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Hello! I’m inquiring about my 10 year old rabbit, Brownie. He has been diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma or osteosarcoma of his left knee. There has been quite a progression of multiple fractures causing him pain in the knee. Our vet gave us two options: amputation of the leg to ease pain or continuing on and opting for palliative care with pain meds until end of life. How will his quality of life be post-surgery since he’s old? Is it worth going through with if he is a senior bunny?

Hello! I’m inquiring about my 10 year old rabbit, Brownie. He has been diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma or osteosarcoma of his left knee. There has been quite a progression of multiple fractures causing him pain in the knee. Our vet gave us two options: amputation of the leg to ease pain or continuing on and opting for palliative care with pain meds until end of life. How will his quality of life be post-surgery since he’s old? Is it worth going through with if he is a senior bunny?

Updated On September 3rd, 2023

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | neutered | 10 years and 4 months old

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

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Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Brownie. I'm so very sorry he has cancer. Domestic rabbits typically live between 8-12 years, so he is definitely a senior rabbit. The problem with osteosarcoma is that there is a high risk of metastatis (spreading) to other parts of the body, typically the lungs. I'm not sure if you have had x-rays done of his lungs, but there may be a chance it's already spread. There is a possibility that the spread may not show up on x-rays just yet as the cancer cells are too small to detect at the moment. I'm also not sure about his anesthetic risking, meaning that giving him anesthesia could be very risky at his age depending on his health. There is a lot to consider here, and I'm not sure how much life he would have left after surgery. Sometimes yes the surgery can be worth going through even in a senior animal, but there are other questions that need to be answered like if the cancer has spread and his anesthetic risk. I would discuss these questions with your vet, which will help you make your decision. Other things to consider is that it will take a number of weeks for him to recover from surgery, and that life expectancy after surgery is not very long, usually a couple of months. I would take that into consideration as well when making your decision. I can't tell you which way to go, but I do hope I've helped you with some things to consider. Again, I'm very sorry.

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