When Lexi Parrish greeted her pet Tyler one morning this past November, she immediately knew something was wrong with her 3-year-old mixed breed rabbit. The experienced rabbit owner, having owned one before Tyler for 10 years, could tell he was in pain and needed medical attention.

After calling her primary veterinarian, she took Tyler to UC Davis right away, where he was seen by the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service.

The exotics specialists found Tyler to be uncomfortable to the touch with no gut sounds. An ultrasound showed his caudate liver lobe to be dark and enlarged, and a color doppler (ultrasound view that shows blood flow) revealed that there was no blood flow in that caudate lobe. There was also a small amount of free fluid in the abdomen, which could indicate internal bleeding. Blood tests revealed elevated liver values and low protein markers.

Based on Tyler’s clinical signs and diagnostic tests, he was diagnosed with a caudate liver lobe torsion. This twisting of part of the liver cuts off its blood supply, causing intense pain, internal bleeding, liver damage, and anemia. Liver lobe torsion is relatively common in rabbits but is rare in other species. This life-threatening emergency requires prompt veterinary attention.

Tyler underwent emergency surgery to successfully remove the torsed liver lobe. Following surgery, he was hospitalized for four days for monitoring and pain management with fluid therapy and antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medications.

“The daily updates from Tyler’s care team were fantastic,” said Parrish. “His condition was ‘touch and go’ for a while, so it was reassuring to have those phone calls and know there was such good communication with the hospital.”

After surgery, it was important for Tyler to have a follow-up appointment to monitor his recovery.

“The caudate lobe is the most common lobe to become twisted, but most rabbits, including Tyler, do well after it is removed,” said Dr. Ariella Darvish, a third-year resident with the exotics service. “We’re happy he’s recovering nicely with no complications.”

“By combining advanced imaging, surgical expertise, and attentive postoperative care, we’re able to give patients like Tyler the best chance at recovery – even in life-threatening emergencies,” said Dr. David Guzman, chief of the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service.

Now two months from the event, Parrish reports that Tyler is back to normal, being his bossy but sweet self.

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