Dwarf Lop Rabbit in a field

Dwarf Lop Rabbit Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The Dwarf Lop originated in Holland and is a very common breed of pet rabbit. If you’re looking for a Dwarf Lop to join your family, this breed guide gives you all the information you need to know about this popular breed.

Dwarf Lop Rabbit Facts

Everypaw's breed type icon
Type
Lop-eared
Everypaw's breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
5 - 8 years
Everypaw's breed size icon
Size
Medium
Everypaw's breed weight icon
Weight
1.9 - 2.3+ kg
Everypaw's breed temperament icon
Temperament
Friendly, affectionate, playful
Everypaw's breed exercise icon
Exercise
2 hours 2x a day
Everypaw's breed grooming icon
Grooming
Medium maintenance

Is a Dwarf Lop Rabbit Right for Me?

The Dwarf is a friendly and playful breed that will want to spend time interacting with you. They’re not a particularly small breed even though their name suggests they are! They’re medium sized and have proven to be a very popular pet rabbit breed. If you’re looking for a cuddly bun that you can also spend time playing with, then the Dwarf is definitely a breed to consider.

Dwarf Lop Rabbit in a shelter

Life with a Dwarf Lop Rabbit

Dwarfs are pretty quick to learn, are laid back and don’t mind a cuddle on the sofa. But they’re known for being a bit temperamental if they’re not neutered or spayed, so this is a must, as with all bunny breeds. This breed is generally good with children, but as with any breed of rabbit, they should be supervised to avoid any incidents or accidents.

Caring for Your Dwarf Lop

All rabbit breeds have much the same dietary needs when it comes to dinner time. They need a diet high in fibre with lots of high-quality fresh hay and grass. They also love to nibble on fresh vegetables. Some greens contain lots of calcium so your bun shouldn’t eat these too often!

If your bunny is fed hay, grass and fresh veg, they don’t really need to be fed a dry rabbit mix or pellets. But, if you do want to feed these as well, make sure you don’t give your rabbit too much. Overfeeding can lead to weight and health problems.

Dwarf Lops have a medium length dense soft coat. Rabbits are great at grooming themselves, but you should groom your Dwarf a couple of times a week, and more often when they’re moulting. Grooming helps to prevent any knots or uncomfortable tangles. Grooming will also help you and your bunny to build a special bond. It also gives you a great opportunity to give them a quick check over for signs of any health problems. If you start grooming your rabbit when they’re young, they’ll soon get used to it.

Dwarf Lops are quite an intelligent breed so are usually easy to train, especially when it comes to toilet training. With some positive rewards they’ll be house trained in no time. You could also train your Dwarf to do other things, like come to call or play fetch. Being a good-natured breed they love to please and soon work out that training is fun when they get nice rewards.

Exercise is important for all sorts of reasons, including behavioural and health. It keeps their weight in check, keeps them healthy and stops them from getting bored and getting up to mischief. If your rabbit has plenty of toys to play with, chew toys and places to run, play and hide they’ll be very happy.

Letting your rabbit have a run and play outside for a couple of hours twice a day, or even longer, is ideal. Unfortunately though, because of their size, rabbits make easy prey for unwelcome garden predators. Always make sure their outside space is enclosed and safe to avoid any potential disasters!
 

Dwarf Lop Rabbit in a garden

Dwarf Lop Insurance

Caring for your Dwarf Lop is all part of the paw-renting process, you want to keep your bunny safe and sound. Now while we can’t prevent accidents or illnesses, we can be there for you when you need us most. Everypaw’s Lifetime Rabbit Insurance can be there to help look after your Dwarf Lop if they suffer a new illness or injury. And if they’re little under the weather, or you need some advice on their care, our Petcall vet team are available 24/7 365.

Start a quote

Common Dwarf Lop Health Problems by Vetstream

As with most rabbit breeds, the Dwarf Lop can be prone to some health problems. Because of the shape of the shape and size of their head, Dwarfs are particularly prone to dental and ear problems. We’ve joined up with veterinary experts Vetstream to help you identify any potential problems.

This syndrome affects rabbits like the Dwarf Lop because of their short noses. Brachycephalic rabbits have a short skull and in turn a longer top jaw than bottom jaw. This is called malocclusion which meaning their teeth don’t line up properly. Malocclusion can be life-threatening because rabbit’s teeth grow continuously. If they don’t wear their teeth down, they struggle to eat or drink properly.

If your bunny suffers from malocclusion, they will need to visit the vet regularly for dental treatment.

Myxomatosis (also known as Myxy) is a highly contagious and usually fatal disease caused by the myxoma virus. This virus is spread by biting flies or fleas. It’s also spread by non-biting fleas, bedding and food. Myxy is seen more often in late summer, autumn and early winter and is widespread throughout the UK.

Unfortunately there isn’t a cure, but there’s a vaccine that can help protect your rabbit from the fleas and biting flies that transmit the virus. Vaccination is the key to prevention, along with annual boosters and flea treatment.

Otitis is a common ear condition in rabbits. It affects the ear canal and other structures in the ear making it inflamed and painful. It’s a good idea to check your rabbit’s ears regularly so you can spot any early signs of infection. You might notice your rabbit scratching their ears a lot or generally looking under the weather. If this happen call your vet as they might have an ear infection.

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD), also known as rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), is a common viral disease in rabbits. Rabbits are affected by two types, VHD1 and VHD2. VHD1 quickly attacks the internal organs, causing internal bleeding and is nearly always fatal. VHD2 is generally less aggressive. Signs of infection include anorexia, lethargy, simply being off colour, to sudden and unexplained death. Prevention is essential for VHD. Your rabbit can be vaccinated against VHD from 5 weeks old.

A combined myxomatosis/VHD vaccine is available which protects rabbits against myxomatosis, VHD1 and VHD2. This is a great way of making sure your precious bunny is protected against these three potentially fatal conditions.
 

Quick Dwarf Lop Q&A

Dwarf Lops can live pretty long lives if they’re fit and healthy. You can expect a life expectancy up to around 8 years old.

You might think that because of their name they’re a very small breed, but they’re not! They weigh in at around 2.3 kg or more if bred as pet rabbits. Show varieties often weigh a little less than pet varieties.

Yes! They’re one of the friendliest breeds of rabbits. That’s why they make such a popular breed of pet rabbit.

They make great pets. As with all pet rabbits though, young children shouldn’t be allowed to handle them as they’re very delicate. Your Dwarf Lop will be more than happy being cuddled by older children, but they should always be supervised. And of course, they’ll love nothing more than sofa cuddles with you once the children have gone to bed!

That’s All You Need to Know About Dwarf Lops

If you’re looking for a bunny that’ll want to spend time playing and cuddling up with you, Dwarf Lops are a great choice. They’re laid back with super temperaments making them great pets for all the family. But their genetic makeup makes them prone to teeth and ear problems which will need to be closely monitored. Despite these problems, if you’ve got the time and love to give a Dwarf, they’ll give it back in bucket loads!

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

;