Found a lump :(

I've found a large lump on Arthur's cheek today and i'm very worried. He is happy enough and eating, etc, fine. I only noticed it today so its unlikely to have been there long as i would have seen/felt it.

I was hoping to take him for a check up when i got my pay cheque (i've just started a new job) as i have no money. I am going to call the vet now and see if there is anything they can do for me.

Does anyone have any advice either on the lump or the financial problem?

First explain your situation and ask the vet about paying by instalments - also ask them if you qualify for PDSA help.

What is the lump like, soft, hard, static, mobile?

foxyfaerie said:

First explain your situation and ask the vet about paying by instalments - also ask them if you qualify for PDSA help.

What is the lump like, soft, hard, static, mobile?

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I spoke to my cousin and she said my aunt will try and arrange something with the PDSA as she has been there before, if not the vet says they will have a look at him for £25 so at least i'll know what i'm in for.

The lump is bald and hard and round, as if a pink ball has been stuck in his fur. I think its moving with the skin.

Sorry if i sound a bit OTT, i just worry. He had a lump before in his leg and it all turned out fine but it was very worrying.

I'd say it certainly needs seeing too, I think abscesses are a bit squishy (eww! :lol, but may be wrong. Someone will be along soon with more advice.

foxyfaerie said:

I'd say it certainly needs seeing too, I think abscesses are a bit squishy (eww! :lol, but may be wrong. Someone will be along soon with more advice.

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He will definately be seeing a vet by hook or by crook. It may be a little bit squishy, to be honest i dont really want to touch it too much as i'm frightened of hurting him (not that it seems to bother him at all) and i'm a little squeamish.

Thank you for your help.

Hi

Sorry your bunny is ill, he needs to see a vet ASAP as it sounds like an abcess which will need treating.

Good luck

Can you find a vet who won't charge you just for having look? Could you ask if a post dated cheque will do? I really hope your bun is ok!

I just lost a bunny today through an abcess in his jaw (although this was not movable and looks like it actually started in or around the bone so was possibly more serious & we let him go under GA) I'd say you need to get him to a vet ASAP. It will probably need to be removed surgically and he will have to have antibiotics as well. You are probably looking at about £80 minimum without a consult fee. I'd say £25 for a consult fee is pretty steep.

If you post your rough location in rabbit chat you may get recomended a vet in your local area that doesn't charge a consult fee or that will let you pay in installments.

:wave: Sending loads of vibes to you,

My bun currently has a marble sized lump on his jaw. It doesn't hurt him and isn't affecting his eating etc, infact I'm sure he hasn't even got a clue its there.

Its hard, doesn't move and came up very quickley so sounds very like your buns. I took him straight to the vets - she said abcess, tumour or cyst. We did a needle asp (ie stuck a needle in, put stuff on slide, smeared, stain etc) and looked at it under the microscope. No bacteria or white blood cells, so not an abcess. Sent other slide to lab to test for malignant cells - none, so its not a cancerous tumour. The lab result said acute inflammation.

So, we're assuming its a cyst or just an inflammation. Whilst it doesn't hurt him we're gonna try a few things - he's been on anti inflammatory medicine (metacam) for a week, and is back tomorrow for a check up. I think its gone down a tiny bit but not enough to say its working. So tomorrow we'll swap and put him on antibiotics to see if that works.

Charlie is 9 years old so we're trying to avoid giving him an anaesthetic and removing it. However, if none of the above works and the lump starts to hurt him or get bigger etc then we will consider removing it. So far all of this has only cost me £90.

So, I guess what I want to say is that its not necessarily an abcess and could easily be something fairly innocous and routine, so try not to worry too much until you know a bit more.

On the money front well, PDSA might help but when I tried them many years ago it appeared that I needed to be on benefit for them to help me, not just a low salary. I learned from that and for many years I had a bunny fund which I used to put a little bit in each month. I know that doesn't help you now but its something to think about for the future. Btw I think £25 for a consultation is good, I pay a bit more than that, but I'm in London so everything costs more, I'm not sure where you are.

I hope Arthur is ok, you should definitely get him to the vet asap.

I may be being daft here but rabbit pus is almost always sterile so you wouldn't see bacteria from a sample and any white blood cell in the pus are also dead and therefore "destroyed" and probably have no form...Only scraping of the abcess wall can tell you what sort of bacteria are there if any.

BevBunny said:

On the money front well, PDSA might help but when I tried them many years ago it appeared that I needed to be on benefit for them to help me, not just a low salary. I learned from that and for many years I had a bunny fund which I used to put a little bit in each month. I know that doesn't help you now but its something to think about for the future. Btw I think £25 for a consultation is good, I pay a bit more than that, but I'm in London so everything costs more, I'm not sure where you are.

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I'm in Essex so a bit more expensive than most places but not quite as expensive as london

Yes i've been meaning to do something about a 'bunny fund' but because i have just changed jobs from being self employed (paid on the day) to being employed (paid monthly) and am waiting for my next student loan installment i seem to have entered some kind of cash flow vacuum

Definitely will have to do something though, his last operation cost £300-400.

ooh try these guys if you can't get PDSA. Although vaccination and neutering is their speciality they are cheaper than the norm. Don't know what the essex one it like but the midlands one are good.

http://www.petvaccinationclinic.co.uk/

ecudc said:

I may be being daft here but rabbit pus is almost always sterile so you wouldn't see bacteria from a sample and any white blood cell in the pus are also dead and therefore "destroyed" and probably have no form...Only scraping of the abcess wall can tell you what sort of bacteria are there if any.

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OK, I questioned this but the vet seemed to think there would be some evidence of bacteria or dead bacteria perhaps. The vet Charlie saw was a locum as my usual vet is on holiday, and the other practice partner was off for the day and I didn't want to delay going. We're seeing the other practice partner and my normal vet when he returns next week. I will mention this to him. Thanks.

I called the PDSA and they cant see him for another week

Cant leave it that wrong so going to have to borrow some money and try and get an emergency appointment.

Got an appointment and i'm happy to say the vet says that the lump is a harmless cyst. Phew!

JadedRed said:

Got an appointment and i'm happy to say the vet says that the lump is a harmless cyst. Phew!

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Glad to hear it :wave:

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