Floppy eared bunnies may look adorable – but vets warn that the pets are more likely to suffer from health problems.
The ‘lop’ variety of rabbits, which have floppy ears, have many fans – particularly celebrities who pose with them on social media.
They include the model Cara Delevingne, Paris Hilton and Florence Welch from Florence + The Machine.
But a study of rabbits brought to a rabbit rescue centre found the floppy eared bunnies were much more likely to have narrowed ear canals and abnormal teeth than those with ‘up’ or erect ears.
A study has found that bunnies with floppy ears are 43 times more likely to have narrowed ear canals than those with ‘up’ ears (file picture)
The research is the latest to highlight how animals becoming popular for cuteness can have health problems – with other examples being the trendy French Bulldog, which can have trouble breathing because of their flat faces.
Their study, published in the journal Vet Record, involved examining the teeth and ears of 15 floppy rabbits – or lops – and 15 erect eared rabbits at a rescue centre.
The researchers observed their behaviour, looking for signs of pain or discomfort such as head shaking or ear scratching, and checked their medical records.
They found that lops had much higher levels of ear and dental problems.
They were 43 times more likely to have narrowed ear canals and significantly more likely to have a build-up of ear wax, and were 15 times more likely to exhibit a potential pain response during ear examination.
The lops were 23 times more likely to have diseased incisor teeth, 12 times more likely to have overgrown molar teeth and at greater risk of developing to molar spurs – sharp points on the edges of the teeth as a result of uneven wear.
Their health records showed that more than half had dental abnormalities, and six had needed dental treatment – compared with none of the erect eared rabbits.
Study leader Dr Charlotte Burn, of the Royal Veterinary College, said: ‘The welfare consequences of a rabbit having lop ears include pain, as indicated by statistically significantly increased pain responses during examination of lop ears.
The lops were also 23 times more likely to have diseased incisor teeth and 12 times more likely to have overgrown molar teeth (file picture)
‘Additionally, the higher frequency of signs consistent with [outer ear] otitis found in the lop eared compared with the erect eared rabbits, suggest potential for pain, [impaired hearing], or even deafness.’
While the study was just observational, and therefore can’t determine cause, Dr Burn argues that its findings confirm the suspicions of practicing vets and adds hard evidence to inform a debate about the ethics of buying and breeding floppy rabbits.
She added: ‘This brings into debate the ethics of breeding and buying lop-eared rabbits, as they may be more likely to suffer from these conditions, which can be painful and often chronic and recurrent.’
Daniella Dos Santos, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: ‘As well as being likely to suffer from ear and dental problems, lop-eared rabbits are also at increased risk of injury and prone to obesity, as for some, the length of their ears can restrict their movement.
‘Sadly, vets tell us that all too often they’re seeing clients who have chosen a pet with certain features without being aware of the serious health and welfare problems they may have as a result.’
She added: ‘It’s critical that prospective owners think ‘health over looks’ when choosing a pet, as extreme features may come hand in hand with hereditary problems that can lead to serious health problems and be distressing and costly to treat.
‘Vets are happy to give advice on how to find a happy, healthy pet and keep them that way.’
There are nine lop rabbit breeds recognised by the British Rabbit Council, including the Mini, the English, French, Dwarf and Lion lop breeds.
Hazel Elliott, chairman of the British Rabbit Council said in her experience, a well-looked after lop rabbit would be unlikely to experience health problems.
She said: ‘It was a very small study and was on a particular group of animals. A group of animals already in a rabbit rescue centre, so they are not likely to be the best cared for animals, to need to go into a rescue centre in the first place.
‘It’s probably not fair to put too much weight on the results. Having said that, we cannot deny we sometimes see ear infections in the big lop rabbits.
‘It’s very unusual in the small lop rabbits, and very unusual in a healthy lop rabbit to get an ear problem. It’s not an inevitable outcome of having lop ears.
‘Certainly I’ve had dwarf lop rabbits who have never had an ear problem in their life, and exhibitors I know who also keep dwarf lop and German lops have also not had that experience.’