He also had slightly yellow teeth and mucous membranes. Initially my vet thought a kidney/liver prob but that came back all clear. When the in house blood tests came back clear and his urine infection was treated my vet thought he'd improve. But he only put on 4g in 2 weeks. So then he was in again for a dental under GA but that was clear. So the bloods were sent off for EC as much as anything else. Thats when the results came back showing aneamia and abnormal white cells, that was the confirmation of the leukemia i think. But he has tested positive for EC too but the EC tests for the body's immune response to EC so i dont know if the infection is active or not but he's on 28 days panacur too anyway x

Sorry that was a right rambling post!

Fairy13 wrote:Sorry that was a right rambling post!

Not at all !! Very informative

Has the little chap managed to gain any more weight ? I'd love to see some piccies of him, the brave Bun that he is :luv:

i honestly had no idea that bunnehs could get leukemia.. such a brave bun love and lots of huggles and kisses xxxx

I'll have to get some piccies of him with me new camera
He was when weighed last week 1.96kg I think. He was 1.76kg at his lowest I think and previously when healthy he was about 2.5kg.
He has taken a good while to put just that 20g on must be a couple of months
He has remained in himself, well. He hasn't particularly acted unwell. My vet has said that in himself, he doesnt know that anything is wrong. And he has always always eaten well. Which was for me, the really worrying thing that it was something serious i think, because he was ravenous but beginning to look very underweight with a prominent spine etc. So I'm guessing maybe there has been muscle loss as well as weight loss. General loss of condition I guess while seeming quite a bright happy bun.
The only really sad thing just now is because with all the investigative trips to the vet, then the chemo jabs every 3 days when we knew what it was, and now with the antibio jabs every 5 days on top of panacur every day, he runs away now when he sees us as does his sister, who, little gem that she is, has accompanied him everywhere throughout. :luv:

Awwwww bless him. Its when a sick Bun doesn't run away that I feel more sad as it means they just feel too poorly to move. But your boy is obviousy feeling OK and thinking to himself ' why are these pesky hoomans bovering me all the time'...........

Jack's-Jane wrote:Awwwww bless him. Its when a sick Bun doesn't run away that I feel more sad as it means they just feel too poorly to move. But your boy is obviousy feeling OK and thinking to himself ' why are these pesky hoomans bovering me all the time'...........

yes Jane you're right! Thanks, thats made me feel a bit better about it x

Did Picollo have to be reffered to a bunny specialist to have Chemo?Ive only ever read in books of bunnies being treated for Cancer with chemo in America.You must have a brilliant vet to have diagnosed Picollo.How is he getting on?

Just thought I'd update that Picollo is still doing ok. His most recent blood test showed that he is much improveed though there are 2 types og white cell that are still not right so he has had a couple more different drugs the last couple of weeks and has a month of freedom before he needs another blood test!!

I do know that initially he was treated with Dexadresson every 3 days and Cytarabine once and then again 3 weeks later. Then he's also been covered recently by a long lasting antibiotic and then these most recent drugs which I dont know!

There are different types of leukemia and apparently he has chronic myeloid leukemia.

Here's a recent piccie of the little chap

Maizey wrote:Did Picollo have to be reffered to a bunny specialist to have Chemo?Ive only ever read in books of bunnies being treated for Cancer with chemo in America.You must have a brilliant vet to have diagnosed Picollo.How is he getting on?

Oh and no he wasnt referred, it is my usualvet that has been treating him x

He looks great !!

Could you PM me your Vet's details please. I'd like to give them to Christabel (my Vet) incase she ever encounters a similar case

Thanks, he is wuffly :luv: other than weight loss and lacking a bit of condition you would not have looked at him and ever thought he was desperately ill I don't think. He's a very special boy :luv:

oh, and I've just pm'ed you x

I am learning so much today! Sending vibes for little Picollo, and hope he continues to improve, he is beautiful x

Gosh he looks so well.You must have a brilliant rabbit savy vet.Im so glad he is getting better

Just read through this, wouldnt be at all surprised if this is what Daniel had Although results did come back with liver problems, they said that they could be secondary to the really low number of white cells/almost no red cells. Though Daniel was in a lot of pain, which it doesnt sound like Piccolo was; vet mentioned this could've been caused by bleeding into his gut. Really pleased Piccolo is getting better XX

Oh I'm so sorry to hear about Daniel We are lucky that throughout Picollo has been fine. My vet said that he does not know at all that he is unwell and he's always been well in himself.

Picollo is a beauty. He looks really healthy for a bun who has been through so much!

Hope he stays perky bless him :luv: