lump

Question
Hi, my rabbit is about a year old and recently I went to England for 2 weeks and left her in the care of my friend. When i returned I noticed on her cheek was a lump about the size of a marble extending under her chin and is mobile and doesnt seem to bother her. I am a dental hygienist and i checked her teeth they are healthy with no periodontal disease. Did she get bit or something? Years ago i had this happen to a rabbit near her eye and a week later it went away. What causes this?

Answer
Dear Chelsea,

A lump like this is usually an abscess, and it should be seen and treated by an experienced rabbit vet, whom you can find here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

You say that the lump moves freely with the skin, which is a good thing.  This makes it less likely to be a molar root abscess, very common in rabbits.  Please see:

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

If this *is* a molar root abscess, the vet may wish to debride it and also use systemic antibiotics.  If the lesion is encapsulated and not attached to underlying tissues, then it is usually wisest to have it removed as if it were a tumor:  complete with capsule.  Oral antibiotics can help ensure no returning of the problem.

There is also the possibility that it's a tumor, but this is far less common than abscesses in rabbits.

I hope this helps.

Dana