large jaw lump

Question
Hi I have a 3yr old dwarf lop female rabbit who has developed a large lump on her jaw. She hasn't stopped eating and loves her food
I realise that it is probably caused by her teeth. Is there anyway of fixing the problem without surgery. She also dribbles and has lost a bit of fur, I clean the area and try to keep it as dry as possible.

Answer
Dear Ngahrie,

If this were my bunny, I would ask the vet about trying a long course of injectable, dual-acting Penicillin G Procaine/Benzathine.  This can really help with situations like this, but the sooner the treatment is started the better.

Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/jawabscess.html

and:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/culture.html

But a culture might not help much, since jaw abscesses are often loaded with many different bacteria, some of which are just commensals along for the ride.

I'm always in favor of trying a medical approach before resorting to surgery, especially when the outcome of such surgeries is not always predictable (or good).

I hope this helps.

Dana