tumor? and do they hurt?

Question
I have a 6-yr old male rabbiet with a golfball-sized lump on the right side of
his jowl (lower jaw?)

If this is a tumor, does it hurt? Will he die? If so, how long will he live if not
treated? What does a surgery cost? Thanks so much for your help. You are a
blessing.
cathy

Answer
Hi Cathy,

well, it could be a tumor.  More likely it is an abscess (localized infection).  Either way, a vet needs to figure out what it is so that appropriate treatment can be given to your little guy.

Anytime there is an abnormality in the body, pain can occur.  However, if he is eating and acting normal, it probably is not bothering him very much.  When rabbits are in pain they don't want to move a lot, and they don't want you to touch them because moving = pain.  They also don't eat like normal because moving to eat = pain.

I can't tell you what the costs might be because first, I'm not a vet, and second, vets charge different rates for things depending on lots of factors.  You will have to budget for an initial exam to determine what it is, possibly lab tests.  If a tumor, they need to check what type it is (benign, malignant, slow or fast spreading).  If an infection, I'd suggest a culture and sensitivity test to see what antibiotics will work the best against it.  If a tumor, he'll need a procedure to take it out and whatever else is the normal protocol for this.  If an infection he'll need the abscess removed, and to be put on antibiotics and pain meds (to keep eating).  If the cause of the infection is teeth problems, this will need to be taken care of.

What is critical is going to a good rabbit vet.  They will diagnose your guy the fastest, and know the best treatment to give him.  This will save time, so your guy can heal faster and be diagnosed and treated right the FIRST time, saving him pain and not wasting your money on treatments that don't work for what he has.

If you need one go to:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

and find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet in your area.  If you can't find any here, call up local rescue and animal shelters and ask who they would go to if they had a rabbit that needed surgery.

Lee