wet dewlap

[luvabunny]

My big English Lop doe has grown herself quite a dewlap since having her babies 3 weeks ago.
Now she's dragging it around in the water bowl and it is ALWAYS wet. I've changed her water bowl to 3 different sized (height) bowls thinking that might help, but no.
It's really only wet in 1 spot. Consistently enough that I checked her over good for a pus pocket, but it's just wet, down to the skin.
She can reach it, and could dry and clean it herself, but she isn't.
The obvious solution is to offer only a licker, or water bottle. I hate them both. And with a litter of 7 kits, I feel a water bowl is truly the only option.
It can't be good for her, being wet all the time. She going to start growing mold or something.

Is there any way to reduce the size of her dewlap? Is there anything short of removing her bowl that would get her to cleaning it and keeping it dry? Maybe she needs a bunny bib? I'm at a loss. In all my years of rabbit raising, never had one like this before.

 

[Tegan]

Turkey likes to drag her dewlap in the water pan, then drag it through the bedding (one of the reasons I switched to a MUCH less dusty bedding) so it was constantly wet and dirty. Got to the point where I was messing with it a few times a day and generally ticking her off. Now I just keep an eye on it and she seems to be keeping it cleaner. As long as it's not red/sore I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[Miss M]

Have you tried a narrow bowl, one that attaches to the side of the cage, and is only a couple of inches wide? That should be enough room for her to drink, but she'd have to work to get her dewlap in it.

You could try strapping a butter dish lid to the side of the cage to see if it works. :shrug:

 

[luvabunny]

I've seen some of those long, narrow feeders. I could possibly try something like that. Keep in mind this is a 10 lb rabbit nursing a litter of 7 who now jump in and out of the box with ease, and who are also testing the feeder and water bowl, so they are going thru a lot of water
Unfortunately, I can only fill it in the morning and evening, as I work all day, so it's got to be something pretty good sized to hold the capacity they go thru between times.
She seems to purposefully drag her dewlap into it, There's plenty of room for her to just stop and drink at the front edge, but no, she has to reach to the back edge and get her dewlap, and usually her ears, in it. At least she cleans and dries her ears. Silly rabbit!

 

[Secuono]

What is a licker?

 

[luvabunny]

Well, specifically I meant those nipples that come with automated watering systems.
Had 2 rabbits die on a system like that, before I figured out their lickers were clogged. Never again.