Graphic Warning: Twisted and possibly infected uterus

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Cottie

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Original thread: what-is-this-lump-t15340.html

We finally decided to cull because she became increasingly irritated, began discharging a white fluid through her vulva, and her fur was coming off in clumps. She never showed any interest in nest building.

What we found when we opened her up: the base of her uterus was twisted and hard. I don't know what to call it. There was a kit pushed up against the twist. I'm not sure how to judge a kit's size - they appeared to be close to full-term, though. Some were larger than others; most were emaciated. A few were still alive when we removed them, however most were DOA.

She had several bleeds on her rump. I don't know where they came from. She was quickly dispatched via bullet to the brain, so I don't believe that was the cause.

I believe the lump near her vent was the twist in her uterus.

Here are the images along with some more detail. If anyone could confirm/deny my suspicions, I would appreciate it. We've only dispatched one other rabbit, so I'm not sure what is "normal".

subcutaneous lumps.jpg
We first noticed that all of her "girth" immediately moved when hung. As we skinned, we found small, subcutaneous lumps. They could have been fat, however I didn't noticed these on the buck we culled. They were not in any particular order, appeared randomly, and didn't, to me, look "normal."

broken vessels.jpg
She had similar broken blood vessels all over her front and back. Again, this wasn't noticed with the buck we culled.

enlarged veins.jpg
The veins along the inside of her pelt were all very swollen and dark with blood. She was bled prior.

twisted uterus.jpg
This is what was causing her distress (at least I'm sure we didn't cull in error). This portion of her uterus was twisted, hard and rubbery. A fairly sizable kit was pushed against it (dead).

thick goo.jpg
I wanted to separate out each kit to see if any would have been viable. Most were emaciated. As I seperated, I noticed a thick, yellow-tinged goo coming out between them. I believe this was either pus or hardening fluid. Either way, I don't believe it was normal.

white tissue.jpg
Some, but not all, of the kits had this white tissue attached to their placenta. There was also some directly behind the kit near the twist, not connected to a placenta. (That photo didn't turn out.)

stomach.jpg
Appeared excessively large. She hadn't eaten that much in the last three days.

carcass.jpg
She was, quite literally, skin and bone. The only portion of her that had any meat was her legs.
 
Wow. I've never seen anything like that. But I agree, that doesn't look like it would have resolved...it is for the best you culled her. Sorry it came to that though.
 
Kyle@theHeathertoft":2qdcrple said:
Wow. I've never seen anything like that. But I agree, that doesn't look like it would have resolved...it is for the best you culled her. Sorry it came to that though.
Thanks, Kyle. I was very hopeful when I opened her up that pyometra would be confirmed, and nearly cried when I saw moving kits instead.

We went through her internals thoroughly, with the little knowledge we have, to ensure we didn't cull in error. Everything about her internals was inflamed. The boyfriend believes the lump wasn't the twist in the uterus, but blocked blood flow due to the twist. Some of the kits appeared to have been dead for a while, based on apparently differing stages of development.
 
What you are seeing on her belly is the mammary tissue and blood supply to it.
 
I don't know, C&B, I culled a doe who was still lactating once and she looked nothing like that on/near her belly.

RJSchaefer":p8mqx4zh said:
Kyle@theHeathertoft":p8mqx4zh said:
Wow. I've never seen anything like that. But I agree, that doesn't look like it would have resolved...it is for the best you culled her. Sorry it came to that though.
Thanks, Kyle. I was very hopeful when I opened her up that pyometra would be confirmed, and nearly cried when I saw moving kits instead.

We went through her internals thoroughly, with the little knowledge we have, to ensure we didn't cull in error. Everything about her internals was inflamed. The boyfriend believes the lump wasn't the twist in the uterus, but blocked blood flow due to the twist. Some of the kits appeared to have been dead for a while, based on apparently differing stages of development.

Don't feel badly about the kits that moved some, I don't think that doe could have birthed them at all...they were sadly a forgone conclusion. I sincerely doubt they would have been viable no matter what, with how gods-awful wrong that doe's innards look! Such a shame. But I stand by my original gut instinct which is you did the right thing.
 
This shows a cat, but same thing.
Finding rabbit research is near impossible as many people don't care about tidbits.
http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advi ... signs.html

__________ Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:52 pm __________


OP's had a ton of blood, most likely because they were near being kindled. I'm sure if the teats were pressed, some milk may of come out. This doe had a couple teats expressing a bit of milk.
ahide.jpg
 
Thanks for the link, CB. I'm sure you're right - it makes sense - there was something just very very wrong with her carcass. She skinned far too easily - I didn't even have to tug, it's like her pelt was no longer attached to her body. She had some kind of wasting going on, perhaps related to the twist and the infection or those could have also been symptoms of something else.<br /><br />__________ Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:05 pm __________<br /><br />
ChickiesnBunnies":w2zy3oup said:
OP's had a ton of blood, most likely because they were near being kindled. I'm sure if the teats were pressed, some milk may of come out.
She wouldn't express milk. I'm sure she was near kindling - in fact, I think she was past that point. The twist in her uterus would have kept anything from passing.

Good to know the lumps were normal, though, so I don't get paranoid if I see them in the future.
 
RJSchaefer":dnrtxwcd said:
there was something just very very wrong with her carcass. She skinned far too easily - I didn't even have to tug, it's like her pelt was no longer attached to her body. She had some kind of wasting going on, perhaps related to the twist and the infection or those could have also been symptoms of something else.

When I culled and skinned some ill rabbits that were thin, the pelts came off like they were young kits. There's got to be a link between being real thin/sick and a loose pelt.
 
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