Doe with swollen lump

[Mckatie]

This is not my doe. A friend reached out and asked me, but I don't have any experience with this. The doe has 10 kits. The swollen lump is the size of a golf ball or lime. Not sure if these pictures are good enough .
Thank you.

 

[Mckatie]

 

[Preitler]

Hm, I would suspect one of several things, a bot fly larvea, an abcess after injury/insect bite got infected, or a tumor.

Some more info could help to narrow it down.
Is there a hole/scab in the middle of it?
How does it feel, like, free floating under the skin, attached to the ribs, soft or hard....?
Is it exactly on the position of a nipple or somewhat forward?

 

[Mckatie]

Thanks @Preitler . I talked to them more and was sent better pictures. Not on the nipple. Said it felt like it was contained (as in whole ). At first I was told no hole, but then after cleaning it said it looked like there was. I went over the archives here and sent the links.

 

[Mckatie]

 

[Preitler]

Although I don't have peersonal experience since that problem doesn't really seem to exist in my area, from what I read a bot fly would be my first guess, an abcess second. But that's really just from what I read, never had any such issues.

It looks very big for a botfly though, but again, no own experience.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/Cuterebra/Miyasis_botfly.htm

Is this dark colouring kind of hematoma, or skin colouring (which imho doesn't correspond to fur colour)
About abscesses:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

As a gut feeling, I wouldn't think it's a tumor.

 

[Robochelle]

Has she been given any anti inflammatory ( aspirin or willow bark) or anti biotic (polysporin or vet prescribed internal medicine) treatments? There are some things it could be that would require a vet, ie tumors etc, or some things that will go away on their own ie blocked milk duct. I don't have any experience with parasites that cause lumps, like botflies, maybe someone with experience can tell us if there are harmless treatments that can be done just-in-case, but I do have experience with infected wounds.

This looks way more swollen than any wound I've dealt with, but it does remind me (color and texture) of bites from other rabbits that got infected. My most recent experience was with a juvenile that got bit right next to the rectum, proportionally it would have been as big but my perspective could be skewed as this was on the raised peri-area. Whereas the doe's is on flat-ish breast tissue. A couple days with polysporin on the bite and fresh shoots of willow for the pain, and I noticed reduction in the swelling.

I can't tell exactly from the photo but there is a red like mark in the middle of the lump that might be a bite mark? It's worth looking. I might suggest your friend clip the fur as short as they can around the lump, both to keep it clean and to get a better look at what's going on.

A thin layer of polysporin for a couple days ( apply twice a day if she grooms it, once a day if she leaves it be) . Even if it turns out to be something else, it didn't hurt the barely weaned juvenile mini-lop so an adult of any size shouldn't have a problem. I say thin, so that if she grooms she won't ingest a lot.

I suppose as far as a blocked milk duct goes, as a human who has had one decades ago the advice to me was to nurse primarily on that side... If you get the kit with the emptiest belly (or the most eager feeder) and hold it to the nearby nipple, that might help? I've had to help new-mother does nurse before; she won't be happy even if it isn't a blocked duct, if it is she will probably struggle a lot.
Hold her on your crossed legs so that she is facing to the side that makes the nipple you want away from your body, keep your forearm snug across her body and your hand gently covering her eyes. Hold the kit cupped in your other hand and only let it root near the target nipple.

 

[Mckatie]

Thanks for the input. I don't have any experience with this rabbit's health issue. I am passing on the info. I decided it was a good learning experience for me though. Thanks again!

 

[Preitler]

If it is, like @Robochelle suggested, an abcess due to an injury, imho cleaning it out would be the right treatment. Which is not that easy, since rabbit puss is said to be pretty solid, and hard to remove. Medirabbit is a great site to get infos.

I can't tell how I much learned from just reading this forum, it's a treasure trove.

 

[Mckatie]

If it is, like @Robochelle suggested, an abcess due to an injury, imho cleaning it out would be the right treatment. Which is not that easy, since rabbit puss is said to be pretty solid, and hard to remove. Medirabbit is a great site to get infos.

I can't tell how I much learned from just reading this forum, it's a treasure trove.

They did say it was thick,white and difficult to get it all out with their flushing. Thank you! I like that site myself. I will remember to share it with them.