Hidden deformity?

[Nyctra]

I think there's a highly-inheritable...SOMETHING going on with my angora bunnies. I'm pretty sure it's not sickness, but I'm also pretty sure it sets them up for a high chance of infection.

When they dip their heads to drink (especially on my only buck), you can actually watch the water trickle back out their nose. It's freaky and unnerving, and I feel bad because they gag on it sometimes.

As this most recent litter grows bigger, I've thought I heard a small crackle coming from the chocolate kit within a couple minutes after feeding. Last night, there was no mistaking it. Tonight, she actually aspirated enough milk that she was clearly having a hard time breathing, even holding her mouth wide open for a long moment. Milk had dribbled out of her nose and around her lips.

I've never even heard of this. Has anyone else had an issue like this? Obviously it's something I'd want to breed away from.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Very mild case of cleft palate, maybe? :?

 

[Nyctra]

That's what my friends are thinking too...
Darn bunnies won't open up their mouths for me, though, so I can't get a look in there. :?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Darn bunnies won't open up their mouths for me, though, so I can't get a look in there. :?

Simple. Only give them decaf coffee tomorrow morning, and by afternoon they should all be yawning.

 

[Nyctra]

Simple. Only give them decaf coffee tomorrow morning, and by afternoon they should all be yawning.

That's a great idea! I'll just need to be sure to keep the camera ready to snap a shot. :lol:

 

[Susie570]

Simple. Only give them decaf coffee tomorrow morning, and by afternoon they should all be yawning.

That's a great idea! I'll just need to be sure to keep the camera ready to snap a shot. :lol:

Aww I love yawning bunnies, they are the funniest. My kid makes a yawning bunny face and it makes me laugh every time.

As for the bunny dribbling factor... you said the buck does it. Does the doe do it too? Do they dribble if they drink from a bottle?

 

[Nyctra]

Well, it happened. I knew she was a ticking time bomb. She's had water, milk, and even chewed pellet come out of her nose - and now boogers too! Fantastic. :evil:
I heard her sneeze the other night so I scooped her up in a heartbeat. She had some clear boogers around her nostrils, so I squirted a bit of saline water up her nose and waited...a few minutes later, she sneezed a white booger. Her legs are clean, but I can still hear a little "pop" once in a while somewhere in that little head of hers. Other than some boogers, she's a happy hungry little bunny.

A friend of the family had already called dibs on her for a pet, but I'm thinking I'll just let her put on little more weight and butcher her off. It's a huge bummer. She was just starting to get fluffy too!



On another note - while stressing over the sudden boogery kit, I went snooping for other angora breeders...I keep looking, checking the pics of every breeder I could possibly reach, but every single one of them so far have rabbits with signs of weepy eyes or dirty noses. I can't help wondering if they put more into the wool than they do the health. :? Or maybe I'm just extra suspicious over every little thing...

 

[Zass]

Here in PA....there are some very very unhealthy english angora that get taken to shows and get sold.

I mean, I traveled 4 hours once to look at some and went home empty handed because they were OOZING SNOT. :evil:

 

[Miss M]

 

[katiebear]

I had a bun with a cleft pallet, you could see and feel an indentation running back from her nose to between her ears. And her nose looked like it was off to one side. Hers was pretty severe though but she didn't have any trouble eating or drinking out of the bottle. When I trimmed her teeth I used a wooden spoon handle to put behind her teeth to hold open her mouth...maybe you could try that.I never got much of a look at her pallet though, her mouth was so small and her teeth were growing curled back. She made it to butcher size, 4 lbs, and her insides looked alright..
Is she still nursing? the reason I ask is ..is it possible that the white booger is thick milk? The picture kinda looks like a milk face... :?

 

[Nyctra]

Here in PA....there are some very very unhealthy english angora that get taken to shows and get sold.

Towards the end of a show I visited, there were a couple angora on a table with several other breeds...I suppose that means they made it to the final round? Yet one of the angora that happened to be facing my way appeared to have a soggy nose. :shock: Maybe I'm just especially wary now, but I quickly backed away and skipped taking photos of that one.

Is she still nursing? the reason I ask is ..is it possible that the white booger is thick milk? The picture kinda looks like a milk face... :?

Her last contact with her doe was a night or two before she got snotty. Unless it curdled, it was definitely not milk she blew out.