NZ REW kits ears lopping over.

[Florida Jeff]

I have posted this to the illnesses forum but would like to post here also.

I have two kits that their ears have lopped over. They were the runts of the litter of 9. All other kits are 2.5-3 lbs at 6 weeks. these are only 1.5- 1.8 lbs. The first kit's ears lopped over two weeks ago and the other just started two days ago. Both kits were left with the mother.
I don't know why this is happening , I can only think meningitis, one kit had trouble walking (dragging back foot) at first but got over that and is moving normal around cage. I don't know if I should cull or quarantine. I don't want to put them with or next to other rabbits but don't have other cages.

Can any one help please?

 

[owen2]

This could be a simple ear infection, are they shaking or scratching their heads regularly?

 

[Florida Jeff]

This could be a simple ear infection, are they shaking or scratching their heads regularly?

 

[hotzcatz]

If it is hot weather and they are young rabbits, it could be the heat doing it. Rabbits use their ears as heat radiators and move blood through them to cool off during hot times. Which makes their ears heavy and in young rabbits with undeveloped ear muscles, the ears will lop over.

 

[eco2pia]

Yeah I have seen young rabbits be lazy about lifting their ears, but if you put treats up to the wire magically their ears work again. I always think it is because the ears got big faster than the muscles can keep up, like a puppy with upright ears will have funny looking floppy half up ears for a while as they grow in.