breathing loudly

cloverbunny · Dec 9, 2020

Hi! My rabbit has been breathing loudly for awhile. At first it was very soft, then it got louder over time. It is not constant, just sometimes. The x ray shows a mass in his lungs. He is now on his 3rd round of antibiotics. I don't think it is working much - and he has never had any mucus or discharge. I am not sure what to do.

JBun · Dec 9, 2020

The mass may not be an infection, in which case the antibiotics won't work. If this is the case then you would need to discuss options with your vet. If it is an infection, then you may just need to ask your vet about trying a different antibiotic.

cloverbunny · Dec 9, 2020

He has been on two antibiotics now. If not an infection, what might it be? He has no other symptoms, his behavior and eating is normal. Thank you.

Shmibunny · Dec 15, 2020

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble with your bunny.

How big is the mass? Is it actually *in* the lungs or just overlapping/compressing the black (=airy) area of the lungs in the X-ray?

One possibility is a thymoma or a similar mass in the chest cavity. An examination with ultrasound could probably tell you more. An ultrasound can distinguish between fluid-filled cysts, abscesses, tumours, for example, and show the size, shape, and location better.

My own bunny was recently diagnosed with a large chest mass, most likely a thymoma. First, he had an X-ray, then an ultrasound (both done awake), and although he has no breathing problems (a common sign of thymoma), his lung capacity in the images is compromised. The only symptom we saw was that his third eyelids protruded, and his eyes bulged, just a little when he was eating pellets with his head down. Long story short, he's now on prednisolone for life (he's 10), and we're hoping that will at least slow the growth.

JBun · Dec 15, 2020

Yes, if not an infection, then a mass of some sort, like a thymoma as @Lila Bird mentioned.

cloverbunny · Dec 19, 2020

Lila Bird said:
I'm sorry to hear about the trouble with your bunny.

How big is the mass? Is it actually *in* the lungs or just overlapping/compressing the black (=airy) area of the lungs in the X-ray?

One possibility is a thymoma or a similar mass in the chest cavity. An examination with ultrasound could probably tell you more. An ultrasound can distinguish between fluid-filled cysts, abscesses, tumours, for example, and show the size, shape, and location better.

My own bunny was recently diagnosed with a large chest mass, most likely a thymoma. First, he had an X-ray, then an ultrasound (both done awake), and although he has no breathing problems (a common sign of thymoma), his lung capacity in the images is compromised. The only symptom we saw was that his third eyelids protruded, and his eyes bulged, just a little when he was eating pellets with his head down. Long story short, he's now on prednisolone for life (he's 10), and we're hoping that will at least slow the growth.