Bump on my rabbits nose

Question

bump on nose  

bump on nose 2   Breed: Netherland Dwarf
Sex: Male
Age: 3
Not neutered
Housed currently indoors
All wire cage
3 rabbits, housed separately
My rabbits do have free roaming access to grassy area

My rabbit had a red sore/growth show up out of no where.  I've been putting antibiotic ointment on it, but it is not going down or getting better. I've never seen such a thing on my rabbits.

Please help!
Thank you

My rabbit has a red sore/growth on his nose that showed up one day.

Answer
Hi Elaina:

Thank you for providing all the info and for attaching clear pictures - it's very helpful.

It appears that your bunny has developed a small fibroma (rabbit fibromatosis).  They are benign (non cancerous), growth that can get quite large.  

Here are links to photos of other rabbits with Fibromas - they can occur all over the body, although the nose/eyes/face is very common.  Most of these are far more advanced than the fibroma your bunny has - but it gives you an idea of what it can lead to.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/Myxo1.jpg

http://www.michigan.gov/images/rabfibro_19628_7.jpg

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/images/grey_rabbit.jpg

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Myxo/Myxo2.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKeRExX-oo/S4QC1VMNxwI/AAAAAAAABNo/McE3RbXyzaI/s400/p

The only treatment is surgical removal by a qualified rabbit-savvy vet- which usually means an exotic animal vet.  There is no home treatment.  Treating it with antibiotic ointment is actually doing more harm than good as the granules in the tumor soak up the moisture in the ointment/cream which leads to faster growth. It's a tumorous material, not an infection so antibiotic treatment will not help.

Unfortunately - without treatment the fibroma will continue to grow throughout the rabbits life.  It's not something that will go away on its own or stop growing.

Wild rabbits have been caught with these benign tumors so big that they were unable to lift their head off the ground.  I have seen cases where fibromas start on the nose and grow over the rabbits mouth which prevents the rabbit from eating or drinking.  Given the location, my first concern would be blockage of the nasal passages once it gets bigger - so you'll want to have it removed very soon.

Since the Fibroma just began, it will be a very simple in and out procedure - taking about 30 minutes.  However, rabbits that develop this problem often have more growths show up later on.  Keep a close eye on the ears (in and out), neck, and anus and if you find any new tumors forming anywhere- have them removed immediately.

It is contagious to other rabbits both by direct rabbit-to-rabbit contact and by you spreading it by your hands from one rabbit to another.  If you have other rabbits, care for this one last so you avoid transmitting the infected spores to any others in your herd.

If you would like to learn more about this condition, it is discussed in detail in the book:
"Skin Diseases of Rabbits"
http://www.lulu.com/shop/esther-van-praag-phd-with-amir-maurer-dvm-and-tal-saaro

It's an expensive book - but you might be able to put in a special request at your library and borrow a copy.

Be assured that this condition is not life threatening (unless you let it grow too large to block breathing or eating) and once taken care of, your bunny will go back to being his happy, well loved self :)  It appears from the photo that he is very well taken care of - Outstanding Job on your part!

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Lisa L.