For veterinary professionals
October 2026
An older rabbit comes in with a small dark mass near the eye. The family has noticed it for a few weeks, the rabbit is eating well, and the instinct is to schedule a quick excision and move on. Usually with skin masses in senior rabbits we're thinking abscess or a benign tumor. A new retrospective series in the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine is a good reminder to keep malignant melanoma on the list, especially around the head and eyes. Here's a summary, with some options to consider for your own cases.
Ishitobi and colleagues reviewed 11 rabbits with spontaneous malignant melanoma seen between 2007 and 2024. Melanoma isn't something most of us diagnose often in rabbits, so even a small series helps us recognize what it looks like.
The patients were older rabbits, with a mean age of 7.6 years, and seven of the 11 were male. Across 13 tumors, the head was the most common site, and periocular masses stood out in particular. Two tumors were on the scrotum. Treatment was mainly surgical excision, metastases to the lungs and lymph nodes were reported, and the overall prognosis was poor.
This is a small retrospective series, so it can't tell us how common melanoma is or which treatment works best. What it does give us is a pattern to recognize.
Sample periocular and facial masses in senior rabbits. A pigmented or unusual mass near the eye in a middle-aged or older rabbit may be worth a fine-needle aspirate or biopsy before it's simply removed, so the surgical plan and the conversation with the family match what it is. For incisional biopsy, I like an 8 mm punch under light sedation with a local block. If infection is also on the differential, split the sample, sending half for histopathology and half for culture.
Check the scrotum in intact males. Two tumors in this series were scrotal, and scrotal skin is easy to skip on a busy exam.
Consider staging before surgery. With lung and lymph node metastases reported, thoracic imaging and palpation of regional lymph nodes, with aspiration if they're enlarged, help guide the plan. Thoracic CT is one option when available.
Submit every excised mass. Knowing it's a melanoma changes the follow-up conversation and the recheck schedule. Periodic thoracic imaging and lymph node checks are reasonable to discuss.
Be honest about prognosis. Outcomes in this series were generally poor even with surgery. Families make better decisions when they hear that early, along with the reasons surgery may still be worthwhile for comfort or local control.
Facial and periocular surgery in rabbits can be demanding. There's limited skin around the eye, and the patient needs good analgesia and a quick return to eating.
Locoregional blocks are where I start. Peribulbar blocks for periocular work, and great auricular and auriculotemporal blocks for ear surgery, reduce inhalant and systemic opioid needs. Nerve locators or ultrasound guidance improve accuracy and lower volumes. Rabbits are small, so calculate the local anesthetic total carefully, aspirate and inject slowly. Bupivacaine is particularly cardiotoxic.
Ketamine as a premedication or co-induction agent helps limit central sensitization, but don't give it intranasally to rabbits, where fatal epistaxis has been reported. Give buprenorphine IV or IM rather than SC, because subcutaneous and transmucosal bioavailability is poor. Rabbits are commonly dosed at 0.03 to 0.05 mg/kg, and some opioid ileus is expected. A lidocaine CRI (2 mg/kg load, then 50 to 100 µg/kg/min) reduces isoflurane requirements in rabbits. I start meloxicam at 1 mg/kg every 24 hours once temperature and blood pressure are stable after surgery, a dose shown safe for up to 29 days.
Ishitobi K, et al. Spontaneous malignant melanoma in rabbits: a report of 11 cases (2007 to 2024). J Exot Pet Med. 2026;59:22-27. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2026.08.002
If you'd like a second opinion on a periocular or facial mass, help with staging, or an analgesia plan for facial surgery, reach out to Nashville's rabbit specialist. Dr. Logan Kopp, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal Practice) and an RWAF Gold-level rabbit-friendly veterinarian, sees referrals at Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital, (615) 361-4646. Referral details are on the referring veterinarians page.
This content is for educational purposes for veterinary professionals. It doesn't establish a VCPR or replace clinical judgment for an individual patient. Drug use and doses should be checked against current references and adjusted for each case.