Rabbit with Swollen Nose

Q.    My rabbit has a swollen area on the side of his nose.  His breathing is fine through his nose but he seems to have gone off his food.  Is this something I should seek treatment for?

A.    Unfortunately, in a rabbit, this is likely to be a serious condition.

The most common cause would be an abscess in the area arising from an infection of the tooth roots.  To have any hope of a cure, he will require anaesthesia and x-rays of his head to assess the severity of the tooth root damage and bone infection in the area.  Abscesses in rabbits are much tougher to cure than those in dogs and cats as they do not respond well to antibiotics.

Your vet may well recommend a swab from the area and surgery to remove all infected tissue.  Your rabbit may require long-term care with trimming of the molar teeth every 6 weeks and possible intermittent injectable antibiotics.