An unusual lump on my rabbit

Question
My, 4 year old female dwarf Holland lop, has a small acorn size lump under her skin on her lower cheek/chin area. I have noticed that the fur under her chin has been a little fluffier for a few weeks now but she hasn't let me get close enough to  even pet her, let alone examine her. Today she finally did and I didn't even know that there could be something like that on her or I would have made her let me examine her. Anyway, she definitely doesn't like me touching it but I'm not sure that it hurts her. Also, if it matters, she has been a little more tired than usual lately. Please get back to me as soon as you can! I thank you for your help.

Answer
Dear Krissy,

The fact that it's tender means it hurts.  And the location is very suspicious and often indicative of a tooth root abscess.  If the lump moves freely with the skin, the prognosis is better.  But it still should be examined by a good rabbit vet who is familiar with rabbit dental problems and other common medical needs of rabbits.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If it is a molar root abscess, then it will be firmly attached to underlying tissues, and not move around when you touch it.  This will require more serious treatment, including specific antibiotics that the vet will determine, preferably via a culture and sensitivity test:

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

I'd get her to a good rabbit vet as soon as possible.  The sooner this is treated, the better the chances for a full recovery.

Hope this helps!

Dana