Gabby
Well-Known Member
Carolyn wrote:
will be interesting to hear more opinions on it...
The Mystery of Dewlaps
- Thread starter Carolyn
- Start date
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rabbitgirl
Well-Known Member
Iz was bred and has a dewlap. Pandmonium wasn't, and has a bigger one. lol
They are related, though!
Smokey is a dwarf and does not have one. Bub is a mystery.
Rose
They are related, though!
Smokey is a dwarf and does not have one. Bub is a mystery.
Rose
Rick Stahl's comment about them:
They're mostly due to over indulgence ingroceries but may be some genetics. Some breeds don't faultfor one in either sex, some just in does and some faultfor it in both sexes. Basically a sign of matronly doebut sometimes seen even in juniors in some breeds.
Rick
They're mostly due to over indulgence ingroceries but may be some genetics. Some breeds don't faultfor one in either sex, some just in does and some faultfor it in both sexes. Basically a sign of matronly doebut sometimes seen even in juniors in some breeds.
Rick
bluebird
Well-Known Member
Many years ago i had a dwarf doe with a largedewlap.i bred her ,all her daughters developed dewlaps before they werebred .needless to say she and all her offspring were sold.bluebird
pamnock
Well-Known Member
In many cases, it can be excess fat due to weight.
We have a grand champion Holland Lop doe that suddenly had this huge,hanging dewlapblow out, but it's comprised simply of thin,loose skin hanging down and she's not at allfat.In her case, it's more of a breakingdown of elasticity and connective than any relation to weight.
Also, Steph's French Lop has had her dewlap since she was very young,and she is also not a rabbit with a weight issue -- just loose skin
Pam
We have a grand champion Holland Lop doe that suddenly had this huge,hanging dewlapblow out, but it's comprised simply of thin,loose skin hanging down and she's not at allfat.In her case, it's more of a breakingdown of elasticity and connective than any relation to weight.
Also, Steph's French Lop has had her dewlap since she was very young,and she is also not a rabbit with a weight issue -- just loose skin
Pam
Gotcha Pam.
It seems as if it's all of the above. Some cases hereditary, some fat, some just difference of body types.
It's not as big of a mystery anymore.
Once again, thanks so much for your time and help.
-Carolyn
pamnock
Well-Known Member
Exactly You'll find some very fatrabbits with no dewlap at all -- or conversely, very thin rabbits withpendulous folds of skin hanging down.
Pam
You'll find some very fatrabbits with no dewlap at all -- or conversely, very thin rabbits withpendulous folds of skin hanging down.Pam
Yes.
I understand now.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in storefor my Cali-Girl. As of 8 months, nothing, however as she ages and herskin elasticizes, or once she's filled out, she might develop one.
These rabbits!
They sure keep me guessing and learning!
Love,
-Carolyn
MyBabyBunnies
Well-Known Member
If you really want Cali to have a dewlap, then she can have Mocha's.
pamnock
Well-Known Member
In people, heredity,obesity and smoking can lead to skin sagging so I highly discourage smoking rabbits
Other tidbits from websites of causes of saggy skin that may or may not apply to rabbits:
As you age, elastin fibers stretch and the skin droops. Inaddition the many face muscles we have become slacker and the skin onthe face becomes less elastic and looser, creating folds andlines.
Your genes and the level of sun exposure you've had during yourlifetime determine how much you sag. Smoking contributes to skinsagging, too.
Dry skin and sagging skin are problems that plague women and men asthey get older. Glands in the skin produce less oil as you age, whichcan lead to dry skin and itchy skin. Furthermore, collagen and elastin,which are responsible for the firmness and elasticity of the skin,undergo changes that lead to drier and sagging skin.
[align=right]however there are many other contributing factorssuch as, weight fluctuations, pregnancy and the menopause. These affectthe elasticity of the skin.[/align]
[align=right]
The unattractive "turkey gobbler neck" is due to looseskin and a sagging of the underlying platysma muscle. It creates a bandof skin that extends from the lower jaw to thecollarbone.
[/align]
Other tidbits from websites of causes of saggy skin that may or may not apply to rabbits:
As you age, elastin fibers stretch and the skin droops. Inaddition the many face muscles we have become slacker and the skin onthe face becomes less elastic and looser, creating folds andlines.
Your genes and the level of sun exposure you've had during yourlifetime determine how much you sag. Smoking contributes to skinsagging, too.
Dry skin and sagging skin are problems that plague women and men asthey get older. Glands in the skin produce less oil as you age, whichcan lead to dry skin and itchy skin. Furthermore, collagen and elastin,which are responsible for the firmness and elasticity of the skin,undergo changes that lead to drier and sagging skin.
[align=right]however there are many other contributing factorssuch as, weight fluctuations, pregnancy and the menopause. These affectthe elasticity of the skin.[/align]
[align=right]
The unattractive "turkey gobbler neck" is due to looseskin and a sagging of the underlying platysma muscle. It creates a bandof skin that extends from the lower jaw to thecollarbone.
[/align]
The following comes from a conversation Kathy Smith had with one of her Rabbit Guru's and she thought it worth noting.
* * * * *
"Mostly larger breeds like New Zealands get dewlaps and generally getthem about the time they hit sexual maturity. Also have seen quite afew mini lops, especially larger ones, with them.
Assuming it is linked to a "strain" within breeds since I wouldestimate that more New Zealands, Californians, etc., don't have dewlapsthan do. It doesn't seem "completely" correlated with age or spay,whether a female has a bad litter, nutrition as a youngster, or overallweight.
Have seen many fat representatives of larger breeds with no dewlaps ashave seen occasional Netherland Dwarfs with tiny dewlaps.
A case can be made that dewlaps are caused by some kind of X-linkedrecessive gene, perhaps develop fully only with the presence of propernutrition in early life, more likely to develop if rabbit is spayedlate - and will shrink when rabbit loses weight."
* * * * *
-Carolyn
pamnock
Well-Known Member
Interesting info. Thanks Carolyn!
Pam
Pam
Same woman told Kathy,
* * * * * *
"I know of a woman that had a minilop with a regal dewlap, slightlysmaller than her head. She never had a litter and was never overweight.She was one of those rare free-feeders who liked to exercise and onlyate what she needed.
On the overweight issue: certainly a fat rabbit with a dewlap is goingto have a fat dewlap. In one amazing case, a rabbit had a dewlap about3x the size of her head. Finally they slimmed her down to a goodweight, and the dewlap shrank considerably, but never disappeared."
* * * * * * * *
Another woman Kathy told me about, who's name was Pam and I wondered if it was you said...
"I have a male who is not overweight, but has a small dewlap. He wasneutered around the age of 6. When he was neutered, the vet could findonly one testicle. She even opened him up and never found the otherone."
* * * * * *
-Carolyn
MyBabyBunnies
Well-Known Member
Interesting. I don't understand why Mocha has asmall dewlap. He was 5 months old when he was neutered and had a dewlapeven in the summer when he wasn't over weight.
It's a mystery to me.
It's a mystery to me.
pamnock
Well-Known Member
Carolyn wrote:
Nope, wasn't me
Pam
Nope, wasn't me
Pam
Yet another perspective Kathy shared with me.
* * * * * * *
"I think the female dewlaps are more like little pockets of weightunder the chin rather than the whole chest like an overweight rabbitmight have.
Even with my more weightier females, it still is a little pocket right underneath their chin.
Three of my larger rabbits and midsize females (NZ/CA and Rex) all havedewlaps, but my Harlequin and my other two female mixes, who are alsolarge, do not.
* * * * * *
-Carolyn
Gabby
Well-Known Member
pamnock wrote:
We had a boy like that, was the fist andonly testicle that could not be found on a rabbit at our clinic...Thevet said they are useually hidden somewhere. But we was only around ayear old.....I forgo about him till I just read that.
goodness had it been a younger rabbit, i'd swear wehad neutered himCarolyn wrote:
Nope, wasn't me
Pam
We had a boy like that, was the fist andonly testicle that could not be found on a rabbit at our clinic...Thevet said they are useually hidden somewhere. But we was only around ayear old.....I forgo about him till I just read that.
