One ear drooping!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 22sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 1 month ago by LBJ10.

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- 08/01/2015 at 12:34 PM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  My rabbit is roughly a year and a few months old and recently ive noticed that one of his ears has drooped whilst the other stays stuck up like usual. He is eating, hopping and pooping fine and when ive touched the drooped ear he doesnt seem in pain. I cant notice any odors or colour change in his ear, and no symptoms showing on his face. Im worried he may have broken the cartilage after a fight with his brother in attempting bonding, though i managed to split the fight pretty quickly. This has happened mostly today though there may have been a slight horizontal compared to the other one at different points.
  
  Also not sure how to attatch picture if this attempt doesnt work! ?
  
  https://binkybunny.com/wp-content/uploads/converted_files/Portals/0/activeforums_Attach/1438448245454.jpg” border=”0″ class=”afimg” />https://binkybunny.com/wp-content/uploads/converted_files/Portals/0/activeforums_Attach/1438447835569.jpg” border=”0″ class=”afimg” />
- 08/01/2015 at 2:48 PM
  IsabellaRobyn
  Participant
  592 posts
  I don’t have any advice to offer – but here are the pictures.
- 08/01/2015 at 11:07 PM
  tanlover14
  Participant
  3617 posts
  Some bunnies have been known to lop late in life — though it is rare.
- 08/01/2015 at 11:19 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  A lot of the time when you have mixed breed bunnies with lop in there somewhere, it will take until they are adults before the cartilage and muscles start having “difficulty” supporting the ear. So it could be that.
  
  Have you examined her ear thoroughly? It isn’t painful? Itchy? Red, oozy, flaky, etc.?
- 08/02/2015 at 3:08 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  A verysimilar thing happened with one of mine back when I we was trying to bond my bunnies. suddenly one of them had one droopy ear. No visible damage to it, just droopy. It went up again like a week later and has been up since. This is how he looked.
- 08/02/2015 at 6:23 AM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  Ive checked the ear it looks perfectly normal and he doesnt seem to be bothering with it. I did suspect he could be mix breed but his brothers ears havent done anything like this. Thanks for the help I shall keep an eye on him. My mum suspects it could be something to do with stress of getting neutured and then bonding attempts?
- 08/02/2015 at 11:39 AM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  Maybe. I suppose it is possible to feel stressed and then not have the “energy” to hold up that ear. I would think that if there are no signs of damage then it might be okay to wait a little bit to see if he picks his ear back up.
- 08/02/2015 at 1:36 PM
  Eepster
  Participant
  1236 posts
  He really just looks like a mini lop, not like an uppy breed with a damaged ear. Head and body shape really fit lop. So I concur with others that he’s just a late bloomer.
- 08/02/2015 at 5:35 PM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  Is it possible for him to be cross bread but his brother isnt? I was told they come from the same litter but nothing about the other rabbits or the mother and father.
- 08/02/2015 at 6:33 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  Siblings do not have the same genetic makeup. If, say, the father only had a little bit of lop in him and the mother had none, then there is a good chance that some of the babies would not have any.
- 08/03/2015 at 3:41 AM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  Aw thanks for all the replies people! Youve really put my mind at ease. I asked a friend about it and she said that her rabbit had it and ended up having a really bad illness that it was too late to treat. He seems fine though so I guess it really is just genetic make up. Though i dont know if it makes him cuter or look silly!
- 08/03/2015 at 3:47 AM
  Bunny Theo
  Participant
  1 posts
  I notice the same thing with my bunny yesterday. But his ear was not down sidewise on his cheek but laying on his back. He was shaking his head and scratching his ear and he didnt mind if i touch it. I wanted to spoil him a little and gave him a banana and sudenly his ear was up again. Its unusial for him to ever have his ears down because he is interesting in EVERYTHING and is always listening and sniffing around trying to do something bad ?
  But now im not sure if i should take him to vet or not.
- 08/03/2015 at 4:25 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  Bunny Theo, if your bun acts otherwise normal and doesn’t keep scratching at the ear, I don’t think you need to take him to the vet. Just keep an eye on that ear.
  YoloMcBunny, what your friend’s bunny had sounds like head tilt, from a parasite called e cuniculi. That can be very serious but the signs are not just one droopy ear, the whole head is askew, like.
  I think it’s super cute with one ear down and one up!
- 08/03/2015 at 7:42 AM
  Cottontail
  Participant
  1070 posts
  Tilly helicopters once in a while, and most of the time it’s her longer ear that droops. (she’s got the tip missing off one ear, so it’s slightly shorter)
  It seems to happen only in these instances:
  -She’s sleepy
  -She’s very relaxed
  -She’s pouting
  
  Otherwise she’s got full control of her ears and they are practically little satellite dishes. lol I wouldn’t worry unless it’s itchy or irritated, like Bam said. Then I would get a second opinion from the vet.
- 08/04/2015 at 12:27 AM
  Eepster
  Participant
  1236 posts
  Can you post a picture of his brother? I would say your bunny has a lot of lop in him, not just a little. The one up ear looks more odd to me than the down one on him, b/c he just looks so much like a mini lop.
- 08/04/2015 at 8:51 AM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  This is his brother. When they were young they both looked exactly how he looks now, only smaller and cuter versions.
- 08/05/2015 at 12:53 AM
  Eepster
  Participant
  1236 posts
  It may just be the angle, but brother looks like he has a longer more pointy face, and generally more triangular head, which is much less lop like.
- 08/06/2015 at 6:46 AM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  Update: Ive kept them apart for two days to give them a break from eachother and my bunnys ear isnt drooping anymore but instead is more horizontal/up
- 08/06/2015 at 7:25 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  Good news thanks for the update!
- 08/22/2015 at 8:21 AM
  YoloMcBunny
  Participant
  9 posts
  One final update: both ears have suddenly drooped again though everything looks normal, e.g eating, drinking and pooping. Behaviour still the same. No issues. He must be more lop than his brother so thanks again for those who suggested that and put my mind at ease.
- 08/22/2015 at 8:37 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  So glad to hear it doesn’t seem to be a health-issue!
- 01/16/2019 at 8:58 PM
  alison
  Participant
  1 posts
  I also have a bunny like that His ears falls down while the other is not, and I tried to touch it and he seems like shock looks like its painful..
- 01/16/2019 at 11:18 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  Hi alison! This is an old thread (from 2015). If you have a question regarding your bunny, it would be best to create your own thread. This prevents confusion and allows other members to find your question more quickly.
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