fat on chest??

[charlie82]

Hi,

This may sound stupid, but do rabbits have much fat on their chest as opposed to a dewlap? I’ve noticed on my lionhead buck that he seems to have what feels like a large dewlap on his chest, but i’m worried it might be something more sinister. I groom him regularly and don’t ever seem to have felt it before. I’ve checked a couple of my other bunnies who are not that skinny and all i can feel on them is their breast bone. On teddy it seems like directly under his chin he has this soft, lumpy mass. He is not that big and has always been a slender bunny. He did put some weight on but has lost some recently after his last dental as it always takes him a while to ‘get back to normal’. I feel like an idiot because I’ve had rabbits for so long but I can’t tell if this is normal? I’m worried it may be an abscess but doesn’t feel like a lump as such, more like a mass.

What do other rabbits dewlaps feel like? Are they just a flap/fold of skin or are they fatty??

I’m freaking out!

[kimberleyanddarren]

best bet would be to go to the vet anyway better to be safe than sorry

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Hrmmm….From what I’ve read, females have dewlaps and if males have ’em it’s because they are a little chubby…
Kokanee has one, it feels a little fatty but it’s really almost a flap of skin…Are you totally sure that this bunny is a male? I would take him to the vet and see what they think of it… :s
*vibes*

[charlie82]

Posted By kimberleyanddarren on 02/05/2008 12:25 PM
best bet would be to go to the vet anyway better to be safe than sorry

 

Don’t worry, the vets know me personally since i’m there so often. I’m going to get him in tomorrow to double check. They know i’m neurotic so I suppose it won’t surprise them if I take him in and it turns out to be nothing. I just wanted to knw what other peoples rabbits dewlaps felt like so I could maybe have some piece of mind tonight.

[charlie82]

Posted By Kokaneeandkahlua on 02/05/2008 12:37 PM
Hrmmm….From what I’ve read, females have dewlaps and if males have ’em it’s because they are a little chubby…
Kokanee has one, it feels a little fatty but it’s really almost a flap of skin…Are you totally sure that this bunny is a male? I would take him to the vet and see what they think of it… :s
*vibes*

Ha ha yes he is definitely male!! He was neutered and developed an inguinal hernia, had a testicle that was up near his stomach and a tapeworm abscess! (before he came to me) It wouldn’t surprise me if he has got an abscess or something….he is always in the wars..prone to bladder sludge, dentals etc….last week he had a dental and banged his eye and had to have antibiotic drops 🙁

[charlie82]

Also he isn’t overweight at all which is why I wouldn’t expect him to have such a large dewlap….I def need to have him checked out. I’m worrying myself more just thinking about it.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL They never seem to give us peice of mind hey?

Well, Kokanee’s feels a bit like if you pinch the underside of your upper arm (assuming it’s not all he-man muslce) a bit like fat lined skin….Her’s seemed to show up overnight too!

[Sarita]

How old is he? I’ve had a female with a fatty tumor on her dewlap area and so has one of my friends with her rabbit. The vets did surgery to remove them and they were benign.

[charlie82]

Posted By Kokaneeandkahlua on 02/05/2008 12:44 PM
LOL They never seem to give us peice of mind hey?

Well, Kokanee’s feels a bit like if you pinch the underside of your upper arm (assuming it’s not all he-man muslce) a bit like fat lined skin….Her’s seemed to show up overnight too!

hmmmm…I’m going to check my rabbit George who has a very noticible dewlap (he’s on a diet at the mo) and see what his feels like. Teddy’s didn’t feel even, more lumpy which is what concerned me.

[charlie82]

Posted By Sarita on 02/05/2008 12:46 PM
How old is he? I’ve had a female with a fatty tumor on her dewlap area and so has one of my friends with her rabbit. The vets did surgery to remove them and they were benign.

Hi Sarita, Teddy is roughly two although i don’t know his exact age as he is rescue. He was only at the vets last week having a dental under GA, I wonder if they may not have noticed it.

[Sarita]

These 2 rabbits were females they are older than 5 years old which is why I ask. Possible they didn’t notice because they weren’t looking for it.

[charlie82]

Posted By Sarita on 02/05/2008 12:51 PM
These 2 rabbits were females they are older than 5 years old which is why I ask. Possible they didn’t notice because they weren’t looking for it.

Yeah, I just though that since they would be restraining him/holding him down at some point whilst administering sedative/anaesthetic they may have felt it. I only felt it because I was hold him around there whilst giving him his panacur. It may all be normal and i’m just panicking but I’ll check him again in the morning then call the vet. I’m going over that way in the morning anyway so even if the vet has no slots I’ m sure one of the nurses will feel it for me.

 

[MarkBun]

It could be just a large fat pad. My girlfriend’s bun had one that the doctor labeled only as “A Growth” that was removed when they spayed her. I was amazed just how BIG it was. I’d say it was about as large as a chicken breast. How can our small lil buns hide such large things?

[bunnytowne]

you say you have a lionhead the breed does have longish hair on their chest too but I dont’ know if it is fat or just fur. or which it should be if not both so take it easy tonite it may be the breed and run him to the vet tomorrow for an educated opinion. check up etc. I did have one lionhead male who had lots of fat on him and had what looked like a dewlap he was really fat he was sick coulnd’t exercise and I was feeding him less but he had to be put down he was sick.thats how I found out he was real fat had lots of fat on him.  not healthy but yes the vet knows better than I do on your rabbit.

[charlie82]

Hi,

checked again this morning and I don’t think it feels normal. I’ve got him booked in to the vets this afternoon. I’m sure it’s nothing but better to be safe than sorry!

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