Hazel's Lump

Following on from the plums thread, I thought I'd take some photos of Hazel's lump underneath her spay scar.

Here is the position on the body:


And a couple showing how big it is. It is a hard lump and she doesn't seem to flinch or anything when I have a feel

Very peculiar
What does the vet say it is, any idea?

Without being able to feel it I cant really be sure what it is. It might be a local reaction to a suture. But it could also be a herniated spay. Left untreated this can be very serious, sorry I am not trying to make things worse for you but from the photos I cant say for certain that its not a herniated spay. I'd be able to tell by feeling the lump as one of my Does had it happen ( not a Christabel spay !! )

If its a local reaction to the sutures then an anti-inflammatory should help as would removal of the offending suture (if its an external one)

Jane, I am not planning on sueing you or anything but can you please try and describe what a herniated spay would feel like. This is a protuberance of about 0.5cm-1cm high, has a definite 'edge' to it, feels slightly lumpy and will not give under any pressure

she has no external sutures, it was some sort of glue but you can just see the one little scab that i mentioned in an earlier post. The sutures are internal and would be 'further away' in the photos I have shown (i.e. towards the top of the photograph), the other side of the lump.

Helen, I am so concerned for you and Hazel.

I am only a bunny novice but I would have thought a hernia would give under pressure.

Could it be a thing called a seroma which is a build up of plasma from damaged blood vessels, this can occur after surgery. If this is the case then the swelling will subside on it's own.

I am sure that if an infection was involved then Hazel would be poorly.

Thinking of you all,
Vanessa xx

I really hope that's all it is. I would have imagined that an infection would be painful and slightly squashy not rock hard like this.

It is so hard as I don't trust the vet but I can't really show you guys what it is as you'd have to feel it to know. It is almost like someone has implanted a little lump of plastic or something between her skin and muscle. I know that sounds silly but it's the best I can describe it

I've had Does with infected spey scars and to be honest they usually swell and become inflammed around the sutures but I have yet to see one actually swell into a lump. Is it 'fixed' or can you move it about under the skin?

Usually with an infection gentle pressure will produce discharge from the wound site.

Are the sutures dissolvable?

the internal ones are, yes. But the skin has just been glued (or similar) and has already healed. apart from that small scab which I have had a gentle fiddle with (mainly to see if any pus was discharged) and seems to be almost completely healed and only attached very lightly.

I don't really want to go piercing her myself but it is really tempting to just prod a big hole in there (at the vet's of course) and see what the hell is inside her.

no sooz, the lump does not move around under the skin. it is bizarre.

He said that it was muscular swelling. I suppose if it WAS muscluar swelling then it would make sense that it wouldn't move around. but then when I asked "so it's not an infection then" he said "if it was infection we couldn't give antibiotics as it affects the gut flora"

this guy has his heart in the right place but ffs, if an animal has an infection you give it abx!!! screw the gut flora, you can help them to re establish themselves. better than an animal dying of septicaemia IMHO...

Sounds like he knows half his facts....

Wouldn't a muscular swelling point towards a hernia anyway though? Do you think some of the glue may have gotton under the skin? Sometimes it can produce some hard lumpy areas which slowly resolve themselves, she may even have had a reaction to the glue.

I don't feeli like I can be much help though because this is all guess work really.....another one for Dana Kremples?

The glue could be an answer. The thing is the lump is so big though, and the 'seam' where the glue was is on one edge, not the middle.

It's odd because it started out as a gentle swelling one day and developed ionto a full blown massive lump the next.

Poor Hazel, I can't help wondering if I'm stupid for sending her back to this butcher

Trouble is if it is a hernia then without corrective surgery the intestines that are protruding may well die off and I dont need to tell you what that would mean.
I am really hoping that everything will be OK. I feel rather useless being so far away and unable to give definitive reassurance to you.

I am feeling useless being right here Jane to be honest.

We are back to the vets this afternoon and I am going to try and convince him to let me take some hypodermics away with me as liquids aren't working and getting an irate rabbit to swallow half a pill (however small and dissolvable) is no easy task.

I am praying it is nothing serious and is jsut the swelling that the vet thinks it is.

What would a hernia 'feel' like? I would have imagined soft and squidgy if it is intestines. Or maybe I am building false hope...

[quote="buddabun"] getting an irate rabbit to swallow half a pill (however small and dissolvable) is no easy task.

quote]

I don't have any experience of a bun with this sort of lump, so can't advise on that, but maybe you can crush her pill between two teaspoons, moisten her veggies and sprinkle it on that or mix it with a little vegetable baby food, that's what we do with our buns.

This must be so frustrating for you, sending you a big hug.

Thanks Lynda.

We have been to the vet, the swelling is subsiding (slowly) so I am to go back in a few days time when the pills are gone. There was no way he was giving me hypodermics so it's back to wrestling I'm afraid.

I tried hiding it in food but she sees straight through it.

Stroppy and smart

Well at least the swelling is going down.
The hernia one of my Does had was hard and quite a lot bigger than Hazel's lump. But it was in the same position.
Lets hope that the lump will continue to reduce in size.
Blimey, its bad enough here with some Vets and their lack of Bunny knowledge but I think it's worse over there.

More vibes on their way

I think it is. I find it hard to blame him as he is such a sweet guy and he really does have his heart in the right place but he really needs to either go on a refresher course or retrain in bunnies!!!

I am going to try and give her her pill now, with a surreptitious fondle of her area...

Oh H I am so sorry ro hear about ppor Hazel. What a nightmare. What do they teach these vets

I have no idea! And i do feel bad slagging him off but there are problems clearly

it is odd, the lump has gone down slightly but seems to have MOVED down as well.

I cannot move it under the skin but the skin will move over it (hence why I think it might well be muscular/internal rather than pus). It is bizarre!