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Deafness?

T

Tinky

Young Bun
Does anyone have experience of deafness in rabbits?
I have a young boy, who's currently being treated for pastuerella, and I think he might be deaf!
Does anyone have any tips on how to find out for definate? He doesn't respond to loud noises, and when he's fast asleep he doesn't wake up when I'm opening his cage door or call his name...
 
Tinky said:
Does anyone have experience of deafness in rabbits?
I have a young boy, who's currently being treated for pastuerella, and I think he might be deaf!
Does anyone have any tips on how to find out for definate? He doesn't respond to loud noises, and when he's fast asleep he doesn't wake up when I'm opening his cage door or call his name...
Click to expand...

Hi there.

We have a white lop boy (the lovely Edison) who we are absolutely certain is deaf. I am not aware of any tests that can be done to be honest. I have spoken about it with my vet and we haven't come up with anything.

The reason we are so convinced that he is, is because when you approach him from an angle when he hasn't seen you, he absolutely freaks. If he's in a hutch, he literally catapults himself up one end as soon as you appear.

I also wonder if this is why it has proven so difficult to bond him. As yet, we haven't succeeded, having tried him with 3 different partners. He just gets so scared.

We haven't given up on him being with a lady bun though as he was bonded last week (just had a marital tif yesterday and we had to split them up but will try again tomorrow).

I would be very interested to see if anyone has got any ideas on how it can be tested.

I have to say that we don't treat him any differently to our other buns. He's normally quite a happy camper.:D
 
He gets on fine with my female rabbit, but not other males. He also jumps out of his skin if i touch him when he can't see me, even if I'm making a noise - which is why I think he may be deaf!
I'm a veterinary nurse, and my boss isn't really into rabbits, so he doesn't know how to diagnose deafness in them. That's why I thought it best to ask other rabbit owners :)
 
Hi,
I too thought my white lop doe Honey was deaf when I first got her at the age of 1 as she didn't seem to hear much. Quite often if she is asleep in her hutch I can walk up to the hutch chatting away to her and she won't wake up at all! I have to actually raise my voice before she will hear me.
I am certain she is not entirely deaf as she does jump sometimes when she is out in the garden and a loud lorry goes by, but I am sure she is hard of hearing and it can't be due to her age she's now 4 as she has always been like it.
I don't know if there is a hearing test for buns? Someone once told me that all white cats are deaf and that a lot of dalmations are deaf maybe it's something to do with being white? Honey is an albino rabbit too.
 
hi i have a year old white lionhead dwarf lop and i am certain she is deaf too. when she was a baby she used to sleep indoors and i used to hoover right next to her and she wouldnt stir and last years bonfire night it was like it was Beruit going off round me and it didnt bother her in the slightest. also she is such a chilled out bunny, she is lying in my arms likea baby at the moment whilst i am typing this (one handed!!) with my boyfriend next to me on the ps3 playing a war game - lots of shooting and noise and not a peep out of her :lol: she also jumps out of her skin if i disturb her if she is in her cage soundo.
i have just bonded her with a 9 week old dwarf lop and they just love each other - follow each other around, its great. :D
 
I have one lop (grey/white) who is deaf - the vet tried lots of loud noises and nothing moved him at all! I once accidentally dropped a large hole punch on the floor right next to him and he didn't even stir! he also does not notice the hoover or even the food bowl being rattled - but has to take all his cues from his hearing partner!

I also have another boy who has a burst ear drum due to seizure (EC) at 8 weeks and so definitely deaf in at least one ear - he also shows all the classic signs of not hearing you when you come up to him. Interestingly when we had him and his two partners in for a week when one was ill we also found out that they 'talk' very LOUDLY to him!!

PS both of these also make a lot of noise when dr=nking and also snore a lot!
 
My angora x lop seems to be partially deaf - does not respond to new sounds/loud sounds and like Duchess' bun, freas out if he has not seen you approach and then turns and sees you.

However not totally deaf as he can hear a pellet shake in a tub if its done enough times. Takes him about 3x long as Eve to hear it
 
Dillon is deaf. I too haven't had any tests or anything but he doesn't appear to have any hearing at all. He jumps if he hasn't seen you coming, doesn't hear you enter the garage even though the door sticks and makes a huge bang when it opens etc... It has never caused him a problem. Having a partner has helped him as I've noticed he does rely on them to react to things.

Lian x
 
I've just remembered, when he was a single bunny, I used to bring him indoors for bonfire night, when all along, it didn't bother him anyway :roll::lol:
 
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