Funny Lip?

[pinknfwuffy]

I’m not sure if this is a problem or paranoia, but I can’t help but notice the right side of Olaf’s upper “lip” right under his nose appearing a little puffy. I feel like his mouth has never been perfectly symmetrical but it looks strange to me lately. I had trouble getting a good picture because it is from underneath. He is eating and drinking as usual, acting like his normal self. No discharge or dampness. I can’t get a look at his teeth so I hope it’s not a bite issue.

I will also note that the black marking on his face has been spreading lately so it has gotten a little darker and shadowy right under his nose (this is normal). I’m not sure if this is part of why it looks odd to me and it could just be a visual distortion? Any experience or advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[Luna]

It looks swollen to me too, but I can also see how it could just be visual distortion because of his markings. If he won’t let you look at his teeth, will he let you lightly touch his lip on each side so you can see if you feel a difference? (ie. a bump or an outwardly tooth) On a side note, Olaf looks so stoic and regal in these pics! (“Bow down and worship me!”)

[Bam]

It’s a good idea to feel the area, both to see his reaction and to check if you can feel something in there. It looks a little bit swollen, but we’d need a baseline pic to tell for sure of course. Normal lips are not necessarily perfectly symmetrical.
You could also try and feel his upper teeth. Again to check for signs of pain.

He does look regal! Regal AND super-cute, that’s a rarely seen combo

[pinknfwuffy]

Thank you both for replying! This is really helpful. I tried touching it a bit and didn’t feel anything hard or as though there might be any tooth prodding behind it. It felt soft and he didn’t seem to be in any discomfort (besides his displeasure of my RUDE prodding, hooman). I will try and get a better picture of it tonight. None of my old pictures have a very good angle of his mouth for comparison, sadly. I am going to make an appointment tomorrow if it doesn’t look better.

I appreciate the smiles–he does look rather noble up there. It certainly fits his demanding personality! :]

[Q8bunny]

It looks a smidge swollen to me too… you can feel his teeth usually by stroking his booplesnoot and cheeks from behind and accidentally letting your fingertips get under his upper lip a bit. Dunno if it makes sense, but it’s what I do with the wookie

[pinknfwuffy]

Thank you, Q8! I hadn’t thought to try it that way. I’ll see if he’ll let me give it a shot. Wookie booplesnoot! :]

[pinknfwuffy]

This is as good as I could get picture-wise. I have an appointment for Monday (the office is small and always busy) but will monitor it until then. If it gets worse I’m just going to take him down there. Still no change–good or bad–but he doesn’t show any signs of tenderness, pain, or discomfort. Still eating, toileting, and playing as per usual.

He loves to chew on the grids of his cage (always has) so I don’t know if that could have anything to do with the irritation. Regardless, I’ve ordered a new powder-coated grid for the door of his cage (his favorite to nibble). The one I have now is the rubber-coated kind and he’s chewed off most of the coating. I wonder if the thin wire underneath has been rubbing his skin, maybe.

[Luna]

That pic does seem to confirm to me that it is swollen, and not a shadowy distortion that was possible in the first pic. Hopefully it just got swollen from maybe bruising it when chewing on his cage? Good to know that otherwise he is still his usual self.

[Q8bunny]

Maybe I’m mistaken, but it looks like there’s a scrape running vertically on the lower left extremity of the pink area of his lip. It could be what caused the mild inflammation

[Bam]

There is a bit of a vertical line, as Q8 says. Neosporin cream probably wouldn’t stay on very long. Keep a close eye. It could’ve been the grid-chewing.

[pinknfwuffy]

Thank you Luna, Q8, and Bam. Your input is extremely helpful. Yes, I noticed that mark, too. At first I thought it was a change in the fur pattern/whiskers but I think you’re right in assuming it was/is a cut of some kind. If I can get any neosporin on him (the kind without pain reliever) I will try my best to. I plan to take a picture every day to see if there are any changes I’m not noticing.

I’ll update if it doesn’t get better soon. Thank you all so much. It’s silly, but these little things are lighter with bunny friends.

[Bam]

Taking a pic every day is a great idea!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Does look a bit swollen to me.

Any chance he got into anything he shouldn’t have? It reminds me of my little Bridge Shih-Tzu. Her lip got swollen like that right under her nose once and the vet said it was an allergic reaction. That she probably smelled something or nosed around in something that caused a reaction.

Swollen or not, that is one adorable booplesnoot!!!

[pinknfwuffy]

Thanks, LPT! That’s a good question, I hadn’t thought of that. He hasn’t tried anything new from me lately so I’ll look around and see if he’s secretly started chewing something he shouldn’t. I don’t have much he can get into but I’ll definitely add it to the list of possibilities. Much appreciated.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Has the swelling gone down?

[pinknfwuffy]

It definitely looks better. Still a little pink but as in the pictures above but appears to be less puffy. I’m still going to take him on Monday to be sure. Thank you for your support!

[Q8bunny]

[pinknfwuffy]

Hi everyone, just an update.

The vet didn’t find anything wrong with his teeth or mouth so I’m glad an abscess is ruled out. He prescribed a run of antibiotics just in case but it seems like the irritation may have been the cage chewing after all. I actually spotted him doing it and the angle of the grid matched up exactly with the spot on his lip that looks like a cut/line (although there is no actual abrasion). I think the exposed wire under the vinyl was rubbing his poor little mouth. I always check to make sure the wire is smooth but I think his habit caught up with him. The vet also mentioned he could be allergic to the metal underneath, thus the redness and slight swelling.

I ordered new grids that are powder-coated to replace the ones he chews the most. They are much sturdier and the coating can’t be chewed off. Even in the first few days he seems to dislike the feeling of the new grids so it may even lessen his chewing habits.

Thanks for all your support. I hope this may help any other grid-chewers out there.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Just seen this thread – brill pics fwuffy! I can’t imagine getting anything like that with my two !!
Glad it hasn’t turned out nasty.

Zou loves chewing the xpen grids and on the run there is a chain (which holds down the lock on the ‘port cullis’ gate) and that gets a bashing from both buns’ gnashers… I’m not sure if they get pleasure from it or if it is just to get out (or back in!! NEVER happy! )

[pinknfwuffy]

Thanks Vienna! He loves to sit up on the back of the couch so I was able to sneak a few from underneath with the reverse view. He’s always very suspicious though, nose-booping my phone if I get too close.

Yes! Exactly. Silly bunnies. He chews inside the cage to get out. He chews the outside of the cage just for fun. When I used an xpen he loved to chew and lift it. Every time I came into the room it was in a new shape. Sometimes I’m convinced he just instinctively chews any time he runs into a grid (inside or outside, even when his cage door is open) because he thinks he’s trapped. Crazy!

[Luna]

Whew – glad to hear it all worked out! No abscess is definitely good news.

[pinknfwuffy]

Thank you Luna! That means a lot. :]

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad it’s nothing serious

[Q8bunny]

Yaaay! Glad the vet confirmed our collective BB diagnosis
hugs and noserubs

[Author]

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