Mass on chin? UPDATE 10/15: He’s doing better again

[FluffyBunny]

Tonight, when I was feeding the bunnies, I noticed that Mr. Bunny’s lower chin/neck area seemed to be sagging. I held him still and took a look. He appears to have a fairly large mass/swollen area on his chin. It has a very uniform shape; one large mass with two slightly smaller, seemingly connected masses on each side. They don’t appear to be connected to any bones – they move freely with the skin. In fact, they almost remind me of my neck glands when they’re swollen from a cold. Touching them didn’t seem to bother Mr. Bunny.

I was extremely concerned for a minute, but then I realized something: He’s been chinning things constantly with the new bunny around, and the mass is right under the area used for chinning.

Is it possible that it’s just his scent gland, swollen from all the chinning? Should I be concerned?

[FluffyBunny]

Oh, and I just remembered a few things that might be important to know.

First, I just remembered that I noticed a very small mass in the same area several weeks ago. It was really tiny at that point – I’d say it’s at least tripled in size since – so I figured it was just a neck gland.

Second, Mr. Bunny has been randomly madly scratching at his chin area over the last few days.

Third, he’s been growing out and losing strange-looking tufts of fur (big tufts stuck together with hard brown bits at the bottom) around his jaw for a few months now.

Fourth, his chin has been almost consistently wet as far back as I can remember.

EDIT: And fifth – there’s been a strange smell in the bunny room for a  few weeks. I’m not sure if this is relevant, but I figured I’d mention it. I can’t figure out where the smell is coming from.

[jerseygirl]

Given all the extra details you’ve listed, it does sound like it needs to be checked out. Plus, given his history with fur loss…

Rabbits can get fatty tumors and it’s no biggy. But it could be something else that needs attention. Especially at how quickly it has grown. It did cross my mind that Ms Rabbit may have nipped he and there was some swelling, but you’ve mentioned this may have started before her arrival.

Wet chin points to possible teeth issue. Also, they can lose fur because of the saliva or develop bacterial infections.

Poor Mr B! It seems to be ongoing for him.

[FluffyBunny]

JG, it doesn’t seem like swelling to me…it seems like swelling would have a less uniform shape. Seriously, it feels like a slightly mushy neck gland that’s attached to the skin.

I thought that maybe I should mention some other problems he’s been having lately. Since we brought home the new rabbit a few days ago, he’s been much more tired than usual. He’s constantly flopping and he seems to constantly be slightly drowsy. He still gets exited over treats, but this is a bunny who usually does binkies around your feet and over your lap the whole time you’re in the room. I was thinking of posting about his sleepiness tonight before I noticed his chin mass.

One other thing that I’ve noticed is some slight crustiness around his nose. Nothing big, just a little matted fur around the nostrils.That’s been going on for a few weeks. Since we got Ms. Rabbit, he’s also started sneezing frequently and grooming his face very frequently. Until now, I figured that was just caused by his messy room.

[Monkeybun]

I’d get it checked out, just in case. Don’t want our Mr. Bunny getting sick!

[jerseygirl]

Yes, get it checked incase he has an abscess. These can have a more solid feel to them. Plus they smell if broken or leaking. Though if you’re smelling something odd in the room you’d know if it coming directly from him.

You have the rabbit area in the basement don’t you? Is it ever musty or damp smelling?

[FluffyBunny]

The smell that’s been in the bunny room doesn’t really smell musty or moldy. It’s hard to really describe. It smells a little like anal glands, (I’ve cleaned his glands recently) but without the burnt tortilla chip and poop smell.

[FluffyBunny]

Well, I called the vet. The lady there seemed slightly concerned about it – she told me that it sounded like some sort of abscess. Mr. Bunny has an appointment on Friday.

[GrumpyBun]

Glad to hear you’re getting it checked out – good health vibes! Keep us updated.

[FluffyBunny]

Sorry I didn’t update this earlier – BB has been down for 2 days for me. >.<

Mr. Bunny went to the vet today. The vet examined his teeth and jaw, and fortunately, he says that it doesn’t appear to be tooth-related. He says that he suspects that it’s just a bacterial infection of the salivary glands, causing some swelling and abscesses. He told me that it’s an infection that keeps growing if untreated and keeps affecting additional glands, which explains Mr. Bunny’s tiredness and the fact that I can feel multiple connected masses on his chin. He gave me an antibiotic – Trimethoprim Sulfa, 1.8 ml 2x/day – to give Mr. Bunny. The vet says that the masses should mostly or entirely go away by the time we finish the antibiotic in 2 weeks. If they don’t go away, or if the infection spreads, the vet will have to remove the glands (he said that that wouldn’t affect Mr. Bunny’s eating habits, though, since bunnies apparently have multiple salivary glands).

The medicine looks like Pepto-Bismol, and probably tastes a lot worse. The smell reminds me of the strange vegan rice cheese I bought a few weeks ago. Mr. Bunny seems to have reduced appetite for about an hour after taking it, which I suspect is because of the medicine’s strange taste more than anything else.

The vet also gave me the OK to continue bonding while Mr. Bunny is on the antibiotic, so I’ll be working on that tomorrow.

[Sarita]

Vibes to Mr. Bunny. I hope the meds work.

[BinkyBunny]

Doubling the healing vibes. Keeping our fingers and toes and paws crossed that meds do the trick.

Keep us udpated

[jerseygirl]

(((Mr B!)))

[GrumpyBun]

Thinking of you and Mr. Bunny – lots of healing vibes!

[FluffyBunny]

Thanks for all your vibes! 

Mr. Bunny’s masses seem to have shrunk slightly. On the left side of his chin, there used to be one big mass. That one has gotten significantly smaller since he started treatment. On the right side of his chin, there used to be three masses that felt like they were connected (they’re the ones I first posted about in this topic). They all got a little smaller within the first few days, and now I can feel that they actually just felt connected because of how large they were. I can no longer feel the smallest one, and the two others have gotten significantly smaller.

Mr. Bunny’s activity level has almost gone back to normal. He still gets tired a little quicker than he used to, but he isn’t constantly flopping anymore. He has his gigantic appetite back, too, and he did a few binkies after playing and getting a raisin yesterday!

I’m hoping that he’ll be entirely back to normal in the next week of treatments. Keep sending vibes his way.

[Sarita]

Continued vibes to Mr. Bunny – glad he’s getting better.

[GrumpyBun]

I am glad to hear he’s improving – many more vibes to Mr. Bunny! Please continue to keep us updated.

[FluffyBunny]

Well, the good news was short-lived.

Over the last few days, the masses have gotten bigger. The one that had almost gone away has come back, and now it’s as large as the other ones. The three masses that I mentioned in the first post has gotten larger, and now I think it’s even a little bigger than it was when I first found it. A single mass that I discovered right after his vet visit is now very large, and it’s connected to a brand-new mass.

His activity level is way, way down again. He’s been refusing pellets (his favorites…although he’s been eating lots of hay…odd) lately, which I’m truly hoping is just because of his chipped incisor. He’s been a little afraid of humans since yesterday. As of today, he also seemed a little hotter than normal.

I’m a little worried about how warm he felt. Should I take his temperature? If so, what kind of thermometer should I buy?

[Sarita]

I would put in a call to the vet since he’s already been seen and see what the vet says. Checking temperature on a rabbit can be tricky and I would recommend that you have a vet show you how to do this. I do know they have those temperatures you can put to the forehead or something but checking with an anal thermometer is the most accurate.

[FluffyBunny]

When I was at the vet, a vet tech showed me how to do it. She said that sometimes, bunnies get fevers from infections, and although he had a normal temp., I should take it if I ever think that he’s a little hot or cold.

I’ll call the vet tomorrow morning.

[Sarita]

That’s good that she showed you. Please let us know what the vet says. Let him know you suspect he has a fever when you speak with him and anything else you notice. Poor Mr. Bunny! Vibes that he gets better soon.

[jerseygirl]

I’m sorry to hear he’s relapsed.  If you do choose to take his temp (since you’ve been shown how), use a plastic thermometer.

This guide is good and also gives advice on what to do if temp is raised. http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

[FluffyBunny]

I called the vet’s office a few hours ago. They prescribed Mr. Bunny a few more doses of the Trimethoprim Sulfa medicine. I’m hoping that will do the trick.

[FluffyBunny]

Well, something happened…but I’m not sure what.

A few days ago, his masses were getting bigger and bigger. I felt 6 of them on his chin a few days ago.

And then, suddenly, 3 of them suddenly disappeared. Seriously…I can’t find them. Two of the masses, on one side of his chin, are half of the size that they were a few days ago. The other mass – the last one on the other side of his chin – is so tiny, I almost thought that it had vanished too.

The strange thing is that his chin still sticks out quite a bit, even though there’s nothing in there, so you can’t tell that the masses got so much smaller unless you feel his chin. He also has his full appetite and energy back, and he hasn’t felt hot since the masses went away.

I don’t think I can really say the new medicine (actually just a slightly different form of the Trimethoprim Sulfa) caused this, since I noticed the change a little after he got his first dose of it. I’m just hoping that the masses won’t come back, and that the last 3 will go wherever the others went.

[Monkeybun]

It could have been like a cyst… I know with humans anyway, the body often reabsorbs them.

[Sarita]

Is he eating and drinking – how does he seem? Continued vibes to Mr. B.

[FluffyBunny]

Yes, he is eating and drinking fine. He’s drinking a little less water (he used to drink most of his 3-cup bowl per day; now he drinks half that much), but that might be because I’ve started giving him bigger (wet) salads. His appetite has actually increased: He eats a salad that’s over 2 cups in one sitting, and he’s finally getting exited over pellets and treats again.

He seems to be fine. He doesn’t flop much anymore and his personality is just about back to normal.

[Author]

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