Rabbits are normally perky and lively. If your rabbit suddenly turns a bit listless, then you may have checked it over to see if it is OK. When you're doing this, you notice that your pet has a small bump under its eye that wasn't there before. Why does your rabbit have a bump and what should you do about it?

Bumps Can Be a Sign of Dental Problems

While bumps under a rabbit's eye can be caused by various things, these bumps are often related to the rabbit's teeth. Your rabbit's head is quite small, and the roots of its teeth are close to its eyes.

If your rabbit has a problem with a tooth, then the first sign you could is a bump under an eye. This is often down to an infection in the tooth. If the tooth has an abscess in its root or a general infection that is spreading, then the rabbit may develop a small bump or bulge directly under the eye on the affected side of its head.

You may also see that your rabbit's eye is watery and may have a slight discharge coming out if it. Again, this can be a sign of an abscess. The abscess may be pressing on your rabbit's tear ducts.

How to Deal With Bumps Under the Eye

If your rabbit is off-colour and not eating, then you need to get help from your vet. Rabbits can't go without food for long without getting really ill, so move fast. Your vet can take a look at the bump and your rabbit's teeth and assess if your pet has an abscess problem. Once your vet works out what is going on, they can treat the bump.

In some cases, the vet may prescribe a course of antibiotics to get rid of any infection. However, if your vet thinks that the problem may reoccur because one of your rabbit's teeth has a deeper problem, then they may want to do some dental work on your pet. Your vet may also want to extract the problem tooth. This isn't a step that vets take lightly. However, if the tooth can't be saved and is likely to cause health problems in the future, then this may be the best option.

A veterinary dentistry can explain what is going on with your rabbit and the best next step to take. If your rabbit does have a tooth removed, your vet will also tell you how to care for your pet until its mouth heals again.