Lumpy Rabbit

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

listhestar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:15:45 GMT

You've got to love this forum. I've only ever seen rabbits fully ok with vaccine or full blown myxo but never cutaneous myxo- live and learn eh

Cheers guys

Lisa

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Utlendigur — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:20:50 GMT

The owner did consent to biopsy! - the lumps had got more prominent, but not more numerous and still only really over trunk. Rabbit is still clinically well. And I had a camera this time

Biopsy done under local (nice quiet rabbit), and the result was....

Cutaneous myxomatosis

Thanks for the advice - as long as the rabbit remains well, we're just going to see what happens

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Ivan Crotaz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:41:20 GMT

I see a lot of general practice rabbit cases and have seen a fair bit of cutaneous myxo. in vaccinated rabbits in my area. They don't look like this - typically they are flattened blackened necrotic plaques on the face or pinnae in my experience, and so far have always resolved with minimal treatment. Incidentally, they can develop even with the 0.1ml fraction intradermal bit of the injection - it just seems to be from excessive external challenge from the virus.

I would suggest if the owners aren't keen to work up, a couple of things might be useful. Check for external parasites - quick hair pluck. You do see some odd reactions to fur mites sometimes, and they're not always obvious without microscope exam. Using some EMLA cream and a quick towel wrap, you should be able to get a scrape/impression smear of the skin masses. Rabbit neutrophils are pretty recognisable with Diff Quik staining, and you should be able to differentiate between inflammation or neoplasia again with a quick microscope exam - this will give you a pretty accurate prognosis. Hope this helps.

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Utlendigur — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:10:19 GMT

This is one of the great things about this forum - you post a query and lots of people put their heads together - thanks

The rabbits haven't been vaccinated for at least 18mnths -2yrs. I'm not sure how long myxo vaccine immunity lasts but assumed it wasn't long given the suggested 6mth interval for high risk rabbits, which these are. I was wondering about cutaneous myxo but the few bits I'd found on it seemed to read as if they still developed lesions in the typical places first (face, ears, genitals) which then spread over the rest of the body? I am going to see if the owner will agree to biopsy but I'm not sure she'll want to spend the money - same old problem....

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Ian Mostyn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:49:36 GMT

I had a lumpy rabbit in the summer. The lumps came back as a "collagenous hamartoma" & "Pyoderma with mural folliculitis" - a coagulase negative staphylococcus. Responded nicely to baytril and depocillin - I treated for potential treponema. Myxo was an option but the lab could find no evidence of viral inclusions in the biopsy sample. Take a biopsy and send a lump off for culture.

Ian

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Hanna Bennett — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:20:51 GMT

i've seen a rabbit with lymphoma, looked exactly like you describe, confirmed on biopsy. Did ask someone (at AHT i think) about chemo, very little evidence as you've found. Mine progressed within two weeks to poor qol so we opted to euth instead despite lovely owners who were prepared to try but felt it was too much to put her through, so px is not good i'm afraid.

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Andrew Kent — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:34:08 GMT

Does sound like a case of cutaneous myxo, can occur in vaccinated animals if the entire dose of vaccine is given sub-cut rather than a small amount intra-dermally.

Andy

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Sandy Edwards — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:52:33 GMT

skin form myxomatosis , more common in vacc rabbit .

Re: Lumpy Rabbit

Clive Ansell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:46:42 GMT

I've seen something similar a couple of times, in both instances the owners declined any investigation, and both resolved witout treatment - allergic?