Lop or Not?
One of the most common requests we get when people are looking for a rabbit, is for a “Mini Lop”. There’s no denying those cute button noses, floppy ears and big eyes are adorable, but do you know what exactly you are taking on?
There are in fact 9 lop rabbit breeds recognised by the British Rabbit Council, the organisation that dictates the breed standards for those who show rabbits. These range from the largest, the English Lop, to the smallest, the Mini Lop. The most common types we see in rescue are French Lops, Dwarf Lops, Lion Lops and Mini Lops. Be careful not mistake a “Dwarf Lop” for being a small breed though, they can range from 2kg right up to 4kg. We believe the “dwarf” term is more likely to be referring to the ear length, not the whole body size. English Lops have those long ears that drag on the floor, French Lops also have ears that often touch the ground, Dwarf Lops tend to have a shorter ear.
There are in fact 9 lop rabbit breeds recognised by the British Rabbit Council, the organisation that dictates the breed standards for those who show rabbits. These range from the largest, the English Lop, to the smallest, the Mini Lop. The most common types we see in rescue are French Lops, Dwarf Lops, Lion Lops and Mini Lops. Be careful not mistake a “Dwarf Lop” for being a small breed though, they can range from 2kg right up to 4kg. We believe the “dwarf” term is more likely to be referring to the ear length, not the whole body size. English Lops have those long ears that drag on the floor, French Lops also have ears that often touch the ground, Dwarf Lops tend to have a shorter ear.
To confuse matters further, if you are looking at care guides and they’re from an American website, they have different names for breeds. They call their smallest breed, our Mini Lop, a Holland Lop, and what we call a Dwarf Lop, they call a Mini Lop! So do check when you’re doing research.
The lopped ears in these rabbits is a genetic ‘”oops”’ that we have bred into them and unfortunately, it’s not without complications. The skull of a lop, especially in the smaller lops, is vastly shorter than a natural wild rabbit shape, and it’s here that issues are seen. If you look at a show standard Mini Lop in particular, they have a very boxy skull, some may even look so flattened in the face it looks like they’ve run into a wall! This has resulted in these rabbits suffering similar problems to brachycephalic dogs like Pugs and British Bulldogs.
The lopped ears in these rabbits is a genetic ‘”oops”’ that we have bred into them and unfortunately, it’s not without complications. The skull of a lop, especially in the smaller lops, is vastly shorter than a natural wild rabbit shape, and it’s here that issues are seen. If you look at a show standard Mini Lop in particular, they have a very boxy skull, some may even look so flattened in the face it looks like they’ve run into a wall! This has resulted in these rabbits suffering similar problems to brachycephalic dogs like Pugs and British Bulldogs.
One significant problem we see that can be easily over looked is ear abscesses. In fact when we have a problem with an ear abscess developing, most of the time it’s a lop-eared rabbit. If you have a lop, you should look down inside the ears and feel around the base every day, any sign of swelling, dirt or pus needs IMMEDIATE vet attention. They can also easily scratch or tear their ears when cleaning or scratching, so you should check their ears for this too.
The next problem is two problems really but they are inextricably linked: the teeth and the eyes. Due to that shortened skull, teeth problems can be a real issue. Rabbits have very long dental roots and as the skull is shorter and deformed, those long roots can go places they shouldn’t go in a rabbit with a normal shaped skull. The roots, and also malocclusion (misaligned teeth) and molar spurs, in turn can impact on the eyes and tear ducts. The eye socket is right above the top molar roots and in some extreme cases x-rays have shown the roots growing into the eye socket! If there are problems here the infection can even spread and cause ear problems as well. While these problems can happen in other small-skulled rabbits such as Netherland Dwarves, it’s definitely something you need to watch in lops too. You know you have a problem in this department if the rabbit has weepy eyes, both or just one, is drooling or is turning down food. Having an aversion to hay and preferring to eat softer food is also a sign of dental issues or tear duct problems, or both. Time for that vet trip again!
The next problem is two problems really but they are inextricably linked: the teeth and the eyes. Due to that shortened skull, teeth problems can be a real issue. Rabbits have very long dental roots and as the skull is shorter and deformed, those long roots can go places they shouldn’t go in a rabbit with a normal shaped skull. The roots, and also malocclusion (misaligned teeth) and molar spurs, in turn can impact on the eyes and tear ducts. The eye socket is right above the top molar roots and in some extreme cases x-rays have shown the roots growing into the eye socket! If there are problems here the infection can even spread and cause ear problems as well. While these problems can happen in other small-skulled rabbits such as Netherland Dwarves, it’s definitely something you need to watch in lops too. You know you have a problem in this department if the rabbit has weepy eyes, both or just one, is drooling or is turning down food. Having an aversion to hay and preferring to eat softer food is also a sign of dental issues or tear duct problems, or both. Time for that vet trip again!
Another problem we've seen with our lops is they seem more prone to caecatroph issues and difficulty keeping themselves clean. We suspect the shorter skull could well be a contributing factor - they just can't reach their bottom properly. It could also be related to body shape; show standard Lops are quite boxy in shape as well as their head, so a shorter body could also make it difficult to reach. Monitoring their bottom cleanliness is a must for all rabbits, but especially for lop-eared rabbits.
It's also very important to keep them well groomed. We've found many lops have slightly longer fur and are prone to getting matted. They will need regular brushing several times a week, no matter how much they literally kick up a fuss!
It's also very important to keep them well groomed. We've found many lops have slightly longer fur and are prone to getting matted. They will need regular brushing several times a week, no matter how much they literally kick up a fuss!
The next issue is personality. Lops are often chosen as they’re known to be more placid. In some cases that can be true but why? We have seen many lops with issues with hearing, eyesight, or both. The ears hanging down and boxy skull shape can actually be a hindrance with eyesight as it blocks their usual visual range and the placement of the ears means they often have poorer hearing. They may be more placid because they can’t hear you coming so just bumble around in their own little world. We have had several lops with aggression issues too, so don’t think all lops are gentle beasts. Snugs arrived with fear aggression - he has got a lot better since being with us, but can still lunge if spooked or if you’re too slow with food. Our gorgeous resident French Lop, Archimedes, also arrived with grumpy lunging issues. These are exacerbated if he’s kept in small housing. We suspect he’s learnt his grumpiness from being cooped up and only being let out occasionally. We’ve resolved this by letting him have run of a 20ft x 10ft shed at night, and the whole rescue when we’ve got enough people on site during the day. He can usually be found sleeping on a path somewhere but we also suspect he has poor hearing and eyesight as you must approach him carefully, if spooked he will lunge or if you’re too slow with food, expect to be grunted at. We also have dear little Angel, a red-eyed lop who is both deaf and partially sighted. she follows her guide-husbun Ruben around and can have problems keeping herself clean. Speak to people who have had lops over the years, and the prevalence of deafness and eyesight problems seems tragically common.
So if you haven’t kept rabbits before, don’t instantly fall for the lop-eared ones. Uppy-eared rabbits with their more natural skull shape, such as Dutch rabbits, may be a more healthy option and run up less vet bills in their lifetime!
There’s now scientific proof that lops are more prone to certain health issues!
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/research-centres-and-facilities/rvc-animal-welfare-science-and-ethics/news/lop-eared-rabbits-more-likely-to-suffer-from-ear-and-dental-problems-study-confirms-for-first-time
The research for the study was carried out at RRR!
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/research-centres-and-facilities/rvc-animal-welfare-science-and-ethics/news/lop-eared-rabbits-more-likely-to-suffer-from-ear-and-dental-problems-study-confirms-for-first-time
The research for the study was carried out at RRR!