Dyzia: respiratory difficulties and

masses in uterine, lungs and lymph node

Dr. Magdalena Stasiowska

Przychodnia Weterynaryjna – Wrocław, Poland

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Warning: this file contains pictures that may be distressing for people.

Dyzia was an 8-year-old female rabbit. She presented problems with breathing and audible stridor (harsh vibrating sound) was heard in her two lungs. She did not improve much after a few shots of antibiotic. She was then given a steroid once or twice, but here too, the response was poor. There was also a palpable mass in her abdomen, so we decided to operate. The mass was located on her uterus, but removing it would not have brought improvement because there were also several nodular lesions disseminated in the abdominal cavity and in the liver. She was humanely euthanized and an autopsy was done.

After her rib cage was opened, massive multifocal nodular lesions were found in both lungs. It is hard to believe that she could live and breathe at all with such advanced disease. The lesions were not further analyzed.

The masses in the lungs are probably metastasis from the mass in the uterine horn, “most probably uterine adenocarcinoma, a very common cancer of aged female rabbits. In fact, the findings in this case are quite typical for uterine cancer in rabbits” according to Dr. Stephen W. Barthold.

The palpated abdominal mass was located on one of the uterine horns (arrow)

Masses in the lungs

Masses were also found in the parietal pleura (arrows)

Masses (arrows) were also found in the liver

Nodular lesion in the abdominal cavity, probably a lymph node

Many thanks to Stephen W. Barthold, DVM, PhD, ACVP (University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine), for sharing his experience about uterine carcinoma in rabbits.

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