I found a lump on my rabbit. What is it?

Most lumps on rabbits are abscesses or tumours.

If the lump is located under the chin and is growing rapidly it is most likely an abscess.

Rabbit pus is very thick and is similar to mashed cottage cheese in consistency. This means that it is not very easy to drain a rabbit’s abscess; surgery is required. The costs involved can be higher than for example removing a smaller skin tumour.

It is impossible to tell what kind of mass you are dealing with just by looking at it and palpating it. Some deep abscesses can be confused with cancerous tumours on palpation. The most reliable diagnosis comes from surgically removing the mass and sending it to a pathologist for analysis. It is always easier to remove a small mass versus a large one.

If you know that you do not want to put your rabbit through surgery the only thing you can do is wait and see how the mass develops. You need to be prepared to put your rabbit down once the mass becomes infected or physically starts affecting your rabbit. Rabbits are excellent at masking any signs of disease, pain or discomfort. This means that they may suffer unnecessarily for a long period of time until it becomes obvious to the human eye.