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Lops

catxx

Mama Doe
At Rabbit Residence the most common ask they get is people wanting mini lops, loppy lop lop lop.

I wanted to write an article with Caroline on the Rabbit Residence website about the cons of owning lops versus uppy earred bunnies as RR sees a lot of health problems in lops that aren't so common in uppy earred.

Those include ear abscesses, dental problems in flatter faced lops, eyesight problems, and they are known for being more "docile" but I think there was some thoughts on the actual reason on that - more along the lines of diminished eyesight and diminished hearing. Of course that can also result in a tendency to lunge too (as illustrated by RR's own French Lop, Archimedes around food or if you don't talk to him when going to say hello so he knows you're there).

Would love to hear other people's experiences of lops versus uppy earred!

My only lop I owned as a kid was put to sleep at 3 years old due to chronic jaw abscesses, so my lop experience hasn't been positive!
 
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I must admit when I originally decided I wanted my own rabbits I immediately went to lops! I got Milo and Finn obviously.

However, if I could do it all over again I would get a ''minority'' bunny like the black ones, or a REW or an agouti bunny.

I rescued two lion head bunnies not that long ago (They are now at Animal Krackers awaiting new homes) there was an agouti and a peach coloured rabbit, to anyone they would look like fairly common rabbits. However, their personalities were fantastic! Especially Pip the peach coloured rabbit, he was hilarious, I had to admit it but they had a much better personality than Milo and Finn do. I love my boys and they are lovely but if I could choose again id look for personality over looks any time!

Also Milo and Finn have had their problems with ears and things, they often scratch the inside of their ears and the ears are harder to maintain. x
 
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Mischa had a lot of ear problems (infections and abscesses) and then snuffles as well, he did have a dental but there was only very minor burring needed if any (tbh I think a vet assumed based on symptoms left from an ear infection rather than actually seeing spurs, not Mark I hasten to add!). He died of a heart attack when undergoing a second op on an abscess.

Mini has been quite healthy. She does get sticky bum from time to time but I think this is more a residual symptom from a hip dislocation caused by trauma. Not had any ear problems so far. She did get small spurs on her teeth after we lost Mischa, but we think that was more down to not eating hay due to grief. She got put on metacam for a while and we encouraged lots of hay eating and bonded her with the other two and she ground them down herself without the need for a dental.

Temprement-wise both of them were and are very friendly. Possibly due to lots of handling needed when young as they both ended up needing lots of care, Mini at 6 months due to the hip and Mischa at 12 months due to head tilt from an ear infection. They both LOVE food, I mean all bunnies love food but my lops to a big degree!! And they have both been super lazy! Going into a deep sleep at times, I've had scary instances with both where it's been hard to wake them!

I definitely agree on the disminished hearing aspect, Mini will often react to what Smudge does. If he runs to me because of hearing the food box and she can see him doing that then she will too. If he's out of her sight range then sometimes I have to go and put it under her nose for her to realise! I've never noticed any sight problems though.

I'm not really helping because I do love lops :oops: but there are definite health aspects to the breed with the ears.
 
My only lop, my bridge boy Chester had dental issues needing to go under GA very regularly and then he developed an ear abscess. So my experience wasn't too great health wise! He was never a big hay eater though which could have been my fault filling him up on pellets first instead, I didn't know to put hay near his toilet for him to eat while pooping to encourage more hay eating and there was not the wonderful choice of decent hay back then or advice even like there is these days.
 
I have a dutch doe and have to say I am super happy with her. Very healthy. I just got her bonded with a rescue bun... I said that she could be bonded with any of the bucks they had, as long as she is happy with them. Turned out it's a mini lop she picked. the English spot I liked best didn't get on with her at all. so will see how it goes
 
Elphie, at 5, has had a very healthy track record thus far. She is full of personality and an absolute love. She adores food, is interested in everything and is a joy. Her sister, Galinda, is overweight and lazy as heck. But other than that, I've had no health problems with my blue dwarf lops. I might have just been lucky with those 2 so far though! The buck I'm adopting is also a lop of some variety. I wanted a wildie cross but don't have enough space to dedicate to him.

Nessarose, meanwhile, was an uppy ear lionhead and had to be pts at 4/5ish (she was a rescue and the woman who originally owned her couldn't even remember how old she was as she couldn't remember when she got her. Sigh.) The vet didn't get an accurate diagnosis, but suspected a brain tumour as she kept having seizures in her last hour, and lost all light in her eyes. :( Athena is also an uppy ear lionhead(although a cross) but she's only 6 months so....
 
I've had 2 uppey eared (one black and 1 b&q Dutch) and 2 lop eared bunnies over the years. Harley (dwarf lop) has had the most health problems of all my bunnies, he has malocclusion, that requires regular dentist visits, he also has a messy bottom problem sometimes and has had snuffles and related eye problems twice.

I knew that lops have a greater predisposition to dental issues before I took him on, I love him to bits and will give him all the help he needs, but it makes me shudder to think of all the pet shop lops that get bought for kids and left in hutches, just hope (in vain?) that they get the regular vet care they may need
 
When I went to look at Fergie I had a choice between the black up eared bunny who refused to be cuddled and wanted to run around, or a cute little smokey lop which was more than happy to snuggle up with you... I picked the little black menace because I knew the other one would get a home (and me and Ferg just seemed right for each other). When I first started looking at buns I think I decided I wanted a fawn or blue mini lop but then I met Ferg, went on personality instead and there is no bunny I'd rather have :)

Ferg is up eared but he's had more problems than any lop we've had :lol: he's a dental and now EC bun but we're fixing that! But then he is a lop cross so maybe that's where the dental problems have come from. We've had 2 lops and 3 up eared bunnies now and I think our up eared buns were generally healthier (apart from Ferg - he likes to be different!)

Our lops were definitely more placid - maybe if you're getting a rabbit for your children (bad bad bad idea) that's the idea? I like rabbits who are a bit mad personally, I can live without a rabbit that will sit on my knee quietly - I'd rather have a bouncy one that does cuddles on its own terms

I don't know what it is about lops that make people want them more, I think ALL rabbits are beautiful but I definitely prefer up eared ones, and they're even cuter to watch wash their ears :) think I'm always going to pick the "boring" coloured up eared rabbit :)
 
I have uppy-eared and loppy eared buns - personally I don't have a preference - but do find the loppy ears to be more friendly/placid - the uppy eared ones are fiesty little fluffsters. Bobo gives us both depending on his mood - he can be uppy-eared or loppy eared - I do so want to nibble on his ears - they are big and fat and juicy :love:

(I love RU - only on here can I talk about nibbling my rabbits big, fat, juicy ears without being though completely daft :lol::lol::lol:)

I've never understand colour preference either - and how black rabbits are not popular....it's never occured to me to think about the colour of a rabbit - as long as it's a healthy, happy creature, then that's all that matters isn't it?
 
Lopsy's a longer-nosed lop so touch-wood no teeth problems, but he's had ear problems. I reckon he's pretty blind as well (probably circumstantial :roll:) but he hears OK I think. I wouldn't have chosen a lop because I was aware of the ear problem thing years ago, but he came as he did :) I've never really found lops attractive, though! :lol:
 
I will confess to having a soft spot for lops :oops:

whilst I'll happily adopt lops *if* I was someone who was going to breeders for my rabbits I wouldn't support the breeding of lops because it's not fair to breed them with potential health disadvantages... however, the rabbits I get are 'already in circulation' so I'm happy to take them on, and know the potential for the issues they might face due to their breed... and get them insured!
 
My Nethie had the most health problems in all of my rabbits, she had a jaw abscess and died aged just 3.

Mind you, Louie was blind and had a lot of tummy troubles and was only 5 when I lost him.
 
When I originally started looking at getting rabbits again the cute and docile temperament attracted me. However when I researched the breed further and joined RU I changed my mind due to the increased probability of potential health issues.
 
A French lop is the 2nd Rabbit I have owned and before that it was a continental, I went for the larger breed more so than it being a pacific breed. It is possibly selfish on my part but I have a soft spot for Giant breeds because it is all i have known. I feel they are well suited to our family lifestyle and I can accommodate one or two. My previous Rabbit lived until the age of five with no health issues but i am well aware of the many issues Lops can get which I am happy to deal with. x
 
I've always been an up ear fan myself - of course my bunnies have chosen their loved ones so I've had little say in the matter :) I was really pleased Noodle chose Joe as he is a stunning up eared agouti. Joe's next wife was Boo & my 1st lop (out of 8 rabbits throughout my life) . I was reserved about getting a lop - I like the way rabbits express themselves through their ears. As it happens she can still express herself that way as she ia a "helicopter lop" :lol: We rescued her unaware of her poor eye sight & deafness - this just became apparent through observing her. She is REALLY confident though & super friendly, an absolute delight:love: Teeth all good so far :)
 
My first rabbit, Baby, was a dwarf lop, and died early due to complications from malocclusion. And that we were new owners with no idea what to do and weren't very good. She was from a backyard breeder.

My current rabbit Amy is also a lop, and so far has had no health problems due to her loppiness. Well, at least nothing big; her inner ear skin was dry and itchy when I first got her, but it cleared up on its own quite quickly. She is some kind of mix, being between a dwarf and a French lop in size. She is from Pets At Home.
 
When I first started out with rabbits I was lop mad! I think it's the stereotypical cute rabbit thing isn't it? Now, I couldn't be further from my first "ideal", now I'd love an agouti or a blue up eared rabbit. I would never get another lop out of choice, like others here, with my next rabbits I will be going to a rescue and asking for the one that's been there longest - permitting I can provide the right care for that rabbit of course.
 
I love uppy eared bunnies and tend to choose those as preference, though lops have cute squishy faces. I have a supposedly uppy eared bunny called Bertie that I rescued in January but since I got him he seems to prefer to let his ears lop. He just can't make his mind up what he should be!! He prefers one up and one down at the moment.

Bertie doesn't have ear problems but maybe this is because he isn't a true lop. He must have been crossed with one somewhere down the line though.
 
I've got 2 mini lop sisters aged 10 weeks. I wanted lops because they looked the sweetest. I was aware of the dental issues, but nothing else, I've learnt more reading this thread than from anything else I've read.
When I get rabbits again, I will definitely be going for older, neutered, bonded rabbits from a rescue than baby's and I would go for uppy eared ones.
 
Alfrid's a lop and has elongated tooth roots, resulting in blocked tear ducts, and the occasional spur. He's susceptible to ear problems on a big scale (think perforated ear drum, massive amounts of wax, infection, lots of pus etc!) and is currently undergoing tests for unexplained weight loss with no gain despite food increase...He has probably cost us £3500-£4000 (thankfully insured!!) in the three and a half years we've had him. Compared to my nethie, who went seven years with no problem and only was ill just before she died, he's definitely the most unlucky!

I do think he also has some eyesight/hearing problems, as I can literally walk up to the cage and he won't notice I'm there. He doesn't respond to my voice always, and will sometimes bolt all of a sudden like he's only just noticed me. It's never been diagnosed though. I just roll with it :lol: We've said before he's just a bit of a sickly bunny, and was the runt of the litter. I don't think it's put me off lops, though.
 
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