Noweigan Dwarf

Question
Hi i have a one and a half year old all white norweigan dwarf rabbit and since we've had her she's had this odd "bulge" under her chin, almost like a very large second chin. latley it's seemed more prominant than before and i was wondering whether it's a common deformity of the breed or if theres a medical problem with it.  as i am only 16 my parents still pay for vet bills and as much as i'd love to take her to get it checked out they want to make sure it isnt just going to be a waiste of money to go. thanks so much!!!

Answer
Dear Gillian,

What you describe sounds like your bunny's dewlap, which is a normal flap of skin under the chin.  It's nothing to worry about, and it doesn't need medical attention.

Female rabbits pull fur from the dewlap to line their nests.  But this shouldn't happen to your bunny, since if she' old enough to develop a dewlap, she's old enough to be spayed.

Unbred, unspayed female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine and associated mammary cancers, so it's very important to see an experienced rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and have a wellness check in preparation for this important surgery.  Please read:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

I hope this helps.

Dana