Round sore on rabbits chest ~ Photo. What is this?

[WhWRabbitry]

I was loving on our 10 week old Velveteen Lop today and when I was holding him I could feel a bump on his chest. I turned him over wondering if it might be a tick or something. I was surprised to find this. We have had him for 3 weeks. I had never noticed this before and honestly don't know how we would have missed it/how long it has been there!
The top of the picture is just below his front legs.

He is eating well and growing fast. His waste seems very normal etc.
I'd like to dismiss it as an old injury that we just somehow never saw and is healing but the appearance of it seemed odd to me and I wondered if it is some type of parasite or something causing this. It is round, raised, texture of a scab, and has a tuft of fur growing on top with what appears less hair around. He is being kept in very good, sanitary conditions here with us and being given great care. However where we got him from the housing and conditions were far less than satisfactory in my book. I have treated him for fur mites as he had scaley skin and dandruff in his shoulder area. That has improved a lot but there is still a little.

I'm hoping it's nothing too serious. He is our favorite guy around here. SO sweet.
Any thoughts advice welcome!!

 

[Miss M]

It looks like a hole with fur coming out of it. :shock:

What does it feel like? Firm rim, soft around? Squishy? Hot?

That's weird.

 

[MaggieJ]

I've never seen anything quite like that. Very strange.

Document the progression with pictures if you can. It may help someone else down the road.

With a little luck, members who have seen this before will chime in and offer advice.

:good-luck:

 

[WhWRabbitry]

How lovely that we have something strange on our hands with our favorite little guy.
I appreciate the replies very much though!
I am going to get a more close up picture posted soon.
I'm also going to measure the size of it so I can keep watch if it gets larger/smaller etc.
Where the fur is growing out of it is a raised area. I can see how it would look like a hole but it's a raised up area, much like you would have with layers of a scab. (Making it seem like it was a hole that developed layers of scab?? But scabs usually don't have fur on them!)
It feels hardened like a scab. The skin around it seems more pink. It does not feel hot. He does not seem overly sensitive to me touching it, though of course I've been gentle. I agree - it's odd!
Hoping it's something that resolves itself!

 

[Deer Heart]

Don't quote me on this, but it looks to me like they may have had broken the skin and it got infected and simply opened up/ruptured and then scabbed over (I've been around tom cats that get abscesses from fighting that look exactly the same way) At least that is what I think it is. In my book, monitoring it is the way to go. If it gets any pinker/redder than that or feels warm to the touch then it's time to treat it as an actively infected abscess but it looks to me like they fought the infection fine and it's just a pus pocket now that will slowly go away as it's re-absorbed (and yes they do hurt! Until the pus is either removed, or absorbed, it is still putting the hurting on the animal. Usually I opt to have them drained since it's faster but not necessary as long as it's shrinking on its own)

If the bad situation he came from involved overcrowding a bit, it could have been caused by another buns claws easily as it's usually punctures that result in those kinds.

 

[Dood]

Making it seem like it was a hole that developed layers of scab??

Sounds like a scab, possibly with a pocket of puss under it

But scabs usually don't have fur on them!)

In the animal world they often do. If a flap of skin dies (often from bite wounds) it goes hard - like a scab - and the hair is left intact

It will eventually fall off and as long as it doesn't get bigger or developed a red/irritated ring around it or "poofier" I'd leave it alone

 

[WhWRabbitry]

Sali & Dood,
Thank you for sharing your opinions. I really appreciate it. It's encouraging.
Your thoughts do make sense. I didn't realize a scab area could have fur on it like that. That's interesting. I'm going to take a closer up photo in the next day or two and just monitor and leave alone! I'll post an update in the future.
Thanks so much for your feedback. It's greatly appreciated.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It looks to me like there is a ring of dead tissue around the tuft of fur. I would try to "peel" the round area off, as I suspect that there is a pocket of pus below it.

If so, flush the wound with a weak betadine solution (it should look like tea) and then fill the cavity with organic honey, Blue-Kote, or even Nu-Stock. Avoid using "triple antibiotic ointments" like "Neosporin" since they heal wounds from the outside in and may seal up the exit wound that would normally allow drainage of infection.

 

[imajpm]

I had the same type of "sore" on a rabbit. It was much smaller though and was from his ivermectin injection site. It took a while but eventually went away. So I'd agree and guess it's some kind of puncture injury.

 

[Deer Heart]

It looks to me like there is a ring of dead tissue around the tuft of fur. I would try to "peel" the round area off, as I suspect that there is a pocket of pus below it.

If so, flush the wound with a weak betadine solution (it should look like tea) and then fill the cavity with organic honey, Blue-Kote, or even Nu-Stock. Avoid using "triple antibiotic ointments" like "Neosporin" since they heal wounds from the outside in and may seal up the exit wound that would normally allow drainage of infection.

If you choose to go this route and drain it, a warm epsom salt compress first is great. It draws out the "gunk" and eases the achiness after the initial sting.

 

[WhWRabbitry]

MamaSheepdog,
I greatly appreciate the feedback and detailed instruction though I will admit it would make me uneasy to mess with it and I prefer the "let it be" route! I am going to keep a close eye on it in the next week and see if I can see improvement on its own. If so I'll likely just continue to let it heal on its own. However, should I need to do something I greatly appreciate ahead of time knowing the route I might need to take!

Thanks also imajpm for sharing your experience with something of this sort and sali for your additional advice. <br /><br /> -- Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:14 am -- <br /><br /> Very thankful to say that this wound is healing well on its own.
I checked it this morning and the raised scab area (that had the tuft of fur) was completely gone and there is now just a small scab. It is not raised, swollen, or pink underneath or around it.
It now looks like it has healed to the degree that I have no concern over it! :bunnyhop: