Bunny Beard?

[Lintini]

Last night I brought Bun out (yes still Bun lol) to visit my mom’s friends and one of them used to raise rabbits as a kid and she noticed that Bun was getting a longer ring of hair around her neck. Sally said this was for nesting?!?! And she asked me if she was preggers. I havn’t gotten her spayed yet, and the owner that I adopted her from said she was never bred and that I know of she was alone in the cage. I don’t feel anything different about her, and I havn’t weighed her like a good owner should, but I noticed she is shedding. I don’t feel anything plump around her belly. Is it really true about this “beard” for nesting? Is this something I should take her to the vet to, to check. I mean I feel silly, she was alone in the cage but now I am freaked out. I don’t want baby buns. I know the owner had another rabbit she adopted out before moving, but I do not know if it was a boy, all I do know is that I saw 2 rabbit hutches but I don’t think they would have bred them, then adopted them out. I mean I don’t even know if it was a boy or girl. That would just seem cruel to do that then give them away and say SURPRISE BABIES! I have had Bun since the 8th of July, and the only difference I have seen in her is that she is calmer and seems to like me more. Alright well let me know what you all think, and see if I need a vet appt. I was really looking into getting her spayed, and then my grandma passed away Monday night, and then my brother brought home a puppy Tuesday….well all I can say is that the puppy is really helping me through all this. It’s my first loss in the family and It’s hurting really bad…akk I’m going to cry and now I just helped him pay for puppy shots so I might have to push back the spay of Bun. Wow wow wow rough week ok well if anyone knows about this beard thing let me know…jeez I made this post long sorry. *very big sigh*

[jerseygirl]

I’m sorry to hear of your Grandmothers passing.  Even though it’s more likely that it’s a grandparent being our 1st experience of losing a loved one, it is still so saddening.

Sometimes as a rabbit begins to shed the hair can look longer as it’s making it’s way out. Is it actually longer hair you’re talking of or the little roll about the neck? The roll is a little dewlap, more common in does. With nesting, the does will pluck their neck fur out to build a nest, really close to giving birth. Sometimes they’ll do this also when experiencing a false pregnancy.

To really know what you are dealing with, might be best to have a vet visit. It’s not a bad idea anyway because you can have her weighed, have her teeth checked and general health. That way you’ve established a client record with the vet and your first visit with them won’t be when your bunny is experiencing a more serious health challenge.

  Is it the hair just behind her ears you mean?

Typically, the preganacy (false or real) would make them more agressive toward you, not friendlier.  Since you’ve had her more than 2 weeks, you might have noticed some changes – eating and drinking more, carrying bunches of hay in her mouth, being more aggressive and definately no touching or picking her up.  If you haven’t seen much of this – then I think you’re in the clear. Let’s hope!   

[RabbitPam]

I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. It’s been a terrible week for you, and you don’t need more to worry about.

From what you said I doubt that you got a pregnant bunny. It sounds like an old wives tale when bunnies weren’t spayed so there was much more likelihood that they were building a nest when they shed because they were pregnant more often. You can brush her gently which may just remove the loose hair from shedding. That will bond you more and make her feel good.

Definitely get her to a basic vet check up soon. It’s good for her health to be established as Jersey said, and you are probably going to be seeing a vet for both her and your puppy. Just try to get a vet that works with “exotics”, not just dogs and cats. It may mean seeing two different vets for your pets.
Only if you see her actively building a nest would I give it another thought. Just lie on the floor and snuggle with her and let her comfort you in this difficult time. My condolences to your family.

[Lintini]

Thank you so much, and she isn’t nesting or anything. It was just what my moms friend said about the hair under her chin around her neck in the front. It’s just kind of puffing out like a beard. And yes, we do have an exotics vet; we take our parrot there for beak shaping and he has seen one of my guinea pigs before when I realized how bad pet-store pigs were to give her a wellness check, and when I adopted my other 2 guinea pigs. Just things have came up this week and I spent a ton of money on this new puppy, so maybe next week when I get my paycheck that I havn’t picked up yet from work. They were really nice to me and gave me a week off. So there is a few hundred bucks waiting for me to go to Bun’s spaying. Alright well thank you for your kind words, I didn’t mean for the post to go from my bunny’s fur to grandma then back again but it’s the main reason she didn’t get to the vet this week. I just wanna punch a pillow and scream and cry. I went to the feed store today and bought her some oxbow pellets and some timothy hay cubes…I wanted to find a wicker ball toy that I found at petco but they had no toys!! I’ll just pick up some toys off this site, it looks like all the bunny’s love them! Well thanks again, I’ll take her out in a few minutes and brush her down with this nice soft brush I picked up. <3 <3

 

ps. I’ll take a picture and show you this puff and you can tell me if I am losing my mind~

[Sarita]

I am so sorry for your loss. Hugs to you.

I’m wondering if you are talking about a dewlap. That is a loose layer of skin under the chin area in female rabbits.

[Beka27]

I’m very sorry about your grandmother. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts. It’s during these hard times that our “furfamily” can sometimes make us feel better. Hugs for you…

It does sound like it may be a dewlap. They develop in unspayed females, but if you get her spayed soon, it should go away for the most part. Older rabbits may develop very large ones. They look like a pillow under their chest.

[Lintini]

Thank you all for your kind words, and I agree the furfamily helps heal the pain from loss. I really appreciate it.  

 

Here is Bun’s beard. She looks really creepy in this photo without ears lol….and those large pink eyes…

[mrmac]

I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. That is her dewlap.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

So sorry to hear about your grandmother.

Yea that is the dewlap, lol it is funny that you called it a “beard” because if you look at it in a way it kind of does look like a beard!

[Lintini]

Yea she has such a flat little face it just pops out lol! And thank you, I will miss her so so much. *snuggles bun*

[Beka27]

She’s so cute! Even when she looks “creepy”! Lol!

[Sarita]

She is adorable! I love the netherlands and her coloring is so pretty.

[Lintini]

Thank you. When I first went to see her I was surprised to see how large her eyes were, but then when I held her I fell in love hehe. Also, it is very hard to take pictures of her because the digi cam has a light that goes off, that isnt the flash and she closes her eyes right away. Even without the flash this light still turns on. I might have to bust open the manuel and see if I can turn it off. Then without the flash, she moves and its blurry! Ahh silly bun!

[bunnymama]

Oh she is a sweetie, and my first female had a very prominent dewlap for awhile but it really disappeared after I had her altered (fixed). My husband use to make fun of her and I would get mad and then it was gone shortly after she was spayed —thank goodness – didn’t like him talking trash about my little adorable girl!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Haha thats so funny about your husband making fun of your bun. I remember when i was younger and uninformed about bunnys me and my mom went to the state fair and saw bunnys with dewlaps.

I said to my mom, “why do the bunnies have those things under their chins?”

And because a lot of bunnies rested their heads on their dewlaps my mom said, “It is for them to rest their heads on, like a cushion.”

I was skeptical and didn’t quite believe that, but I still had no Idea what they really were for.

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