# lump on cheek



## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 6, 2007)

Hi there! I was letting one of my buns play around on my bed a few minutes ago and he was staring at me so i got a good look at both sides of his face. I noticed that his left cheek looked a lot bigger than his right cheek. I felt it and it feels like a tumor of some sort. I checked his teeth and they are not overgrown. I have no idea what could have caused it so my guess is a tumor. He still eats fine and everything and drinks his water. What do the rest of you guys think? I'm really worried about my boy

Also, he is four years old and fixed if that helps.:?



-Alicia-


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## ra7751 (Jul 6, 2007)

Hi Alicia,

When I hear comments like the ones you posted....sirens, bells, whistles and all sorts of warning devices go off in my head. And I hope I am so very wrong with my thoughts. My first thought on that would be a dental abscess.This type of dental problem is not something you would be able to see as it usually involves an impaction of the molarroots. A skull rad(x-ray) would be the minimum to see this problem. I had a rabbit referred from a vet that the people that owned him didn't know he had a problem. They took him in for anail trim and a tech noticed the lump on the side of his face. The abscess was so intense that the bone had already been damaged. Amazingly enough, even though he must have been in severe pain, he was still eating. I would suggest getting to a rabbit savvy vet immediately to have it checked out. Old school treatment was a very invasive, painful and expensive surgery.Many abscesses are now being successfully treatment with an aggressive drug protocol.I have resolved several using drugs only. Depends on all the circumstances of the problem. Like I said, hope I am way off base on this one....but if this is a jaw abscess, it should be considered an emergency.

Randy


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## TK Bunnies (Jul 6, 2007)

That sounds pretty bad. I really hope it's nothing. I've never had anything like that happen!! You should take him in right now!!!

Well, good luck. I hope it's not serious!!


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 7, 2007)

Thanks. I really hope it's nothing TOO bad.....i'm hoping it's just nothing at all. I'm not sure when i'll be able to take him in. I hope it's VERY soon though.


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 7, 2007)

I just checked on Patches again and he's laying down next to Cadbury and chewing.......like he's chewing gum with his mouth open.....he isn't grinding his teeth.........and there is no food in his mouth. I don't know if something is bugging him inside his mouth now or what, but he wasn't doing this earlier when i first noticed his lump. This can't be good.


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## Pipp (Jul 7, 2007)

Unfortunately any sign of a lump like that is usually pretty bad news. 

He most likely either has a tooth root issue and/or a jaw or cheek abscess. As Randy said, the best hope at this stage is to get him to a vet pronto and hope that it can be treated with drug therapy. 

Your second best hope is that it's an tooth or abscess that can be removed completely with one surgery. 

However,it's not unusual for something like that to involve multiple surgeries and treatments with a 50/50 outcome. 

I'm very sorry, but my guess is you could have a long, intensive and expensivefight ahead of you-- very winnable, but none-the-less a fight -- and the sooner you get him looked at by a rabbit-savvy vet, the better his chances. 

You can read up on Abscesses here: 

Abscesses 



sas


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 7, 2007)

Thank you very much for your answers. I will try to get him to a vet asap. I don't want anything bad to happen to my bunny boy. Does anyone have any "estimates" on what kind of treatments they'd do and how much it would cost me. Also what drugs might be used.....So i can do some more research before he gets to the vet. I hope whatever rabbit vet i find will work out a payment plan with me.


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## ra7751 (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

The costs depend on what you do. The traditional method of treating a dental/jaw abscess has been surgically...and requires multiple surgeries. The initial procedure would be to enter the abscess, take a culture and then start to debride the area. That basically is removing all the involved tissue and sometimes the bone. Most doctors will pack the abscess with beads laced with antibiotics....usually clindamycin...to deliver a huge dose of medication directly to the affected area. There are huge risks as should be expected. The surgery is intense and painful. There may be several surgeries depending on the response of the abscess. There have been some cases of the drug "breaking out". That particular drug will migrate to the GI tract and the results will not be good.

Many of the top doctors now have been having success with treating this by drug therapy. I have treated several in our rescue using only drugs. I lost only one and that was because his jaw bone was so devastatedsincethe abscess had been there for so long prior to him coming here. Had I got him a few weeks earlier...like when the abscess presented...he would still be here. I have successfully treated a tiny Holland Lop and an Angora here recently. Most have major dental issues that caused the problem and we will be addressing them soon. 

While I can't legally tell you what drugs to use, your vet should be able to access the information on some of the networks they have in place to help each other. The thing in an abscess is that you will have both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and that is where the problem in treating lies...plus the drugs have to be able to navigate thru that thick rabbit pus to get to the problem. If you vet is open minded...and willing to discuss the issue with me (some won't..some will), I would be happy to discuss my abscess protocols with him/her.

Randy


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## Bunnicula (Jul 7, 2007)

Oh my! Hang in there, Alicia. We had a bun who had radical neck surgery to remove a mass. It was a lot of work afterwards, but he did survive the surgery and return to his normal disposition. Sadly, he did not live a long life due to his illness...but he did live a quality life. Keep us posted on what the vet finds.

Mary Ellen


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## Haley (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Alicia

I'll have to dig up the threads, but I went through this recently with two of my boys. With Max, it was a tooth root abscess, which means the entire tooth and abscess (at the base of the tooth) had to be removed. We had a lot of problems with this and are still treating it with aggressive antibiotics (bicillin injections). He eventually had to have all of his front incisors removed.

My boy Basil had it much easier. The abscess was in his cheek, but loose in the cheek-not attached to any teeth, gums or jaw. This one felt like a loose marble in his cheek (I could sort of move it around). This was very easy to remove surgically. My vet made a small incision and basically popped it right out. No more problems with Basil since.

Theres some good info provided here (be sure to check out those links Pipp provided). Im not sure where Fraser is in MI, but I would call your local rabbit rescue and see if they can recommend any good rabbit vets or vet dentists. I use Dr. Clarkston in Ann Arbor, MI. Im not sure, but he might be willing to speak to your vet over the phone- he does a lot of rabbit dental work for our rescue. 

Anyway, Id say get him in as soon as you can. Treating this early is a good thing as these abscesses can spread very quickly. Let us know if you need anything.

Haley


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 7, 2007)

Fraser is near warren,roseville,mt.clements,rochester hills,detroit, sterling heights. That's just a few close by areas i can think of. I'll be sure to check out those links.


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 7, 2007)

Fraser is near warren,roseville,mt.clements,rochester hills,detroit, sterling heights. That's just a few close by areas i can think of. I'll be sure to check out those links.


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## Phinnsmommy (Jul 7, 2007)

Is it only bad if you feel a lump underneath? Because Phinns cheeks are kinda un-even, but their just squishy. Sorry to hi-jack the thread


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## Maureen Las (Jul 7, 2007)

My firend in Ill. had a 4 yr old rabbit with a a jaw abscess....as ra7751 stated the first step was to go in clean it out and inplant antibioticbeads . It was better for awhile but came back and at that point my friend was referred to an exotics vet who extracted a few bad molars and did something surgicallycalled a marsupial pouch . The pouch had to be flushed often. The jawbone of the rabbit had been invaded by the abscess and it was impossible to remove everything. More abscesses started to develop around the site of the original one and at this point the quality of life of the bunny was very poor. 
I e-mailed my friend all the info related to bicillin injections (she was getting baytril)but the vet clinic stated that the bacteria was not in the classification that would be helped by bicillin.

Isort of thought that I have heard of bicillin working wonders on all kinds of abscesses so I wasn't sure they were doing everything possible even though they are a nationally known exotics clinic in Chicago. 
I am interested in what ra7751 thinks of this.


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 10, 2007)

Just to update everyone on Patches. I checked his cheek again and the lump shrank down to the size of an apple seed. Should i still take him in to the vet or do you think i shouldn't worry about it anymore since it's going away?


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## Maureen Las (Jul 10, 2007)

If it continues to get smaller and then disappears I woudn't take him to the vet but if it remains at all I would.

You are one lucky bunny person..we must have scared you to death with all the discussion of abscesses
I'm sure glad that it wasn't that after all


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 10, 2007)

Yeah, i was pretty worried/scared. I'm starting to feel better now that it seems to be going away. I wonder what the heck it was though? Maybe it was a pimple? Can rabbits get pimples? lol.


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## ra7751 (Jul 10, 2007)

Just wanted to respond to the post asking what I thought about using bicillin. I try to stay away from the surgeries if possible. The thing with an abscess is the anaeorbic bacteria inside the capsule...that bacteria does not require oxygen to survive. 

Now what I am going to say here is not something that anyone should attempt on their own. A highly skilled doctor is in the best position to make this call. I am mentioning this only as a topic of discussion that someome might use to research options in dealing with an abscess. 

I have recently been using a combination of Procaine and Zithromax to treat dental abscesses. We have also used a drug called Chloramphenicol. Both the dosing amount and the method of administering these drugs are very very important...I can't stress that enough. And Chloramphenicol has been linked to some very serious issues in humans that have come in contact with the drug....not using it, just coming into contact. It requies one to "suit up" for protection. Again, this is for discussion information with your doctor. Neither these drugs nor an abscess is anything to play with and both carry serious consequences if not handled properly. And again, a rabbit savvy vet is in the best position to make these calls on treatment and his/her decision should be followed.

Randy


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## Bunnicula (Jul 10, 2007)

*Chickenlittle586 wrote: *


> Just to update everyone on Patches. I checked his cheek again and the lump shrank down to the size of an apple seed. Should i still take him in to the vet or do you think i shouldn't worry about it anymore since it's going away?



Chickenlittle,

Good question...and it can only be your call. Still...for me....I would err on the side of safety. I would still take him to the vet and discuss what was there and how the lump has changed. I've been in the position where I waited too long to address a problem becaus it didn't seem chronic...:sad:and the outcome was not a good one.

You'll have to do what you think best...and I know sometimes cost is a major factor (we've got 13 animals here...I understand vet bills)...

You and Patches will be in our thoughts and prayers. ray: Keep us updated.

Mary Ellen


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## Maureen Las (Jul 10, 2007)

Rabbits don't get pimples but I'm wondering if it could have been a bot fly larvae that hatched and left your bunny with no bad consequences. I guess that I have that in my mind because I was on the other post about the bump on peapoo's neck that sound like a botfly.
Yes Randy ...that is the kind of info I was wondering about. 
I have heard of all 3 drugs but not necessarily used in combination. 
My friends rabbit was PTS (which I didn'tmention before) because, like cancer the abscess formed behind her eye beginning to push outward and affect her eyelid.
I was surprised that NONE of the drugs that you mention were brought up (except bicillin which she brought up)..all treatment seemd surgical and invasive. 
I'msurprised because she was getting the rabbit treated at Midwest Exotics which I believe is in Westchester Ill but not sure. 
I am in avery small city in southwest Wi and would have to go to the University of Wi madison for any really knowledgeable treatment . I already go there for a dental specialist.

I pray and hope every day that my rabbits do not develop abscesses as theydo seem to be one of the more dreaded rabbit problems. 
I would love to have the knowledge and ability to treat rabbits (as you do ) on my own and not always be in fear of not being able to get the correct tx. 

I know my friend spent over $5,000 on Sweet Pea only to lose her at the age of 4.

Thanks for the info


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## Chickenlittle586 (Jul 10, 2007)

ok. so the lump is completely gone now. This may sound a little mean........to patches.....but since he was sitting still and not fighting me and i wanted to get a MUCH better look at the area....i shaved his cheek. I know it sounds mean but if he were fighting me i wouldn't have done it.........but he let me do it. and i didn't use one of those disposable razors that could have really hurt him. I looked at the area and it looks like nothing happened. no redness........no scab..........nothing. I guess he got out of this lucky eh? Thank you everyone for your advice and support! 



Alicia


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