The extra flap under a rabbit’s chin means that it could be overweight; it is known as dewlap.If you are a rabbit owner for the first time, you will enjoy learning about important characteristics of your new bunny. The more you understand your rabbit, the more you will learn about its unique features.If you have seen a wild rabbit, you will see that its body is thin, muscular, and healthy. The body of the rabbit possesses a healthy weight. However, different rabbit species have different features.If you enjoy reading our article, then find out about what are baby rabbits called and the domestic rabbit lifespan.What causes dewlap?A dewlap is a pouch beneath the chin of female rabbits if they are not spayed early. The dewlap looks like a small bump under the chin or like a big pillow. It is prominent in large and lop-eared breed rabbits. The male of this breed may have smaller dewlaps.All rabbits have dewlaps, but males may not have a dewlap at the time of mating. In extreme cases, when a male gains weight, fatty tissues around the chin and neck build up to form the dewlap.Dewlaps on female rabbits develop during the nesting period of their babies. Female dewlaps have nothing to do with mating. When a female is pregnant, she will start to make nests as soon as she delivers her babies. Females usually pull out their fur to have more warm and soft material to build the nest to keep their babies warm.It is a little peculiar to see the female pull out her fur, but if you also see this behavior in an unspayed rabbit, don’t worry. However, if you see excessive fur pulling, it is a health concern as it might lead to dermatitis. Take your rabbit to a vet.An unspayed female rabbit sometimes pull out her fur because the rabbit is in heat and starts to pluck her fur although she is not pregnant. Even though there is no chance of pregnancy, you may witness this behavior. When does a dewlap develop?Many new rabbit owners may be confused about these dewlaps. Male rabbits also have dewlaps but these are not as large as they are in females.A female rabbit never has a dewlap as soon as she is born. The dewlap does not develop at an early age; it grows when females become sexually mature. However, female rabbits reach sexual maturity when they are four to six months old, and if they are not spayed, the dewlap will grow and increase in size within a few years. But the dewlap reaches its full size only after one or two years.The final size of the female rabbit’s dewlap is based on her genes. At the time of pregnancy or when she’s in heat, the size of the dewlap increases. She may develop a large dewlap like a pillow or a small one. However, in the case of abnormal growth, visit a vet.Why does my male rabbit have a dewlap?A rabbit’s dewlap is found in almost all rabbit breeds. A large dewlap can be found in the Flemish giant and in French lops. A small dewlap can be found in the Rex and the giant papillon. However, rabbit breeds without dewlaps are the tan, the Himalayan, and the Polish.If a male rabbit has a large dewlap or a fat neck, it means it is overweight. All rabbits can form a dewlap. Males do not develop fat necks when nesting; they gain weight due to their eating habits. The fatty tissue below the chin of males starts to build up, and this area becomes elastic, leading to the formation of a dewlap.If this happens, try to give your male rabbit a healthy diet. You should feed the rabbit grass-based hay and pellets, and sugar should be only a small portion of its diet. Also, have a vet check that the lump on the neck is not cancerous.However, there are also some larger breeds where males develop dewlaps; this is normal. For example, French lops have natural dewlaps and it’s not because of them being overweight.Do all female rabbits have a dewlap? What if my female rabbit doesn’t have a dewlap?Most females and some male rabbits have a dewlap, but they vary significantly in size. Some breeds can have a sizeable and noticeable dewlap while others do not. The size of the dewlap in rabbits can also vary significantly between individuals. Some breeds have larger dewlaps than others.All rabbits are genetically known to develop dewlaps, but their size varies. Certain breeds have larger dewlaps, and some breeds have smaller dewlaps.In some rare cases, the female rabbit does not have a dewlap because that particular breed does not have large dewlaps. Some smaller breeds have small dewlaps that you can hardly even notice. Young rabbits usually develop dewlaps when they reach the sexual maturity stage when they are around four to six months old.Female rabbits who are spayed at an early age have small dewlaps. The size of the dewlap does not reduce, but it will eventually stop getting bigger. If the female rabbit is spayed at six months old, the female won’t develop a bigger dewlap.The Characteristics Of A DewlapNew bunny owners often get worried when the bump beneath the chin tries to show up. There is nothing to be worried about; most rabbits develop a bump beneath the chin.A dewlap looks like a bump below the chin or like a muffler around the neck. Small rabbit breeds’ dewlaps look like a double chin and are sometimes not noticeable at all. A larger dewlap reveals the matured female rabbit’s neck and looks like a bit of a pillow. Mostly, matured female rabbits have larger dewlaps. Male rabbits also have dewlaps but it depends on rabbit breeds.Dewlaps are very distinctive in larger breeds, like the Flemish giant, the largest rabbit breed with enormous dewlaps. French lops also have very large dewlaps. Thus, dewlaps come in different sizes depending on the species.What’s the purpose of a dewlap in rabbits?You must have seen different breeds of rabbits on the internet and might be wondering what the bumpy skin is under the rabbit’s chin. Don’t worry; in reality, this double chin is due to the big pouch of fur developed under the female rabbit’s neck. You can take your rabbit to the vet to find out if there’s something medically wrong with the rabbit or if it’s due to the rabbit being overweight.The main purpose of the dewlap is to for the female to use the fur from it to line and insulate the nest. Dewlaps start growing in females when they have reached the age of sexual maturity and begin to reproduce. Before the arrival of young ones, a female rabbit goes through the period of nesting in which she builds a nest with dried grasses and fur pulled from her skin to keep the nest warm and comfortable. A rabbit’s nest is where the female rests during pregnancy, gives birth to her babies, and nurses her babies. Lining the nest with fur keeps the nest warm and cozy for the mother as well as for her babies.Can a rabbit’s dewlap be too big?All females have dewlaps, so it is perfectly normal for a female rabbit to have a dewlap. But can it get too big? Also, do females with larger dewlaps attract better males?The dewlap of a female rabbit can be very big. It is a healthy and normal sign in a female rabbit. However, grooming becomes very difficult for females with a very large dewlap. Rabbits are good at grooming themselves and keeping themselves clean. You might need to help them clean their long hair. Grooming a bunny might be challenging for you if it has long hair. You can trim the fur to avoid any skin irritation.Sometimes very long hair makes it difficult for the bunny to eat and drink as the hair gets wet and filled with food debris, and the hair becomes sticky and matted. If this happens, the rabbit might get moist dermatitis or another skin infection.If the dewlap becomes abnormally large, it might be related to some severe health issues of the bunny rabbit. In this case, take it to a vet.What are the different health issues with dewlaps?Many factors determine the size of dewlaps of rabbits, like breed, gender, age, and diet. Even though dewlaps are perfectly natural for pet rabbits, there can be a few health concerns related to them.Even though dewlaps are healthy and a typical sign for rabbits, some infections may harm them. Some common health issues related to dewlaps are improper grooming, wet dewlap or moist dermatitis, obesity, abnormally enlarged dewlap, and pseudopregnancy or false pregnancy.Wet dewlap or moist dermatitis occurs when the area becomes soggy while drinking or eating food.What if my bunny’s dewlap is too prominent?Dewlaps grow naturally in most rabbits; their size depends on the breed type. Some have larger dewlaps, and some have smaller dewlaps. If you feel that the dewlap of your bunny is large due to being overweight, you should get in touch with your vet. Your vet can provide a safe and effective plan to help your overweight rabbit.Sometimes a prominent dewlap is a sign of being overweight only and no other severe infection. The dewlap is a flap of skin with fatty tissue, so the rabbit quickly gains weight in that area, and the size of the dewlap increases. So, if your rabbit’s dewlap is very big due to being overweight, it’s time you change your rabbit’s diet to promote weight loss.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for rabbit dewlap, then take a look at can rabbits eat watermelon rind or rabbit facts.
The extra flap under a rabbit’s chin means that it could be overweight; it is known as dewlap.
