dwarf has a lump

Question
I have a very healthy 8 yo n. dwarf house rabbit, has been neutered- great apetite, engery levels, playful & I have just noticed a very soft lump on right side of chest,maybe an inch in lenght behind leg- has a small harder lump over it or close to the larger lump that feels almost like a nipple. Bunny has no distress whatsoever. This little guy is easy stressed & I fear much vet handling & diagnostic efforts might be worse than his health risks from this soft lump. What might reasonable diagnostics/treatments involve with a bunny this age & what might be possible causes to this condition? thanks

Answer
Dear Judi,

If the lump is soft and moves easily with the skin, that's better than if it's firmly attached to underlying tissues.  A lesion like this could be a lipoma (harmless fatty body), an abscess, or a tumor.  And unfortunately, as you know, the only way to know for sure is to have a vet take a look and do proper diagnostic tests.

If your bunny is easily stressed, then call the vet in advance and ask about getting a very small dose of Valium to give him about an hour or so before you leave.  He'll never be bothered at all, and the vet will have a very easy time handling him without stress.  You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope that helps.

Dana