Lost her dewlap

[BugLady]

When I adopted Appledot, she had an average sized dewlap. She was about 1.5 years old.

Now that she's been with me for a few months - her dewlap has shrunk and just about disappeared.

Is this... normal? Or is she not eating enough? She seems like a strong healthy weight, about 5 pounds (she's a "mutt").

My two buns share 1cup of pellets twice per day, as well as a big bowl of veggies twice per day (usually some combo of romaine lettuce/kale/parsley/dandelion), and unlimited timothy hay. Also craisins and banana peels as treats.

They get plenty of exercise, since they're house buns and never stay in a cage.

I'm just not sure if I should increase their veggies and/or pellets, or if she's simply a slim fit bunny.

What do you think?

 

[JBun]

Could be that she's just at a healthy weight. If her spine and ribs have a good layer of fat over them, and aren't protruding, then she's probably fine then. You just don't want her feeling boney. I can't imagine her needing more then a cup of pellets a day, My 5 lb rabbit gets a 1/4 cup a day, but she's fat and has a slow metabolism. If your bun does seem a little boney, you could bump up her food amount a little and see if that helps.

 

[missyscove]

If she's in otherwise good condition, it may just be that she's getting more exercise than she used to .

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Do you have before and after photos?

It isn't common for a rabbit to lose its dewlap. In fact, I haven't seen that happen before even after losing weight. I'm just curious to see the transition. Maybe photos would explain better.

 

[tamsin]

Was she spayed prior to adoption - that seems to shrink them sometimes

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Some of ours have them and some don't. We even have one male with a dewlap--all are neutered.

 

[BugLady]

She was spayed about one month before I adopted her.
She's definitely not bony, but she's not large either. Appears healthy and certainly has a healthy appetite.

Here is a "before" (she's on the right)


This was maybe a month ago:


Here are some current pics:

 

[missyscove]

I didn't even think about spaying; that could explain it. Your two are very cute.

 

[Thumperina]

Is there another (real) rabbit sitting on the shelf by the speakers?

Your bunnies are beautiful!

 

[BugLady]

Thanks! It worked out nicely that when I took him on his bunny dates, Rascal preferred the bun who matched his colors!

And no, no other real rabbits, lots of stuffed toys though

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

That is interesting! I haven't seen that before. Maybe it does have something to do with spaying.

 

[MiniLopHop]

She is obviously happy and healthy, my guess is hormonal. That's interesting that it happened, thanks for sharing your experience. It sounds like she eats quite a bit but hops it all off with exercise. I wouldn't worry, but you could mention it to the vet during her next check up just to see if they have any ideas.

 

[BugLady]

Good idea. I haven't taken her to my my own vet yet, though I will when I bring in Rascal for his yearly check-up in a couple months.

 

[tamsin]

She looks great I would put it down to the spay and the healthy lifestyle