bumps on rabbits lip

Question
We have a female rabbit, uncertain of age or whether she has ever been to a vet.  Had her inside, then got an outdoor hutch when we saw fleas (from outside play time in our yard).  Anyway, after being in the hutch, noticed some bumps on her bottom lip as well as a thickening of her neck area.  Assume the thickening is from cooler nights.  We are bringing her in for the winter but should I be concerned about the little bumps on her mouth?

Answer
Dear Kristine,

The bumps could be flea bites or other temporary lesions, but if they don't go away in the next few days, I would have them looked at by a good rabbit vet.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I'm not sure what you mean by a "thickening of the neck area," but do you mean that her dewlap (the flap of skin under her chin) is getting larger?  If so, she may simply be reaching maturity, but rabbits do store excess fat in the dewlap.

If the neck swellings are not related to her dewlap, then have the vet look at them, in case they are abscesses or something else that needs veterinary attention.  One possibility is mange:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

which is just a guess, since I can't physically see the bunny to be sure what's going on.  That's why I'd recommend a trip to a good rabbit vet.

I hope this helps.

Dana