Dumb question about rabbit

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Jessie just brought Bun into the house a bit ago; and we noticed a weird bulging area in her left neck region. It's a bit larger than a golf ball, not firm, not squishy; just seems to be mostly extra skin. This is a female rabbit, about 3 years old. I used to raise rabbits for meat, off and on; but not for any length of time - a year or so at most each time. Can't find my rabbit book.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), April 28, 2002

Answers

did you bring it in BECAUSE of this buldge? or did you just notice it? if it effecting her in anyway,, stiff neck or limited movement??

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 28, 2002.

Nope, Jes just brought her in the house to run around a bit. We hadn't noticed it before, but only Jes has been home the past several times that Bun has been it; I've only seen her in her hutch, outside; and she is usually kind of hunched down then because she doesn't like it when we lift the lid of her hutch. She's just hopping around like she always does; no stiffness, and it doesn't seem to cause her any pain to manipulate it. She gets free choice commercial rabbit pellets, field corn on the cob plus whatever veggie trimmings we have from the kitchen, dandylions and other weeds from the yard, apples, carrots; and water all the time, of course.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), April 28, 2002.

Could it be her dewlap? When I got my first female rabbit after only having males, I was worried until I found out that girls have dewlaps. Still haven't found out the physiological function of it, though. Anyone else know??

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 28, 2002.

Ummm....what's a dewlap??

-- Jessie (Polly's daughter) (tigger@moultrie.com), April 28, 2002.

Well, like I said I don't know much about it but it appears to be an extra fold or layer of fat(?) and skin just in the neck area. Like where an ascot would go. Does that make sense?

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 28, 2002.


It's only on one side...does that make a difference?

-- Jessie (tigger@moultrie.com), April 28, 2002.

When I firts got my female bunny her's was more to one side, too. Since I've had her, about 4 months, it has filled out more. I've just attributed that to a healthier diet but maybe it has something to do with maturity, too??

I just ran a google search on dewlap and it is a fold of loose skin under the neck that many different animals (birds, mammals, and reptiles) can have. Even humans! Still don't know "why", though...

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 28, 2002.


Thanks, folks; I guess we won't worry about her unless someone tells us we need to! "Preciate all the help!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), April 28, 2002.

Since It is not sore I would not worry but one year my rabbits got neck worms(woves,wools something like that).It was my fault,I let them play in the yard.A dab of ivemec oral.

-- snow white (gawmonk@misn.com), April 28, 2002.

That dew lap is also called a wattle..especially in humans and turkeys. Hmmmm..coincidence?

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), April 29, 2002.


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