Ear Wart?

[aurora369]

Hey guys,

Take a look at this funny growth on Baxter's ear. When I first got him, he had two small little warts on his right ear, and they never changed or seemed to bother him. I showed them to the vets when Zeke was in for his boo-boo, and they said it was fine. But now, about two weeks ago, it suddenly grew and changed from flesh coloured to black.

Has anyone seen anything like this? You can click on the picture to get a bigger size.






Thanks,
--Dawn

 

[pamnock]

Here's a link that lists the most common causes of skin tumors in rabbits:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1365-3164.2002.00298_6.x/abs

A definite diagnosis can't be made without excising the tumor and doing a biopsy. I'd have the vets take another look since the tumor has dramatically changed.

Pam

 

[aurora369]

Yeah, I will take him to get a biopsy. His timing sucks though. Zeke's accident in January put me on a very tight budget till I finish school and start working in May. I don't get my first pay check until May 15, and until then I've only got just enough to get me through. I guess he'll be going on the old credit card...

I really hope it's nothing serious. It really does look like a plantars wart when you look at it closely. But the speed at which it changed from small and flesh coloured to large and black scares me.

--Dawn

 

[ra7751]

That looks like a papilloma....basically a wart. We have had a few sugically removed from the rear legs. They are generally self resolving but some do become cancerous. We have been forunate so far. The surgical procedure is quick and simple. Here is a link to a page on "horned rabbits" that you might find helpful. WARNING: There are some very graphic pictures on this site that some might find disturbing.

Randy

 

[pamnock]

If I remember correctly, there was someone who recently had a cancerous growth removed from their rabbit's ear. Doe anyone remember who that was?



Pam

 

[aurora369]

I remember reading that story as well, but I can't remember who it was either.

I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and make an appointment to get a biospy done to make sure it's not cancerous. It's not bothering him, so if it's not cancerous I'm just going to monitor it and leave it be.

I hope you're right Randy, and it's just a wart. It really does look like a wart and my only fear is that if I don't check it out it'll be something worse.

--Dawn

 

[pamnock]

Most commonly, the growths are benign, but it doesn't hurt to check it out.

Pam

 

[naturestee]

That was Snuggy's Mom, and the bun was Cooper. The vet removed the cancer on the ear but they later found out that it had spread to the rest of his body. Cooper passed away from it last fall.

I'd treat Baxter's wart like a mole on humans- if it suddenly grows and/or changes color, get it removed and have a biopsy done.

I hope there's nothing really wrong!

pamnock wrote:

If I remember correctly, there was someone who recently had a cancerous growth removed from their rabbit's ear. Doe anyone remember who that was?



Pam

 

[Bo B Bunny]

We're sure it's not like a bot? cause that's what they can look like on sheep.... but I would get it checked anyhow! Keep us posted!

 

[jcottonl02]

It's probably not this...but I'll mention it anyway, just in case.

When I first got Benji he had two little bumps on his ear and I thought they were sort of....growths. So I was worried.
I took him to the vet immediately, and was told they were just where he had had a fight with another rabbit (his previous owners had him with another rabbit...and then abandoned him in a box....the *rude word*sssd.
It was like a sort of......scar where he had been bitten.

What ur bun has...it doesn't look much like Benji's ear, but it's a possibility.........

 

[aurora369]

I called the vet to ask how much it would be to do a biospy, and the tentative quote was $130. Not too bad.

Unfortunatley, I've got to move in the next month and I'm not sure when I'll be able to take him in. Once I've got everything figured out and I can sit down and figure out my finances until my first pay check in May, then I'll make him an appointment. I'm thinking I'll find out what my billing cycle is on my new credit card and put it on there and time it so that the bill isn't due until after my first pay check.

I don't feel that this is an urgent matter, as the growth is not hurting him. I can touch it, poke it and rub it with out him protesting. I'm going to keep a very close eye on it and if it starts to change again, he will go straight to the vets. My suspcisions are still that it is some sort of wart, but I will feel so much better after a vet visit and a biospy.

jcottton102: He does have a bump on his other ear that I think might be scar tissue. It feels more inbetween the skin layers rather than on top. That one is not visible to the eye, but when you rub his ears you can feel it. Thanks for the suggestion.

--Dawn

 

[jcottonl02]

Ur welcome- jst glad it wasnt a stupid suggestion lol.

That sounds logical to me- of course, I am not a greatly experienced person with this sort of thing- but from the sounds of it it may be benign. As long as it doesn't change colour or shape or get bigger then I don't think you need to worry about the urgency of a vet visit, like u already said.

Good luck with everything. Keep us posted.

xJenx

 

[aurora369]

Well, he's about the same. I think the reason it might have changed, was I think Zeke discovered it and has been trying to "groom" it off. I see Zeke licking and nibbling on the growth. So it might be Zeke's fault that it changed size and colour the way it did.

I'm keeping a very close eye on it and I check it at least once a day. I'm thinking I'm going to borrow my room mates calipers so I can measure it every couple of days to make sure it's not growing.

I am still planning on taking him in for a biospy, it's just that life is so hectic for me right now, and it's not an emergancy situation. I'm in the process of finding a new place to live along with starting final exams in less than a week. I'm thinking maybe next week will be a good time to get him an appointment.

--Dawn