Thank you both for replying! This is really helpful. I tried touching it a bit and didn’t feel anything hard or as though there might be any tooth prodding behind it. It felt soft and he didn’t seem to be in any discomfort (besides his displeasure of my RUDE prodding, hooman). I will try and get a better picture of it tonight. None of my old pictures have a very good angle of his mouth for comparison, sadly. I am going to make an appointment tomorrow if it doesn’t look better.

I appreciate the smiles–he does look rather noble up there. It certainly fits his demanding personality! :]

Thank you, Q8! I hadn’t thought to try it that way. I’ll see if he’ll let me give it a shot. Wookie booplesnoot! :]

This is as good as I could get picture-wise. I have an appointment for Monday (the office is small and always busy) but will monitor it until then. If it gets worse I’m just going to take him down there. Still no change–good or bad–but he doesn’t show any signs of tenderness, pain, or discomfort. Still eating, toileting, and playing as per usual.

He loves to chew on the grids of his cage (always has) so I don’t know if that could have anything to do with the irritation. Regardless, I’ve ordered a new powder-coated grid for the door of his cage (his favorite to nibble). The one I have now is the rubber-coated kind and he’s chewed off most of the coating. I wonder if the thin wire underneath has been rubbing his skin, maybe.

Thank you Luna, Q8, and Bam. Your input is extremely helpful. Yes, I noticed that mark, too. At first I thought it was a change in the fur pattern/whiskers but I think you’re right in assuming it was/is a cut of some kind. If I can get any neosporin on him (the kind without pain reliever) I will try my best to. I plan to take a picture every day to see if there are any changes I’m not noticing.

I’ll update if it doesn’t get better soon. Thank you all so much. It’s silly, but these little things are lighter with bunny friends.

Thanks, LPT! That’s a good question, I hadn’t thought of that. He hasn’t tried anything new from me lately so I’ll look around and see if he’s secretly started chewing something he shouldn’t. I don’t have much he can get into but I’ll definitely add it to the list of possibilities. Much appreciated.

It definitely looks better. Still a little pink but as in the pictures above but appears to be less puffy. I’m still going to take him on Monday to be sure. Thank you for your support!

Hi everyone, just an update.

The vet didn’t find anything wrong with his teeth or mouth so I’m glad an abscess is ruled out. He prescribed a run of antibiotics just in case but it seems like the irritation may have been the cage chewing after all. I actually spotted him doing it and the angle of the grid matched up exactly with the spot on his lip that looks like a cut/line (although there is no actual abrasion). I think the exposed wire under the vinyl was rubbing his poor little mouth. I always check to make sure the wire is smooth but I think his habit caught up with him. The vet also mentioned he could be allergic to the metal underneath, thus the redness and slight swelling.

I ordered new grids that are powder-coated to replace the ones he chews the most. They are much sturdier and the coating can’t be chewed off. Even in the first few days he seems to dislike the feeling of the new grids so it may even lessen his chewing habits.

Thanks for all your support. I hope this may help any other grid-chewers out there.

Thanks Vienna! He loves to sit up on the back of the couch so I was able to sneak a few from underneath with the reverse view. He’s always very suspicious though, nose-booping my phone if I get too close.

Yes! Exactly. Silly bunnies. He chews inside the cage to get out. He chews the outside of the cage just for fun. When I used an xpen he loved to chew and lift it. Every time I came into the room it was in a new shape. Sometimes I’m convinced he just instinctively chews any time he runs into a grid (inside or outside, even when his cage door is open) because he thinks he’s trapped. Crazy!

Thank you Luna! That means a lot. :]