04/11/2025
๐ฐ Clarinet's Cancer ๐
Rabbit ownership includes yearly vet visits with a vaccine and a f***l test. It also means getting your pet fixed after 3 months old. Intact rabbit males get more moody and aggressive. Intact females can get pregnant, but they also usually develop uterine cysts or tumors by the time they are 3yrs old.
In Clarinet's case, her uterus was completely filled with cancer, and it had already spread to her other internal organs and her peritoneum (abdomen wall) too. She was rescued by a group that takes fantastic care of their animals and they wanted to share her story to raise awareness of rabbit care and potential health concerns with adult rabbits who are not spayed.
Within a week of being rescued from a park where 17 rabbits were abandoned, Clarinet was seen for her vet check, and since she was with many male bunnies, a spay was scheduled the next day. At her exam, doc saw that her abdomen was distended with something unidentified palpable inside. She had urine leaking issues and a resolving ear mite infection, but was otherwise healthy and eating well.
An x-ray was taken to see if she was pregnant that day. While the radiograph showed something in her lower abdomen, no distinct baby rabbits were clearly seen, so the spay procedure was still planned for the following morning after starting her on pain meds and antibiotics. Clarinet was in good company overnight since 2 other rabbits rescued with her were also scheduled for a spay and neuter the following morning.
Clarinet had a uterus that was at least 7x the size it should have been. The ovaries were both massively enlarged as well. The unhealthy uterine tissue had an abnormal blue and red mottled color pattern and smaller round white masses on it. These smaller round white masses were also visible on her liver, intestines, and peritoneum. Her bladder was smooshed by the enormous uterus, which caused her urinary leakage issues. The xrays taken shows something occupied the back half of her abdomen and it is now clear it was all tumor filled uterine tissue.
A rough estimate of Clarinet's age was 5-7 years old. It is possible that if she were spayed at 4 months old, this cancer would never have been an issue.
Please spay and neuter all of your pets based on your veterinarian's recommendations. Thank you to the rescue who gave this beautiful girl a chance as well as the other rabbits rescued with her. Donations can be made to the rescue to help with her bills as well as the other abandoned rabbits at Www.themoondogfarm.com/donate
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