lump in dewlap

[Bunkysmama]

Hi everybun, I’m new here…my lion head
bunny has had a lump in her dewlap for
about a year now… (I know…long time )
I have brought her to the vet a couple times
for it…two diff vets because I’m a nervous
nelly…and well…my bunny is everything to
me…first vet wanted to operate..I don’t have
the $900 they want to do that…and I’m really
scared surgery kills bunnies…because they are
so delicate! Second vet says it’s definitely
not cancer if she’s gone this long with it
and it hasn’t sent her OTR or spread rapidly.

I partially think it’s a fatty tumor..but it’s
kinda hard and flat but rounded…it’s weird!
She’s eating and thriving fine…I’m just curious
if anyone else has experienced this sort of thing
with their bun. I know all situations are
different…but I would love to hear some
input and opinions….

I just want my bun to be happy and loved..
she seems to be both…it prob bothers me
more than it bothers her…it’s the mama in me

Thanks in advance,
much love..
Bunkysmama ♡

[LBJ10]

From what I understand, fatty tumors are not all that uncommon in dewlaps. Did the vet poke at it? Sometimes they can tell if it feels like fatty tissue or not. There are other possibilities, of course. Cancer, cyst, abscess, etc. They would feel differently and I would think the vet would want to do a biopsy if they thought it was suspicious.

[Bunkysmama]

It feels like it’s kind of free flowing in there…as if it’s not really attached to anything. ..altho there are a couple smaller ones and around that area she seems to have other squishy fatty tissue as well…

I am trying to put her on a diet…less pellets…more hay…..as she is a hefty 8.5 lbs ….?

Any more suggestions are welcome ??

[Dee]

Lipomas (fatty tumors) are not uncommon in rabbits, as mentioned above, and I read that many develop in the dewlap. If the lump hasn’t grown or changed in all this time, I would find that very reassuring. Plus your rabbit is not showing signs of illness or weight loss, which usually goes along with something more sinister, so I’m thinking everything is fine. I know it’s unsettling not knowing exactly what it is, but knowing that it is almost surely NOT serious is good! ☺

[jerseygirl]

If you still have concerns, ask if a blood test would give any indicators if it’s not a benign lump. That would be less invasive.

Vet fees can get expensive!! It might be worth looking into insurance for your bun. This particular issue would be classed as pre-existing but insurance may save you down the track for anything else. VPI cover rabbits and it’s about $12 a month, I believe.

I wish pet insurance in Australia covered rabbits!!

[Bam]

If it’s “free-flowing” in there and “rubbery” when you gently press it with your finger-tips, it’s most likely a lipoma. Malignant tumors tend to invade nearby tissue. Malignant tumors are often uneven in shape whereas lipomas are rounded because they have a capsule of connective tissue walling them off.

Putting her on a diet won’t shrink the lump. Weight-gain might make it bigger though and it’s always best to feed a healthy diet, but the cause of a lipoma is not the diet.

[Author]

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