Lumps In Rabbits (Causes, Types, & Treatment)

As rabbit owners, your pet’s welfare and health are our number one priority because they can improve their lifespan and allow them to grow without experiencing any illnesses. That is why it’s important to observe them daily to immediately provide treatment in case a problem occurs.

If you see any changes in their behavior or deformities in their bodies, take precautionary measures such as taking them to a vet clinic or providing medicine to avoid further problems that can risk their health. One distinct deformity in your rabbit is lumps.

According to Knutsford Veterinary Surgery, lumps are common for pets like dogs, cats, and rabbits. If you have observed some lump under their skin, then your beloved pet may suffer from an accumulation of pus caused by bacteria.

Locating Lumps in Rabbits

It’s easy to locate lumps in your pet’s body because they are like bumps that can be felt once you thoroughly touch the skin of a rabbit.

While locating the lumps, you also have to determine the factors that have caused the lump, such as unsanitary cage, shelter conditions, or whether they eat food that is unsuitable for their body. Track what your rabbits did for the past few days before the presence of the lump. In that way, you can ensure that your beloved pet will recover from their illnesses because this information will assist the veterinarian to have a correct diagnosis.

Realizing that your rabbit has a lump or a bump on his or her back is pretty alarming and scary. In severe cases, normally, surgery is recommended and is the most suitable choice to remove the lump in your pet’s body.

You don’t have to worry because lump removal is not too dangerous. This can, in fact, give your rabbits the confidence to live a healthy life after the lump has been removed from their back. What’s threatening is not keeping attention and necessary action in treating the lump of your rabbit.

Common Causes of Lumps in Rabbits

As responsible pet owners, we must ensure that we know how to take good care of our pets and what things we must avoid to keep them from harm. And in time that they have diseases, one of the important things to identify is what causes them to be sick.

That is why, aside from identifying the lump’s location, it’s also vital that you know what causes the lump’s presence in the body. By knowing the cause, we can prevent abscesses, inflammation, and even infection from happening. Several reasons cause lumps in rabbits.

Infection

If your rabbit is suffering from an infection, the usual response of its body is to have swollen lymph nodes. That is because, according to some reports, body lymph nodes contain white blood cells responsible for fighting unwanted bacteria and inflammation inside the body.

Bacteria In Lumps

The introduction of bacteria usually causes lumps in your rabbit’s tissue. And different kinds of bacteria are responsible for lumps or abscesses. These include proteus, staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella multocida, and bacteroides.

Fighting and Biting

There is a time when your rabbit can fight and start biting others, especially if there are more than three rabbits inside a cage. Although they are pets, rabbits are still animals and have the instinct to defend their territory and themselves.

After you find a body lump, check whether the cause of the lump is from bite wounds. These rabbits bite each other when a fight breaks out, leading to lumps and abscesses.

Sinusitis and Rhinitis

Sinusitis and rhinitis can also cause lumps or abscesses. To avoid such conditions, be sure that you feed your rabbit with healthy meals only and make sure that you maintain a clean and adequate space.

Dental Problem

As mentioned earlier, dental diseases can also lead to lumps and abscesses. If you think that a tooth root infection causes the lump, then the best thing that you can do is to contact or visit the nearest vet clinic in your area.

Poor Living Conditions

One of the most common reasons rabbits acquire lumps or abscesses is their poor or cramped living conditions. When caring for rabbits, you are responsible for providing adequate space and area to sleep, eat, and litter.

Especially if you have more than three rabbits, although they are known to be sociable animals, a designated area should be assigned to them. Too many rabbits in one space or cage can lead to several diseases or illnesses, such as lumps.

Poor Diet

Aside from the place, you should also consider providing a good diet plan for your pet. Since they have a sensitive digestive system, some food containing carbohydrates and sugar can cause health problems. And if they have swollen lymph nodes and their body keeps on digesting unwanted nutrients, it will lead to further risks to their health.

Different Types of Lumps in Rabbit

Subcutaneous

Subcutaneous is the common lumps you can find under your rabbit’s skin. These are easy to identify because they are located in their head or under their chin. Lumps found on their heads are usually large and solid when you try to touch them.

Internal

Some lumps are not visible in the eye or sense of touch because they grew inside your rabbit’s bid. These are called Internal abscesses or lumps because they can be inside the uterus or pyometra of your pet.

Meanwhile, abdominal and internal lumps are also quite common among pet rabbits. This is why you must send them to a trusted veterinarian because they have the necessary equipment and tools to locate the origin of the lump in your rabbit’s body.

Dental Lumps

Other common abscesses that can be observed among rabbits are dental lumps. This happens when your pet has tooth root infections. This kind of infection can easily lead to tearing duct abscesses.

Lipoma

Lipomas are lumps that are loaded and filled with fatty tissue. According to the Veterinary Center of America Hospital (VCA), they commonly grow inside the skin of animals because this is where fats are usually present.

However, note that lipomas can be located and grow all over the rabbit’s body as long as there is too much fat. Normally, lipomas have a squishy texture and are softer than other swollen nodes when you try to pinch them.

Fortunately, lipomas don’t develop as cancer in rabbits. Yet, they can grow fast.

The main problem with lipomas is that they can get so big that they create such issues in mobility for the rabbits.

Cysts

Cysts are pockets or hollow in the skin. They are normally loaded with fluid; you should keep yourself from popping them because it will cause infection. Cysts lump resembles a zit on the human body’s outer skin layer. However, veterinarians may be capable of pricking or spearing the cyst and taking out the fluid inside it without sedating the rabbit. But occasionally, cysts that can lead to adverse health conditions must be surgically extracted.

Like lipoma, this lump can grow and develop all over the rabbit’s body. However, they are normally more solid and firm when pinched than a lipoma.

Cysts are not usually a concern except if they break or burst, which can eventually direct to infection. When a cyst is ruptured or popped, it can also cause pain for the rabbits, just like other human beings. No remedy or treatment can be administered to make a cyst go off. The usual treatment the doctor will give is prescribing anti-inflammatories or antibiotics to avoid further infection or contamination.

Tumor

In some cases, the lump in your rabbit’s skin can be a cancerous tumor that will threaten your rabbit’s health.

Cancerous tumors can transpire anyplace in or out of the rabbit’s body. However, you must always remember that these tumors aren’t always harmful because some of them are benign. A benign tumor doesn’t spread. Therefore, surgery can remove it without causing further problems and concerns.

Moreover, tumors normally grow and are discoverable. They are also firm when pinched or squeezed. Rabbits, normal creatures, can get this disease just like other pet animals, such as cats and dogs.

Since it can develop in or on any part of the rabbit’s body, cancerous tumors can grow on the external or in the internal rabbit’s body part. If left untreated, it can lead to further rabbit health issues.

To know more about rabbit health, read this article: Definitive Guide to Your Rabbit’s Health

Treatment of Lump In Rabbits

Treating a lump in your rabbit is simple and easy, depending on the severity. Some doctors only prescribe medication to let your rabbit have it for several days to reduce the swelling, but also, in some cases, surgery is needed to perform. This is because the lump found in rabbits is thicker, more difficult to remove, or cancerous.

It’s common for veterinarians to consider complete surgery if the case will threaten your rabbit’s life. In that case, your rabbit will be put under general anesthesia.

However, if the case of your rabbit is for a surgical procedure, you need to remember that anesthesia can also put your pet at risk. That is why ensure that you choose only the most reliable and dependable local veterinarian. The doctors here will make sure that they will carefully monitor your rabbit’s health and vital stats.

After the treatment, ensure you provide your rabbit pet with the right food and nutrients. Some foods are high in carbohydrates and sugar, like potatoes, iceberg lettuce, and avocado. Fat is one of the common causes of swollen lumps, so you must avoid giving this type of food.

Key Takeaways

As a rabbit owner, you must keep an eye on changes and deformities in your rabbit’s body, such as lumps. A rabbit lump can be identified by touching the skin of your pet. They are bump-like and commonly caused by bacteria or infection.
After locating a lump in your rabbit, determine its lifestyle factors before the lump’s appearance. For example, the rabbit’s cage, shelter conditions, and the food they have eaten for the past few days. Tracking your pet’s activity will help you and the doctor establish the reason for the swollen rabbit lump.
Common causes of lumps in rabbits are infection, bacteria in lumps, fighting and biting of other rabbits, sinusitis, dental problems, living conditions, and poor diet. Therefore, how you take care of your rabbit, from their health to their hygiene, will impact the overall wellness of their body.
Different lumps can grow in a rabbit’s body, such as subcutaneous, internal, dental, lipoma, cysts, and tumors. Some of these are benign or non-cancerous. However, other lumps can also lead to cancer, so you need to visit the veterinarian to ensure proper treatment. There are times when surgery is needed to remove the excess lump.
Treatment of rabbit lump will depend on the severity of the case. If it is a benign lump, the common medication is to provide antibiotics. But surgery procedures are needed to remove the lump and avoid spreading all over your rabbit’s body if it’s cancerous.