Brachycephaly

What is brachycephaly?

This condition affects short-nosed animals, particularly their breathing, tooth growth, and tear ducts. You can read our policy here.

In a brachycephalic breed, the rabbit’s nose and mouth are less prominent and more flattened. It changes the look to a ‘cuter rabbit’, but sadly affects the shape of the head. Take a look at this image to see the difference. It’s easy to spot why dental and ear problems are common.

What does brachycephaly cause?

It can include crowding of the back teeth (cheek teeth) and out-of-alignment incisors or front teeth. Rabbits aren’t as affected by the respiratory problems seen in dogs, as their nostrils remain normal. But their teeth and tear drainage are the problem areas that can result in dramatically twisted teeth or infections and blockages in the tear duct. Crowed and misaligned (malocluded) teeth don’t wear properly and then become too long. Teeth that overgrow cause problems for rabbits eating and cleaning themselves, and very painful suprs that cut into their cheeks and tongue.

Lop ears (long drooping ears) can also cause problems. Imagine folding a cardboard kitchen roll inner in half. The lumen, or hole down the centre, closes and the sections of the tube separate. In rabbit ears, this narrows the ear canal, reducing airflow which makes it difficult for anything to drain from the ear. More importantly, the separation of the cartilage hoops making up the ear allows any build-up of wax to push between them under the skin.

This build-up forms a painful abscess, which bursts and releases material into direct contact with the tissues. Another risk is that the mass grows and spreads around the delicate structures of the head. It then becomes impossible to remove, damaging soft tissue and bone.

Our survey demonstrated that only 27% of masses like this were found solely or mainly in ‘up-eared’ rabbits.

Which breeds are considered brachycephalic?

• Any mini breed
• Any dwarf breed
• Any lop breed
• Lionhead
• Jersey Wooly
• Polish
• Thrianta

Breeds with other problems

There are also welfare problems in other breeds, like Angora and Cashmere, who have extreme features, like their very long hair.

These rabbits can’t groom themselves or look after their own coat. It also puts them at higher risk of fly strike. So they need daily grooming from us, which can be stressful, and totally unnatural for them.

These rabbits often have their coat harvested as wool, by plucking or shearing, which is either painful, stressful or both. There’s some debate about sourcing ‘ethical’ angora wool from a pet rabbit who has all the welfare needs met and whose fur sheds as part of the normal moulting process. But it just doesn’t produce enough wool for commercial use.

In contrast, Rex rabbits have no guard hair, which means that their coat feels very soft, like velvet. It also means they have less protection against the weather and are more likely to suffer from conditions like pododermatitis of the feet.

How to care for brachycephalic breeds

We know that brachycephalic breeds like Netherland Dwarfs and lops are very popular, and many of us have them.

To keep your rabbits safe, keep a really close eye on them and check them regularly. Look out for:

• Weepy eyes
• Masses forming at the base of their ears
• Drool around the mouth
• Overgrown incisor teeth
• Dirty matted bottoms
• Head tilt or head shaking from ear infections
• Changes in their diet preference, ie. avoiding hard foods and hay

Here’s an example of overgrown teeth.

They would be impossible to miss and should have been spotted and treated much earlier with regular checks.

This example is less obvious.

A ‘maloccluded rabbit’ has teeth that aren’t straight and don’t actually meet. The wet fur and sore skin around its mouth and chin are other signs to look out for.

This is an image of an ‘ear-based abscess’ or ear-based mass’. The hair has been clipped around the base of the ear so you can see it more clearly, but this would be harder to see before the hair was removed. You need to feel around the base of the ears regularly for these and check for them. They are very painful. Treatment options will vary. Surgery is sometimes an option, but so is palliative care and pain relief. You need to see a rabbit-savvy vet straight away.

Should you still adopt these breeds?

Yes! It’s a great idea to adopt from a rescue centre, and there are lots of lop-eared rabbits, lionheads, other brachy breeds, or those with extreme features waiting for homes. You just need to be aware of the potential issues listed above, know what to look for, and make sure you see a rabbit-savvy vet if you spot any of them.

By adopting from a rescue and not buying from a breeder or pet shop, you will help to stop the demand for rabbits with these welfare issues from breeders. If there’s no demand, then fewer rabbits would need rescue centres, and fewer would suffer painful dental issues.
 
These rabbits are wonderful animals and all deserve better tomorrows too.